To Grandmother’s House We Go
In all the years we’ve been married, my husband and I have never spent Christmas at home. We’ve been responsible for a few Thanksgivings, but never a Christmas. This is primarily my daughter’s fault. She does not believe that I am capable of “doing” Christmas. Oh, my husband and I can put up a tree […]
Good News of Great Joy
I wrote last December of a muddled Christmas story about Super-Jesus that was told in my family one year, a story that confused my mother. Here is the version of Super-Jesus my mother would have remembered from her childhood: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustusthat the whole world should be enrolled. […]
Playing Board Games With Adonis
My siblings and I spent much of our holiday vacations playing games. No one in my family is particularly athletic, but we are cutthroat at cards. And board games. None of us likes to lose. Because the age difference from me to my younger siblings was pretty wide, we had to accommodate everyone’s abilities. So […]
Giving Up Divinity
My paternal grandmother’s chocolate fudge and divinity were part of many of my childhood Christmases, along with her fruitcake. I didn’t care for the fruitcake, but I did love the candy. She made two colors of divinity, pink and green. One of the batches she would make without nuts, because I didn’t like nuts in […]
Wintering in Oregon: Using Research, Reality, and Imagination
The emigrants who traveled the Oregon Trail arrived in the Willamette Valley in late fall, or even after the first snowfall of winter. What did they do then? They were relieved the long journey was over, I’m sure, but how did they go about building a new life? Beginning with Lewis and Clark, pioneers had […]
Making a List and Checking It Twice
I’ve been making lists since long before I could write. When I was a toddler, my mother, brother and I spent a winter living with my maternal grandparents in Klamath Falls, Oregon. There’s a lot of snow in the winter in Klamath Falls. “Hat, coat, boots,” I announced to whichever adult was around. I knew […]
Rocking Through the Ages
I mentioned my pint-sized rocking chair in a recent post. I received the rocker for Christmas when I was a toddler. During my preschool years, the chair sat in the living room of our home. In those years, my father and grandfather often posed me in it for pictures. The photo below of me in […]
Give Books by Local Authors
During the Christmas season, we scurry to find our loved ones unique gifts, suited to their personalities and interests. I read recently that the best gifts are not what people would buy themselves, but luxuries or experiences to take them out of their everyday world. See Don’t Be a Lousy Gift-Giver, by Brett Arends, Wall […]
Celebrate the Fourth Annual “Take Your Kids to a Bookstore Day” on December 7, 2013
My parents never paid money for good grades, but they did pay books. At the end of every quarter, when our report cards came out, my brother and I got to go to the local bookstore and buy a book. I typically chose the latest Bobbsey Twins or Nancy Drew book, and he got Hardy […]
I am Thankful for You, My Readers
This year one of the many things I am grateful for is the readers of this blog. While the number of regular followers is small compared to many blogs, I appreciate the steady growth I have seen month over month. Earlier this month, the blog reached 20,000 views. Over 300 people have subscribed in one […]