by MarianBeaman | Nov 19, 2014 | Coming of Age, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
In June Mother Longenecker and her daughters Marian and Janice created butter-shaking memories in a two-quart jar, making butter using three easy steps: Pour cream into 2-quart jar. Shake until you rattle and roll. Remove the congealed mass from the jar. Add a pinch...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 15, 2014 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Nostalgia, Recipes, Tips, Uncategorized
BAKE It’s cold outside, maybe even Polar-vortex cold, and Saturdays with Grandma or Aunt or Mom will be spent indoors. One cold day three of our grandkids warmed up the house, at least the kitchen, with cupcake baking. Yes, it’s fun to help mix up the...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 24, 2014 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Recipes
Diners at the Bâtard, an upscale restaurant in Tribeca, NYC can enjoy a dessert dish called milk bread, “A Christmastime treat from Germany,” says the September 1, 2014 issue of the New Yorker. The article goes on to describe this milk bread as having...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 10, 2014 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations
So now it matters almost not at all to any of them except as a storybook matters; loved in childhood but outgrown in adolescence, it still matters, still instructs, still is part of what the adult becomes. Phyllis Tickle, The Graces We Remember: Songs in Ordinary Time...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 6, 2014 | book review, Coming of Age, Literature, Quotations, Reflection, Uncategorized
Kathy and I are not old friends. In fact, our friendship is rather recent as we have explored each other’s blog posts early this year, discovering that we both were developing our writing skills after long, satisfying careers, hers in medicine and mine in education....
by MarianBeaman | Aug 20, 2014 | Coming of Age, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Travel, Uncategorized
Daddy was an avid hunter (pheasants and deer mostly) and an eager fisherman. The outdoors took him away from the stresses of his business, Longenecker Farm Supply, and helped him literally recharge his batteries. I never went hunting with him, but he invited me once...