“My schooling not only failed to teach me what it professed to be teaching, but prevented me from being educated to an extent which infuriates me when I think of all I might have learned at home by myself.” George Bernard Shaw “My grandmother wanted me to have an education, so she kept me out … Continue reading Schooling versus learning
childhood
Childhood fears
There were two terrifying things that I had to pass each morning on my half mile walk to school. The first was the steam locomotive sitting on the Y, the second was the wolf dog. Everything moved by train: coal to fill the coal loading dock for locomotives; coal for the bins beside each grain … Continue reading Childhood fears
Bunny blues
It was time to go back to school after the Easter vacation. I had put away my parka and winter boots. There wasn't but a tiny bit of green here and there, but the snow was gone, the road was dry. I crossed the highway and David came bouncing with excitement from the narrow pathway … Continue reading Bunny blues
Chapter 6 – Learning about church
School was a half mile walk across the edge of town. We were 25 to 30 in two grades in each classroom, about the same number as for eight grades in the Bishopric school. I settled in, got to know my classmates and continued to get good marks without much effort. The big change in … Continue reading Chapter 6 – Learning about church
A rock of refuge
In 1951 the doctor told Dad he had an ulcer and needed to eat a very bland diet and find a less stressful lifestyle. Thus it happened that in October of that year we loaded all our possessions and left the land of hills and sloughs for a new home in a land of ravines … Continue reading A rock of refuge
Chapter 1 – Why couldn’t I be the healthy one?
My cousin Dennis has often been a friend in time of need, knowing just when to show up. He came over the morning after my father’s funeral and we sat around a table with my mother, reliving bygone days with the help of her old photographs. There were photos of my father breaking land, of … Continue reading Chapter 1 – Why couldn’t I be the healthy one?
Cat or dog: which is smarter?
I will confess my prejudice right off the bat – I think cats are smarter. I have met some well-trained dogs that gave every evidence of having a keen intelligence. Most dogs, though, if left to themselves, don't seem to have a lot of smarts. They chase cars, defecate on the lawn and have really … Continue reading Cat or dog: which is smarter?
A refuge from the storm
Abner slipped out of his bedroom and into the spare bedroom. Even there the angry voice of Papa Zedner disturbed his attempts to read. Abner knew that his father wasn’t angry with him, but he knew from experience it was best to avoid giving opportunity for it to be directed at him. Papa Zedner’s anger … Continue reading A refuge from the storm
Precious memories
My mother died seven years ago today, December 31, 2006 at 9:00 p.m. If she had lived another 18 days, she would have been 99. Not that I would have wished another 18 days for her just so she could reach that landmark. She began to show signs of dementia in her early nineties and … Continue reading Precious memories
Flatlander Faith 