Once upon a time when I was an adolescent, my mother told me that some of the other Mennonites in the area sometimes called the Church we attended the “Garbage Church” because we apparently accepted anyone. My mother thought those other Mennonites were not being very nice when they did this. She had a point. … More We’ve been called worse.
Personally, I’m more of a hat kinda gal than a bonnet one. Not that I have any problems with the Mennonite women out there who choose to wear bonnets and find them spiritually meaningful. I’m not calling for a bonnet ban. I think, you know, that women should wear whatever they want on their heads. It’s … More A Mennonite Hat Trick
This post was first published in September, 2015. It discusses a news item that’s a little less timely now, but the overall issues remain. Pour yourself a stiff drink. That’s right – start drinking now. Don’t wait this time until the end of the post. You need something to bolster your strength. A little bit … More The Priesthood of all Power Wielders
This post was first published in July 2015. But I’ve been on vacation again this year, though once again, not a proper Mennonite vacation like in the days of yore. I’m a little late with this post as I’ve been off on vacation. Yes, a vacation! Given our reputation for hard work and frugality, you … More A Proper Mennonite Vacation
One year, when I was new to The World, I returned to my shared apartment after Easter with a paska. It was much like one of the two pictured here though I hadn’t completed the decoration when my roommates arrived home and saw the proud and erect bread product sitting on our kitchen table, the … More Paska and Other Euphemisms
There comes a moment in every female Mennonite’s life when she needs to take a stand and decide what it is that she wants to wear. For some women, that decision is around cape dresses or head coverings. For me, it was about blue jeans. Well before considering membership in my local congregation, I was … More On learning how to be not-that-fashionable
This post was first published on the old site in 2015. I’ve reworked it a bit but the cocktail’s the same. I read Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness when it first came out in 2004. It made a bit of a stir in the Mennonite world at the time — that awkward mixture of pride … More A Complicated Cocktail
This post was originally posted in May, 2015 on the old site. There’s a book that I used to read to my kids that’s called the Quiltmaker’s Gift. It tells the story of a magical old woman who made beautiful quilts (all by herself) and gave them to the poor. “ ‘I give my quilts … More The Quiltmaker’s Guilt
Christmas began with singing in those days. I don’t mean Christmas Day; I mean the Christmas season. It began before the snow fell and before the decorations went up in the malls and department stores. Sometimes it even began before Halloween. It began on the day when the music teacher would take out some fresh … More A Cordial for the Choristers
An earlier version of this post was one of the first blog posts I wrote back in October 2014. I’ve edited it and focused the writing a bit but the cocktail and general gist are the same. The original is still available for your reading pleasure here. Like many non-Mennos out there, my first mixed … More The Taste of Adolescent Rebellion
