The Christmas season of 1944 along the German-Belgian border seems an unlikely setting for an uplifting Christmas story, but that year nothing short of a small miracle happened there. The Battle of the Bulge, Germany’s last effort offensive campaign was raging. It was to be the bloodiest battle for American forces during WWII with 19,000... Continue Reading →
The Posts of Christmas Past
Once more, I have decided to undertake the blogging challenge of The 12 Days of Blogmas. For the next 12 days, we will explore a wide variety of stories and topics about the holiday season with the goal to edify, educate, or maybe just entertain ourselves. No two individuals would define the holiday season and... Continue Reading →
Lessons from Grandma Gatewood on Black Friday
When I was pregnant with our daughter, my husband and I found ourselves in a Buy Buy Baby after a doctor’s appointment. We walked up and down the aisles, taking notes and feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the gear that apparently came along with a new baby. My husband asked if all this was necessary,... Continue Reading →
Fall Sunset
October sunset- The Zinnias are still going strong
Thomas Edison’s Creepy Dolls
Happy Fall! It is officially my favorite time of year and finally starting to cool off a little around here. It’s the kind of weather that invites curling up with a good book and warm cup of tea. And this time of year, it can be fun to read something a little spooky. I’ve always... Continue Reading →
My August Garden and Walt Whitman’s Fake Butterfly
We moved this past December, and part of getting settled into our new home these past few months has been setting up some new flower beds. Of course, I dug up many of my iris bulbs and planted them in their new home. These bulbs are descendants of ones that grew at my Nashville home... Continue Reading →
An Envelope Full of Obituaries
Several weeks ago, my Uncle Ron came by our house one evening and brought me a box of old photos, post cards, and letters that had been my grandfather’s. Ron’s wife, my Aunt Barbara, passed away in 2014 and had held on to these things after her parents (my grandparents) passed away. Ron has recently... Continue Reading →
A Holiday Created By Grateful Children
Happy Father’s Day! As is true of many things when you try to trace their origins, there is some conflicting history about the roots of this holiday. The two prominent stories about the beginnings of Father’s Day in the United States happened around the same time on opposite sides of the nation. And both are... Continue Reading →
The Mother Mentioned in Hebrews 11 (aka the Faith Hall of Fame)
Two weeks ago at church, my 14 month old was getting a little extra rambunctious and I took her out to the lobby to keep from disrupting everyone around us. At the church we attend, there is a shelf set up with an assortment of pamphlets about various topics and as I paced back and... Continue Reading →
The Cicadas Are Coming
Here in middle Tennessee, the local news stations appear to be enjoying giving frequent reminders that our state is about to play host to the cicadas of Brood XIX. This is the brood that comes around every 13 years. I vividly remember sitting in my office at work thirteen years ago as a 27 year... Continue Reading →