“All Aboard!” Revisited – Part Five
Believe it or not, "revisiting" our recent trip is hard work! Those who know me well know I'm always on a trek for knowledge. I want to know things, I love to research and learn (always have), and I have to piece together things until they make sense. That trek is actually what prompted my efforts to 'unpack' Grandma's journal in the first...
“All Aboard” Revisited – Part Four
Good Morning! I hope you're enjoying riding along with my husband and I as we retrace the steps of my grandma's 1913 trip out West. What an adventure for her, but an equally fascinating adventure for the two of us 111 years later. If you haven't read the first three posts, I'll insert the links below. Simply click on the link to read the post...
“All Aboard” Revisited – Part Three
Overall, our trip was uneventful, and that's a good thing. Jim and I are thankful for safe travel and no near misses in our 3,000+ mile trip. We had great traveling weather EXCEPT for a massive lightning show and brief (but powerful) downpour in SW Wyoming. Semis. Cars. Vans. SUVs. All heading somewhere on roads leading to parts unknown. Some...
“All Aboard” Revisited – Part Two
Grandma's journey took her across Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and California. Ours included all of those states but California PLUS Wyoming and Montana. Hers lasted nearly a year. Ours, only two and a half weeks. Hers was limited to where there were railroads in the Western states. Ours was charted with Google Maps. I...
“All Aboard” Revisited – Part One
If you have been within earshot of me in the past few months, you've heard me talk about All Aboard! The Adventures of Miss Ratcliff. My most recent (7th) book was a work of the heart and a mini-memoir of my paternal grandmother. The nutshell version is this: A young, single, pioneer school teacher took a year off to travel by train from...
Living the Good and Beautiful Life
I have always appreciated a great challenge and I've succeeded at more than a few over my lifetime. Oh, but I'm not finished. There's always room for improvement. Right? The Good and Beautiful series written by James Bryan Smith provided my most recent life challenge, and he really speaks my language! His books are filled with valuable,...
Before the Red Ink Dries!
How often in our Christian walk do we praise God, serve others, and care for our families UNTIL our paths are suddenly obscured by unknown circumstances? My husband and I were on our way to Wichita last week and I was reading as he drove. Breaking the silence – my eyes still on the book in my hands – I emphatically said, “Max Lucado is...
Celebrate Your Blessings!
"Make a list of your blessings," the author suggested. "During the next week, see if you can unpack 100 things for which you're thankful." Challenge accepted! I can do that, I thought. God has blessed me big time. So, I grabbed a notebook to start my list. #1 Family (kids & grands & more) #2 Friends #3 Jim (he's not really 3rd...just...
Welcome, I’m Elaine. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, a choreographer of words, a challenger of the status quo, an admirer of all things colorful, and a lover of life who finds great comfort and joy in knowing I’m completely adequate to do whatever it is God calls me to do!
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