by MarianBeaman | Mar 25, 2026 | blog, Family / Nostalgia, Mennonite History, Mennonite Lore, neighborhood, Uncategorized
“It’s a spring cleaning ritual – but for your body,” touts reporter Jennifer Sheehan, extolling the merits of eating dandelion. “It cleans your blood and you get a lot of good vitamins from it,” another endorsement I read in Sheehan’s article from Lehigh...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 25, 2026 | blog, book review, Cliff Beaman artist, Family / Nostalgia, Memory, neighborhood, Novel writing, Quotations, Uncategorized
January and February this year have been cold, at least for Florida. Our usual temps alternate from 45 in the morning to 65 or 70 degrees mid-afternoon. This winter has been an exception: 20 days freezing (or below) in January and at least one near-freezing day in...
by MarianBeaman | Feb 11, 2026 | blog, book review, Conflict, Family / Nostalgia, Literature, meditation, Novel writing, Recipes, Tips, Uncategorized
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” So says cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. Advertisers use Valentine’s Day to promote cards, chocolates, candlelight and roses–even expensive jewelry. Today, Valentine’s Day is...
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 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...
