Three Wise Women

Three Wise Women

9 oz. dried cranberries; 12 oz. strawberry yogurt raisins; 12 oz. dried apricots; 16 oz. almonds; 16 oz. walnuts  Look at the list of ingredients. You don’t have to memorize them; this isn’t one of those baby shower games where you have to recall the items on a tray...
Panda Somersault

Panda Somersault

December 1955: Time for the annual Christmas Show at the small country school in northern Indiana. Throughout the month my mother labored to make a panda bear costume for me to wear for my very small part in the pageant. It could not have been easy for her to...

Slide

The boys raced to the park. They saw the swings, but sped past to the slide, a giant on red stilts. It had sides to hold the scared kids who flew back to earth in its chute. It called them to mount up and not fret for the mom whose hands they had slipped. Scott went...
Salvation Army

Salvation Army

If Christmas Present has a saint, it must be the Salvation Army bell ringer in front of our local grocery store. The man is a catalyst for good. My husband is, too. He came home aglow from the inside out last Saturday after experiencing a series of  simple acts that...
My next life

My next life

My friends and family have often heard me say: “In my next life I’m going to have thick hair and a tan.” I am revising that wishful thinking in favor of having a thick skin. It would have helped me more in this one. What is your best wish for a...