Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
He was just a high school kid, trying to find a part-time job to help cover his college fees, car expenses, and provide a bit of spending money. Who would have known that years later, that job would morph into a living, as he would become the store manager of that establishment? This young …
Perched along the shore of freshwater Lake Michigan, Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, and the fifth most populated metropolis in all North America. But in October 8, 1871, a huge conflagration, fed by a period of hot, dry, windy weather, and fueled by the wooden construction prevalent throughout …
I recall the field trip as clearly as if it happened yesterday. Baldinger’s Food from All the Nations, a small store nestled near the town of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, was established in 1933 and was brimming with all you needed to satiate your sweet tooth. Our students, armed with envelopes of spending money, could hardly …
He was perhaps the greatest American ultra-runner of the 1920’s, yet his rags-to-riches story is relatively unknown. Born in Finland in 1893, this top-rated cross-country runner immigrated to the United States at the age of 18, serving in the merchant marines during World War I. During his three-year tour of duty, he would complete …
It is a type of right-of-passage at our Christian school, a ritual signifying a transition, a transition from those carefree high school years, through the threshold of graduation, and into the world of adulthood. And as is the tradition every year, one section of our school’s yearbook is dedicated to our outstanding senior class, …
I’m not much of a Civil War buff, but something caught my eye recently while researching one of the bloodiest battles of that ugly war, the Battle of Antietam. Major General George McClellan would be the commander with the charge over the Union forces as they battled General Lee and his Confederate army. I learned …
They are arguably the most majestic of all birds, their nests perched in the tallest trees high above forested areas and generally close to a water source. That nest is one architectural wonder, four to five feet in diameter, reaching depths of over five feet, constructed with woven sticks, lined with grasses, filled with …
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Ah, that trite, overused, proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism in the face of adversity, a can-do spirit that can overcome the worst of misfortune. Lemons, by nature, are sour, representing those sour times in our lives, when everything seems to go awry. But the truly optimistic …
He was young, beloved of his father, a dreamer of dreams. His mission was a simple one, seek out his older brothers who were out tending the family flocks in Shechem, check on their well-being, and report back to Dad. Little did this teenager know that his faith and integrity were about to be …
It had been a neighborhood mainstay, an unpretentious little car garage handling vehicle inspections, oil changes, and other minor repairs. My youngsters knew that a flat bicycle tire could be there fixed free of charge, often referring to the owner as their uncle, even though he was not their kin. Neighbors would meet in that garage to sit …