Snapshots 17: Our Magpie Honeymoon

I don’t remember where David and I got the idea of traveling to the Canadian Rockies for our honeymoon, but I do remember what a great decision it was. I will show photos of some of the sights we saw, though most were not taken by us. There are only a few of our photos…

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Snapshots 16: The Day I Lived a Beautiful Dream

is day I will marry my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love ~ Author Unknown~ I know exactly which day I felt most like going and shouting my joy from the mountaintop. It all happened under Mt. Mansfield in Burlington, Vermont, on May 29, 1982, when the lilacs and lilies-of-the-valley were blooming that David…

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Snapshots 15: Preparing for the Big Day

Thirty years ago, David and I were preparing for our wedding day. There was a great deal of anticipation leading up to it. I still don't know how we pulled it off — I had no help from family and the friends I had were fairly new, so I didn't want to ask too much…

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Snapshots 14: More Angels Along my Way

When my personal fable is over and has become just another animated film in heaven, Roddy will be featured there as my life's sunshine, my soul's daily sacrament, and my heart's home. ~ William Cleary     William Cleary and Roddy O'Neil Cleary on the day of their son, Tom's, wedding Several months after the…

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Interview with David Crumm

I am very honored to have been interviewed by David Crumm, from ReadtheSpirit. To see the variety of topics he covers you can click on the link. To read the interview, you can click here. I would like to thank David Crumm for understanding and conveying the nuances of my story. I am very moved…

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Humility or Gratitude?

I am taking a little break today from the Snapshots Series to share some developments. Whenever I have something positive to share, I have to struggle with the admonishments I grew up with — that one shouldn’t draw attention to oneself and that one should practice “Demut” rather than “Hochmut” (humility rather than pride). One…

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Snapshots 13: Wearing Amish — One Last Time

It seems I had a mix-up with my "Snapshots 11" post. I thought I had posted it, but it must not have gone up. If you are interested, please see the post below "Snapshots 12." I believe the last time I wore Amish was for my sister, Susan's wedding. She invited me to the wedding…

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Snapshots 12: Wearing Amish — Again

Even after I left the Amish the second time, it wasn’t that last time I would wear Amish clothing. When I went back to visit my parents, it was more comfortable for everyone if I “wore Amish,” which I did for the first several visits. In the photos below, David and I had taken two…

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Monarch Book Reviews

My friend, Lynn Kimmerle, who writes the blog, Monarch Book Reviews, has posted something very complimentary about my book and about me. She was the very first person to write a professional review of my book, which she has reposted on her blog. Lynn’s blog name and symbol are significant to me. Both Lynn and I…

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Snapshots 11: A Trip to Vermont

I just realized that I never posted this, so I am doing it now… though a little out of order.After I was back in my Amish community for more than two years, I was getting restless. I knew that I would most likely be going through life without a marriage partner, for the Amish men…

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