Unchanging

  Do you ever feel that change is happening in such a whirl that you want to reach out and grab today and tell changing times to slow down for a bit until you can catch your breath? Change–it happens all around us. Sometimes I feel as if I’m running and never catching up. Is […]

Quilts

Quilts

Saturday, I went to a quilt fair on the grounds of Shiloh Museum. It was a beautiful day and the quilts were blooming on the grassy lawn like so many summer flowers. I’ve found that crafters love talking about their work and these were no exception. They told me about the history of the quilts, […]

The Cat Who Helped Make History

This is Flag Day. In honor of that, I reprint my story about Tempest, the cat who helped make history.   Star Spangled Cat By Blanche Day Manos “What?” I screeched. “Go to sea? Are you crazy?” Every one of my gray and white hairs stood straight up. Reggie laughed. “You look like a bottle […]

Kin and Shirttail Kin

Kin and Shirttail Kin

Ancestors are fascinating people. You have them. I have them. Each ancestor has a story and, from their stories, we arrive and write our own stories to pass on. These people are our kinfolk, but then, there are shirttail kin. These are the people who are related to our relatives and who narrowly miss being […]

History Has Its Mysteries

Writers of mysteries have only to look back in history to find inspiration. Just a hint of a mystery is enough to get a writer started with, what if… From its earliest days, America has had its share of real life mysteries. In fact, a Puritan leader, John Winthrop, one of the founders of Boston, […]

The Way It Was

The following story is from my mother’s book, Remembering Etta Bend. These are the words of Susie Latty, who, much later, became my mom. The year would have been around 1918. Most of the things we used were homemade and they had to last as long as possible. Papa carved his own handles and wood […]