Magical Memoir Moments
“And Thou America”
Can buildings increase democracy? Frank Lloyd Wright’s answer was “yes!” If you visit Taliesin West, outside of Scottsdale, AZ, the entire visit is organized around the idea of “organic” architecture illustrated by this iconic building — a combination of home, studio, and school. The four tenets of Organic Architecture as defined by Frank Lloyd Wright:…
Three for Thee: From the Road
My laptop is earning its name — perched on my lap in the passenger’s seat — as we barrel through interstate highways and meander through mountainous roads. We are on our way to join other volunteers in Phoenix, AZ, in a program initiated by our church: SOOP. Trips are actually a wonderful time to sample…
Onward! Through Life and Death
Yesterday Stuart turned 80 years old. Wow. I’ve written about him frequently on this blog. He is the star of our romance and of his recovery from cancer story. When he turned 70, I called him the “linebacker of my life.” In almost everything I do or write he is a quiet, consistent presence. To…
Pura Vida! A Great Gift
A month has passed since Stuart and I flew with our granddaughter Julia to Costa Rica. We celebrated her “coming-of-age” (12.5 years) by joining other grandparents and grandchildren on a Road Scholar tour. What will we remember from our hikes, mud bath, swims, zip lines, farm visits, river rafts, making tortillas by hand, stomping on…
Do You Want to Live to 100?
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. –Woody Allen When it comes to dying, we don’t get to choose the date, of course. But what if we could? Would you set your clock to 100 years? The internet offers you a way to predict your death year by entering data into…
Our Meet-Cute Story
The beginning of every romantic comedy features a tension-filled encounter that pits the two main characters against each other in some kind of twisted fate circumstance, otherwise known as the “meet-cute.” The actions those characters take in their first encounter will set a pattern that contains the theme of the whole book. Cue the violins,…
A Day in Passau:
What is your favorite way to travel? I love going with people I love to a beautiful place and then connect with people who live there who generously share their love of their place and its history with us. On our most recent trip, a Viking European Grand Tour of the Danube, Main, and Rhine rivers…
The Headache by Lydia, age 7
A few weeks ago, Lydia and I went to Allentown with Lydia’s mom. When I climbed into the car, I could tell that taking a long drive was not Lydia’s idea of a good time today. I sat in the back seat with my special “Frida bag” to help make the time go faster. Inside…
Digging Up a Hidden Heritage
Since I am the first person in both sides of my Mennonite family to go to college, and since my family praised “common sense” over too much “book learning,” I was surprised to discover recently that some of my earliest ancestors in America were actually public school pioneers. I should not have been totally surprised…
What Will Your Death Illustrate?
He was the most powerful congressman in America during the Civil War. He helped unknown hundreds escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. All pictures of him show a man of determination, a man who knew suffering, a man who eased the sufferings of others. His name was Thaddeus Stevens, and he represented Lancaster County,…