by MarianBeaman | Mar 1, 2014 | Coming of Age, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite Lore, Neighborhood / Environment, Nostalgia, Reflection, Uncategorized
The wild, permissive Rentzels with a red porch light live next door to our family, the Mennonite Longeneckers, one of several plain families that live on Anchor Road. In their parlor, the Rentzel’s old Emerson black & white TV has introduced me to the...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 8, 2014 | meditation, Neighborhood / Environment, Reflection, Uncategorized
Ordinarily, I am proud of my patio garden. But January 2014 was tough in Florida: two nights in the 20s and several days around the freeze point. And so the plants in my garden took a beating. The impatiens, in spite of being covered, froze to death. The pentas...
by MarianBeaman | Dec 18, 2013 | Family / Nostalgia, Neighborhood / Environment, Uncategorized
Traditional luminaria of the Christmas season have their origins in the culture of Spain. Impressed with the paper lanterns from the Chinese culture, Spanish merchants decided to make their own version when they returned home. Killarney Shores, our community, has kept...
by MarianBeaman | Aug 3, 2013 | Family / Nostalgia, Neighborhood / Environment, Tips, tree surgery, Tree surgery, Uncategorized
3 Stories in One The certified arborist surveys the 16 tall oaks on our property in Florida and pauses at one: “I don’t like the looks of that tree,” he warns. “Its bark looks splotchy and the ground around it feels spongy.” He taps near the root with his...
by MarianBeaman | Jul 13, 2013 | Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Neighborhood / Environment, Uncategorized
Home for me is bracketed by the two houses we ping-pong between: our parents house and Grandma’s house on Anchor Road. Her house is at the bottom of the hill and ours at the top. Both houses are along side Anchor Road, between Elizabethtown to the west and...
by MarianBeaman | Mar 15, 2013 | Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, neighborhood, Neighborhood / Environment, tree surgery, Uncategorized
It’s a long way from Lancaster county, PA to Jacksonville, FL, but years ago our family moved into a neighborhood called Killarney Shores with street names like Emerald Isle Circle, Leprechaun Court, and St. Patrick Lane. On the day of Ireland’s famous...