Like everyone else, I missed my mother when she was gone. Badly! I missed her casseroles and apple crumb pies. I missed her laughter and her frequent phone calls, even at work. And I missed our coffees in our favourite restaurants. But what I missed most of all was her […]
Marie Snider – This Side of 60
It seems many people are frightened of aging. And I understand–in a way. Sometimes bad things happen to people as they age. But, on the other hand, I don’t understand. Since a young woman, I have looked forward to getting old. My role models are my grandmother, my mother, and […]
Last week, my daughter raved about a book she was reading from my library titled “The Difference Maker.” She insisted that I had to introduce the book to my readers. Since I respect her judgment, and the whole title intrigued me, I decided to write about “The Difference Maker: Making […]
We have had a hot, dry summer—very hot and very dry. We’ve seen our blackberries dry up before they were ripe and our flower gardens wilt. It has been so hot that our tomatoes and cucumbers didn’t “set on.” And we had to deep water our tallest trees to make […]
In the late 1950s and early ’60s, we lived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A wonderful city! And I still enjoy the fun memories of that era. But there is another side to my Edmonton memories. Just before we moved 2,000 miles away from my home in New York state, we […]
Just imagine having your whole house—and even your garage—all clean and organized at the same time! Well, this summer, I’ve almost achieved this goal with the help of Sheralynn and Kelly. Last week, Sheralynn helped me go through our storage areas while Kelly helped me clean and organize my kitchen. […]
Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an old woman some day—and it’s still a goal I hope to achieve. Maybe it was because I admired my Grandma Moser so much as a girl. I loved going to Grandma’s house. And, as far as I could tell, so […]
Sometimes a person gets a nostalgic, wistful yearning for a former place and a former time. A place and time when we experienced much happiness. Such a place and time for me is Edmonton, Alberta, in the 1960s. We lived in Edmonton only nine years—a relatively short time in the […]
As a child, you had fun. But what about this side of 60–are you still having fun? If not, why not? Fortunately for me, I feel I have a mandate to fulfill. My mother died years ago, but I still remember the last words she said to me. They were […]
Growing up in upstate New York, I had two “little girl” idols–Shirley Temple and Princess Elizabeth. Shirley was a half-year younger than I while the Princess was a year older. I especially idolized Shirley because she had such beautiful curly hair. Mine was straight! For years, I treasured a cobalt […]
Do you remember watching your mother make soap the old-fashioned way–in a large cast iron pot on an open fire? I do! Your answer to that question reveals two things–whether or not you grew up on a farm, and what your age is. When I was young, butchering day was […]
Exercise is easy for younger people, but they often feel they don’t have time to walk two miles a day or play tennis. Many older people have the time, but exercising is difficult and sometimes hurts. So every person has a different excuse. But none of the excuses are valid. […]