Category Archives: Family

Recalling winter babies

January 28, 2021Columns, Familysusanmanzke

This 1982 column talks about three babies that were all born in winter. It recalls all the clothes and bundling involved that goes along with winter births.

It doesn’t end with those three bundles of joy. The end has an announcement.

Of course, in those days we didn’t know who would be joining our family in the summer. It wasn’t until mid-summer that news was shared. Only until after the July birth of Manzke baby #4 could we introduce Rachel Jo.

Travel advisory

January 24, 2021Columns, Family, fun, wintersusanmanzke

It was a nasty day in 1985 but I didn’t stay home. Listen and hear what took me out on slippery roads that day.

These days I don’t venture out on slippery roads. It would have to be an emergency to get me moving.

I prefer to stay home and watch winter from a distance. The most I do is walk to the mailbox and the chicken coop and even on those trips outside I walk carefully so as not to slip.

A budding artist

January 20, 2021Columns, Familysusanmanzke

I’m sure I wasn’t happy when Rachel became a wall artist. She was 18 months old at the time. In this column from 1984 I didn’t sound so upset, but I’m sure I wasn’t happy.

Listen today how I felt, or at least what I wrote that day.

Often I was frustrated at happenings in those days. It always meant more work for me, but today it’s just a great memory.

At least the kids always gave me something to write about.

The naming of Sunnybook Farm

January 19, 2021Columns, Family, Farmingsusanmanzke

There was a beginning. It was 1985 when Bob and his dad broke up their farming partnership and we created ours.

This column gives an account of how we came up with the name Sunnybook Farm.

The name seemed odd in the beginning, but after so many years, everyone (or almost everyone) got used to it. It was Bob and I after all. Sunnybook Farm was the farm. Sunny our attitude, well, mostly. Finally, the book addressed my writing. The name is all-encompassing.

I hope that clears everything up. Just remember to leave out the R. Sunnybrook will lead you in the wrong direction.

Winter fun

January 18, 2021Columns, Family, fun, wintersusanmanzke

I was in my thirties when I wrote this column about sledding with three of our children. Sledding had always been a favorite activity of mine, too bad age has put that fun on the back burner for me. Just walking out for the mail is enough of a challenge for me when things are slippery.

I believe Bob only went sledding once with us. Getting up from the ground and then walking back up the hill was too much for him and his joints. When he did join us he preferred watching the fun from the car.

Still, I yearn for a fun swoosh down a hill.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person