Harold Fisher’s love affair with religious architecture began at the age of 15 when he earned $2 a day as an apprentice to a church architect. Since then, he has designed nearly 500 majestic churches throughout the United States and has inspired worshippers of 50 different religious denominations. “As a […]
Marie Snider – This Side of 60
It’s been some time since I’ve told anyone my exact age. Not that I’m embarrassed about it. How could you possibly be embarrassed about the length of time you’ve been on this planet! It’s just a non-fact. It really doesn’t matter. The reason I don’t want to share my age […]
Two rules I learned from my mother: 1). Never go on a vacation without your house in perfect order. Just in case you don’t come back. And 2). Never go away in the car without dressing up. Just in case you have an accident and have to be taken to […]
“If you wish to live and thrive/Let the spider run alive.” “You kill a spider, you kill your luck.” “You kill a spider in a new house, the house will never be clean.” Spiders and good luck go together like a cup and saucer. Two thousand years ago, the Romans […]
One of my fondest memories is of neighborhood parties around long tables. We all lived on a two-mile stretch on Route 12, 50 miles from the Canadian border. Sometimes we had upstate New York’s trademark—sugar-on-snow. This was maple syrup boiled to the hardball stage and poured in thin ribbons on […]
July 6, 2000 was like any ordinary summer day in Kansas. Always fairly cool in the morning but hot in the afternoon. I got up early for my 6:30 a.m. yoga class. Relax . . . meditate . . . stretch. And as usual, I felt wonderful after that hour […]
The headline screamed for attention—“51 Top Scientists Blast Anti-Aging Idea.” The article in a seniors’ publication went on to say “anyone who claims that they can stop or reverse the aging process is lying to you—even if they’re a doctor.” This statement is part of a debate between scientists and […]
Decades ago when we lived in Edmonton, Alta., a very little boy and his teddy bear in a stroller disappeared from the backyard. I quickly looked up and down the street, but he was nowhere in sight. I knew immediately where he had gone and I was panic-stricken. He was […]
One of my goals in life is to laugh every day. For that reason, I usually watch at least one old sitcom—Gilligan’s Island, I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gomer Pyle, Green Acres, Get Smart, I Dream of Jeannie—the classics. This routine began in the 1980s when I first read […]
Last week, Friday was a busy day as I helped my daughter get ready for a garage sale with some of her friends. We cleaned my clothes closets, and got rid of unneeded candleholders, vases, suitcases, lawn chairs, a wok, some placemats, and two folding chairs I inherited from my […]
When I grew up, “I’m reading” was an acceptable excuse when my mother called me to help make supper. And it was always true. I was always reading. That’s why I didn’t know how to cook when I got married. I voraciously read the books in our country school library. […]
It was a long time ago. So long ago that I can hardly remember the journey. We were taking a three-day train trip from Edmonton to Toronto with two small children to attend my husband’s parents’ 50th anniversary. We had a special deal by travelling before school was out and […]
