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a world gone Lord of the Flies

August 24, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

It's a world gone Lord of the Flies

It’s a world gone Lord of the Flies. All I have to do is look outside my kitchen window to see it. In my garden (which has basically been unattended since my accident), the bully plants run amok. There’s been no one to reign them in, cut them back, pull them out by the roots, keep them in their place.

Bullies need stewards. They tend to be very Machiavellian.

The bullies in my backyard.

Mint, oh mint.

Mint is a big ole’ backyard bully. It has silenced my coreopsis, strangled my gaura. It wants to take over all of Northwest Arkansas, I can tell. Yanking a bit out each afternoon only fuels it. Gives it an audience. I fear this is a job for more than one person. When the breeze blows just right, I ignore it. But there comes a point it becomes overpowering, even mixed with white rum and lime juice.Continue Reading

Glimpses of Us

January 30, 2017 By Talya Tate Boerner

Denver trip - glimpses of us

You know what’s cool? Having an adult son who is more than willing to hang out with his Momma and show her all around his city.

You know what’s strange? Walking through the Denver airport when I first arrived and being flooded with a memory I hadn’t thought about in years. A memory of being delayed at the Denver airport for ten hours with two small children. My children, of course, and while I did my best to entertain them, I was tired and they were energetic with sticky hands and busy minds. In that moment, life felt exhausting. Everything felt exhausting. A quiet, empty area in the corner of a terminal became our refuge, the comfy chairs arranged around a small table, not typical waiting-to-board chairs, thankfully, and we camped out there with our gear and kid backpacks and no telling what all.

At some point, an elderly couple joined us, and we adopted each other because they too were stuck at the airport trying to get to Dallas. At some point, Kelsey and Tate taught the elderly couple to play a certain card game, the name of the game I don’t remember, and for hours we played game after game, chatting and laughing, and the time passed as quickly as possible.

Friday, as I walked through the same airport in Denver, I found myself thinking about that couple. And I found myself looking for that quiet corner with the comfy chairs. Looking for glimpses of us back then, sitting together, me no doubt harried, the kids no doubt bouncing off the walls, and the elderly couple helping me by just being there.Continue Reading

Lessons from Linus

October 6, 2016 By Talya Tate Boerner

Lessons from LinusLinus said there are three things we should never talk about—politics, religion, and the Great Pumpkin. Woo boy. I think the only thing we can safely talk about right now is the Great Pumpkin. This is the ideal time to take a deep breath and remember those childhood lessons from Linus. Because of all the Peanuts gang members, Linus was the calm, thoughtful one. When the spotlight shined on him, his soliloquy moved a gang of kids everywhere.

And he did it without ever raising his voice.

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25
  • Maggie and Miss Ladybug: My New Children’s Nature Book
  • Sunday Letter: November 9, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Oct 26, 2025
  • Sunday Letter: Oct 5, 2025

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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