Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
We have all heard the stories at one time or another, stories of ordinary people exhibiting extraordinary strength during a time of crisis. Those heroic stories usually involve someone singlehandedly lifting heavy objects-cars, beams, trees-to free a trapped individual. There is even a story recorded from 1988, when a Vietnam veteran displayed superhuman strength …
Grandma, Grandma, came the hushed summons from down the hallway, I need a Kleenex. I had already lumbered down that hallway a number of times that evening: the I-need-a-drink trauma, the ever popular I-have-to-go-potty emergency, and this time would involve a much-needed tissue to wipe a drippy nose. I brought him the whole box …
There arose a fierce, “tempestuous wind,” striking fear into those seasoned seamen and their passengers as they were “exceedingly tossed” by that powerful force. The “south wind blew softly,” and what had been an uneventful trip, a prison transfer of sorts, had now morphed into a nightmare. The sky was blackened by angry clouds, so …
As a parent, I have experienced this dilemma far too often. The children become hyper-focused on one topic, getting a pet, any pet. Oh, please, not this again! Now the type of pet has run the whole gambit variety-wise: rabbits, hamsters, fish, ferrets (ewww, smelly), crabs (also smelly), stray dogs, and homeless kittens. If …
Our small, backwoods high school was finally joining the big city schools, we had formed our first-ever football team! We were thrilled with our bumpy field, small-scale bleachers, inexperienced marching band; our students were more than tolerant to the fact that those chilly fall games would be held on Saturday mornings due to our lack of stadium …