A large oak stands firmly anchored to the ground on land that once belonged to my parents. It is so tall and its limbs spread so wide that when a person stands under it during a shower, she is sheltered from much of the rain. Whether it’s wise to be standing there during a […]
A Day That Will Live in Infamy
·“A day that will live in infamy,” President Roosevelt said. And, indeed, it has and will. A surprise attack by Japanese aircraft against the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor triggered the United States’ entrance into World War II. As I watch old film clips and read first-hand accounts, I can imagine the shock of […]
Just a Mother
Who is a mother? I wrote this last year. It’s still true today. The most important person in a child’s life is Mom. No one can replace her, whether she’s an adoptive mom or a birth mom. I hope you enjoy last year’s blog. A renowned evangelist once said that within each person is a […]
Winds of Change: Conclusion
This is the second and final installment of my May 5, 1985 Daily Press article about the tornado which destroyed Peggs, Oklahoma on May 2, 1920. In 1920, Walter Neel lived with his parents, brothers and sisters on the Gid Morgan farm, two and a fourth miles southeast of Peggs. The storm went a mile […]
The Rampaging River and Life
·The Illinois River is angry. It overflows its banks and barrels into farms, homes, and businesses. Its swift and churning current carries logs, trees, and animals that couldn’t get out of harm’s way. It’s a deadly enemy without compassion, without remorse, claiming as its own anything in its path. The river has flooded many times […]
An Inner Core of Firm Resolve
·https://www.amazon.com/Blanche-Day-Manos/e/B0090018EI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 We’ve all heard, “Growing old is not for sissies.” Let me enlarge on that: “Writing is not for sissies.” Or, just about anything we want with our whole heart and have to work hard to get is not for the faint-hearted. We must have an inner core of firm resolve. Sort of like the […]