A Jolly Turkey

A Jolly Turkey

That special holiday in November arrives in just two days. I have heard a rumor that a jolly turkey slides down chimneys bringing mince and pumpkin pies and Thanksgiving-themed books for all good and dedicated readers. If this is true, maybe I could give him a few tips on what to leave on the festive […]

The Story of the Umbrella Oak

A large oak stands in front of the house that belonged to my parents. It is so tall and its limbs spread so wide that anyone standing under it during a rain is sheltered, as if by a giant umbrella. The tree is old and has seen many changes. A busy street a few feet […]

How to Say Thank You

As America pauses to honor veterans of all the wars from Lexington to the present day, I conclude that the best way I can say thank you to the men and women who have given or were willing to give all they have for me, is to be ever watchful of that wonderful thing called […]

Things My Mama Taught Me

All the good things that I am, came from my parents. The not-so-good? Well, I’veĀ  managed those things on my own. This morning I was thinking about things my mother taught me. I had never really tried to itemize them, they were just there. To list them would be like trying to draw a diagram […]

Goose Summer

Goose Summer

From The Heritage of Etta Bend by Susie Latty Day. Time: around 1918, Place: the Latty Farm. In the fall come rare, sparkling days that are warm and bright, with very little wind, when nature seems to savor the last remnants of summer. Spider webs break loose from their moorings and float through the air, […]

In the Walnut Woods

In the Walnut Woods

From The Heritage of Etta Bend by Susie Latty Day. Time: around 1918; Place: A small farm in Oklahoma. Autumn, on our farm at Etta, had its special joys. East of the spring branch, maples blazed in gold and russet. Oaks wore yellow and brown. Walnut trees dropped their leaves, then shed their green-coated nuts […]