I guess that this year, most of us will miss the old, time-honored Easter celebrations that we associate with our pasts, but today, I am remembering the Easters from my childhood, and I am pledging that from now on, we must not miss another Easter celebration — TOGETHER. I was born in 1950 and although…
Author: jackikellum
Give Me That Old-Time Religion. It’s Good Enough for Me!
Several months ago, I began preparing to move into a very old house, and although there are formal features about my place, it is just an old farmhouse. Long before the coronavirus had begun threatening Americans and had begun imposing a slow-down of life upon us, I had begun making plans to move into a…
Memories of Guatemala at Easter Time – Understanding the Parable of the Widow’s Mite
Over 50 years ago, I celebrated Easter in Guatemala, and I had the honor of visiting the village of Antigua at the time that the indigenous people came to the city to offer tribute to the resurrection of Jesus. That experience touched me forever, as I saw how the native people of Guatemala, who are…
My New Old House Has the Spirit of Andrew Wyeth’s Paintings and It Also Feels Like My Grandma’s House
Before I left the East, I saw a wonderful Wyeth exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. That experience is imprinted on my mind. No doubt, that is one of the reasons that I chose my new, old house. It feels to me like Andrew Wyeth. It especially feels like his paintings…
Home Is Where the Art Is – Jacki Kellum Home and Studios in the Ozark Mountains
On April 1, 2020, I officially began moving to a 125-year-old Arts and Crafts house in the Ozark Mountains. My house is far from luxurious. In fact, I believe that my house was originally an old farmhouse. But the bones of my dwelling have survived the comings and goings for the past century and a…
Take A Peak Into Edwardian Lady Edith Holden’s Journal Entries about April
Before April moves too far toward May, I want to share a few pages from illustrated journals that were created by Edith Holden, who wrote both The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady and The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. I have had both of these books in my library for years. I especially…
I Wonder the Weed – Who Decides What Is A Weed and What Is A Flower?
Dandelions A Weed Is but an Unloved Flower – Ella Wheeler Wilcox When appraising nature, I am perplexed by the question, “Who decided that some plants were weeds that looked like flowers and who decided which were flowers?” Take for instance the common sweet violet that weaves a purple and green carpet across my lawn…
My New, Old House Has A Cupboard Under the Stairs – Reminds Me of Harry Potter
The count-down is almost over. Tomorrow, I am moving into my new old house, which is a classic example of houses from the Arts & Crafts Movement or the Craftsman Era. The house has several built-in pieces that are indicative of the Arts and Crafts movement, but today, I want to tell you about my…
Miss Maple’s Seeds Are Being Born in My New Front Front Yard
Tomorrow, I’ll begin moving to my new, 125-year-old house in the Ozark Mountains. Yesterday, I was wandering around in my new front yard, and I paused for a moment beside the huge, old tree, where the daffodils are blooming, I knelt low, and I couldn’t help but notice that my big, old tree has a…
Write First – Edit Later – Editing While Writing Causes Writer’s Block
I have talked to a number of people about what they are calling Writer’s Block, but I believe that they are confusing writing with editing. I believe that what many people call writer’s block is actually editor’s block. One of my best pieces of advice for writing is to remember this: There is a Time to…