Over the years I have become increasingly concerned about the health of children. My son, a close friend’s daughter and my college room-mate’s grandson were all diagnosed with leukemia. Cancer has gradually increased in children. Chronic illness in children has increased dramatically since the 1980s. An article in the Journal of…
Many books that I read are historical fiction–lots of books about WWI and WWII. In the past couple years, I have found Anne Perry’s books. While most of her books are late 1800s and early 1900s, she has one that is focused on the years 1273 to 1282. The Sheen…
We have a new granddaughter. When we visited our son’s family, we brought gifts for the baby and her big brother. We also gave our grandson a few of the cars and trucks that had once belonged to his father. One truck had the McDonald’s insignia on the side of…
If a woman’s first childbirth was via cesarean section, usually the next birth will be by cesarean section. The CDC provides the statistics for repeat cesarean section. It is 85%. My daughter-in-law’s first baby was born by cesarean section, but she hoped to deliver her second baby normally (vaginally). She…
The Wichita Botanical Garden is family oriented. The great variety of flowers, herbs and trees delight the eyes. And at intervals there is a surprise for children (and adults). Huge lego animals appear throughout the gardens. The dog pictured above had a sign that explained dogs are dichromatic (two kinds…
At the end of July and the beginning of August the thimbleberries ripen in Upper Michigan. Some years I am able to be there to pick the wild berries. But not this year. Instead, I have my memories. Ten years ago I wrote: Thimbleberries grow wild in Upper Michigan. I…
Through the years that I have worked in maternity care I have supported the health of mothers and babies. I am saddened by the view of sexuality in our culture and its effect on the family. Change has come slowly and insidiously. Our human nature can guide us to trust…
The book, Born for Life; A Midwife's story reminded me of my own experiences.
The book of Psalms in the Bible gives great comfort. Throughout the poetic words there is a plea for God’s help and acknowledgement of his love and mercy. The Psalms offer both lament and worship. Here is one of my favorite verses as recorded in the Complete Jewish Bible. You…
My freezer is full to capacity. The cherries, currants, gooseberries and raspberries have been abundant this year. The raspberry bushes are still producing berries—I have been picking every day for the past week and shared some with my neighbor. A couple days ago I had a surprising encounter among the…