History isn't something I associate with going to the beach, but last month I discovered the Outer Banks are more than just sand and surf. There's a ton of interesting historical events that have happened at the Outer Banks, which are long, skinny islands along the coast of North Carolina. "Let's go to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum," suggested Melissa as we huddled over Google Maps, plotting our course several weeks before the trip. Zoomed out on my computer screen, the maritime and … [Read more...] about Sandy Shores: History at the OBX
All the Tea in Charleston
Did you know black tea and green tea comes from the same plant? And that a tea plant can produce for hundreds of years? Last week, my friend Melissa and I took a road trip to the Carolinas, and one of our favorite stops was the Charleston Tea Garden. Located near the coast, where the weather is wet and muggy, the Charleston Tea Garden is the only large-scale tea growing operation in America. Ever since I lived in Ireland, I've had a fondness for tea, especially black tea. So learning … [Read more...] about All the Tea in Charleston
An Unwelcome Guest
Keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes is their job. Mom and Dad are on the board at Martindale Mennonite Fellowship Center, which is a venue used for church services, hymnsings, meetings, funerals, and of course, weddings. Last Saturday morning, like most Saturdays, there was a wedding at the center. There's always a board member present to take care of the air conditioning and the sound system, etc. It was my parents' turn to be there, and in the late morning, Dad was … [Read more...] about An Unwelcome Guest
To Catch a Tabby Cat
A furry orange kitten glares at me from the corner of the live animal trap. He's clearly a toughie, with a lean body and a red scratch next to his eye, probably a scar from fighting one of the other cats that roam our neighborhood. I'm careful to keep my fingers away from him. I call my sister immediately. "Are you at home? Because I have a kitten for Patrick!" My sister Joanne and her husband Lamar and their seven children live some twenty miles north, on a small hobby farm in Berks … [Read more...] about To Catch a Tabby Cat
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
"What a week!" The week that spanned the end of July and beginning of August is a week I won't soon forget. It was a week that included blood, sweat, and tears. Blood On Thursday I went to donate blood at a local fire company. Blood banks are hurting for donors since COVID started. Naturally, donating blood doesn't seem like a desirable thing to do during a pandemic, but sick people still need blood, COVID or no COVID. I hadn't donated blood in years since my iron count is often too … [Read more...] about Blood, Sweat, and Tears