Category: Creation
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Best of: Big Bend Revisited
In my first post of 2020, I mentioned that I have been writing in this space for almost ten years. I first called the blog AlwaysOrange, but in recent years changed the name to aliciabrummeler.com. While I don’t have plans to stop blogging, I thought it would be memorable throughout 2020 to mark this milestone…
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Spring Shorts
It’s April! Tulips bloom; birds sing; trees bud. It also means it’s time to dig out the spring and summer clothes. The other day I pulled out my short-sleeved shirts from storage and replaced the bin with my winter sweaters. Pushing my winter pieces to the back of the closet and moving the spring pieces…
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Forcing Forsythia
Signs of spring are evident in my yard. The outside temperatures may not be cooperating, but the daffodils grow taller each day. Soon their yellow cups will bloom. Snowdrops and crocuses display colors of white, yellow, and purple. The tulips push through the soil too. Early in my days as a gardener I learned how…
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Spiders!
This is the first time I have ever written about spiders. Perhaps I am feeling a little Annie Dillardish that l am inclined to write about eight-legged arachnids. However, in one week’s time, I have had several “spider” encounters that make me feel like this should be my next post. The first encounter, and probably…
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Goodbye to my Patron Saint of Hospitality
Two weeks ago I learned of the death of Edith Schaeffer. I don’t know how I missed this information, but at the age of 98, Edith died on March 30. My life has been directly influenced by the writings of Edith and this post honors this remarkable woman. (In case you don’t know, Edith is…
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Pushing Up, Part 2
Back on February 1 I posted about the emerging daffodils under the Weeping Cherry tree. At the time, they were tiny little shoots barely poking through the soil. I wondered in my post what storms loomed on the horizon, knowing winter’s clock still ticked loudly. I don’t consider myself prophetic by any means, but only…
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Pushing Up
It’s been pretty cold the last two weeks in New York—highs in the 20s most days. Cold enough that I found myself wondering what the temperatures were like in Texas. I remember days in January and February where the temps could reach 80 degrees. Sounds lovely right now! Even though the ground and trees reflect…
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January Sunrise
The sunrises of the past week have been pretty spectacular. Colors of pink, yellow, and orange wash the sky with their beauty. This morning I was up early and watched the progression of the sunrise (my photo doesn’t do it justice). At first, the sky was pink. After a while, yellow and orange appeared and…
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Guidelines for a Successful (and Delightful) Camping Experience
Last weekend our family traveled to upstate New York to camp in the Adirondacks. We enjoyed beautiful weather (besides an early morning thunderstorm that passed through Friday morning), several campfires, canoeing, swimming, and a hike up Snowy Mountain. It would be going too far for me to say that I love camping, but I can honestly…
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Another Giveaway Opportunity
A friend and mentor from my Chicago days, who speaks and writes, produced a DVD called Toddler Farm Singalong. The DVD is shot at Cosley Animal Farm (Wheaton, IL), with lots of kids and lots of animals. When Jacob was little, I would take him to this farm to pick pumpkins and pet animals. Ellen sent me…
Alicia Brummeler 