Author: maryanncrum

     Something about my middle-aged body reminds me of flying. (And it’s not just the sad reality that my body is beginning to look more and more like a jumbo jet.)     Before I continue, let me establish that I’m not crazy about flying. It’s hard for me to relax when I’m unnaturally suspended in… Continue reading What Goes Up Must Come Down

    If you’ve dwelt in churchy circles long, you’ve probably heard folks talk about going into their “prayer closet” — a metaphorical phrase that refers to spending time alone with God in prayer.      But the notion of a prayer closet isn’t so metaphorical for a delightful friend of mine. A busy wife, mother, and working… Continue reading Mama’s in the Closet Again

    Teenage girls are a bit of a mystery to me, even though, once upon a time, in a land far, far away, I was one. I suppose it’s because I have lived in an estrogen-deprived household for many years now, surrounded as I am by guys. Even my dog is a male, albeit a… Continue reading Only God Can Listen To It All

“I was obviously supposed to be rich enough to pay someone else to do this.” “Before couples are allowed to get married, I really think they should take a test to make sure at least one of them enjoys yard work.” “I wonder if there’s such a thing as a ‘plant hospice’?  If so, I… Continue reading How Does Your Garden Grow?

            Every inch I have ventured into the land of high-tech electronics, I have been dragged kicking and screaming.             Many birthdays ago, I received a DVD player as a “gift” from my husband. (See the chapter in the “Guy Handbook” on “How to Give a Gift to Yourself, Cleverly Disguised as a Gift for… Continue reading Some Gifts Keep Giving

            We’re bombarded every day with reports of wars all over the world, but did you know you can have a battle of epic proportions taking place much closer to home – even within the borders of your very own skin — and not even know what’s going on?             Take my digestive system, for… Continue reading There’s a War Going On

A popular song in the early ’70s (yep, I’m old) said, “Sign, sign, everywhere a sign — blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind — Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?” I liked this song because it was a rebellious time in our nation and to a lesser extent, in my… Continue reading Signs of the Times

            Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? So stuck that when you wake up in the morning, there it is, having elbowed its way to the front of the line to greet you in your first conscious moment. So stuck that as you go about your day, there it is, banging… Continue reading “Sunrise, Sunset”

            Here’s a bit of South Carolina trivia for you to ponder while you blissfully, blessedly bask in air-conditioned comfort: One of the scientists who first successfully experimented with air-conditioning and ice-making had strong ties to our state.             Dr. John Gorrie was born in Charleston (1803), spent most of his childhood in Columbia, and… Continue reading We Don’t Always Know the Good We Do

   Even though our world seems quite inundated with misinformation and bad advice, it’s still possible to occasionally stumble upon genuine pearls of wisdom. And it seems like those pearls are often found in the most surprising and unlikely places.     While at the grocery store several months ago, a very kind, older “bagboy” was… Continue reading Today is a blessin’, so enjoy it!