I had never watched a soldier fold a flag and hand it to a friend of my mother’s. I had never witnessed a 21-gun salute that moved me to tears. I had never heard Taps played for someone I knew. Until last Friday. Our friend Robert was promoted two weeks ago. Promoted from marching at…
I love Hallmark stores. The sea of cards, with the perfect one for the occasion hidden there somewhere, just waiting for me to find it. The beautiful journals and stationery in every style. The gorgeous frames I drool over (and that one time I talked them down to an excellent deal on a shelf/frame that…
A John Deere tractor is plowing the field across the road. I wish it were another field, 488 miles away, with my farmer behind the wheel. Because right about now would be the perfect time to take him some hot cocoa and cookies. Then I’d ask for a ride so we could enjoy the sunset…
My friend sent me a charming little book written at the turn of the (last) century by a 10-year-old girl. O Ye Jigs & Juleps! is one of the most unique humorous pieces I’ve ever read. Virginia is a child simply stating facts as she observes them, and without trying to be funny she’s more…
“Half my heart is in Iraq.” The bumper sticker brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw it. And I took a moment to pray for that woman whose man was fighting to protect my freedom, and the freedom of those I love. Each time I see that bumper sticker, I am reminded…
Happy St. John Deere’s Day! Yes, I know, the rest of the world celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. And as a good Irish girl (with plenty of Scotch, Dutch, English, and German as well), I’ve been wearing green all week. (Considering that it’s my favorite color and makes up half my wardrobe, that wasn’t too hard.)…
There’s nothing quite like rolling out of bed before the sun has peeked in at the windows, rubbing your eyes, throwing on some old clothes, and meeting the morning with a gun in your hand. Snap. I didn’t quite miss that stick. I must watch the ground more closely. But, I don’t want to miss…
I inherited from my maternal grandmother a love of books, of words, and of letters. Her “Independence Day Present” to me was a combination of those three loves: Susan Besze Wallace’s beautiful collection Love & War: 250 Years of Wartime Love Letters. Major Sullivan Ballou wrote the following in a letter to his wife Sarah…
My best friend’s favorite piece of advice to me is two simple words: Don’t think! We’ve made it more specific with additions like, “Especially after dinner,” or, as I told her today, “Don’t even think after lunch.” Maybe it’s just me, but after a certain point in the day, it really is best if I…
It was seventeen years ago today that I gave my heart to Christ, so I thought I’d post my testimony, that I wrote for speech class last year… Corrie Ten Boom once said, “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit…
I attended the funeral of a neighbor lady yesterday. She had lived a long life, been married for over sixty years, and was anticipating the arrival of her second great-grandchild. Many knew her as a woman who was active in the community. Her great-granddaughter knew her as “Jelly Bean Grandma.” I knew her as Mrs….
The End.
The End.