Dear friends,
We have a little news to share—something that feels a bit like rearranging the furniture in a well-loved room. After much thought, a few long walks, and more than one cup of coffee, we’ve decided to make some changes to our podcast.
This podcast grew out of a decade of review writing and homeschool musings. It was a natural next step—an unfolding of conversations we were already having around our kitchen tables and in our notebooks. But when we stepped behind the mic, something unexpected and beautiful happened: we met fellow light bearers in what can often feel like a dark and noisy culture. Among them were some lovely library ladies—kindred spirits who first became our friends, then our mentors, and now our partners in this delightful and sometimes dizzying vocation of library work.
Over the years, the Lord has had a way of using Lent to speak clearly into our work. Each season has brought a new invitation. First, it was the Potato Peel Pie Facebook group—that surprising little doorway into this rich bookish community. Then came the website—first Plumfield and Paideia, now Plumfield Moms. What followed were years of refining, pruning, and deepening. Then the podcast emerged—quietly at first, and then with growing joy and purpose. And from that podcast came something we never could have anticipated: libraries. Real ones. And real work in them.
This Lent, once again, the Holy Spirit showed up with clarity and direction. As we laid each commitment before the Lord, we sensed Him gently asking us to take stock, to consider our limits, and to step more fully into the work He’s given us right now. By Holy Week, we both knew, without question, that it was time to take a break from podcasting.
So, here’s what that means: we’re not disappearing. We still own the microphones. We still know how to edit. Our Rolodex is full. And yes, we renewed the podcast hosting so every episode will stay right where you can find it. But for this season, we’re turning off the lights in the studio so we can be more present in our libraries, our churches, and our communities. The work is growing—more quickly than we could have guessed—and we feel deeply called to walk faithfully in it.
You can still find us in on our social media channels, in our weekly newsletters which go out to 1,400 friends, in our libraries, and at both the Plumfield Moms website and The Card Catalog website. And, maybe you will hear us speak at an event or in a school that we are partnering with.
We’re grateful beyond words for every listener, every guest, and every story shared along the way. You’ve helped make this podcast what it is, and we carry your encouragement with us into this next chapter. Who knows what the future holds—but for now, we’re leaning into where the light is brightest.
A very special thanks to our dear friends Tanya Arnold and Sarah Kim at Biblioguides and Sherry Early and Kristi Stansfield from The Card Catalog for the very many ways that they made Our Reading Life and Our Librarian Life so special and so much fun!
God's most tender blessings to each of you,
Diane Pendergraft & Sara Masarik