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My mother and Nana were great bakers. I still use the Betty Crocker spritz cookie recipe for my Christmas butter cookies. One year Nana made Christmas pinafores for the four of us. She made them [...]

Mom would select a Saturday afternoon in early November for an appointment with  Canajoharie’s photographer,  Maurice LeBel. He arrived with his tripod, fancy camera, flood lights on poles, [...]

Candles are perfect for the dark days of December. Their warm glow softens the harsh shadows of winter. Throughout my childhood in Ames, my family dined by candle light in the dining room. At an [...]

Christmastime is full of memories. And so my tree reflects the presence of special people in my life. They are in my heart forever. The first ornament placed on my tree commemorates the birth of [...]

(Now as we go to the second verse, keep in mind that I grew up in Ames, New York where the snow comes early and stays way too long. Cabin fever can set in and outdoor fun needs the right [...]

The upcoming holiday season provides numerous opportunities for family gatherings. When nostalgia becomes an accelerant, we can fall victim to unrealistic expectations. So stay alert and keep it [...]

Halloween in Ames, NY in the 1950’s and 60’s was simple, yet memorable. For me, the focal point of the scary season was the anticipation. Once the leaves started to fall and waist-high orange, [...]

“Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. Call me this and call me that but call yourself a dirty rat.” As a little girl, I engaged in my share of [...]

I picked up the surviving sliver and asked, “Where are the other pieces?” I was once broken too. Loss separated me from the life I had with another. I turned inward. There, a little [...]

My one-year-old granddaughter Emily’s tiny hands clutched the plastic shovel. She pushed with all her might through the wet sand and then tried to put both of her feet in the slender divot. [...]