by MarianBeaman | Oct 23, 2013 | Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Reflection, Uncategorized
Wiry Grandpa Martin, was a jolly little man. He had an Old MacDonald-type farm with chickens, a couple of cows, two horses, and maybe a pig though I never heard an oink-oink-oink either here or there. Theirs was a Jack Sprat-type union, with his wife Mary as generous...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 28, 2013 | Coming of Age, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
During our teens, my church friends–Miriam, Gladys, Hazel, and I congregate at each other’s houses after church on Sunday night for ice cream, chips, and stereo music: Songs from the West, anything by Mantovani, and The Singing Nun. We would rather have...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 14, 2013 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Lists, Memory, Reflection, Uncategorized
Here we are all bunched up together for a photo documenting our excursion from Rheems Elementary School to the library in town about 3 miles away. But we’ll soon board buses, and go back to our two-room school-house in Rheems where we’ll probably have...
by MarianBeaman | Aug 21, 2013 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
Rings CareBear Cliff has given me a diamond ring for Easter, baked in a blueberry muffin with a plastic bunny-rabbit stick on top. It is my first piece of jewelry ever and I’m 25 years old. Imagining everyone is as thrilled as I am, I flash the sparkling stone in...
by MarianBeaman | Aug 17, 2013 | Coming of Age, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Uncategorized
Bonnets “Tie your head shut!” – An oft-heard admonition from my mother, my Aunt Ruthie, and Grandma Longenecker. Translation: If you tie your head shut, you won’t get sick with colds, sinus trouble, what not. And so our heads are tied shut with...
