Magical Memoir Moments
Train Up a Child: The Legacy of My Great-Grandma Snyder
My Great-Grandma Snyder was a widow from March 15, 1924, until her own death forty years later. She reared four children to adulthood and managed a farm and then a house in the town of Lititz until she was no longer able to do so. Then she rotated among her children, living in a…
Who Else Wants Simplicity? April Yamasaki's Sacred Pauses Offers a Way
We all know about the value of silence, taking breaks, and breathing deeply. We know we’re supposed to do these things. But then we get completely involved in our work. And we forget. April Yamasaki, a Mennonite minister from Abbottsford, British Columbia, has written a book to help us remember: Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for…
The Girl Who Opened Up My World: A Birthday Tribute to Vicky
Before Vicky died at age 35, she changed my life. In 1954, when I was six years old, almost everyone I knew was either a farmer or a Mennonite or both. Then Vicky Martinez blew into my life — all the way from Manhattan! She stayed with us for two weeks. Vicky was like me….
A Pork 'n Sauerkraut New Year: Happy Birthday, Stuart!
At our house, the holiday season begins with Christmas and ends on January 11. Why January 11? That’s my husband Stuart’s birthday. We don’t clear out the wrapping paper and bows until Jan. 12. Our serious efforts to go back to low-carb eating only starts after that date also. This year, Stuart discovered a tradition…
The First Peak at Blush: Cover Reveal Coming This Friday
Did you know my book-to-be book has fans? I’m blushing here, because I didn’t give them this name, but that’s what Facebook calls the special pages you “like,” in contrast to the personal pages where you “friend” each other. I place blog posts on my website and on the Shirley Hershey Showalter page. The page…
Comfort and Joy, Christmas and Food: An Unusual Mennonite Story
Today’s Christmas Eve guest post comes from Kathleen Foster Friesen, no stranger to these pages. Kathleen commented on a thread on my Facebook writer’s page several weeks ago, and I asked her to tell her family holiday food tradition story here. So, from Kathleen and from me, Merry Christmas, curry style! And if you celebrate…
Review of Jean Janzen's Mennonite Memoir: Entering the Wild
The word “wild” has loomed large over the field of memoir this year. You’ve probably heard of Cheryl Strayed’s wonderful book about her amazing journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. I reposted a wonderful review of the book by Strayed’s mentor Paulette Bates Alden here. Now I have another wild book to recommend. Here’s my…