Before we moved into our current home in 2019, I did a lot of cleaning and sorting, which revealed many treasures and trash. But there were many boxes I moved from one house to the next without any review. Some of those were boxes of things from my parents, and […]
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First Wednesday Sirens and Tornado Preparations
Today is a first Wednesday, which means that at 11:00am, sirens will blare. At least they will blare in the Kansas City area. Most municipalities and other jurisdictions near us test their tornado sirens monthly. I don’t know how broadly this emergency broadcasting system operates, but I think it extends […]
Continue readingJanuary Is National Oatmeal Month
I was surprised to learn there is such a thing as National Oatmeal Month. But then, with eaters like my husband and children, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. My husband is a huge fan of hot cereal in the morning. He makes it from scratch—none of that instant stuff for […]
Continue readingDid My Younger Siblings Ever See Santa?
I’ve written before about how my brother and I got to see Santa Claus when he visited our home one evening just before Christmas. I’ve also written about when my children got to see Santa at their grandparents’ home. My son took the experience in stride, but it took my […]
Continue readingMy Mother’s Dish Towels
Before I married in November 1977, my mother gave me six dish towels. “Here,” she said. “I received a dozen of these when I was married, and I want you to have some.” She and my father married in June 1955. The towels had had some use, but I think […]
Continue readingBack to School . . . Or Not . . . That Is the Question
Today is Labor Day, the traditional last day of summer vacation. Though in recent years, as school seemed to begin earlier and earlier in August, the significance of Labor Day has diminished. We all have “back to school” memories. Maybe of our own first days of school—kindergarten, junior high, high […]
Continue readingRandom Photos: A Summer Trip with the Grandparents in Simpler Times
This set of random photos came from an envelope my father labeled “Cannon Beach.” Most of the pictures in the envelope were of a trip my parents took with my kids to Cannon Beach, Oregon. I’ve written before about other trips to Cannon Beach—most recently we were there for a […]
Continue readingSelling Cookies and Other Fun Fundraisers
The Kansas City Star has a column called “Snarky in the Suburbs” by Sherry Kuehl, which I enjoy. Last week, her piece was titled “Sure they’re nondescript, but the Thin Mint has a mighty allure”. She described her decades-long addiction to Girl Scout Thin Mints. That reminded me of my […]
Continue readingOn Choices, Priorities, and Consequences
As my children were growing up, I told them frequently, “You have to make choices in life.” When my daughter wanted to play two sports, I told her she had to choose one sport per season, because I didn’t have time to cart her to more than one set of […]
Continue readingDecorating for Christmas in Our New Home
I’ve started decorating for Christmas, which is the only season for which I do much decorating. By some people’s standards, I do next to no decorating, even for Christmas. This year, for the first time in my life, I have the advantage of having all my Christmas decorations in the […]
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