Marian Meets the Red Queen
The Red Queen offers advice to Alice, who finds herself running intensely, but not actually moving forward: “Now, here, you see,” says the Red Queen, “it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must...
Surprises of a Class Reunion
Time is galloping by! May 2024 is now practically history . . . and April is long gone. Looking back, the 27th of last month was a red-letter day for me. On that date I re-connected with some friends I had seen every day in high school decades ago in...
The Blowout: Part 2
Back-up to The Blowout, part 1: How last week’s installment ended: As the morning progressed though, Cliff and I wrestled with unspoken questions: Can we still enjoy a leisurely evening and supper, spending overnight in Valdosta? (We had packed suitcases in...
The Blowout
Out of the blue there was an ear-splitting BOOM above our heads. Cliff and I looked at each other dumbfounded, jaws dropping. Apparently, the shattering of thousands of glass shards followed the BOOM in the Subaru’s moon roof. We had traveled about seventy miles west...
Surprise Inside!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ2n3xsPQSo&lc=Ugzs31Z_TYkhjclEMVl4AaABAg Vintage card from the archives of Miss Ruth Longenecker I'll be taking a break now . . . back soon!
‘Tis Springtime with Sketchy Solicitations
Springtime At Rheems Elementary, a two-room school of eight grades, we observed a daily ritual: Bell ringing from the school-house steeple (always by a boy), Bible reading, the Lord’s Prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and then singing before morning lessons began....
Buds, Breezes, and a Blunder
Is it spring? Is it winter? As I write, the Weather Channel reports that a late winter storm is blanketing the Northwest and the Midwest while warm temps tease those in warmer climes. Author Kawaguchi of Tales from the Cafe expresses eloquently the fickle fits of...
5 Reasons Why I Blog
"Nearing 30 and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, Julie Powell reclaims her life by cooking every single recipe in Julia Child's legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking in the span of one year. It's a hysterical, inconceivably redemptive journey -- life...
Focus Your Gaze, Feel Renewed
When life speeds up, I want to slow down. As I change the tempo of my life, I notice my breath deepen, my pulse slow, and my gaze narrows its focus. I may fix my eyes for a while on something small that catches my attention: a lizard-y critter scampering along the...
Ted’s Wild Adventure in the Snow
Cold in Florida The weather has been rough this January by Florida standards. Not rough like in Winnepeg, Manitoba or Litchfield, Maine, but rough enough to potentially kill plants. At 31° Fahrenheit, the Beamans have had to cover their tender plants with tarps....
Persimmon is IN. What Else is New?
Persimmon is IN. Yes, Pantone, that persnickety arbiter of color, has decreed that persimmon is the accent color for 2024. It's the color of pumpkin, saffron, and orange itself. In a sunny room, persimmon looks sorbet-like, which reminds me of the mushy fruit which...
Uplifting Organ Transplant
MARY: “Guess what! My Mom gave me her home organ. I may have it any time we can figure out how to get it moved from her house to where Alexei and I are moving. It’s really heavy!” SARAH: “Cool! Okay, let me check with Joel. Maybe we can help you and...
Medical Musings and Playing with Words
Medical Musings and Playing with Words Mercifully, I’ve skated through more than seven decades of life with few aches and pains. Over the years, my sympathy for others has extended to sending get-well cards, making phone calls and hospital visits. Sympathy---that’s...
Locked! Where Does This Door Lead?
Your thoughts? Curious readers want to know. Lowest Prices of the Year! Click on the titles below to gift these books to a friend. Or, treat yourself this holiday. Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl Educational and thought-provoking ...
Sharpening Knives, Carving Turkey, and Being Thankful
'Tis the season for roasting turkey. . . carving the bird. . . and expressing gratitude You can find dozens of tips on how to carve a turkey online. I found this one, on a website dubbed Webstaurant, demonstrating in 59 seconds flat a surefire way to handle the...
Book Club Mom Meets Mennonite Daughter
How do you listen to a podcast or Zoom interview? Sit and stare into space? Take a walk? Lounge on your couch? Chop vegetables for soup? Multi-task in some other way? Last month, Barbara Vitelli, also known as blogger Book Club Mom, interviewed me via Zoom. She was...
20 Snaps Amid the Purple Mountains of Virginia
Last week, Cliff and I attended my 60-year-college class reunion at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. Harrisonburg, VA is a long way from north Florida, so we took a Delta flight. The distance measured in time: a 14 to16-hour car trip, or a 4-hour flight,...
Painted Barn Faces: Wordless Wednesday
Deuteronomy 28:8 The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.