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Family Gathers for a Florida Christmas in 1998

Family Gathers for a Florida Christmas in 1998

by MarianBeaman | Dec 10, 2025 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, popular culture, Uncategorized

Three generations of family gathered at our house in 1998 for a Florida Christmas. Two Daltons came from Chicago, Illinois; two Longeneckers from Pennsylvania, and a bunch of Jacksonville aunts, uncles and cousins joined the group at our house in Killarney Shores...
What Help Looks Like

What Help Looks Like

by MarianBeaman | Oct 1, 2025 | blog, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, neighborhood, Quotations, Tips, Uncategorized

What Help Looks like   What Sparked the Inspiration for this Blog Post? Apparently out of nowhere, this rectangular item from the “olden days” appeared in one of my bedroom dresser drawers. It has probably been there for a long time, but I haven’t noticed it . ....
Little Girl and a Coffin in the House

Little Girl and a Coffin in the House

by MarianBeaman | Sep 17, 2025 | Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations

What I Saw I sit on a green stuffed chair in my Grandma Longenecker’s parlor. The top of my back legs feel a little itchy. My mother has starched my Sunday dress to make the skirt stand out nice and pretty. Because I am little, I can see the tips of my high-top shoes,...
What Are Your Favorite Smells from Childhood?

What Are Your Favorite Smells from Childhood?

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...
Mother Longenecker: Her Life in Pictures

Mother Longenecker: Her Life in Pictures

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,...
Our Sago Palm Saga: Thank Goodness for Change

Our Sago Palm Saga: Thank Goodness for Change

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...
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