A Little Ambience Goes a Long Way!

Yesterday my friend, Karen, and I had our annual Christmas tea and gift exchange, at my home.  It was a special treat, as last year at this time Joe was in the hospital—and Karen and I met at the hospital cafeteria for the festive occasion.  What a joy to gather with friends anywhere, but especially at [...]

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Suddenly a SWAN!

“Just in front of him he saw three beautiful white swans advancing towards him from a thicket . . . . ‘I will fly to them, the royal birds, and they will hack me to pieces . . . .  But it won’t matter.  Better to be killed by them than be snapped at by [...]

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Wisconsin Late Autumn

Our patio is no longer our “living room”, unless we bundle snugly and clutch a mug of hot coffee.  The dried leaves are poignant reminders of the sunny green months, now stashed away in memory, like potatoes and carrots in a root cellar—waiting to be unearthed for winter nourishment. This glimpse of garden glory was [...]

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Vintage Oaks . . . and reflections on vintage living

The maples and sumacs have shed their glory.  That riotous circus of color is over for another year, and the muted shades of the oak leaves remain.  The maples and sumacs catapulted me into action.  Now those subdued autumn oaks quiet my soul, as a prelude to the season of rest. Oak leaves are the last to turn, and the last to fall.  Some will cling tenaciously to their [...]

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A Matter of Attitude!

Recently I read an article in Time Magazine titled “Chore Wars”.  The piece began by describing something most of us recall:  how when large numbers of women began working out of the home, they would come home at night and have to do all the home and family duties as well.  These were the ”Super Women”, and [...]

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Serendipity!

The gift of finding unexpected treasure in unexpected places—that’s serendipity.  Since I customarily do find some treasure on most every rummaging foray, I tend to think of garage sales not as serendipity but rather simply pleasant business as usual.  But yesterday’s excursion yielded far more than the considerable haul pictured above.  I’ll remember that day as truly serendipitous! The garage [...]

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Mothers!

My Dad and MOM—Ernst and Ruth Longenecker, 1968  ↑ Our children, with Joe and me—2009:  Karl, Debbie, Laura, Joe, Margaret, Judy, Eric, and Martina  ↑ When I was 9 years old I thought I wanted to be a detective like Nancy Drew (with a yellow roadster) and a singer like Hildegarde* (with a swanky long black dress), when I grew [...]

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Home: there’s no place like it!

My friend Karen and I visit a lot on the phone.  Such a nice old-fashioned means of communication!  In fact, the only communication venues that can compare with a congenial phone chat are:  a face to face visit and a real letter via USPS.  Karen and I enjoy these as well.  Karen and I catch up on our family [...]

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Kitchen Sink Ambience

For several weeks I have wondered if I would ever blog again!  Swamped with medical issues and the realization that Joe and I will be managing some of these concerns “forever”—plus the fallout of Joe’s accident and my two major surgeries, all in less than three month’s time—have decimated my energy level. Throughout these past weeks there [...]

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Home Is the Best Gallery!

Yesterday I wandered through a local art gallery, and enjoyed the creativity displayed there in paintings, textiles, and pottery.  Then I came home and wandered through our condo, and was awed once again by the ambience of home art and the fun of living in a personal ”gallery”.  Here is another mini-tour—this one focusing on some of the [...]

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