“When A Photo Outlives The Memory, Write The Story…Give It A Voice – Again”. – Nancy Cullen Making wonderful stories, twenty or so members of my mother’s extended family gathered for Thanksgiving this past year. Although we kept in touch remotely, due to the health emergency, it had been a couple of years since we […]
Can Calm And Tumultuous Define The Same Year?
“Nothing conquers the chaos around me like the calm assurance that I am at peace with God” – Ron Brackin Dear Friends and Family, It has been a couple of years since I did an annual recap. I almost skipped this year, giving into the lurking sense of uncertainty, but then I began to recount […]
I Just Want To Write! Some Observations and Rants From A Determined Creative
Write what should not be forgotten. – Isabel Allende As a determined creative, this BLOG began with a simple premise: to capture story in four themes that have occurred over the 65 plus years of my life: Family, Foundations, Flight, and Faith, and share them on this platform. Giving Lost Stories A Voice…is my tagline. […]
How Diving Into The Histories Of Ancestral Geography Expands Understanding
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. ” – Marcus Garvey Diving into the histories of the families which converged into one and eventually made their home at Maison Steinbüchel, is an ongoing endeavor. We do so, to better understand the Kansas Historic Landmark […]
The Real Story Of Our Stunning “Tiffany” Window – A Sparkling Jewel
“Color is to the eye what music is to the ear.: – Louis Comfort Tiffany At the first turn of the curved front staircase in our home is a stunning Tiffany style mosaic stained glass window. We first laid eyes on it the summer of 1987 when we traveled to Kansas on a “pre-house hunting” […]
A Mother’s Love – A God Gift
“I know that despite whatever stupid thing I do, I’d be able to go to my mom and she’d still love me. I honestly believe that” ― Nellie Christine, RIDE I was about six years of age when my family of five set out from Kansas to Seattle, Washington. The occasion was my Dad’s youngest sister’s […]
How To Cultivate Your Inner Garden
“When the Inner Garden is under cultivation and God’s Spirit is present, harvests are regular events. The fruits? Things like courage, hope, love, endurance, joy, and lots of peace.” ― Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World We all have an inner garden, the bible calls it our inner man, made up of our soul and spirit. […]
The Agony Of Bearing An Untold Story
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou The untold story: That scenario that plays over and over in our psyche, the questions it silently poses, the different resolutions we imagine. Most of the time this has a negative, scratchy emotion attached to it. This is not the untold story […]
The Most Important Reason To Keep A Journal
“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.” Carolyn V. Hamil There are many awesome personal reasons to keep a journal. Lists of why and “how to” are abundant and for these reasons I have developed the habit of daily journaling. However, there is a rather hidden reason to […]