Apple Picking Time

Apple Picking Time

In September, I begin to think about apples. At Manos Meadows, we had two apple trees. One was a dwarf Jonathan apple tree in the yard. Apples from this tree made delicious pies. Sometimes, I’d pick them before they got completely ripe, wash and core them, slice them, and put them and an adequate amount […]

Tell Me a Story

Tell Me a Story

Most of us like to listen to a good story. Some of my earliest memories are of Dad’s stories about when he was young, and then, Mom’s stories which we put into a couple of Etta Bend books. Storytelling is the oldest form of entertainment. Can’t you just see early day people gathered in round […]

As I Sit Here, Thinking

As I Sit Here, Thinking

As I sit here, thinking this morning about this and that, sipping my coffee, I’m rather amazed that I got here so fast. By “here”, I mean this stage of life. Sometimes, I try to make sense of it all. Do you do that too, when your house is quiet and you’re alone with your […]

September’s Song

September’s Song

The first day of a brand new month, September. This month closes out summer and ushers in fall. We’ll be thinking colored leaves and fall rains. If you were born in September,  your birthstone is the sapphire and your flower is the morning-glory. A soft, gentle rain falls again this morning. It looks like a […]

What Was That Sound?

What Was That Sound?

This morning, a strange sound woke me. At first, I didn’t recognize it. It had a nice ring to it as it plunked onto something metal outside. Another noise over-shadowed it, a soft rumble. Aha! Thunder! Rain. At last, it was raining. Now, the morning is still dark. Rain has stopped, but the clouds promise […]

Gardyloo and That Means You!

Gardyloo and That Means You!

Words are like people–they have interesting backgrounds. One such word is gardyloo. It originated in France, but was used in other countries too, as a warning that something unsavory was about to happen. What, you may ask? Suppose that you were walking along the street of a European town in the year 1650. Suddenly, from […]