Stories from the Slow Lane
Thanks, WWII Nurse Audrey Jones
On Nov. 11, please join me in paying tribute to World War II veteran Audrey Beyer Jones of Corpus Christi, Texas. This 101-year-old native of Madison, Wisconsin, stepped on France soil as a nurse with the 12th Evacuation Hospital about eight weeks after D-Day on June...
Read Any Inspiring Stories Lately?
Cypress, Texas, reviewer K Leonard calls Stories I’ve Been Told – Volume 2 inspiring. She writes, “Masterful storyteller Elaine Thomas leaves you feeling like you have been sitting on the front porch or at the kitchen table hearing firsthand the life stories of...
Thank You, Mother Nature
Thank you, Mother Nature for making your presence known here in South Central Texas with some beautiful fall sights. We may not have breathtaking views of autumn leaves, but for those of us fortunate enough to live close to the land, fall is all around us. Welcome...
The Kruschel-Romberg Home Is Holding Its Breath
An old Victorian-style house at 259 North Main in La Grange, Texas, is holding its breath. Since it was built in 1908, two prominent families have called this impressive residence home. In decidedly different eras, the Kruschels and Rombergs have shaped the civic and...
Ballyhamage One-Room School Mischief
Charlie Brunt, who attended Ballyhamage, a one-room school south of Calgary, in the late 1930s and 1940s, didn’t mean to get into mischief. Sometimes, though, he couldn’t resist. That’s what happened the day Charlie, pictured above, observed how much the tail of the...
Ballyhamage One-Room School Memories
Over a pot of tea many years ago, Mom shared memories of Ballyhamage, the one-room school she attended from 1920 to 1925. The little white frame building had no electricity, indoor plumbing, telephone, water well or running water. Built on top of a ridge of hills with...
A Vintage Cookbook’s Untold Tales
A faded cover. A ragged spine. Well-thumbed pages. These are not flaws, but evidence of this vintage Blue Ribbon Cook Book’s untold tales. I treasure this little volume dedicated to the ‘women of Canada’ more than a century ago. The engraved image of the Blue Ribbon...
Abandoned on Alberta’s Backroads
Decades ago, I discovered some stunning abandoned sights while wandering Southern Alberta’s backroads with my 35 mm camera. These works of country art fascinated me back then and I’m still under their spell today. Elaine on Assignment When I took some of these photos,...
A Vintage Visit to the Calgary Stampede
When I was a child, the Calgary Stampede was the highlight of our summer. Attending the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth was convenient because we lived on a farm south of the city. Our family certainly knew how to get the most out of the greatly anticipated event...