by MarianBeaman | Nov 8, 2017 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized
I found Aunt Ruthie’s autograph book at the bottom of this painted chest under a pile of blankets, dolls, and vintage clothing. Her classmates from Elizabethtown High School class of 1935 Wrote in her autograph book. Some sayings were Sweet, Some were silly. Three...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 1, 2017 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations
Food network star Guy Fieri admits, “I’ve never been an apron fan; it’s all too cumbersome to me.’ The Longenecker men didn’t wear aprons. To his credit, my dad did dry dishes but only on Sundays, and without an apron. Beaman Men in Three...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 25, 2017 | blog, book review, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Quotations, Uncategorized
Roz Chast knows about funny She uses a feeble font style Her figures have faint lines Sometimes her humor is subtle Other times blatant as a siren A New Yorker cartoonist since 1978, Chast plays her fears for laughs, taming anxiety with humor. Oy...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 18, 2017 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
Ask any question beginning with Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Or Offer some answers that I can possibly verify A story may build A tale may be told Why not be bold!
by MarianBeaman | Oct 11, 2017 | blog, Memory, Mennonite History, Tips, Uncategorized
Writing memoir is like drawing a self portrait while looking in the mirror. Sort of. Don’t be surprised if your picture turns out backwards. Which may not be such a bad thing! And so I began . . . Two and one-half years ago after taking an online memoir-writing course...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 4, 2017 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Quotations, Tips, Uncategorized
On Saturday, September 30 Jenna and I hosted a lemony tea party With china cups, scones and fancy sandwiches Eight gathered around the table One of them was a birthday girl What I learned . . . Be flexible. The party date was moved twice from the original....
by MarianBeaman | Sep 27, 2017 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
Mennonite Girls Went Camping in the 1940s with a tepee bringing their own food and a box camera How Many Were There? There were six women – unless a wo/man lurking in the bushes grabbed the camera and snapped this shot. Go ahead and count . . . When Did They...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 20, 2017 | blog, Literature, Quotations, Tips
Where I Write My writing studio catches north light. The sun doesn’t shine brightly into my space in the morning, all the better to see my computer screen without squinting. But when I need a change, I sneak into Cliff’s art studio flooded with eastern light after he...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 13, 2017 | blog, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, neighborhood, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
“Janice, hurry up. This is a catastrophe!” My scream pierced the early morning air. I had bounded up the stairs shortly after 7:00 a.m. to check the bedrooms before the Ruth Longenecker property sale. Prospective buyers were already milling through our aunt’s house...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 6, 2017 | blog, book review, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
I write about my love affair, my sprawling close family, the unusual and intriguing people God brings into my life, and funny stuff. Once in a while I write about being Mennonite. That’s how Lucinda J. Miller (Luci for short) introduces herself on her blog. Luci is a...