I remember clearly what I did on Easter 2020: I went biking alone. No church, no family dinner, no socializing. Of course, that's how the season was for most everyone. Stay home and slow the spread. I was fortunate to keep my job, but everything else pretty much halted. For good or for ill, that was spring 2020. So while I have been seriously neglecting Penny Letters in the last few months, it's because of happier days! I took a Saturday job answering phones at a mulch business, church … [Read more...] about A Brighter Springtime
Why I’m Not Really a Dog Person (Maybe)
On my way home from work today, I decided to stop by one of the local megachurches and use their walking trail. The church is surrounded by wide fields, and I spent a good portion of my walk being entertained by an unfortunate couple chasing their large dog though one of the bare fields, still damp from yesterday's rain. I watched the chase until I got to the part of the trail where I would have had to crane my neck too much to continue watching the dog get the best of two humans. That would … [Read more...] about Why I’m Not Really a Dog Person (Maybe)
How I’ve Kept From Being Bored This Winter!
For this blog post I'm writing about several of the activities I've been doing over the past month or two, and just for fun, I'll rate them for you! Cleaning Out My Bookcase Right around New Year's Day, I spent a happy afternoon completely cleaning off my two bookcases and sorting them by genre. I came across books that I haven't read yet but really want to, so it was kind like getting free books! Winter activity rating: A+. Bagel-Making In late January, I got together with a … [Read more...] about How I’ve Kept From Being Bored This Winter!
Things I’ve Learned Along the Way
My birthday is this week, and I'm turning thirty-four. Even if birthdays aren't as thrilling as they once were, I thought I'd make a list of things I've gained along the way. No one remains forever young, and even if we don't like everything we see in the mirror and realize that some of our dreams might not come true, we should rejoice in the blessings we gain as we get older. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes (about another Susan) is from the book The Last Battle: “I wish she would grow … [Read more...] about Things I’ve Learned Along the Way
How to Pack a School Lunch Like It’s 1962
In this post, I'm going to show you an example of what my parents would eat for a school lunch in the early 1960s. They attended rural public schools and all the students brought their own lunches. Baloney Sandwich Mom's school lunches nearly always had a sweet baloney sandwich, with buttered white bread. If lettuce was in season, they would add lettuce. (Since I'm writing this post in January, no lettuce.) "Everyone we knew thought brown bread was terrible." (By the time my siblings and … [Read more...] about How to Pack a School Lunch Like It’s 1962