Memoirs & Biographies

A Mother's Day reflection of our sweet mother who is loosening the grip that tethers her as our earthly umbrella of protection. Oh, my sweet Mama, hold tight to your umbrella for a wee bit longer. But when it is time for our Mary Poppins to fly, enjoy that flight back home!

Beatrice who is three years younger is my eldest sister. In this article, I first recall my memories of Bea when we lived in the city 1947-53. I then remember Bea when we were growing up on farms 1954-66. Finally, I reflect on my relationship with Bea and her family from 1971 through the present.

Kick the Can is an outside game for children and incorporates running, hide and seek, and tag. It was a game my siblings and I played each summer as long as the weather would permit. Is it a lost game or one that children are still playing?

A story of two beings finding each other and healing together.

To understand what it felt like as the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic unfolded and what life was like during the pandemic, I am providing my own firsthand account of what the pandemic felt like to me as this rare and unsettling event enveloped the world and affected my life.

This is a brief autobiography of my childhood and how I started school

This article recalls significant birthday celebrations. Highlighted are my 46th birthday bash in Taiwan, my 50th birthday in Philadelphia, and my 66th birthday party in Thailand. My birthday celebrations with family members are also described.

Heartaches caused by losing my mom has never been easy.

My dad hated his first name. In this, I explore names and dad's solution to living with his name as well and many others.

This is a true story about finding Spanish treasure in the Bahamas.

This is part one of a true story about hunting for Spanish treasure and salvage diving in the Bahamas.

My father was a practical joker and loved to pull pranks on us and others. This is one of my favorite stories he told about a practical joke he pulled on his mother-in-law.

Denis Lennon and Mary Mullin were a young couple from Ireland. They both died when the Titanic sank in 1912. They were third class passengers and had pretended to be brother and sister, using the names Denis and Mary Lennon on their ticket.

My dad told many funny stories from his childhood and some of my favorite ones were about his problems with his brother. Here are two stories for your amusement.

I feel like this is the ending of an era as I lose yet another member of this beloved family and a sense of home. Yet, while I am sustained by our shared 40+ year history of precious memories, my heart still aches with the passing of these two matriarchs.

Here is a story about how I found treasure in the Bahamas when I lived aboard my small sailboat there.

My mother was a strict observer of the 8 or 8:30 bedtime even in the summer when the sun was still up at that time. This is a story about how dad helped up sneak a little late night TV.

Life goes on until it doesn't. When we least expect it, things change and it's never the same again. This is dedicated to my friend, Paula, the most generous person I ever knew.

A funny story my dad used to tell was about how he would pilfer a coke from the gas station as a teenager. This is how he got caught and cured of stealing.

As a child, I was fortunate enough to watch a sea turtle lay her eggs in the warm sand of a beach on the East Coast of Malaysia.

Two descendants of the noted North Carolina Gaston family were killed at the Battle of Antietam. This is the story of one of them -- Lt. Hugh Jones Gaston, CSA, 48th North Carolina Regiment.

Among the funny stories that my dad told, what how to ditch your little brother so you could have fun with your buddies. My dad was raised in rural southern Indiana.

I have one brother 13 years younger than me. When Philip was young, I never got to know him. Since 1971, however, we have started to interact as brothers. This article remembers the best times in my life with Philip.

Remembering my father, Mohsen Elattar

I attended Burlington High School in Wisconsin in the late 1950s and early 1960s. This article recalls my classes, classmates, teachers, and friends during my freshman year. I also remember being on the football team and other school activities

Do you have objects passed down to you from parents or other family? What memories do they hold? There is so much history buried in an object, so many tangible memories. These objects were my father's; for me, they evoke feelings of pride, protection and humour. I invite you to take a peek.

A son and a dad build a robot for school; hidden skills and using unusual materials help build a robot whose "eye" is a flashlight bulb, and becomes the animated mouth of a robot puppet. An excellent activity for parents wishing to teach their children about, art, science fiction and engineering.

A patchwork cushion is often created from off-cuts of all sorts of fabrics. Come with me on a historical journey as we look at such a cushion made by my mother, and the memories it recalls.

2020 was a year. Painful, full of problems we have never encountered. We also lost a great deal of famous people during the year, but who was the most influential? Who was it that did something that touched the most lives, did the most for the masses? Here are my thoughts on my choice.

An essay about my dad's growing up experiences, which gives a fascinating insight into what Midwestern rural life was like 100 years ago, as well as how life has changed over that time

God's presence in my life is everlasting. I have seen His angels and heard His voice. These are the accounts of my adventures as a believer and walker in God.

Inherited family objects can evoke memories of people, time and places. They have their own history too, often intriguing. I'd like to show you some of my inherited objects; this time, a cribbage board and unusually connected pieces.

During the 1950s and 60s, I lived on a farm in Wisconsin with four siblings. Although our family was poor in the late 50s and up until the mid-60s, we still had wonderful Christmases. In this article, my younger sister and I reminisce about Christmases in the 1960s.

This is part three of my story, Blind Faith. This portion of the story covers the span of time after my surgery.

I had problems with the names of things, the difference in voltage for electrical appliances, as well as navigating relationships. These are only a few of my mishaps living in Spain for 2 years.

Objects handed down from grandparents to parents to children often come with stories, with connections to so much history. Have a little peek at my family through some of my possessions, starting with a metronome.

These are stories that I lived during my childhood, from age 3, the furthest back I can remember. The first story is one that mt step-father told me during my childhood.

This is part two of my life's vast adventures. As if being blind wasn't hard enough, life threw me many more curve balls. It's how you respond to your curve balls that matters. I hope that you find inspiration and strength amongst these words.

Anyone who loves dogs knows that having a dog in your life guarantees you many wonderful days, and, all to soon, one very sad one.

Have you ever felt like a loner or like the world is full of people who are different from you? Well, I do. Hi, My name is Miranda. I am a blind individual who has endured great trials and encountered many challenges. This is my story. My story has challenged and grown my faith.

Turk describes her experience at the beach with her brothers, and how this simple experience changed her perspective on life and happiness.

This is the story of my last trick-or-treat and the hoodlums who ruined it for me and my siblings. The magic is gone when mean people threaten children.

This is about my experience going to a bullfight in Spain when I lived there in the 1970s. Not being a Spaniard, I was a spectator not knowing what was coming next.

After his graduation from one of the universities in Kenya, Ken was employed in a certain school found in Garissa County, Kenya. He had barely worked there for two years when he was kidnapped by the radicalized group, Al - Shabaab. He happened to narrate to me the terrible ordeal.

This is a brief memoir of childhood days in Papillion, Nebraska, where I lived for a short time as a youngster. It's a response to Billybuc's writing challenge posted back in the third week of September 2020.

I lived in Spain for two years in the 1970s and experienced many things. The travel was different than I had experienced here in the US. These are my experiences.