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I am glad my kids like me. Parenting is scary. You want to do the best, but sometimes doubt creeps in. Children do not come with a manual. My husband died when my daughter was 12 years old and my [...]

I am glad I was raised in a small town. Ames, New York is still the smallest incorporated village in New York State. When I lived there in the ’50’s and ’60’s, about 200 [...]

I am glad to perpetuate my mother’s tradition of organization and dedication to a well-set table. In the upcoming days, and sometimes weeks, of a large family gathering, mom polished [...]

As a child, we ate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts in our dining room. Mom loved to keep the tradition alive of serving a flaming fruit cake on Christmas Eve. I personally did not like the [...]

Two special treats appeared at Christmastime when I was a child. One was clementines.  Today the smell of that little citrus gem immediately takes me back to the one that was always in the toe of [...]

My parents bought our home in Ames, New York in 1951. A year later, I arrived and joined my sister. By 1955, we were a family of six. I have called it my home ever since. At Christmastime my [...]

My mother’s brother and his family lived in Germany. Every Christmas we waited for a big wooden crate to arrive from Europe packed with beautiful gifts and German treats. One year, he sent [...]

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, [...]

Christmas gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Some have ribbons and some have bows. I wrote this story in 2012 about one of the best gifts I ever received. My story appeared in three holiday [...]

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 [...]