During all the recent weeks of isolation, uncertainty, and unrest, there have been times I felt extremely unsettled. I have found only one thing that is sure – the love of my Heavenly Father. Knowing that I am never out of His care has helped me look at these tempestuous times with an assurance I could never come up with on my own. One of the ways God has provided for me is by supplying a weekly focus, often just…..
What would life be without asparagus? If that question had been asked of me as a child, I would have answered, “Wonderful!” I hated the stuff. My parents loved it, though, and so springtime meals were often a challenge for me. There was a large patch of asparagus that grew in the backyard of my childhood home. Dad also knew where lots of it grew wild in a ditch close to our house. While other families considered asparagus to be…..
The state of motherhood means there are children involved. Even if they are grown. Even when the title “Mom” is affectionately given to a special lady in one’s life. A mom might have natural-born children, or they may be adopted. Or foster children. Or those that actually belong to someone else, yet she serves as a parental figure of some sort (such as a mother-in-law). One thing I know for sure about children: they are all different. Bob (my late…..
One thing that keeps me from going absolutely stir crazy is watching the world around me. I am blessed to live in the country, and I love watching things “wake up” during the spring. When I need to clear my head of all the negativity going on in our current situation, I often step outside and listen to the birds. They are going about life as normal, trusting their Creator to care for them as He always does. Observing nature…..
I don’t know about everyone else, but all this isolation has me feeling a little (okay, maybe a LOT) nutty. During the last few weeks, life has seemed upside down. Perhaps that is why I decided to make good on a challenge my son Adam gave me several years ago. Through the years, I have told many family stories in Cooks’ Corner. However, there is one that I didn’t think I would ever relate here. Adam dared me to put…..
The phrase “Use your noodle!” is another way of saying, “make use of your intelligence!” My parents instilled in me the idea that there are many ways to get things accomplished. Sometimes all it takes is a little brainpower. Both Dad and Mom were experts at solving “how-am-I-going-to-do-this” problems. Their methods may have been unconventional; however, they usually worked – at least temporarily. My late husband was another great problem solver, and the two of us worked together on many…..
One of the things I try to do in life is to find blessings in situations that are considered to be negative. Last week I wrote about my cousin Jimmy, who passed away on February 21st. My son Jonathan, my grandson Elijah, and I traveled to Tennessee for the visitation and funeral. Although our trip was for a sad occasion, it was good to visit with family that I have not seen for several years. During the time we were…..
I had been planning this week’s column in my head for quite a while, but then, as often happens, life got in the way. For just over a month now, I have been getting reports on my cousin Jimmy and his health issues. Then, on Friday evening, I learned that Jimmy will never have physical problems again. The text I received informed me that “Jimmy just went home.” James William Ogden was a special soul, loved by oh, so many…..
Here we are in February, which happens to be National Canned Food Month. Lots of different edible items are available in cans, and those of us who have gardens often save our produce by canning it in jars. In this case, “can” refers to a container. The word “can” also has another definition. When used as a verb, it means “to be able to.” An example, “I can do this!” Last week, I wrote about a dilemma I was facing. …..
One thing I learned early in life is that it is a blessing to have good neighbors. My childhood was spent in a suburb of Knoxville, Tennessee. Known as “Fountain City,” it was annexed by the larger municipality during my early elementary school years. My family resided in a fairly stable neighborhood. For the most part, there was not a lot of turnover. Our house was located on the corner of Balsam Drive and Pine View. Across the street from…..