Each year, late autumn begins dropping hints as to what lies ahead. Day by day the cooling temperatures remind us of the coming of winter. Another Midwest winter with all of its snow and cold, its slippery, icy roads, and its cancelled activities and appointments. Winter, with its huge (this year exceptionally huge) home-heating fuel bills. Such weather is really nothing new. … [Read more...]
Memories Of A One-Room School
"Memory of a One-Room School" was written by Emil Schmit in 1994 and was featured in the University of Wisconsin Extension's Yarns of Yesteryear Contest. With schools reopening across the country for this school year, we thought this post would fit right in. The door was open and I cautiously looked in - a small 6 year-old farm boy taking his first look at a schoolroom. … [Read more...]
Grandpa’s Advice
By Emil Schmit One of my Christmas presents one year was a book that describes how to write one’s personal history – his or her memoirs -- a “legacy” for family members and friends. Grandson Zak said, “Grandpa, you tell some great stories about the past. You’ve got to get all those great old tales down on paper, so they aren’t lost.” Recently, he asked me how much … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday Dad!
Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time. ~Jean Paul Richter By Pam My Dad turns 89 today. Those 89 years have been productive, caring, loving and wonderful years for both my Dad and our family. I reflect back and think of what a wonderful life our family has had because of my Dad and Mom. In June of 2011, I wrote a post about how much my Dad meant to our … [Read more...]
The Retiree
Sooner or later, retirement age catches up with us. Retirement has a multitude of good points and blessings. And, for some, it brings along a whole flock of new problems and situations that were not anticipated. As we work and slave through our working years, some people only rarely think of retirement. They know they may stop working and relax one day, but that time is … [Read more...]
Every Year Another Christmas
From past writings by Emil Schmit By Emil Schmit Every year another Christmas. And no matter how we tell the story, it always comes out about the same. I suppose that, in itself, is something to be thankful for. Year after year we have this great season to look forward to. And this great tradition to follow. For most of us, the Season To Be Jolly seems to add an extra … [Read more...]
Plow Boy Smoke
By Emil Schmit Advancing years can produce unexpected problems. Without warning, our powers of memory can suddenly weaken. Occasionally we will see faces we should be able to recognize … but can’t. And we see people we know well, but can’t remember their names. And, now and then, an old memory will return. Something that we thought we had forgotten long ago... “Rusty” … [Read more...]
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Christmas Tree
Imperfect Women shared this last year during this time and we thought would bring this out of the attic, dust it off and share it again this year. ~ Pam By Emil Schmit At Christmastime, when I was young, we sang carols and church songs like "Silent Night," also the lively, jolly "Jingle Bells." Through the years these were joined by some good new numbers like … [Read more...]
Father’s Day – A Few Good Men
*This post was originally posted in June of 2011. Father’s Day is *June 19th and each year when I become aware that this day is approaching, I reflect and remember things about the fathers that I have had a close relationship with in my life. I have had the good fortune to love and be loved by, admire and respect a “few good men” and I am thankful for that. My father, the … [Read more...]
Fibs and Fabrications
By Emil Schmit Over the past eighty-plus years I have known quite a few people who today would probably be described as being “veracity challenged,” or “veracity impaired,” or something like that. Telling falsehoods is really nothing new. One of the more often repeated passages in the New Testament states: “And the truth was not in him.” I remember an older neighbor who … [Read more...]
