by MarianBeaman | Dec 17, 2025 | blog, Christmas, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Reflection, Uncategorized
Where was I? Sitting on the back of an open truck bed on itchy hay bales in temperatures just above freezing sounds like torture. But it actually didn’t feel that way for me many, many years ago. Teens from our church and young adults used the open, long bed of an...
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...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 26, 2025 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Quotations, Tips, Uncategorized
Do you think about the past? About the future? I write memoir, so I think a lot about the past. But my stories are made from my journey away from the past as well as my return to it. So, you see, I go back and forth in time as I write. But what about the present?...
by MarianBeaman | Nov 12, 2025 | blog, book review, Conflict, Memory, popular culture, Quotations, Uncategorized
What’s Too Hot to Handle? The horror of books ablaze in a library. That’s what! Susan Orleans’ The Library Book (2018) is a portmanteau of story, true crime, and riveting journalism Before the Great Fire of April 1986, the Central Library of Los...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 29, 2025 | blog, Education, Family / Nostalgia, meditation, Nostalgia, popular culture, Recipes, Tips, Uncategorized
HOW I BEGAN Along with the recipe, I set the can of lentil soup can on the counter. It was certainly visible! I’d be sure to see it and use it as a starter for making a quick batch of stomach-warming soup as the weather turned cooler in October. Right?...
by MarianBeaman | Oct 15, 2025 | blog, book review, Literature, Novel writing, Novel writing, Quotations, Travel, Uncategorized
How Do You Travel? I wonder how you enjoy traveling these days. Maybe you travel by car, boat, or plane. But you can also open books, a simple and inexpensive way to experience other times and places. Ipso-presto you are there! During October, I’ve traveled to...
