Another holiday is coming up, and sometimes I find it hard to face the idea that there will be someone missing at my Thanksgiving table. I remember the first meal my family had together after my husband graduated to Heaven. Things got quiet when we bowed our heads for the blessing of our food, but this time the silence wasn’t broken by the voice that usually offered our prayer. I am not sure who stepped into the void; the main…..
Children’s toys are so much more sophisticated now than they were when I was young. They include many of the things my contemporaries and I had to produce with our imagination. However, sometimes I think we were better off because we learned to be creative. It’s funny, though, how even now kids will choose to play with boxes instead of the toys that came inside. For some reason, I keep picturing some of the favorite toys my sisters and I…..
Just a warning – before reading this column, be aware that it has some fowl language. The word “chicken” is often associated with cowardice. It has caused many a person to act in ways they would not ordinarily behave. After all, who wants to be called a chicken? The dread of being associated with poultry seems to make people lose their common sense. Take my sister, Cindy, for instance. Besides being known as a tomboy, she was never one to…..
Some people consider the number thirteen to be unlucky, and they go to great lengths to avoid it. For instance, according to history.com, many United States hotels and high-rise buildings do not have a thirteenth floor. Airports avoid numbering gates “13;” hotels do the same with rooms. Parents often shudder when a child reaches the age of thirteen, knowing that their son or daughter has reached the oft-dreaded teenage years. The question might be asked, “What’s with all the talk…..
Several years ago, I went to a Wednesday evening Bible study at the church I was attending at the time. My hubby (Bob) wasn’t with me – he was either working or attending a class somewhere. The subject we were talking about that night was “grace.” After an opening prayer, the minister began the discussion by asking us to write down the first thing we thought of when we heard the word “grace.” He called on several people to read…..
One day of celebration that has fallen by the wayside is referred to as “May Day” or “May Basket Day.” It used to be the custom for children to pick spring flowers and arrange them in baskets (which were often made of pretty paper). Sometimes the baskets contained candy and/or small trinkets as well as colorful blooms. These special gifts were hung on the doorknobs of friends and neighbors, after which the giver would knock on the door or ring…..
Unless Easter happens to fall in March, the only holiday really celebrated during the month is St. Patrick’s Day, which is not that big of a deal. Unlike the major holidays, it doesn’t merit a day off work, and the mail is still delivered. One thing we associate with St. Patrick’s Day is the color green. During this almost-spring time of year, the proliferation of green is something we anticipate. I recently underwent my own bout with the color mentioned…..
Use your noodles! I will be forever grateful that my parents, especially my dad, taught me how to think for myself. If I asked for help solving a problem, Dad didn’t necessarily spout out the solution. He often guided me along the path of figuring out the answer on my own. To him, my head was for something more than to fill the space between my shoulders. Dad trained me in the art of “using my noodle.” Bob (my late…..
Last week was extremely busy for me; I had places to go almost every day. I stayed home on Friday because I had special visitors. Vivian (8) and Elijah (3) came to spend the night with Grammie. Vivian has stayed with me before, but Elijah had never done so. My son, Jonathan, turned 40 on Saturday; my daughter-in-law, Heather, had purchased show tickets for Friday evening as a special treat for him. She brought the children on Friday shortly after…..