Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
The streets are abandoned, buildings are gone, graffiti-strewn highways are buckled. What was once a prosperous mining community is now a ghost town, an unfortunate tourist novelty nestled in the central Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. In May of 1962, the city council of Centralia proposed cleaning up a local landfill by setting fire …
This phenomenon has occurred in excess of 190 times over a four-year span in the United States alone. During intense heat waves, steel, the major component of railroad tracks, gets hotter, causing that steel to expand and start to curve, referred to as buckling. In physics, this phenomenon is defined as thermal expansion, the …
Nearly a century had passed since Zerubbabel led the first group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to their Promised Land, the land of Canaan…home. After fighting off opposition on the part of their enemies and apathy on the part of their fellow countrymen, the temple was finally completed, opening its doors once again …
Not many days in American history evoke the memories as does September 11, 2001. That would be a dark time for our country, a day of terrorism on a scale beyond our comprehension, a day of death and fear. But in the aftermath of those horrific attacks, an iconic image of weary first responders …
It is not an amazing thought? Regardless of age, social status, or gender, every person on the planet has an equal number of hours available to them in a week: 168. Even if we average 8 hours of sleep a night, that still leaves us with well over 100 hours at our disposal. Why …
One characteristic was a consistent mainstay in my mother’s life, and although her body weakened with age, her vision dimmed, and her memory faded, she maintained that precious quality to her last breath. Benevolence, a desire to do good to others; charitableness, defined my mom’s life. She was always willing to take from her …
Oh what a happy soul I am, Although I cannot see. I am resolved that in this world, Contented I will be. Born in Putnam County, New York, a sweet baby girl would become ill within 2 months of her birth. Due to the fact that their family physician was called out of town, …
As a former teacher at a Christian school, I was always on the prowl for fun field trip opportunities for my students. Our school was small, so all age groups were generally included on our special outings. Finding something that both the oldest and the youngest would enjoy was difficult, but one of our …
At a casual glance, all may seem perfectly healthy, no apparent abnormality or malfunction. But deep within the human body, hidden from view, lies the pancreas, tucked inconspicuously behind the stomach, surrounded by the small intestine, liver, and spleen. A healthy pancreas produces the correct chemicals, in the proper quantities, released at just the …
From the earliest days of childhood, I was fortunate enough to glean this honorable virtue from my parents, my early classroom teachers, and those who were a part of my small hometown: devoted love; vigorous support and defense of one’s country; national loyalty; in a word, patriotism. I was taught to honor her flag and …