by MarianBeaman | Feb 1, 2023 | blog, Coming of Age, Conflict, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Folk Songs of the South, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
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,...
by MarianBeaman | Dec 7, 2022 | Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Memory, popular culture, Quotations, Uncategorized
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...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 16, 2022 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Recipes, Uncategorized
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...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 9, 2022 | blog, book review, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Quilt, Uncategorized
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...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 12, 2022 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Neighborhood / Environment, Quotations, Uncategorized
The Fantasy of Fall in Florida Somehow “autumn” does not seem properly used in Florida. There is a connotation in the word of flaming color, of sharp change, of hoar frost heavy on cornfields, of all of northern harvest. The sub-tropical fall is so...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 14, 2022 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Memory, Quotations, Reflection
Do you remember being pushed as a kid on a swing? Maybe your Mom or Dad, or a big brother or sister gave you a big push. And then another. And another. After a while, your legs started pumping on their own. Sitting on my mother’s lap, I heard the cadence of a...
