SimplyLife

Our dining room was full of friends a couple of months ago. We laughed, ate a lot and had a good time being together. Stories were told, there was a discussion on politics, and also  spiritual matters were discussed throughout the evening. It was a good time. That's what supper with friends is supposed to be.  Not so for Jesus as He gathered his disciples together for the meal we call "The Last Supper." The ragtag group of men were on their way to Jerusalem. The political scene was awful. Cruel Romans and corrupt priests held absolute power over the people. If you read the Gospel of John, you feel tension of the scene. It's as if Jerusalem is about to explode. Jesus knew what the next 24 hours held in store. These men who claimed to be his friends were all liars and cowards. Judas betrayed him to the priests that night. Peter who so glibly spouted  his allegiance, would in a few hours deny that he'd even known him. The rest would run to save themselves from th...

No holiday is ever complete without the appropriate candy.  Candy canes for Christmas and candy corn for Halloween--you know how it goes. Easter is no different and there is a magnificent sugary buffet to choose from. Jellybeans are iconic. Pink, red, yellow, white, green, and black. Now I've never really cared for the black ones, plus they turn your tongue black. They're the last ones in the dish at our house. I'm really not into the gourmet "beans"  and off brands are not really up to the quality either.  Just give me a bag of Brach's with the traditional flavors. Peeps have come a long way since I was a kid.  Once those little fluffy marshmallow were in basic yellow, but now they're in a rainbow of colors. You can also get them in other shapes such as rabbits. Peeps have been crafty over the years, expanding their wares to fit into other holidays as well. Ah, American ingenuity. A Peep for every holiday. Then we have the decadent Cadbury egg. Chocol...

I've been involved in planning a wedding for the last year. In just six weeks that big event is finally happening  for our daughter, Emily and her husband-to-be, Chris. Everyone knows that weddings require scads of planning - the cake, the dress, the attendants, the church, the reception, the music...you know the drill. It's a happy and wonderful event.  Families get together and no one has died. It's a celebration of a new family being formed. A man and a woman deciding to do life together--loving and supporting each other no matter what. But, no one plans an entire wedding on their own.  Many other people are involved and there is a great deal of trust placed at their door. We trust that the pastor will show up to marry them and that the cake will be ready that day. There are a couple of dozen people that we will rely on to make the day absolutely perfect.  As any planner knows, the unexpected shows up frequently at events. As the old as saying goes, "...

Do you remember catching your first fish? I do. It was a beaut. A 14 inch rainbow trout snagged out of Wiscoy Creek at Mill's Mill. I don't know who was more astonished - my father or me. Fishing is a childhood rite of passage if you live in the country.  In Western New York there are plenty of rivers, lakes, creeks and ponds to choose from. Learning to fish is an art and teaches many valuable lessons. You learn to sit still, be quiet, and wait.  All  very difficult to learn if you're a kid. But you'll willingly embrace them for the glory of reeling in a thrashing trout, bass, or bluegill. Fishing equipment is also a big draw. My Dad's tackle box was full of intriguing lures, hooks, sinkers, bobbers, and extra line.  Weird looking, brightly colored bits to put on your line might just entice the unsuspecting fish.  Before any fishing excursion, we'd wait until dark to go looking for fat night crawlers to toss in our little bait bucket. There would also be a tri...

While Cochise County may not have big city attractions to entertain, it does have quite a few little gems tucked here and there throughout its many mountain ranges.  One such treasure is the Amerind Museum located in Texas Canyon about an hour from Casa Wallace. Between 1906 and 1917, William Fulton Shirley, a native of Connecticut made several trips to Arizona and thus began a fascination for the early cultures of the Southwest. By the 1920s, he traveled east to west on a regular basis digging for ancient ruins and artifacts in the canyons and mountains. His collection of Native American finds continued to grow as did his passion for uncovering the long forgotten Indian culture.  He finally purchased property in Texas Canyon which is between Benson and Willcox in 1931.  The Amerind Foundation was formed in 1937. Shirley brought in archaeologists and other experts in the field to establish a private museum to preserve the fragile relics of the past. ...