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Gimmie Shelter
I never thought that a piece devoted to “the warmth, comfort, and the joy found during winter’s coldest moments” would involve the bus services of my hometown, but this is where I found such peace of mind and all the combined elements above during what was surely the coldest and darkest time I had on a return trip home.
By Kendall Defoe about a year ago in Families
Whispers of Winter
The wind howled through the barren branches, weaving a solitary tune that echoed against the evening’s stillness. In stark contrast stood the Thompson home, a beacon of light shimmering defiantly in the dark. Inside, laughter flowed like a warm current, intertwining with the rich aromas spilling from the kitchen.
By GoldenSpeechabout a year ago in Families
The Flashlight
Growing up in the mountains with no plumbing, and just a wood burning stove to keep our home warm during winter was a difficult way to grow up. At 13, I had to climb into a 5000 gallon tank, halfway full of frozen water with an ice pick because my little sisters were too young, and my father was too large to fit. Breaking off chunks to heat on the fireplace for a warm bath water that couldn't even really be considered an actual bath. It was a bucket filled about ¾ full that we would use a plastic gas station cup with to pour over our heads to wash. Growing up in those conditions taught me to work hard though, I had an older step brother who wasn't around much. So that left the work to survive through the winter up to me and my dad. We'd wake up early in the morning to go hunting for meat. And our summer was spent chopping wood for the fireplace. We also spent many days picking the pine nuts from the ground when they started to fall from the tree’s (which I absolutely HATED... The sap was the worst to get off your clothes and your hair).
By Tressa Roseabout a year ago in Families
Scandinavian Christmas
I have only recently discovered the first Swedish immigrant of our family. He and his Danish wife, Anne Marie, and their six children came to America in 1904. Lars was a butter maker. He worked to make butter in a small town in Minnesota.
By Shirley Belkabout a year ago in Families
The Elves and The Shoemaker by The Brothers Grimm
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut out the shoes which he wished to begin to make the next morning, and as he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly in his bed, commended himself to God, and fell asleep. In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so neatly made that there was not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece. Soon after, a buyer came in, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more for them than was customary, and, with the money, the shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out at night, and next morning was about to set to work with fresh courage; but he had no need to do so, for, when he got up, they were already made, and buyers also were not wanting, who gave him money enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes. The following morning, too, he found the four pairs made; and so it went on constantly, what he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning, so that he soon had his honest independence again, and at last became a wealthy man. Now it befell that one evening not long before Christmas, when the man had been cutting out, he said to his wife, before going to bed, "What think you if we were to stay up to-night to see who it is that lends us this helping hand?" The woman liked the idea, and lighted a candle, and then they hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind some clothes which were hanging up there, and watched. When it was midnight, two pretty little naked men came, sat down by the shoemaker's table, took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch, and sew, and hammer so skilfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker could not turn away his eyes for astonishment. They did not stop until all was done, and stood finished on the table, and they ran quickly away.
By Samuel Rizksabout a year ago in Families
A BEAUTIFUL AND MORAL STORY ABOUT LOVE AND LOYALTY AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF GREED AND DECEIT .
A poor man was married to a beautiful woman, and they were very happy together, never quarreling. The husband loved his wife deeply, and she loved him just as much. However, their happiness was threatened by a rich and handsome neighbor who, upon seeing the woman, fell in love with her and decided he wanted to marry her. Every day, while the husband was away working in the fields, the rich man would visit the woman and tell her that her clothes were old and that if her husband truly loved her, he would buy her beautiful new clothes. He would encourage her to divorce her husband and marry him, promising her lavish clothes and luxury.
By Samuel Rizksabout a year ago in Families
Paws & Claws - Unforgettable Experience
Today was just not my day. Straight back from campus, my brother and I were roped in as emergency catsitters - not because we are good or anything, but because there was no other option. With a quick change and lunch, we got to our duty on time - punctuality at its greatest.
By Staringaleabout a year ago in Families
Difference Between Ethics vs Morals
For a person like me obsessed with philosophical ideas, I have always wondered about the difference between ethics and morals. In this first ever simple text, I will focus on elucidating the basic dissimilarities between these two similar but different notions. Being ethical and moral are the facts, which are mostly the reasons people acquire a different opinion basing on personal moral precepts.
By SocioSphere (PressCS)about a year ago in Families
The Mysterious Gate . Top Story - December 2024.
Rain tapped rhythmically on the window while Rubina was lying in the lap of her granny. It was about night but Rubina couldn't sleep like her granny. They both were dancing with their pupils while staring into each drop of the rain as it dripped down the shade of the fragile wood.
By Maryam Batoolabout a year ago in Families
Rediscovering Home: Lan's Journey to Restore Her Childhood House
Lan’s return to her childhood home after many years abroad is filled with emotions and challenges, as she confronts the remnants of a house long abandoned and forgotten. Having left her home years ago in search of a better life abroad due to her family’s difficult circumstances, Lan never imagined that the once vibrant place where she was born and raised would deteriorate so much in her absence. Her departure was driven by necessity, and as she left, so did her parents, leaving the house vacant. The years passed, and with them, the inevitable wear and tear that comes with neglect. The house, once a symbol of family warmth and comfort, had become a shadow of its former self. The structure had suffered from the elements, with many parts of the house collapsing. Nature had taken over, creeping into every corner. The lush and dense vegetation that surrounded the house only added to its eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The scene was enough to make anyone feel uneasy, as it seemed as if time had not been kind to the home that once held so many memories.
By AcirWrites_🖋about a year ago in Families
The Peacemaker's Chair
The air crackled with tension in the Mitchell family living room. Thanksgiving dinner, an annual gathering that promised delicious food and forced civility, had turned into a verbal battleground. The dining table stood abandoned, a half-eaten turkey at its center, flanked by cold mashed potatoes and gravy. What had begun as a minor disagreement about whether cranberry sauce should be served whole or jellied had escalated into a full-blown clash, with grudges long buried rising to the surface.
By Ashley D. Gilyardabout a year ago in Families
