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Blogging A to Z: “J”-asper, Indiana
My husband and his family are from Jasper, Indiana, a town founded in 1830, with a rich German, Catholic heritage. Today, Jasper has almost 15,000 residents and is the county seat for Dubois County. The area was originally inhabited by the Piankishaw/Shawnee Indian tribe and was covered by forest. St. Joseph Catholic Church, Jasper, Indiana. Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Jasper’s name comes from a Mrs. Enlow, whose family owned the town’s first 120 acres. She read Revelation 21:19, which says, “And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was Jasper …,” and the town’s name was born. It’s…
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Blogging A to Z: April showers
Málaga airport by Bert Kaufmann, Creative Commons license. Flickr. “Caution, moving walkway is nearing its end.” April is a time to look forward. Sunshine stretches into longer days. Crocus and daffodils sprout and remind us that winter, as the moving walkway announcement at the airport warns, “is nearing its end.” I’m thinking about what flowers I’d like to plant, what festivals I’m looking forward to, and what photography possibilities await me. The birds are singing and the intermittent rain we receive is painting the grass green. Things are looking up! And, then I find out that in two and a half weeks, I am having knee replacement surgery. Whaaaat? I…
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Winter preparations for Christmas
I listen to WGBL on my way to work and the day after Thanksgiving, they begin playing Christmas music. Recently I heard a song by Matt Brouwer and I had to call in and ask for the name because it struck a chord with me – it was “Better Days.” Here’s a sample of the lyrics: “And you ask me what I want this year And I try to make this kind and clear Just a chance that maybe We’ll find better days ‘Cause I don’t need boxes wrapped in string And designer love and empty things Just a chance that maybe We’ll find better days Refrain: So take these…
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St. Francis
I’ve always loved animals. When I was young, we had turtles, a Welsh Corgi and my parents raised and showed English Springer Spaniels. Today, my husband and I have one dog, Hershey (although he prefers to think of himself as a person), and four cats (three are rescues). I shared this love of animals with a good friend of mine, Becky, who passed away last year from lymphoma. She was with me when I spied Hershey as a puppy and was supportive of Joe and me adopting him. Did you know that St. Francis of Assisi, who lived from 1182-1126, felt he could communicate with animals and that he was…
