Joseph must have been a good man, but beyond that, God chose him to be the perfect earthly father for Jesus. Joseph was protective of Mary and her Son. He could have divorced her or “put her away privately” when she told him she was pregnant, but he did neither because he loved Mary. Scripture […]
Jun 15, 2023
Red Shamrocks and Courage
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It lay there, scattered on the ground. Shattered red leaves were strewn across the dirt and all that was left was a tangle of roots with one or two drooping leaves still hanging on. I carefully dug it out, put it in a pot, and carried it into the kitchen. Now, it rests on the […]
Jun 14, 2023
The Cat Who Helped Make History
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This is Flag Day. In honor of that, I reprint my story about Tempest, the cat who helped make history. Star Spangled Cat By Blanche Day Manos “What?” I screeched. “Go to sea? Are you crazy?” Every one of my gray and white hairs stood straight up. Reggie laughed. “You look like a bottle […]
Jun 13, 2023
What Happened?
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This is entirely a flight of fancy–none of it really happened. But, if it had, what do you think would have happened next? Can you end this story? I scooted away from the computer, stretched, and gazed out my window. The Irish Sea pounded against the rocky shore line, far below me. Gulls wheeled and […]
Jun 10, 2023
A Century and a Half Ago
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Dignity in defeat and graciousness in victory. I’ve often wished, if I could go back in time, that I might have been present that day, April 9, 1865, in the parlor of Wilmer McLean of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. I would have liked to see General Robert E. Lee, tall, erect, and dignified, dressed in […]
Jun 9, 2023
Storm at the Cemetery
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Chapter One of The Cemetery Club. “Somebody cut off Ben’s finger,” Mom whispered. As we stood, mesmerized by the horror in front of us, a strange silence descended on the graveyard. I raised my head to see what was happening. Dark clouds that had brooded above us now moved and churned. A small eddy of […]
