Karen Bellenir, Author at Farmville

Angel Tree Christmas

Columns

Bellenir: A Christmas lesson, joining hands to overcome fear

One iconic moment in the traditional Christmas story is when an angel appears to some shepherds. “Fear not!” the angel says. “I bring you good ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Thursday, December 12, 2024 4:49 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Caterpillars and butterflies

Earlier this summer, my husband and I were walking near our home. I stopped short to avoid stepping on a bright green caterpillar. It had ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Thursday, August 1, 2024 2:08 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy To Be Here: Some of my favorite things

What are your favorite memories of summers gone by? Barbecues, patriotic bunting, and fireworks? Vacation planning, iced drinks, and swimming holes? Gardening, dirt under your ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, July 6, 2024 4:30 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Fun and games

Theresa A. Kestly, a psychologist and play therapist, wrote a book designed to help her fellow clinicians understand the scientific underpinnings of play and its ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, May 3, 2024 4:14 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be Here: In defense of cell phones

You’ve probably heard some grumbling about the awfulness of cell phones. We spend too much time on them. They sap our attention. They contribute to ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Wednesday, April 17, 2024 3:17 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be Here: Time for Some Spring Cleaning

Punxsutawney Phil, arguably the world’s most famous groundhog, emerged from his burrow last month and predicted an early spring. He appears to be correct.  Spring’s ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Sunday, March 17, 2024 12:27 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy To Be Here: Questioning an established authority

For those who have wondered: Yes, I am still working my way through the dictionary. I started reading Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition at the ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, February 2, 2024 3:03 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Here comes the sun

We experienced our shortest day and longest night on the winter solstice, Dec. 21. In Farmville, sunrise that day was 7:22 a.m. and sunset 5 ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, January 5, 2024 5:46 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Empty chairs

According to many different calendars, we’re deep into the season of holidays. Depending on your outlook, the festivities may have started with Halloween or with ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, December 2, 2023 6:43 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Grateful for the years I almost didn’t get

As a young adult, I wasn’t making enough money for ends to meet, but occasionally those ends got close enough to shout to one another. ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, November 3, 2023 4:07 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be Here: Cryptids on the Loose

Welcome to the time of year when we delight in the mysteries that occupy the boundary of what we know and what we fear. Ghosts ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, October 7, 2023 11:11 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Celebrities and Celebri-Trees

Some people enjoy watching for celebrities, and Farmville has seen a fair number throughout its history. Generals. Civil rights icons. National political leaders. World-class performers ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, September 1, 2023 6:32 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: On the lookout for a Blue Moon

Some novels include tales of family members or lovers who will soon be separated. While they are apart, they promise to remember each other when ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, August 4, 2023 5:25 pm

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Taking an alternate route

Summer provides an excellent opportunity to hit the road and visit favorite people and places. Some trips span days or weeks, others take just a ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, July 8, 2023 11:15 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Lessons my father taught me

A few weeks ago, I drove past a home where a father, maybe a grandfather, was teaching a child to ride a bike. The youngster pedaled ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, June 3, 2023 9:08 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be here: Finding the flowers

In 1955, Pete Seeger wrote a song asking “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Additional verses were later added by Joe Hickerson, and the song ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, May 6, 2023 2:17 pm

Columns

Happy To Be Here: The Wind Blows

When I think of the wind, I usually picture gentle breezes. I hear it whisper secrets about the places it has been. I watch it ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Thursday, April 6, 2023 4:40 pm

Columns

Happy to be Here: A nostalgic viewpoint

I  hadn’t been to the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) since before COVID became a household word. Some neighbors suggested it was time for ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Thursday, March 9, 2023 8:49 am

Columns

Happy to be here — Cozy comfort

Many people enjoy winter. Some look forward to skiing. They arrange vacations and plan travel to seek out snow. My daughter is a snowboarder. She ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, February 3, 2023 5:19 pm

Columns

Happy to be here — From cut to Farkleberry

Some of you have been asking about my progress reading Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. My original, overly optimistic plan entailed reading it, all 1,459 ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Monday, January 9, 2023 8:36 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Happy to be Here — Listen and let the songs play

As the song says, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Nature sets the stage with starlight and moonlight. Human hands decorate it with ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Friday, December 2, 2022 3:54 pm

Columns

Happy to be here — Observing with both eyes

A friend recently asked me about buying an inexpensive, fun telescope suitable for taking a first step into the hobby of backyard astronomy. It’s a ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Thursday, November 3, 2022 3:51 pm

Free Speech

Columns

Happy To Be Here: Let’s talk about freedom of speech

Last August, author Salman Rushdie was attacked and seriously injured while onstage for a panel discussion at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. Chautauqua ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, October 8, 2022 11:43 pm

Columns

Happy to be here — Standing on new shores

Here in Virginia, the opening years of the seventeenth century are probably best remembered for the arrival of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. The ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Sunday, September 4, 2022 11:41 am

Columns

Happy to be here — Keep distance from bears, despite the cute, cuddly look

Maybe you’ve seen amusing bear videos on the internet. There’s a cute one with a cub climbing onto a swing. Another shows a bear running ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Monday, August 8, 2022 12:37 pm

Columns

Happy to be here: Bigger than any one of us

Among Christians, the prayer commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father is well known. I memorized its words when I was a ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Sunday, July 3, 2022 11:52 am

HAPPY TO BE HERE

Called by a scammer

A few weeks ago, I received a disturbing voice mail message. The recorded announcement claimed that permission to place a call via my phone was ... Read more

by Karen Bellenir, Saturday, June 11, 2022 10:47 am

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