Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday. We write for five minutes with a prompt. Kate’s prompt is UNUSUAL. It is unusually cold today. The thermometer outside of my window registers -10 degrees fahrenheit and that is -23 celsius. It reminds me of the year that I went on…
Olia Hercules has written a memoir that gives insight into a family’s life experience in Ukraine. I came across the book, Strong Roots, on the shelf of new releases (2025) at the library. I don’t often read memoir but I was drawn to this book. Hercules is a chef. I enjoyed…
Chocolate is my favorite sweet treat. Sometimes I will have a bit while reading a book. But that is dangerous. Chocolate tends to melt on fingers and soon there is a smudge on a page that must be quickly addressed. My worst disaster with a book was not caused by…
Standing on High Places is a biography of Hannah Hurnard written by Isabel Anders. Hannah Hurnard wrote the allegory of a Christian’s life titled Hinds’ Feet on High Places. Anders follows Hannah’s life from her choice to follow Jesus and her decision to pursue mission work. She began evangelical outreach in…
The Bible tells the story of women who had great influence: Sarah who was the mother of Isaac, Deborah who was a judge for Israel, Esther who was queen of Persia, Mary who was the mother of Jesus, Priscilla who, along with her husband, assisted Paul in the early church.…
The birth rate in the United States and other countries is declining and has fallen below replacement. Healthy families are the foundation of a healthy country. It is also concerning that childbirth is becoming more dependent on technology. In 2018 I wrote a blog post about childbirth, past and present.…
Twice this week I have been reminded about gardens, farmers’ markets and community. I am reading the book, Home Fires, by Julie Summers. Summers has researched and described the work of the Women’s Institute during World War II. Women in villages and towns throughout England formed groups to take care…
The Bible record of Esther, Queen of Persia, is full of drama. The Persian Empire was vast, extending from Egypt and Anatolia (Turkey) to the border of India. Esther ascended to royalty in an unusual way. A familial Bible quote is: And who knows whether you have not come to the…
The promises of God are faithful and true.
A number of years ago my husband and I visited Concord Massachusetts. We walked around the village and toured Orchard House where Louisa May Alcott lived for a time. As I began reading the book, Finding Margaret Fuller, I was pleased to meet the group of writers that once lived in…