Had a wonderful weekend in Portland with the family. Lots of great conversation, and if this one sticks with me, it's probably because it was the last one. As things were winding down after Mother's Day dinner, Mom started reminiscing about life with some of the less pleasant factions of the Mennonite church. In particular she talked about the ( Read more... )

My mom's side of the family used to get together at my grandparents' house around Christmas every year. It was probably after they moved to the retirement center that we switched to having a family picnic during the summer instead, which we continued to call the Family Christmas for many years. Each of the six siblings takes a turn hosting the ( Read more... )