Our star boarder

Sweet Home in the Philippines – Well, its summer here and Junior is on his summer school vacation. Now if his Mom and I could get him to do some work around our house. At times he acts as if he is the “star boarder” in a boarding house. Lately whenever his Mom and I ask him to help his stock answer is, “Ah man!” Sometimes I remind him that one day he’ll find out the toilet paper and toothpaste won’t come with the rent. Ah yes, to be a teenager.

The perfect winter

I remember the perfect winter, with soft billowing snow and crisp cold. Always there were the delightful smells of home cooking—pies, cakes, fried chicken, roasts, homemade gravy, cookies, and fluffy rolls. The sound of laughter and the buzz of voices rolled around in my Grandma's house where we lived for a time before WW2. Where old family stories were told and re-told at the kitchen table followed by the sounds of laughter. I remember those times as it warms my heart.