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 […]

The Ticking of a Clock

The Ticking of a Clock

  When I hear a clock ticking, I go back a few decades and find myself in Ma and Pappy Latty’s house. They always had a wind-up clock and I can remember how the sound meant peace and security for me. I can see my grandparents’ living room, sun coming through the windows, and feel […]

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 […]

A Trip Back

A Trip Back

I’m actually writing this Tuesday evening. I’ll publish it Wednesday morning, August 5. It’s really quiet here now and it’s very nearly lonely. It’s at such times that I take a trip  back in memory, to a time a hundred or more years ago. In my mind, I go  to the small community of Etta […]

Grab That Thought

Grab That Thought

  John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough defeated the French and Bavarians on August 2, 1704. Who knew? And, today, who cares? But, if you were the Duke or his British soldiers at that time, you cared a lot! If any one individual was ever the inspirations for stories of intrigue, mystery, action, or romance, it was […]

Wandering Wednesday Thoughts

Wandering Wednesday Thoughts

Wednesday morning and my thoughts are wandering here and there. I see walkers go up the hill and wonder about them. What are their interests, their likes and dislikes? What are their goals in life? Are they happy? Behind every person is a story–the reasons they are here, where they came from, what they hope […]