by Marie | Marie Wells Coutu
A couple of my friends enjoy mowing grass. They love being out in the sun and riding around on their tractors to keep their lawns tidy. Me? Not so much. We have nearly two acres, and the frequent rains this summer has meant the grass needs to be mowed frequently. My...
by Marie | Marie Wells Coutu
Spring has finally arrived in northwest Iowa. I know because the hummingbirds and orioles are here. (The temperature hasn’t made up its mind, however.) We have more birds this year than we have since we moved here, probably because our trees and bushes are...
by Marie | Billy Graham, Devotionals, Easter, Holidays, Marie Wells Coutu, Mended Vessels, Such a Moment
The Easter concert we attended Palm Sunday included five lit candles as symbols of Christ’s life. At key points during the program, the narrator extinguished one of the candles. When he snuffed out the last candle, it wouldn’t go out. He tried several...
by Marie | Marie Wells Coutu
A friend working on a home improvement project struggled to remove a screw on a light fixture. After twenty minutes of attempting to turn the screw, he took a break. “I know the old saying, ‘Lefty loosey, righty tighty,'” he said. “But it...
by Marie | Deafness, Devotionals, Faith, Life, Listening, Love, Marie Wells Coutu, Mended Vessels, Such a Moment, Truth, Words
Once again, the world has been shocked and saddened by a mass killing–this time in New Zealand at a mosque by a man apparently filled with hate toward immigrants. Hate toward those unlike himself. Hate of those who are different. The “others.”...
by Marie | Devotionals, Disappointments, Faith, Forgiveness, Marie Wells Coutu, Mended Vessels, Such a Moment, Waiting
The cruise ship was scheduled to stop in two ports: one city (Nassau, Bahamas) and one beach (Coco Cay, Bahamas). But the weather predicted for the second day would make the Coco Cay stop too dangerous, as passengers had to be tendered to shore, and the wind was...
by Marie | Devotionals, Faith, Gratitude, Hearing, Listening, Marie Wells Coutu, Mended Vessels, Such a Moment
My current novel-in-progress features a main character who is deaf, so I’ve been researching hearing loss and how deaf people communicate. I’ve always enjoyed watching an interpreter use American Sign Language, especially during songs at church....
by Marie | Devotionals, Life, Marie Wells Coutu, Quilting, Such a Moment
Some friends and I were talking about making quilts recently. No, I’m not a quilter. But I do love the varied colors and designs, the artistry of piecing together multiple fabrics in a way that pleases the eye. So when they talk, I listen. I admire their...
