Traveling across the sea to foreign ports in search of fabrics, teas, shoes, and the fine wines of France, must have seemed a romantic venture to the young mariner in 19th century America! But for the wife of a seaman, the romance of a sea life was as far away ...
Read More »They Shall Live Again
Springtime has always brought the promise of new life and the end of another brown, barren Illinois winter. The first tulips begin to pop open; trees get their first, almost invisible green buds, and soon, green grass springs up to carpet over the brown stuff on the ground. I remember ...
Read More »How to Have God’s Ear
Abigail Smith was lively, opinionated, and intuitive from her youth. She was just 15 when her future husband, John Adams, first laid eyes on her. He was drawn to Abigail’s qualities from the beginning. When they married in 1744, she had his ear in the decisions he would be faced ...
Read More »Count It All Joy
I have vivid memories from the first home I remember as a little girl. On summer evenings I would look for butterflies in our front yard. They seemed to flutter around the large tree that shaded our house as the last dappled sunlight fell. I loved a rainy day. Mom ...
Read More »When Temptation Calls
Everyone loves a feast. Indulging your temptations once in a while is a lot of fun! I remember family parties when I was young, playing with my cousins, singing songs, celebrating July 4th and Christmas Eve together. A big part of the happiness of those times centered around a table ...
Read More »