It was not a church building. It was a schoolhouse. As I remember, it was painted white. There may have been a dividing curtain inside the house so that when school was in session, the teacher of the early grades could separate her classroom from the teacher and children of the upper grades. A schoolhouse […]
Dec 18, 2023
Miss Tootsie’s Surprise Guest
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Sunday morning dawned bright and warm, as if the weather had no recollection of the dark, stormy time two days ago. Miss Tootsie sat down to a breakfast of ham and eggs, biscuits, and gravy. Sunday was a day of leisure and relaxation. With Cocoa curled in her basket in front of the wood-burning cookstove, […]
Feb 27, 2023
The Sad Case of the Missing Hymn Books
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Where did they go? They used to live in the pocket on the back of the pews in the sanctuary. Now, there’s only pencils and envelopes to count your attendance. But, the hymn books? They are gone! Where are they? I like hymnals and I miss them. I like the feel of the hymn book […]
Jan 28, 2022
Hallelujah, Amen!
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Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah, Thine the glory, revive us again! In my memory, I hear voices raised in song in the rural school house. It was Sunday morning and a small group of people sang their joy to God while I pounded out an accompaniment on the piano. This was the place […]
Nov 25, 2018
No Way to Have a Wedding
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The pastor seemed to grasp onto that word, accident. “Yes”, he said. “That’s it.” Tears filled Della’s eyes and coursed down her cheeks. “Is he all right?” she whispered. Squirt hurried to Della and knelt in front of her. “You’ve gotta be brave, Della.” “Well, where is he?” she demanded, jumping […]
Aug 29, 2018
Starting Points
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Sometimes I think back to Etta Bend, to the middle child in a family of three girls and one boy who grew up there, as the starting point for my family, at least for my mother’s branch. Then, of course Dad’s side had another starting point in Mena, Arkansas. From those beginnings came (so far) five, […]
