A stone wall was planned as a retaining wall above our house to keep the sandy bank from eroding. A lovely, mature cedar tree grew there, and we didn't want it to topple onto our house. My husband hired a skilled local mason, and prepared … Read more
My husband and I planted our first garden last year. During the COVID-19 shutdown, we had more leisure time than usual and needed a project to keep our minds and hands occupied. Not all of our crop prospered, but the garden held our … Read more
How many times have you moved in your lifetime? It always amazes me to learn that some people live in the same house their entire lives, perhaps never even travelling more than five or ten miles from the place that they were born. … Read more
I have been on a cruise ship, travelling among the islands of the Caribbean. One of the privileges was for each passenger to meet and greet the captain of the ship. Fully dressed in uniform, he graciously welcomed each passenger and posed … Read more
Some made promises, but I doubted that they'd keep them. No middle-schooler wants to be uprooted and moved hundreds of miles from his friends — but that's what happened when Dad decided to pastor a church in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. … Read more
The phone rang. When I answered, a deep, intimidating male voice informed me that I was in serious trouble with respect to my income tax. The voice continued saying that the police were now on their way to arrest me, and that my best … Read more
When I was a child, prior to the invention of the Internet, I lived in Europe. I missed my family, who still lived in the United States. Once a week, though, my grandparents would initiate a phone call to us. When the phone finally rang, … Read more
In 1951, when I was eight years old, my family did not regularly attend church, although I did understand that Jesus loved me. During Easter break that year, my family took a vacation to see friends in southern California, USA. One of our … Read more
Winter hangs on wherever there are shady places with patches of snow. In spite of that, during Holy Week, I've been diligently tidying up the house by putting away winter decorations and pulling out spring ones in anticipation of Easter. … Read more