Pumpkin Fest at the Pony Express
October 16, 2011 in: Reflections on the River
One of the fun things about living in historic St. Joseph is that each morning on my way to work, I drive by the Pony Express Museum. As the museum prepared for its annual Pumpkin Fest, I witnessed the tents, carnival rides and pumpkin mountain going up. Pumpkin Fest, one of the museum’s main fund [...]
continue readingConference Highlights from ACFW
October 2, 2011 in: Writing
The American Christian Fiction Writers annual meeting Sept. 22-25 in St. Louis was a fabulous time. It’s so inspiring to hang out with authors, editors and agents. From beginning writers to award-winning authors, we all share a love of words and using them to spread the gospel. Here are Laura Franz, author of Courting [...]
continue readingBook Review: A Most Unsuitable Match
September 14, 2011 in: Book Reviews
Stephanie Grace Whitson is my new favorite author. Not that she is new, but I’ve just discovered her. She lives in Lincoln, Neb., and her stories ring true to the Midwest. I chose to read A Most Unsuitable Match because this historical novel is set on the Missouri River. St. Joe even got a shout [...]
continue readingSurviving a summer of storms
September 7, 2011 in: Reflections on the River
Straight up noon on Friday in an all-American town, somewhere between the end of summer and the start of school. Dad and I were eating lunch at the pizza buffet. The food was good, the conversation comfortable and we were in no hurry. In these waning days of August, moments of calm seemed like rare [...]
continue readingBook Reviews: Books With Warnings
August 29, 2011 in: Book Reviews
In the last few months, I read two books that warned I might find the contents offensive. As Christian books, the caution was probably warranted. Pagan Christianity authors Frank Viola and George Barna promised that their book would provoke me to seriously reexamine my Christianity. That seemed like a tall order for a simple book, [...]
continue readingTaking it easy this awesome August
August 14, 2011 in: Reflections on the River
August used to be my absolute most hated month of the whole year. July was all popsicles, water slides and fireworks, but the moment the calendar turned over, a sense a dread settled in my stomach. A big old circle around a certain date gave full notice that my wild and carefree days were numbered. [...]
continue readingThrough the Year in a Garden
July 25, 2011 in: Reflections on the River
January. This is the year. I’m going to eat better, exercise more and save money. The garden will help me do all three! Besides the usual, boring stuff, I’m going to try new exotic produce. And this will be the year I master the pressure canner. Next January, we’ll be feasting on zucchini corn relish, [...]
continue readingThe Air In Joplin Stings
July 10, 2011 in: Reflections on the River
The air in Joplin stings. The wind sweeps down a clear-cut channel through the middle of town. No buildings, no tree limbs and almost no grass - it’s been covered by collapsed houses – block the breeze. The wind stirs up dirt, tiny particles of insulation, debris and who knows what else and blasts them [...]
continue readingBook Reviews: Road Theme Books
June 20, 2011 in: Book Reviews
Maybe it’s a summer thing, I’ve read two books with road themes, at least in the title. Memories of Dirt Road Town was written by Stephen Bly, who passed away this summer. Develyn Worrell, a fifth grade teacher in Indiana, is ready to escape. It is the start of summer vacation and she sets out [...]
continue readingBook Review: Courting Miss Amsel
May 1, 2011 in: Book Reviews
A young teacher arrives at a one-room school house on the prairie … You know exactly how this story will go. But then it’s full of fun little twists and you enjoy every single page of it. Edythe Amsel, for one thing, isn’t the typical young little miss. She is 28 years old and is [...]
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