If you long for springtime as winter begins, enjoy my description of the best meal of the year. When asked, “What’s your favorite family meal,” typical responses include Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother’s or Father’s Day, or
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In the Middle of Nowhere
I grew up in the middle of nowhere in the 1950s and 60s. We lived far from stores, doctors, and other people. We drove 10 miles through hills to the nearest town. I rode a
Read moreJesus Time
Four chairs snuggled up to the kitchen table like a thirsty cowboy to a bar after a long, dusty trail ride. She patted one of the chairs and said, “At 7:05, me and Jesus time
Read moreThrough It All
The world stopped along with my husband’s heart. Yet, love surrounded us through it all. With one voice mail and a call to church, support appeared at the hospital before we arrived. Waiting, praying,
Read moreFlowers, Berries, and Tadpoles
A few years ago, I joined an internet social media site, kicking and screaming all the way. Well, perhaps not that extreme, but I put it off a long time while several urged me to
Read moreCome Sit a Spell
In a guest bedroom, filled with pictures and family treasures, sits an old straight-back chair with a woven seat. The rear legs show wear from decades of propping against Granny Beasley’s front porch wall. It
Read moreChoose Joy
Little did we know, as we delighted in food and family, how soon we would face a life-altering decision: Choose sorrow or choose joy. Gathered around our dining room table, joy overflowed that all our
Read moreA Birthday to Remember
Mom turned ninety years old on April 12, 2020. In February my sister, brother, and I began planning a birthday to remember. Planning a Birthday to Remember Typically, we don’t pay much attention to birthdays
Read moreA THANKSGIVING PORTRAIT OF NANNA
A Thanksgiving Portrait of Nanna Lately, I have been thinking about family. And thankfulness. My mother’s mother Helen, Nanna to us, was Swedish and thoroughly American. Born in South Dakota in 1917, the day before
Read moreRemembering When with Family
I tried remembering “when” with family, but it didn’t work too well. When I asked my son, “Don’t you remember?” he didn’t. My son and his family hadn’t visited our home in two years. His
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