My Portfolio

My mother was the source of a few sayings that have survived her.  One she used grated on my nerves each time I heard it.  It had to do with my doing "chores" around the house.  I honestly wasn't burdened with very many but once in a while when I was...

  On the road… again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Forger and Grave Robber   He never thought of himself as evil, crooked or even shady, but the Footloose Forester definitely does have a few skeletons in his closet. The thought of his forgeries...

This is a story my dad particularly requested several months ago. My 5-year-old son came home after church one Sunday with a picture he had drawn in Sunday School. It showed a large circle divided in two sections. On the left, Ryan explained, he had drawn stick figures representing Grandma (Diane...

The Presbytery of Tampa Bay (our regional organization) has long recognized the need for a Presbyterian Church in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Beginning in November 2000, a small group of Presbyterians in the local area agreed to assist the presbytery in the preliminary work of a new church development: assessing...

  On the road… again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Zebra Amber   Many times we all take things for granted.  Being comfortable with one’s personal ignorance is a way to cope, so although we strive to know what is going on, or knowing...

A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity Have you ever experienced one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities? I did in July, 2008 on a business trip to Bali, when the opportunity was suddenly presented and I impulsively moved forward to grasp it with both hands. A friend and I flew...

Margaret talks about her favourite room in her home in Lincoln when she was growing up just before WWII. Here is a picture of the house today....  

Bill Corey talks about his favourite childhood room.

Bill Corey talks about growing up in Tarlee, South Australia in the 1920's.

When it comes to famous family sayings there is one that really stands out when I was a kid. With 7 boys and 3 girls Dad has his hands full whenever he dared to take us anywhere outside the home. The 3 older boys, Jimmy, myself and Johnny, were old enough...

I have heard so many talks and presentations that include something like this: "When I was a kid, my parents used to always tell me, 'Remember who you are and what you stand for.'" Then they proceed to explain they didn't know what that meant until years later. I had the...

My second cousin Ada Fralin was a remarkable woman for her time.  As a nine-year-old she lost her mom to cancer.  Being the only girl in the family with two brothers and a dad committed to farming, she assumed the tasks of an adult at a very young age.  She became...

      "Listen to my mom. She's talking to herself again." "Oh, Booger Snots!" "See?" Chuckle, chuckle. "I told you!" Their friends laugh out loud. "Why does she do that? What does 'Bumber Shoots' mean?" "I don't know. But she says a lot of things I don't understand." I have...

  Writing about our mother would require a full book, but over the past several months since her passing I have discovered even more to appreciate about the way she lived her life. I have finally set to the task of going through her things to decide what to keep. In...

The best gift ever is when your children give you a big hug! This is what I love about Mother's Day. I love my family and hope they never break this wonderful tradition. Thank you, love Mama

On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Re-Learning Geography Learning the names of state capitals was a fundamental part of geography classes, and in grammar school, Geography was his favorite subject.  Although some people believe that knowledge is power; others discount the importance...

  My Memories of Grandma Lucy by Karen Blackham Mack Lucy Draper Blackham Born March 27, 1889 - Died 26 February 1974 (almost 85)   It’s funny the memories that you have, but I remember this incident like it happened yesterday .  My earliest memory of Grandma Lucy was when I...

Yesterday morning a group of seniors made their various ways to the Campbelltown Library at Newton, heading for the Local History Room, where the history of this area of metropolitan Adelaide nestles into the foothills of the Mt Lofty Ranges. Two trained volunteers greeted each member of the group at the...

 It cut her head wide open and she went screaming to her house. When I saw all that blood, I ran into my house to hide

Describe some character, physical or cultural traits that have been passed down to you by your ancestors. Let's just start with the fact that I'm adopted so there aren't any physical traits I share with other family members. My direct family is quite the "potpourri"... My adopted sister Sheri is Norwegian...