Fathers and Dads

Today is Fathers’ Day, a time to celebrate those dads in our families. I had a great father and I’m blessed that my son is a great father too. I’m grateful that both Dad and Matt are fathers not in name only, but in being vital parts of their families.  No one would deny that […]

Star Spangled Cat

Star Spangled Cat

In   honor of Flag Day, this is a re-run of a recent post. 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 brush, old chap,” he said. “You’ll love the […]

Whispers From the Past

Delving into one’s ancestry is a fun and absorbing business. I’m finding out about ancestors from way, way back. Some of those finds are surprising. They are all fascinating. These people had stories and I, rooted in the present day, am listening, trying to hear what they had to say. They were from different parts […]

Summer Nights

Summer Nights

There’s a mystery about the soft, summer night, just after the sun goes down, before full darkness tiptoes through. Leaves stir with a passing breeze and flowers lift their heads to feel one last ray of the sun’s warmth.  The rabbit who lives under my storage building gives last minute instructions to her nest of […]

Plants With a Past

Plants With a Past

A couple of days ago, I planted a fern and a red shamrock in the back yard. There’s nothing unusual about that, except that these plants are a connection. The fern is descended from a fern in my mother’s yard. My sister-in-law Linda took a start from it and planted it in her yard. The […]

Remembering the Sacrifice

Remembering the Sacrifice

This is D-Day. It happened in 1944, a lot of years ago, a hellish time for the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy. Thousands died, many miles from home; young men who stood between us and tyranny. Because of them, I am able to enjoy watching my grandchildren grow up in a free […]