Magical Memoir Moments
From Bathtub to Cuba
You already know how exotic any body of water is to a farm kid. Not only did we not go to the ocean when I was growing up, we used the crudest of substitutes: Later our bathtub expanded to a farm pond. As you read these words, I will be exploring south eastern Cuba with…
Gliding, Swinging, and Proposing: Love in Motion
My father proposed to my mother while they sat on a porch glider. Stuart popped the question on a double seated swing. Forty-six years later, love is motion.
Wild Nights! Wild Nights!
“Poetry will make your life infinitely better,” said a teacher. “Take it with you in your heart and in your backpack.” Most students scoffed. This week five friends, ones who believed the teacher, converged on a country road and moved into a meadow Up the hill they went with one purpose: to read poems to…
Witnessing for Peace: Then and Now
Where have all the protests gone? A visit to Washington, DC, illustrates the change from the protest May 9, 1970, to the current “war is not the answer” signs in front of the White House.
Keeping the Spark Alive: Spontaneous Combustion
Nothing ignites a routine like a sudden shared vision for adventure. A recent spontaneous trip to Washington, DC, brought back memories of other quick decisions and short trips, starting in Virginia Beach.
BLUSH Turning Two — Means a Bargain for You
This picture was taken in 1961 when I was in seventh grade and 13 years old. Two years ago this week Herald Press chose it for the cover of my memoir. See the subtle differences? When a baby turns two, people cluck their tongues and wish the parents well. “Enjoy the Terrible Twos,” they say….
Continuing the Great Adventure: 1966 – 2015
Two Mennonite college students met as roommates in 1966 and have kept in touch. This year we celebrate our 45th college class reunion and then take up another adventure — to Cuba!
Becoming an Artist: A Lifelong Dream
An old painting, uncovered from The Box in the Basement, reminds me of my deepest desire: to become an artist who keeps learning and teaching.
Beach Day or Beach Week? Which Is Better?
This week’s vacation at Long Beach Island evokes strong memories of my childhood love of swimming. The rarity of a day at a beach or even a swimming pool made it very precious from the anticipation beforehand, to the packing, driving, arriving, splashing, and returning.
The Bedroom Where It All Began: A Truly Magical Memoir Moment
Sometimes a Magical Memoir Moment occurs in less than a second. The way my parents told the story, their first meeting was like that. If either of them had made different choices that fateful day, forty-six people would have very different stories. Or no story at all.