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...
by MarianBeaman | Aug 30, 2017 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized
Found: a Forgotten Keepsake “Hey, look what I found, Marian.” My sister Janice ceremoniously lifted a booklet from a plastic bin in Aunt Ruthie’s attic and pushed it toward me so I could have a closer look. I recognized the cover, handmade of Valentine cutouts and...
by MarianBeaman | Aug 23, 2017 | blog, Neighborhood / Environment, Quotations, Travel, Uncategorized
No, I’m not looking through rose-colored glasses. Even with an iPhone lens, British Columbia really does look this wonderful in the summertime. Flowers frolic in the sun and shadowy woods with sun-dappled trees beckon hikers. We visited Vancouver and Victoria,...
