Pencil in His Hand: A Mother's Journal of Stories, Thoughts, and Poems.

  *** A GERMAN GRANDMOTHER Frieda Brand drove carefully along the rutted farm road leading up to her parents' farm.She soaked in the view. It had been a while since she'd visited.The cherry trees were in bloom and they formed a fairy tale avenue of candyfloss.Even Willem and Karl, Frieda's little boys were quiet as they gazed out of the windows.The bowl of mountains welcomed them to the fruitful Ceres farm. "Welkom, welkom," Frieda's mother Ida greeted them from the spacious and cool veranda. She still spoke with a German accent after all these years. The little ones were out of the car in a flash. Frieda retrieved their bags and followed. The boys had disappeared already, but she knew where they'd be. Sure enough, Willem and Karl were seated at the generous kitchen table, a cookie in each hand. "So, you have come at a good time," Ida announced as she bustled around, putting the kettle on and arranging more goodies on a plate. "This time of ...

  Our Future  I shall dwell in Zion! Oh wonderful place! I shall live by God's side; see His beautiful face. I shall dwell in Zion! Where the fig will grow; sweet praises shall ring, and His ways all shall know. *** A.S.L *** Scripture reference: Psalm 69 ***

   THE SCOTTISH SEAT Beth Arbuckle put the finishing touches on an exquisitely laid table. Rain was falling again on the lush green garden of Larbert House. Beth sighed as she thought of her home in South Africa, where the sun shone freely. She'd chosen Scotland for her working holiday because of a fascination with her Scottish roots. The waitressing job at Larbert House helped fund some sightseeing and research. She walked over to the sideboard where her friend Mandy was hard at work polishing the silverware to a sharp shine. Beth picked up a soft cloth and joined in. "Don't you get tired of all the rain?" She asked, I was hoping to take a walk in Larbert Woods later."  "Well, don't let a little water stop you,"Mandy smiled."Round here we'd never go anywhere if we bothered about the rain." "You're right, Mandy. I need to toughen up a bit. I'll just take my brolly." ****** She enjoyed the solitude as she walked. Shari...

  AN INTEREST IN IRELAND (A mini sequel to "Whispers of Wales.) Here is the link to that story in case you haven't read it   Link *** James Mac Kay opened his laptop, ready to search one more time. He was sitting on the deck of his antique- cum- coffee shop prior to opening time.The waves crashed noisily beyond the railway line but James ignored them. His time was limited. Inspired by his girlfriend Ruby's success, he wanted to search the ships' lists once more. His great-grandfather, Henry Mac Kay, had been born in Belfast. He'd come over to South Africa from Ireland as a young man. James knew he had been a carpenter, just like Ruby's great-grandfather. What's more, James actually owned a book case made by his Irish ancestor. He quickly found the site he liked to use, and typed in the details. James had searched several times in the past with no results. But new records were constantly being added to the site and he hadn't checked in a while. He search...

  WHISPERS OF WALES A NOVELETTE BY ALISON LAWRENCE CHAPTER ONE Ruby merged with the traffic taking the city off ramp. It was a cloudless summer day in Cape Town; Table Mountain was devoid of its famous tablecloth. It felt good to be free on this early December day, with Mercy Me setting the tone with one of their upbeat songs. Ruby's fourth grade class had wished her a happy Christmas and she and they were on holiday until mid January. The traffic light ahead turned red and Ruby tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She thought of all the things she wanted to do in her off time; cleaning her apartment was on the list, along with shopping and going to the beach, but as far as she was concerned, she had begun with the most pressing item: paying a long -overdue visit to the city archives.                                        It took a few turns around the stately building before R...

  God's Love "Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises, for God is my Defense, my Fortress and High Tower, The God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love." Psalm 59: 17. (AMP) *** Thank You Lord for loving me. I need to stop and think of this: That You love me! Perhaps because I  am a sinner unworthy; I struggle to comprehend. Now, in Your Word from start to end, I know that it is true. *** A.S.L

  Rapture Chronicles: Mark Mark gave Christine a rushed kiss on the cheek before hurrying to the garage. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Go, go, go. Mark's feet complied. This was the soundtrack of his life; along with work, work, work, and worry, worry, worry. He jammed his phone in its holder and jabbed at it before pulling away. His work week had begun. "How's it going?" Neil's jolly face peered into Mark's office later. "Not too good, and its giving me a headache." He pointed at his computer screen. "Prices are up across all departments." Neil's expression grew sober as he stepped into the room. "It's a sign of the times. Along with everything else that's going on. Jesus' return is very soon, that's all I can say." "Could be hundreds of years away." Mark squinted at the screen as he spoke. "Rising prices, wars, and earthquakes are nothing new." Neil shook his head. "Things are getting worse. I...