She’s back! This angel ornament topped the Christmas trees of my childhood. Mom and Dad purchased her their first Christmas together back in the 1950’s. Mom kept the angel wrapped in soft cotton in the off season, and she alone unboxed the decoration at tree-trimming time. Dad’s job was to place the angel on the […]
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Category: Growing Up
Stories from my past.
Rust Remover for the Soul
I started my day mired in the gunk that grinds mental machinery to a screeching halt. So many negative thoughts ping-ponged between my ears! The worst part of it all? I was trying to have my morning quiet time—reading Scripture, praying, conversing with God—all that stuff believers are supposed to do. God has a sense […]
Out on The Hill
Families, like religious organizations and corporations, have their own languages. Outsiders hearing certain well-worn expressions may have little clue as to the actual meaning. The Nichols family members, offspring of “Pop” and Perditia Nichols, often speak of taking someone “out on the hill.” That sounds like an outing in the woods, possibly a snipe hunt […]
Stagnant Water Stinks
Angel Fork (aka Little Browns Creek) added much flavor to my childhood. We called her “The Creek”, and invested many hours discovering her treasures. Turtles, crawdads, lizards, minnows and the occasional arrowhead were the major prizes. Miraculously none of the gang suffered snakebite or contracted typhoid in those waters, but bug bites, scratches and scrapes […]
The Car Ride
The day we dreaded came too soon. Sitting with the Hospice representative for a frank discussion we all reached the conclusion that Mom living alone was a dangerous scenario. She needed more care and to get that care meant giving up her treasured independence. Mom agreed to the change, and we made preparations to move […]
Life on the Creek Building a Raft – Par
In Part 1 of this childhood memory I shared the second oversight in our rafting adventure—the gross weight of the completed vessel. Eight kids did not possess enough muscle power to dead-lift that raft and carry it 100 yards to the water. After considerable brainstorming and experimenting we designed a workable solution—add wheels! With the […]