-
Very thankful
It’s Thanksgiving day and Joe and I arrived safely back home among snow flurries and unexpectedly icy roads, after enjoying a delicious dinner made by my sister-in-law, Amy, in Indianapolis. We had all the familiar foods that warm our tummies and remind us of gatherings past: home-made dressing, melt-in-your mouth turkey, sweet corn casserole, green bean casserole, two sweet potato casseroles, cranberry sauce, other delicious carbs and of course yummy pumpkin, peanut butter and apple caramel pies. My nephews were present with their sweet wives and children. My two great nephews seem so grown up (the oldest is three and a half) and a great niece is expected mid-December. And,…
-
Telephone, tell a friend, text a message…
I am going to be 52 in a few weeks. I’m not young but I’m also not ready for assisted living, if that helps paint a picture. When I was growing up, the best way to communicate with friends was by telephone if I wasn’t at school or over at a friend’s house. My junior high school was 45 minutes across town by bus and it was important for us to communicate about homework, our classes and, of course, boys we liked. Friends’ advice was golden. We’d also arrange weekend get-togethers. And, remember, there were no computers or smart phones so the rotary dial telephone was “it.” With out-of-town friends,…
-
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…
-
Quitters never prosper…
© 2014 by Diane Weidenbenner Okay. Officially the saying is “Cheaters never prosper.” But, since I am going for encouragement with this photo and short blog, I’ve changed it up a bit. For any of you out there that are having an especially trying time – you’ve lost a friend to cancer, or you’ve lost your job, or you just need to know that God is real and available, and unconditional in His love … this bridge is for you! It is to remind us that there is always another way, another opening, another opportunity right around the bend. There is always a different perspective, or a lesson to learn…
-
Passion for music and art
© 2014 by Diane Weidenbenner I learned how to play guitar on a whim. My parents planned to send me to a private school for junior high, because of desegregation and forced busing in Colorado in the 70s. Even though I lived five minutes away from a junior high school, busing would send me 45 minutes away, to attend a school in a predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhood. When I was asked to sign up for my public school classes, I added Beginning Guitar to my list, along with Home Economics and Spanish. Why not? I’d always wanted to play guitar but I’d never had the opportunity. I thought, “It…
-
“M”ail
This mailbox belongs to a good friend of mine, and her cat Galley, of course. I think he’s waiting for the Petsmart circular. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner My dad was a mailman. He actually delivered mail come rain, snow, sleet or sun. It was during the days when you knew your mailman by first name and he received Christmas presents during the holidays, like baked goods, fruit baskets and of course money. As kids we preferred the baked goods! During the summer my mom would take us to visit him on his route. We’d deliver a cold Pepsi to him or eat lunch with him. He was one of…
-
“C”amera
Bales of hay are common around the midwest. They do remind me of Tootsie Rolls. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner It seems like I’ve always had a camera. Of course my first was a Ricoh film camera. I traipsed around Europe with 28 rolls of film and swapped them out as they filled up with memories. I then had to save up money in order to get them developed after I returned to the States. When I did finally have the money, and the gumption to fill out all those film envelopes, six months later, it was exciting. Through those developed photos, I relived the highlights of my vacation all…
-
When it rains, it pours…
Do you see the lightpole and the white marked parking spaces going into the water? This is Raccoon Lake, flooded from the heavy rains that we’ve been getting in Indiana. Now imagine all that water on our city streets! Growing up, I’d hear people say, “when it rains, it pours,” when a situation went from bad to worse. This year, we’ve received quite a bit of rain and I’ve begun to understand the phrase, literally and figuratively. When it rains in Indiana, it pours. Inundates you like someone pouring large pitchers of water on your windshield every few seconds. Soaks you even if you just have to go a few…
-
Early morning magic …
To say that I’m not a morning person is an understatement. I work days (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) but many mornings it is all I can do to get up, move into the bathroom, wash my face and put mascara on (which requires that my eyes remain open). My preference would be to stay up late and then sleep until 9 or 10 the next morning. Early morning sun near Deming Park, Terre Haute, Ind. © Photo by Diane Weidenbenner On those rare occasions when I have woken up early, I have encountered the most amazing things. There is a special kind of magic afoot in the morning hours,…
-
“X”OXOXO
Sister Ann Casper (left) and Becky talking about the Youth Art Contest and Sister Ann’s remarks. She intiated the inaugral event and fostered its success each year. She loved the fact that youth came out to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods for the Art Contest! Photo © Diane Weidenbenner I wish you had known my friend, Becky. She had a great sense of humor, was a wonderful writer and she never met a stranger. She passed away April 25 and will be missed by her friends and remaining family, puppy dogs and co-workers. Here’s what I learned from Becky: Hawthorn Park, in Terre Haute, Ind., is a wonderful place to take your dog…
