Tag Archives: Massachusetts

Nurture Imagination!

Posted on May 26, 2023 by maryannniemczura

Recalling my younger, formative years as a child in rural Western Massachusetts, I remember roaming the woods behind our house and searching for checkerberries or salamanders. My sisters and I spent hours outdoors playing our imaginary games such as making … Continue reading →

Posted in art of conversation, nurturing imagination, outdoors, rainy day activities | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Speaking of Libraries

Posted on January 7, 2022 by maryannniemczura

  Many moons ago my Dad drove me to college, kissed me and said he would see me again at Christmas.  We lived about two and one half hours south.  By comparison, I have heard other parents speak of bringing … Continue reading →

Posted in Norlin Library, George Norlin, University of Colorado Boulder, Who Knows Only His Own Generation Remains Always aA Child | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

How Was School Today?

Posted on September 10, 2021 by maryannniemczura

After sitting down to dinner with my parents at either head of the table, our Dad would ask this question after we finished saying Grace together before our shared meal.  Memories flooded my mind as I observed how silent our … Continue reading →

Posted in dinner table talk, education, saying Grace, school | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Memories of Penmanship

Posted on February 19, 2021 by maryannniemczura

Our first-grade teacher watched us practice cursive letters using an exceptionally long thick pencil.  We drew swirls until our small hands became accustomed to holding the pencil as we wrote hesitant letters.  Serious faces. Sit up straight.  Hold the pencil … Continue reading →

Posted in cursive writing, fountain pen, German Schools, penmanship, S. schools, US schools, wallpaper | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Oh, That Magical Player Piano!

Posted on August 7, 2020 by maryannniemczura

Our Nana had a magical player piano. She lived about two miles away in town. My sister and I set off to visit Nana. I was four and my sister was two. Precocious for my age, I confidently walked into … Continue reading →

Posted in Guardian Angels, magical music, Nana, player piano | Tagged , , , | 38 Comments

Spellbound!

Posted on November 16, 2018 by maryannniemczura

The sheer quiet beauty and peacefulness of that first snowfall blanketing the earth tugs at my heartstrings. Kids bundled up play in the cold white landscape. The kid inside me longs for those Massachusetts childhood days of sledding and building … Continue reading →

Posted in sledding, snow day - no school, white landscape | Tagged , , , , , | 40 Comments

Climb on the Buckboard!

Posted on November 9, 2018 by maryannniemczura

Joining the ranks of Wild West cowboys we only knew from books, we moved from Massachusetts to Colorado as three young sisters with a fourth on the way. We donned Cowboy boots, hats, square dance skirts, and moccasins too. We … Continue reading →

Posted in buckboard, Colorado State Fair, pioneers, Prague, roots and tree branches, Yankee | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Lost in Thought

Posted on April 27, 2018 by maryannniemczura

The park benches are angled and face one another. Dedicated to a husband and wife. His bench reads “run, run, run” and hers is “walk, walk, walk.” Frequently I pondered how they viewed life here by the lake. Perhaps he … Continue reading →

Posted in family, family love, family trees, Ireland, Poland | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Kösingen, Germany: Oscar Mayer’s Village

Posted on December 15, 2017 by maryannniemczura

During our first Fulbright year, our son’s first grade class made several class field trips  in picturesque Kösingen, Germany, home to Oscar Mayer before he came to the U.S. It was not unusual for them to walk one mile or … Continue reading →

Posted in animal tracks, Christmas, customs in Germany, home of Oscar Mayer, Koesingen, tracks in the snow | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

I Love the Four Seasons

Posted on November 10, 2017 by maryannniemczura

                            Woke up to snow and cold winds this morning. On our journey to a wedding in West Virginia. I love the four seasons in Upstate New … Continue reading →

Posted in building snowmen, four seasons, snow | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments