Patric, Grandma Fannie, and the Irish Washerwoman say, “Wash Your Dirty Laundry!”
Patric Richardson entertains in a book about LAUNDRY, with info both whimsical and informative. Patric finds joy in a common chore because he knows some tricks of the trade. He admits to being a little weird and eccentric: Asked for the book Dress for Success...
Magic in a Colorful Swirl
https://youtu.be/O4XD7rVJiOE Pre-Order My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir HERE Thank You!
Do You Nap? Nine Notes about Napping
Do you ever nap? Do you take a morning or afternoon snooze? I can easily summon an image of Grandma Fannie Longenecker flopping down in a lounge chair with her feet elevated usually after her noon meal. When her feet, laced up in black heels had a...
Tenth Blogiversary Celebration with Antique Lamp and Clock
Guess who is celebrating a 10th blogiversary this month? Two bloggers I happily follow have bragging rights to 10-years' blogging. They are faithful commenters on my blog too. Drum roll please for. . . Marie Washington who blogs about writing and life at El Space:...
Colleen and I Make Valentine Cookies
Colleen and I are longtime friends. Really long time. We met in March 1969 at a church here in Jacksonville, Florida. My friend Collie is a quilt-maker, who obviously likes bright colors. Her specialty is touch quilts with textures both calming and vibrant. ...
How’s That Marriage Memoir Coming Along?
My press-proof copy of My Checkered Life arrived January 31, 2023. It was thrilling to open the package. https://youtu.be/UL9VfS3pn5I I found some errors in the press proof, so I submitted a revised version. If all proceeds as I hope, my print book will...
Singing from The Golden Song Book at Rheems School
Once upon a time, I attended Rheems School, a two-room school with a bell on top, accommodating eight grades of students. It was a charming little school set in the middle of the quaint village of Rheems, Pennsylvania, in mid-twentieth century. My aunt,...
Twins Raid Refrigerator: Wordless Wednesday
Brewing Tea, Recycling Specs, and Feeling Happy
At Christmas, I got a special gift from my sister Jean: Mennotea, a present guaranteed to warm my heart and recall my Mennonite childhood. Grandma Longenecker's mint tea in china cups and Mother's gallon jugs of summertime tea instantly came to mind. Intrigued...
Old Farmer’s Almanac and Carolyn’s Word Gift
Did you notice? Even before 2023 rolled around, ads for weight loss appeared on TV. Many made resolutions for the new year even before the ball dropped in Times Square. Maybe you did too. New Year’s resolutions are certainly not a new thing. Even in the early 1900s,...
See, Hear, and Taste: Marian’s Memoir 2
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! In December 2022, I recorded a podcast with interviewer Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes, author, speaker, podcaster, and much more, including serving as an elementary school principal and publishing devotionals for women. She also has coordinated...
Serving Stone Soup at Christmas
Stone Soup is a European folk story in which hungry strangers convince the people of a town to each share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys. The tale serves to illustrate the value of sharing. In varying traditions, the stone...
Ode to Socks
Did you know that socks are the most sought after item of clothing in a homeless shelter? Apparently, socks are a desirable commodity worldwide. According to one source: "The global socks market is expected to reach USD 44.8 billion in 2022." Socks are a thoughtful...
It began with a “Bam!” Dani’s Marriage Memoir
“Bam! I start, the dogs leap up. The windows rattle. The whole house shakes.” As Dani Shapiro's memoir begins, the author, warm and toasty in her office spies her husband “in the dead of winter, in the driveway wearing nothing but a white terry-cloth bathrobe, his...
Erica Makes Mom’s Yummy Pumpkin Pie
The Rentzel family lived next door to my childhood home on Anchor Road. If you’ve read my first memoir, Mennonite Daughter, you may remember the shenanigans that happened under their roof. After I left home to explore the wider world, another family moved into...
East Meets West: Blend or Clash?
Yumiko Sekine, author of Simplicity at Home, grew up in northern Japan, learning traditional crafts and quilting from her mother and grandmother. Just as I did growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Yumiko appreciated quilting and hand-crafts. She still does, and so...
Anticipation: Wordless Wednesday
What are you anticipating? Inquiring minds would like to know!
Marriage Memoir, An Update
“Go home and finish writing your new book. I want to read it!" Barbara and I are leaving our Monday morning Bible study. She is only half-kidding when she delivers this quip. Barbara has read Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl. She is looking forward to the...