Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

The turtle was huge. To the little boys that came with their mothers to help knot comforters last week, the 2-foot-long, brown reptile looked quite frightening. But being shown that it was lifeless and soft, like a teddy, they were reassured of its harmlessness, despite its big brown eyes. It wasn't until after our birthday lunch, however, that the turtle was conquered. With a piece of yarn around his neck, the little victors dragged him over to us, showing off their defeated enemy. I was so impressed.

The next day when I was watching my grandchildren, we were outside before lunch. Tyson,...