• Book Reviews
  • Mennonite Memoir: A Sampling
  • Privacy Policy
Plain and Fancy Girl
  • Welcome!
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Get My Books
Select Page
A Rollicking Review: Marie Kondo’s Tidy Book and a Messy View

A Rollicking Review: Marie Kondo’s Tidy Book and a Messy View

by MarianBeaman | Jun 15, 2016 | blog, book review, Education, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized

In last week’s post Paring Down and Tidying Up, I referred to Marie Kondo’s New York Times best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up. Her book has sold over 5 million copies and is being translated into 40 languages.  I promised you a review...

Secrets of My Blue Madras Dress

by MarianBeaman | Jun 1, 2016 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, popular culture, Uncategorized

Did you wear a madras dress? Did it bleed? Popular in the USA in the 1960s this cool summer fabric originated in Madras, India. Loosely woven cotton threads created a plaid patchwork of soft fabric that didn’t cling to the body during sweltering summer days. Some...

Mouse Moves House and So Do We

by MarianBeaman | May 25, 2016 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Nostalgia, Quotations, Tree surgery, Uncategorized

We are planning to move. It’s not a long-distance move to another country or across our own land. Not even to another state. And we are not retiring to Florida. Why, we’re already there. And we’re not moving to another city. Our re-location involves a move just 9...

Baby Beads and Wooden Blocks: Happy Mother’s Day

by MarianBeaman | May 4, 2016 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized

I played with pastel-colored beads and wooden blocks with ridges, babyhood toys. Mother kept these oblong & round beads and animal-themed alphabet blocks for her grandchildren and great-grands. These sturdy toys entertained children of mothers they nurtured in...

Moments of Discovery # 10: a Bubble, a Dome, a Mirror

by MarianBeaman | Apr 6, 2016 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized

My sister Janice and I blew up balloons when we were little. Here is a stop-action snap from Aunt Ruthie Longenecker’s 16 millimeter movie film. The balloons were thick, rubbery and multicolored. We also blew bubbles sitting on the porch swing or standing in the back...

Raise a Mug to the Irish!

by MarianBeaman | Mar 9, 2016 | Cliff Beaman artist, Education, Literature, meditation, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Reflection, Uncategorized

Is there a drop of Irish blood in my veins? I doubt it. I grew up Mennonite in the Longenecker family in Pennsylvania Dutch country, a hot-bed of Swiss-German ancestry. Still, the Irish-named Donegal Springs is a mere 3-mile, 5-minute drive from Rheems, Pennsylvania...
« Older Entries
Next Entries »

Translate Page

Read the Latest

  • Sign Post
  • What Are Your Favorite Smells from Childhood?
  • Our 58th Anniversary with Advice from Jay Leno

Search By Category

  • Amish (8)
  • Amish fiction (4)
  • Award (6)
  • blog (436)
  • book review (85)
  • British History (3)
  • chalk drawing (4)
  • Christmas (8)
  • Cliff Beaman artist (94)
  • Coming of Age (143)
  • Conflict (93)
  • Easter (13)
  • Education (118)
  • Family / Nostalgia (484)
  • Folk Songs of the South (3)
  • Gratitude (61)
  • Kiev Ukraine (5)
  • Lists (40)
  • Literature (125)
  • meditation (157)
  • Memory (230)
  • Mennonite History (194)
  • Mennonite Lore (319)
  • neighborhood (31)
  • Neighborhood / Environment (33)
  • Nostalgia (248)
  • Novel writing (2)
  • Novel writing (2)
  • Paska (5)
  • popular culture (80)
  • Purple Passage (25)
  • Quilt (12)
  • Quotations (271)
  • Recipes (51)
  • Reflection (122)
  • Romance (34)
  • Southern lady friends (15)
  • Tips (123)
  • Travel (63)
  • Tree surgery (4)
  • Ukraine (6)
  • Uncategorized (627)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • RSS
© Marian Beaman - Just a Plain & Fancy Girl - Contact us regarding problems with site.