Tough Tom

Tough Tom

Tough Tom the Barn Cat             Tough Tom was a barn cat. He really didn’t start out to be a barn cat. And, the Day family who lived on the farm didn’t think they needed a cat, but there he was. It all began on a cold, windy, sleety winter day. When Chris went to […]

The Big Storm

The Big Storm

Fierce winds tugged at Little Cedar. His scrawny boughs bent and swayed but he dug his roots deeper and hung onto the rock buried beneath the mountain soil. “The wind is so cold,” said Little Cedar. He shivered from his topmost limb to the bottom of his twisted trunk. “It must be nearly Christmas again.” […]

The Christmas Barn–Conclusion

The Christmas Barn–Conclusion

The cold wind blew their leaves away. The three friends shivered and wished for day. “We can’t just do nothing,” the raccoon said. “Come on, squirrel and chipmunk. Let’s go  a bit farther. Maybe we’ll find food.”      Sighing, the squirrel straightened up and took Chipmunk’s hand. On they went, through the cold night. They […]

Frost and Friendship

Frost is spread over rooftops this morning. Fingers of tree shadows stretch across brown leaves on lawns. In its final two days, November is saying good-bye in a chilly way. This is the day I need to bring one of my plants inside. All summer, I thought it was a geranium, but now that it […]

Those Paper Sack Vests

This morning, my mind drifts back quite a few years to headbands and paper sack vests. Kindergarteners and Thanksgiving! It was a fun time and I have no idea whether children still do this or whether it is now frowned on, but we celebrated Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and Indians. In the process, we learned some American […]

The Warmth of a Friendly Home

Are there times when you long for the warmth of a friendly home, the sincerity of a smile, the familiarity of people and a certain place, the knowledge that you are welcome? Do you ever turn to a well-loved book to recapture that comfort? I do. I go to Mary Roberts Rinehart. How many times […]