Author: maryanncrum

     If you think an old dog can’t learn new tricks—ooops, please excuse me for a moment while I adjust my flea collar—you’re wrong. Doggone it if I haven’t gotten myself into yet another situation where something I want to do is forcing me to learn things I never really wanted to learn.   … Continue reading A New Trick for an Old Dog

     Just when I thought political correctness couldn’t get any more incorrect, here comes this news tidbit: officials in Australia and New Zealand have decided that shark attacks occurring along their shores can no longer be called shark attacks.     From now on, those terrifying assaults must be called “negative shark encounters” or, in… Continue reading Let’s Call It What It Is

    Just about every walk I take begins with a prayer that God will not allow any snake in the universe to cross my path or enter my field of vision. And thankfully, in all my years of country living, I’ve had only one up-close encounter with a “good snake” (an oxymoron if ever… Continue reading Just Do It Afraid

     Writing these tornado-related columns has become like eating potato chips, I’m afraid. I just can’t seem to stop. So, with apologies, here I go again …     You’ve probably heard the classic joke about why old people hesitate to buy green bananas. My personal twist on that joke isn’t about bananas, but about… Continue reading What are We Planting?

    Clear-cutting—the phrase that strikes fear in the heart of every tree-lover, like me.    We’ve been advised a few times over the years to clear-cut some of our dense woods, and I have resisted that advice. Strongly and stubbornly. It takes a long, long time for a tree to get big, so why would I… Continue reading When God Reshapes Our Landscape

    I asked my husband if he thought I could get by with writing yet another column about our recent tornado experience. He looked over at me with weary eyes and deadpanned, “Yeah, I’d say this tornado was definitely worth at least three columns.”    I agree. For the past month, our lives have mostly… Continue reading God Will Make A Way

     When I titled this column “Live and Learn” 20 years ago, I should’ve known God would take me seriously and keep the lessons coming. And boy, oh boy, He certainly has.     In the aftermath of the tornado that churned through our property on May 3, God has taken advantage of many teachable moments,… Continue reading Lessons From The Storm

    “Can we now just assume we’re both very grateful that our house is still standing and move on to the complaining portion of this program?” I asked my husband with more than a few drops of whine in my voice.    It was nighttime. I was tired. My adrenaline was depleted and suddenly my… Continue reading Life is a Mixed Bag

    Apparently, I’m a “fixer,” or so say some of the people who know me best. If you want drugs or the name of a hitman, I’m not your girl, but generally speaking, I absolutely love to play a part in finding solutions to problems, big or small, that are causing hardship, disappointment or… Continue reading Jesus is the Ultimate Fixer

        I love weird stories and heaven knows, our world is filled to overflowing with them. I was recently treated to one when some friends recounted something they witnessed in a restaurant.    My friends were seated near a table of hearty partyers and when someone in that group proposed a toast, everyone… Continue reading Let’s Live With Befuddling Joy