by MarianBeaman | Oct 3, 2018 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations, Uncategorized
My Aunt Ruthie died at age 98 1/2, so she never reached 100, a goal I sensed she hoped for in her healthy years. But she did celebrate birthdays on October 4 every year before then. Some happily in elder days. Other celebrations had mixed results as her...
by MarianBeaman | Sep 19, 2018 | blog, Coming of Age, meditation, Memory, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Travel, Uncategorized
What are these sisters sitting upon? The location? Era? How are the two photos related? *** Do these pictures evoke a memory for you? suggest a story? Share memories of a special family vacation. The Worldometer registers about six million blog posts being published...
by MarianBeaman | Jul 4, 2018 | Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Neighborhood / Environment, Uncategorized
This is a photograph of my mother, Ruth Longenecker, in the tobacco field located in our family’s acreage in Bainbridge, Pennsylvania seven miles from our home. Until the photo was restored, I did not realize the presence of a figure in middle distance, who I’m...
by MarianBeaman | Jun 20, 2018 | blog, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Quotations, Uncategorized
At Mark’s funeral, a church friend recalled his wisdom. The friend, who admitted to have complained about something trivial at the time, heard Mark say, “Oh, it’s not so bad. We’re just passing through this life!” My brother passed...
by MarianBeaman | Apr 4, 2018 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, Nostalgia, Quotations
Last year when we were sorting through piles of paper in Grandma and Aunt Ruthie’s attic, I found this: just one leaf from a tablet my Grandma Longenecker began as a diary. She may have intended to add more. Grandma’s Diary: the unedited transcription:...