Proclamation 118—Thanksgiving Day, 1864 October 20, 1864 Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to […]
Continue Reading
Our first child cried a lot. Understatement. New mom terror of that piercing cry and the absolute certainty it brought reinforced my insecurity. I had no idea what I was doing. In the rare quiet moments, I hardly dared breathe. I was afraid of breaking the spell and bringing her quivering bleat to a scream […]
Continue Reading
Somewhere between the I-can’t-do-everything-around-here and the it’s-easier-to-do-it-myself syndrome I hear the whisper, “Don’t forget Me.” But the day is full and fragmented. A tiny face with serious eyes bores into my closed ones. Level with my pillowed head they pull me from a dead sleep. “I gotta go potty,” a little voice announces. It is […]
Continue Reading
“For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Cor. 3:9 (NIV) “A house tells a lot about the person who lived in it,” my husband, the carpenter mumbled. He looked his grimy self, covered with sawdust, clothed in painter’s attire. “I’m sure the owner of our previous house is […]
Continue Reading
“You’re never too old to want your dad to be proud of you,” my husband stated the other night as we both collapsed into bed, tired from a day of hard work. Those poignant words took me immediately to the memory of my dad. His praise had such a huge impact on me then that […]
Continue Reading
“So,” she asked, “are you beginning to feel settled yet?” How do I answer that, I wonder? Should I mention we haven’t even carried our furniture up from the basement because first we have to paint the walls and redo the flooring? Or should I begin with the re-wiring saga, or drywalling? Maybe I could […]
Continue Reading
“Nothing of value has changed,” he said leaning over our daughter. His young face was earnest and sincere. His blue eyes searched to connect with hers, foggy and distant. Day after day another ability vaporized into thin air. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t move her arms. Her words slurred. All of her body parts conspired […]
Continue Reading
It was a tiny village, not much more than an intersection with a few stores. When we moved into the area, the only American family in Magazzino, Italy, we gained immediate notoriety. I could feel the tension rising every time I stepped into its little corner grocery store. The husband and wife who owned the […]
Continue Reading
“What to do when life is miserable,” I suppose there are those of you out there that don’t know what I’m talking about. You’ve never had a miserable day in your life. I will not tell you how I feel about you. But to the others, the normal among us, sometimes life can be downright […]
Continue Reading
So, I cut his roast chicken. Into little square edibles. When I looked up, he wore a puzzled expression, a little worried but seriously amused. I drew my eyes back down to where mangled bits of poultry lay in a pile on my husband’s plate. “Hmmm,” he commented. “Maybe you need a day off.”… Read […]
Continue Reading