Month: June 2018

When I was a child, Ivory soap advertisements claimed that its product was 99 and 44/100ths percent pure. I do recall that this soap sloughed the dirt from my hands and feet just fine. Ivory also had the amazing property of floating on … Read more

One hot, humid day in Florida, as I returned from a long walk tired and thirsty, I swung open the front patio gate and discovered that I had a "guard snake" protecting the entrance to my front door. Being a fairly new winter resident, I … Read more

I have one stronger fingernail. Years ago, when I was vacuuming near my heirloom treadle Singer sewing machine, I decided to lift back its heavy cast iron functioning part and vacuum under it. When I finished and was hinging it down into … Read more

I make mistakes constantly. One would think that after living for just over six decades, I would be full of so much wisdom that I would never do anything incorrect again, but the older I get, the more I repeat the same mistakes, even … Read more

I'm making a folding display frame that will stand up on a table and hold the name tags for recurring clergy meetings. When not in use, it closes up with a clasp, but it needs a carrying handle. So, I went to a thrift shop and bought one … Read more

It was an ordinary thing to do, to play Jesus loves me on the piano, but the effect wasn't ordinary that day. I was at a drop-in centre where the less fortunate come for lunch and companionship. As usual, I heard heart-wrenching stories … Read more

As my little spring seedlings began to grow bigger and stronger, preparing for life outside, I began turning them on a regular basis. As they were situated in front of large windows and received full sun much of the day, having these … Read more

I look forward to spring, not only because of the work in my garden, but also for the many household chores involved. In a sudden surge of energy, spring cleaning includes washing blankets and polishing floors, reorganizing closets and … Read more

I've been a mother for 70 years, and Mother's Day this year made me think of the years gone by. Now, all my children are retired and have their own families. There have been times to be proud and, yes, times of difficulty! Growing up was … Read more

From May 6th to 12th, we were on a riverboat cruise in the Netherlands. I learned that many ships, especially freighters, which ply the rivers and canals of Europe, have devices, called in Dutch "Spit Palen", which are vertical posts … Read more