The Geography of a Journey: Confinement in a Travel Trailer
"Hel-lo!" I yelled at the woman I saw standing next to a Winnebago on the far side of the campground. Our Ford van and trailer were stuck. The tires whirred, throwing dirt everywhere, sinking deeper and deeper into Tennessee mud. “Can you please help us?” As my...
Longenecker Sisters Road Trip to the River
For there is no friend like a sister / In calm or stormy weather; / To cheer one on the tedious way, / To fetch one if one goes astray, / To lift one if one totters down,/ To strengthen whilst one stands. –– Christina Rossetti from “Goblin Market” ...
Mother’s Day Memento
At the initiation of Anna Jarvis President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 declaring Mother's Day an official holiday. Although It takes place on the second Sunday in May in the USA, Mother's Day is also celebrated internationally on different dates....
My Work is Loving the World
Last week's blog post honored the treasures of the land, with its power to heal, and its gifts of providing food, clothing, and shelter. The land grounds us, provides stability under our feet, nourishes our souls and feeds our bodies. However, work is often required...
The Movie LAND and the Longenecker Acreage
In a super-sanitized theatre earlier this year, we viewed the movie LAND, the story of a lone women who seeks solace in nature to heal unbearable wounds BLURB (no spoilers!) From acclaimed actress Robin Wright comes her directorial debut LAND, the...
Between Heaven and Mirth: Where Fun is Always ON
This past year has been like a treadmill trek with the degrees of incline jacked up higher every (day, week, month). The news generally has been grim. Have you felt a need for lightness and joy? I certainly have! Goodreads Review: Between Heaven and...
7 Lessons Learned from the 2020-2021 Pandemic
7 Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Pandemic 1. Family Matters More Than We Realized Need I say more? 2. We have Unleashed a Revolution in Medicine "One of the biggest lessons we've learned from COVID is that the scientific community...
The Irish Washerwoman and Grandma Fannie’s Soap
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Even if you’re not Irish, you may feel an impulse to wear GREEN today or maybe even sport a derby hat. Our family is mostly of German-Swiss ancestry, but once we lived in the Killarney Shores neighborhood of our city with streets named Emerald...
Wordless Wednesday: Old Tech, New Life
Can you identify with the era? Do you have photos or other artifacts showing technology from the 1970s -- or later? Did you work outside the home during pregnancy? Note: My computer will be in the repair shop for a short time....
What It’s Like to be a Bird
Do Birds Smell? Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year? Can robins “hear” worms? Bird expert David Sibley answers frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often in What It’s Like to be a Bird. In a large-format volume displaying...
Celebrating YOU: Blog Anniversary Number 8
Welcome to My Eighth Blogiversary Please have a cupcake! Guest of Honor YOU! You come from all over the globe. If you don't find your country represented, you can call me out in Comments. Here is a sampling from stats earlier this month: Our...
Darn It! A Tale with a Tail
To begin, a riddle from Nursery Rhymes of England *** Socks are not expensive. I could toss this hole-y one and buy another pair, the Reebok brand I prefer. But, you see, I'd have to figure out where I bought this pair, don a mask, go to a store, exposing myself to...
Mennonite Man Crafts a Valentine Menu
Mennonite Man, Willard Roth, reared on Iowa farmland, has a long career as Journalist Author Church leader World traveler . . . and always a Cook and Entertainer Mennonite Men Can Cook Too (2015) is a compilation...
How to Hygge, The Comforts of Home, Part 2
Savor the Moment: “Smell the treat before you eat it. Linger over a good conversation at dinner. Choose enjoyment over accomplishments and possessions.” Build a Comfortable nest: Blankets, pillows, soft pajamas may help - Make a a "hyggekrog," a nook, a place where...
Wordless Wednesday: Skywriting Over Germany
How German pilot celebrated the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine in December 2020 Is the Covid-19 vaccine available in your area? Do you plan to get the vaccine when it is offered?
Taking the Plunge: Liesbet Travels the Sea
Almost exactly one year ago this week, Liesbet, Mark, and Maya visited our home, via their RV Zesty. I wrote about our 4-hour visit HERE. Liesbet and I spent part of the time discussing her work-in-progress memoir, PLUNGE, here just a manuscript on her Tablet...
Cathedral Windows: from Candy to Communion
The surge of the Covid-19 virus and the ensuing lockdown launched nearly a year of frantic baking and a run on flour and sugar in the grocery aisles. What first had become a coping mechanism during the pandemic has perhaps evolved into a new pastime (or passion) as...
My Word: It’s Beyond Me!
Beauty, the word I chose for my focus word for 2020, seemed to mock the events that unfolded in early March and following: the pandemic, political strife, urban uproar all contributed to create a topsy-turvy world. Still, nature cycled through seasons, revealing its...