originally published on YLCF

O Ye Jigs & Juleps!

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…

“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…

Hunting

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…

Granny Hite

I just finished reading The Nine Brides and Granny Hite by Neill C. Wilson (copyright 1948), and a more delightful book I haven’t read in a long time. A dear friend discovered it in their basement, read it, and wrote me that if I wanted a light-hearted easy ready this was the book, “But I…

Paper Kisses

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…

Don’t think

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…

The End.

The End.