Tag Archives: family

RIP, Old Christmas Tree

Posted on January 16, 2021 by mitchteemley

Our old Christmas tree came in a box. It was made in China from plastic and steel by people who may or may not have known what Christmas was. It was shiny and new–with 600 pre-lit lights! But it wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes, For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Taking the Bait

Posted on December 30, 2020 by mitchteemley

Like most of you, I am often besieged while browsing the web by those click-bait article titles that I know are misleading, yet I can’t help clicking. You know, you’re minding your own business, trying to figure out exactly what…

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A Tribute to My Father

Posted on December 12, 2020 by mitchteemley

Photo: Train from Sarajevo to Mostar (prg2sg.wordpress.com) It’s hard for me to believe he was born nearly 100 years ago this month. But it’s even harder for me to believe that I’ve outlived my father by 25 years; I could … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 43 Comments

A Christmas Story Remix

Posted on December 10, 2020 by mitchteemley

Guest Blog by Tracy K. Ard Don’t be fooled by the adorable faces of Tracy’s three children (below). Life with them, according to Dad, is a mixture of A Christmas Story and Dave Barry’s worst (or best) nightmare. If you’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

How to Host a (Virtual) Watch-and-Laugh Halloween Party

Posted on October 27, 2020 by mitchteemley

It’s a pandemic Halloween. Probably not the best year for a live Halloween party. And trick-or-treating is pretty iffy, too. So what to do? Amazon to the rescue! They’ve put together everything you need for a Virtual Watch-and-Laugh Halloween Party … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Movies, Popular Culture & Entertainment, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Posted on May 5, 2020 by mitchteemley

Honestly? I’m a gringo. But I grew up near enough to take daytrips into México. And I always had enough friends with big Mexican families to get a taste of—and for—south-of-the-border culture. Which, to me, meant The Two Fs: Family … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Mental Health: Acceptance (Part I)

Posted on January 15, 2020 by mitchteemley

Originally posted on K E Garland:
Around 2005, I found my biological mother’s side of the family, and with that came a narrative about my family’s mental health. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services sent me a thick…

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Televolution: 30 Years of D’oh!

Posted on December 19, 2019 by mitchteemley

How television has evolved! This very week in 1989, civilization took a giant slouch forward with the arrival of the most wonderfully dysfunctional family ever. 30 years later The Simpsons is the longest running scripted primetime television series–and one of the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Popular Culture & Entertainment, Videos | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Loving the Wartzenalls

Posted on July 29, 2019 by mitchteemley

Family. A mixture of people we get and don’t get. People we like, and people we would never have chosen to be with if we had a choice. But we don’t. Because they’re family. Right? I haven’t seen my cousin … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , | 35 Comments

Real Diversity!

Posted on June 13, 2019 by mitchteemley

Originally posted on Mitch Teemley:
Somewhere in the lush undergrowth of G.K. Chesterton’s essays is a delightful little piece about tolerance. In this essay, Chesterton avers that, because we crave diversity (the ultimate human adventure) some of us move away…

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments