by MarianBeaman | Jan 18, 2023 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Gratitude, Lists, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, popular culture, Quotations, Tips, Travel
At Christmas, I got a special gift from my sister Jean: Mennotea, a present guaranteed to warm my heart and recall my Mennonite childhood. Grandma Longenecker’s mint tea in china cups and Mother’s gallon jugs of summertime tea instantly came to mind....
by MarianBeaman | Jan 11, 2023 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Gratitude, popular culture, Uncategorized
Did you notice? Even before 2023 rolled around, ads for weight loss appeared on TV. Many made resolutions for the new year even before the ball dropped in Times Square. Maybe you did too. New Year’s resolutions are certainly not a new thing. Even in the early 1900s,...
by MarianBeaman | Dec 14, 2022 | blog, Christmas, Cliff Beaman artist, Gratitude, Literature, neighborhood, popular culture, Recipes, Reflection, Uncategorized
Stone Soup is a European folk story in which hungry strangers convince the people of a town to each share a small amount of their food in order to make a meal that everyone enjoys. The tale serves to illustrate the value of sharing. In varying traditions, the stone...
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 30, 2022 | blog, book review, Literature, popular culture, Quotations, Romance, Uncategorized
“Bam! I start, the dogs leap up. The windows rattle. The whole house shakes.” As Dani Shapiro’s memoir begins, the author, warm and toasty in her office spies her husband “in the dead of winter, in the driveway wearing nothing but a white terry-cloth bathrobe,...
