by MarianBeaman | Aug 20, 2025 | blog, British History, Easter, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
10 Scents from My Young Life 1. Saffron in Grandma’s pot pie Grandma used burnt-orange threads of saffron from a white packet. Mine comes in a tiny glass jar from Homegoods, more expensive, of course. 2. Tomatoes on vine in our Bainbridge, Pennsylvania...
by MarianBeaman | Jul 23, 2025 | blog, Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized
Today, July 23rd, is my mother’s birthday. If she were still alive, she’d be 107 years old now. Ruth Landis Metzler grew up in a Mennonite family on a farm near Manheim, Pennsylvania, the first daughter of Abram Hernley Metzler and Sadie Landis Metzler,...
by MarianBeaman | Apr 30, 2025 | Family / Nostalgia, Gratitude, meditation, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Tips, Tree surgery, Uncategorized
The story of our sexy sago palm created a lot of buzz. This showy palm, a native of Japan, stretched forth its fruitful fronds for years on our patio. Then, it up and died. Well, almost! What happened: Late last year, I was hoping to report to you the second flowering...
by MarianBeaman | Mar 19, 2025 | blog, Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
It’s sometimes easy to spot too much of a good thing! An Overeaters’ Tanka Fried chicken and pie Burger with bun, cookies too Huge slice choc’late cake Oh, you sure must wish to die Too much of a good thing—fie! ©MLB 2025 A Tanka is a...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 5, 2025 | blog, Literature, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Tips
How well I remember the sensation of the twin rubber rollers on the wringer of Mom’s white enamel washing machine pressing down hard on my young flesh from hand to lower arm—my screams—then Mom’s quick thrust, disengaging my arm from the wringer. When I...
by MarianBeaman | Jan 22, 2025 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Quotations, Romance, Uncategorized
From January to June 1967, creating my wedding gown kept me in stitches. Before my August wedding date, I was thrilled to first find a pattern, purchase fabric, and then fashion a white peau de soie dress on a budget. My roommates in the little bungalow on Middleton...
