by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 16, 2018 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, Family, Nature, Travel
Day Two Rawlinna I awaken at 6:00 am to pink, orange, and red light filtering through the curtains into my cabin. A magnificent sunrise is developing across an unending landscape. Sleepily pulling on a sweatshirt over my pj’s I make my way down the corridor to...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 7, 2018 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting, Travel
Day One Leaving the Station We left Perth at 7:30 a.m. I sat in my cabin, as requested by our Hospitality Attendant, who had greeted us at the door and led us to our cabins. Examining the various brochures and other reading material that had been provided, I...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 3, 2018 | Aging, Cooking and Eating, Family, Travel, Writing
Flying to Australia Most people I’ve spoken to about flying to Australia say something like “OMG it must be a 20 hour flight! How did you stand it?” Or even more specifically “No way could I sit on an airplane for all those hours. I’d...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Apr 14, 2017 | Cooking and Eating, Family
Easter Brunch for a Crowd Our family is growing, and this year our gathering will be the largest ever. My plan is to lay out crackers and cheese and a fruit plate for people to nibble as they arrive from the freeway, and start baking the main dish when we head out to...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Apr 5, 2017 | Child development, Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting
Planning an Egg Hunt for Littles In the Christian tradition, Easter is the symbol of renewal. I embrace Easter traditions as a way to help me emerge from the lethargy of winter. Four years ago I created a space for tiny flowers and fairies in my back garden, and...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Dec 28, 2016 | Aging, Christmas in Yorkshire, Cooking and Eating, England, Family, Grandparenting
Our Tree is Down I’m quietly celebrating the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Because I will soon be driving south, I have already taken down my decorations, and today I will put them in boxes and back in the garage until next year. I love this...