“Where Everyone is your Uncle or Aunt” I grew up in a rural community where it seemed every adult was my uncle or aunt. I knew they couldn’t all be kin, although they seemed to be.  They’re two of the sweetest words in the English language: Uncle. Aunt.  In Dry Creek, these terms of respect were given to our …

A Patteran for others to follow. I’ve always been fascinated with Gypsies. There are so many stories, tales, and legends about these traveling people. My favorite story is about patterans. Gypsies (known as the Roma in Europe) had a unique method of communicating with fellow travelers. At a crossroads, Gypsies would build a small pattern of twigs, leaves, or grass. …