I’ve been reading through an interesting collection of brief anecdotes by Dorcas Smucker about her and her husband Paul’s experiences raising a family of six children, on a grass seed farm in Oregon.  She does an amazing job of creating “snapshots” of the dynamic tapestry of life.  I have found it to be a particularly interesting read, because while I have never met her or her family, I know many people who grew up in the same area as Mennonites.  Yesterday, I mentioned I was reading Ordinary Days and there were smiles, and nods of recognition while one couple mentioned “We were at Paul and Dorcas’ wedding”.  The intricacies of the family and social ties among the crowd of Mennonites from “the Valley” is quite something to observe.  During the process of introducing and welcoming some visiting “Oregonians” yesterday at church, our pastor was attempting to explain the way so-and-so was related to so-and-so, causing someone (from a non-Mennonite background) to quip, “Can I be adopted?”  ;-)

Well, getting back to the book, it’s the kind of reading that makes a great gift for the reader that has read all the usual genres and is looking for something unique, joyous, and full of the everyday happenings of life.  I encourage you to get a copy by clicking on the link below. Dorcas also has a blog and writes a column, “Letter from Harrisburg”, for the Eugene, Oregon, Register-Guard.