by MarianBeaman | Sep 23, 2020 | blog, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Recipes, Uncategorized
The tradition of Sunday dinner with guests, thriving in our Mennonite (and larger) community as late as the early 1970s, was an expression of a communal spirit. It was an equally culinary and sacramental Sabbath experience. Now, except among the Plain...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 16, 2020 | blog, Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia
Great Grandpa Sam, born in 1863, was honored with a party for his 80th birthday. My great grandfather Samuel Brinser Martin’s birthday party was even written up in the Middleton (Pennsylvania) newspaper. I don’t know whether my family was invited to the...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 2, 2020 | blog, Education, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia
At Rheems Elementary School in Pennsylvania, classes began right after Labor Day, just like clockwork. My aunt was my teacher in the first four grades, the charms and challenges of which I describe in my memoir. Miss Longenecker, aka my Aunt Ruthie, taught...
by MarianBeaman | Jul 15, 2020 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Gratitude, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, neighborhood, Quotations, Tips
“The ground is terrible here. You can’t grow anything decent in this dirt!” Years ago, that was my dad’s pronouncement when he assessed the state of affairs in my sister Janice’s garden close to our house in Florida. True, in a land where juicy oranges, plump...
by MarianBeaman | Jun 3, 2020 | blog, book review, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
Do You Remember the Bobbsey Twins Books? Recently I read Jennifer Weiner’s novel, Mrs. Everything, which alluded to iconic books and products of the 1950s, like the Bobbsey Twins, Almay soap, Prell shampoo and Ship ‘n Shore blouses. Overall, her book is not a...
by MarianBeaman | May 27, 2020 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Quotations, Uncategorized
What happens after a festive book launch and a fruitful book tour? Mennonite Daughter is still peddling. The Story of a Plain Girl is still logging “book-mobile” miles. But now she has a book trailer! A book trailer helps build hype for your book. It interjects...