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...
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...
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...
by MarianBeaman | Mar 2, 2016 | blog, Conflict, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, meditation, Memory, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized
“Joel, I’m going to the Christian Light Press in E-Town for some birthday cards, do you want to go along?” “Okay, Mommy, do you think they have lollipops?” queried my mischievous son. “I don’t think bookstores have lollipops at the counter like doctor’s offices do,...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 29, 2016 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, meditation, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Reflection, Uncategorized
Today marks the end of February. In less than a month spring will have sprung, Still, you may be ready for spring now, not in three weeks. Here are the thoughts of Jane Kenyon, once New Hampshire’s poet laureate, anticipating the blooms of spring in her...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 24, 2016 | blog, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Neighborhood / Environment, Nostalgia, Quotations, Tips, Uncategorized
I didn’t hear a Bang. I didn’t see the pot Fall. But when I looked from the upstairs bedroom window, I saw shiny red chards of pottery on the patio floor. I really liked that red pot and now it was in pieces. How did that happen? There was no wind. I was...
