And now, mail resumes, banks re-open, people go back to work, and I’m grateful for another wonderful Christmas with my family. In many countries, this is Boxing Day, and I don’t mean it’s a time when we put on gloves and solve all our differences with combat. The day after Christmas is a day when […]
Jul 9, 2024
The Dinner Table
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What has happened to the family dinner table? Is it there somewhere in the dining room, feeling lonely and neglected? In my opinion, it should be the focal point of togetherness. I’m privileged to have my mother’s dining table. It is well over a hundred years old, rescued from obscurity when she saw it on […]
May 20, 2024
Culture and Traditions
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One by one, we abandon traditions, leaving the past behind. It’s sad, because, although we shouldn’t live in the past, we need a sense of continuity. There is something comforting about following patterns, about observing practices that have been carried down through generations. It gives me a connection to my ancestors. Decoration Day, always the […]
Dec 27, 2022
Advent
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Christmas is a time for traditions. One that I particularly like is lighting the Advent calendars. We started this practice several years ago. A grandchild lights a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas as we read the appropriate Scripture and discuss the meaning of the four words and four candles, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. […]
May 16, 2022
Ancestors
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Yesterday was the annual Decoration Day at our ancestral cemetery. The weather cooperated with blue skies, sunshine (lots of sunshine) and an altogether lovely Oklahoma spring day. The cemetery is well-looked after, neat and serene. Decoration Day is an annual tradition dating back into history. My grandparents came to this very same spot, year after […]
May 8, 2022
Happy Mother’s Day
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Being a mom is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m so grateful for my son and his family. Being a grandma is the frosting on the cake. What wonderful blessings! This morning, Matt and Nathan are fixing lunch for Dawn and me. Now, how special is that! To all mothers everywhere–you are the […]
