View from the sheepfold
YOUR HEALTH WITH HOUSEPLANTS
Did you know that house plants can improve your physical and mental health? In the middle of winter, when dark, empty tree branches contrast with the white, snowy ground cover outdoors, I enjoy my houseplants. At a time when the outdoor flora take their winter...
A Belsnickel? What’s That?
I invited fellow-author Bonnie Swineheart to be a guest on “View from the Sheepfold.” I met Bonnie at a writers conference and learned about her book Benjy and the Belsnickel in 2018. What’s a Belsnickel? You’ll have to ask Bonnie or read her book. 1) When did you...
SOLDIER, STATESMAN, FARMER
FARMER WASHINGTON Early in the morning, Farmer Washington mounted his horse and cantered off to inspect his farms. “Agriculture has ever been amongst the most favorite amusements of my life,” he wrote. We know him as a soldier and a political leader. Without George...
SPRINGFIELD ROMANCE
One day in April, 1837, a tall, sad-looking man, dressed in a too-short, shabby suit, rode into Springfield, Illinois. Springfield was a new town on the frontier and the newly-selected state capital of Illinois. When the snow melted in the spring or after a rainstorm,...
WHAT IS TRUTH?
“What is truth?” The Roman governor Pilate asked Jesus this question. (John 18:38) What is truth? It’s hard to decipher the true from the false unless you know the facts. So much false news circulates today, we are hard-pressed to discover the truth. We’ve witnessed...
SPRING, NEW BEGINNINGS
Each season has its own beauty. My favorite season is spring. I can finally open my windows to let in the fresh, (relatively) clean air. I can step out into the warm sunlight without bundling up in coat, boots, hat, mittens, and scarf. I think what I like best about...
Viewing History Through Fiction
Please meet my friend and fellow author Elaine Cooper. Elaine has two new historical fiction book releases. I’ve read Fields of the Fatherless and Saratoga Letters, and I recommend both. If you’ve never read one of her books, I encourage you to do so. Elaine Marie...
Are You Balanced?
Do you ever walk along the top of a curb to see how long you can keep your balance? I still do it from time to time. I truly admire the gymnasts who perform complicated routines on a narrow beam placed above the floor. If the gymnast loses her balance, however, she...
MISSING PERSONS
I noticed a grave marker with the name and dates of a former classmate. And that got me thinking about missing persons, people from my past who are no longer a part of my life. My father, my sister, my grandson, my in-laws are absent because of death. I have good and...
New Beginnings
"Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la." "Deck the Hall" is a joyous melody that's fun to sing. According to my Christmas carol book, it's of Welsh origin with a traditional melody....
What About Mary?
Some people like biblical fiction, a story based on the Bible but with details from the author's imagination and historical facts. This is Mary's story told by a fictional cousin, Joanna. I am Joanna, from Nazareth. Mary and I grew up together, playing childish games,...
Cookie Season
Christmas is a time for sharing cookie recipes. With so many people sharing their favorites, want to share one of my favorites. A few years ago I found a cookie recipe on a package of Hershey's Special Dark Kisses. I make the cookies for Christmas and once or twice a...
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