By Lou Allie Heath Why Mama chose Thursday, though Grandma on a nearby farm always washed on Mondays, I could never understand. I thought the weather should be the main consideration but not my mom or grandma. Rain or shine, the wash must go on. They might have to wait a day or more before
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By Kerry McCray Counselor Susan Reid has this advice for parents of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: No surprise parties. The reason? In war zones, roadside bombs go off with no warning. Bullets fly. People scatter. An unexpected roomful of friends and family, however beloved, could startle someone who has come to see surprises
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By Clare Hicks During my first winter in Twain Harte a wise neighbor told me, “When you hear a big storm is coming, get all
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A Calaveras County resident recalls the 1930s “fruit tramp” days, moving into and through California following the harvest, in this excerpt from her autobiography.
Writer Darlene Hutchins is the granddaughter of the late Wilma and Mirl Andersen. For more, read Managing Life’s Losses. By Darlene Hutchins Reading sympathy cards sent after my grandmother’s death, I was not surprised how many people loved her. She made everyone she met feel special. My grandma was the youngest girl in a
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VIDEO: Scroll to page bottom to hear Mr. Kennedy describe liberation of Gunskirchen Lager concentration camp. Also, read a camp survivor’s 1947 letter detailing Nazi atrocities. By James Kennedy As told to Celeste and Bill Boyd Like those of most World War II veterans, my experiences in the service changed me forever. I
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By Clare Hicks Think about a time when you helped prepare a special meal for loved ones. You may have scoured cookbooks looking for the
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By Peter Carrillo A good night’s sleep is harder to come by as you grow older. Although you used to be able to sleep for
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When FAN learned that Alan O’Neill was planning to retire, we asked him to keep a diary of his thoughts on one of life’s biggest transitions.
My wartime story began in Berkeley, California in 1942, where I was living with my mother and two siblings. Both of my parents were born in Norway. They met while on board a ship coming to the United States. My father died of pneumonia when I was 6 years old, leaving my mother to support us. She was not confident in her ability to speak English, although she spoke quite well. She worked in a school cafeteria, which was right around the corner from our home. This was during the Depression, and times were hard. She would bring home leftover food from the school, seems it was always baked custard. To this day I have not acquired a taste for it.
