The Mergenthaler Family

Letters from the Nest  https://open.substack.com/pub/lettersfromthenest/p/self-sabotage?r=48qui&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web I went to breakfast with some friends last week to celebrate one of their birthdays, and part of our conversation has stuck with me. The birthday girl told about one of her children who had taken an interest in drama. He was a star in the middle school play and loved singing and performing for the crowd. But 8th graders, at the top of the pecking order, become high school freshmen, the bottom of the barrel. When auditions for the high school play were approaching, the young man considered the parts he could try out for. Maybe the lead was a little beyond his skill, but maybe not. His mom encouraged him to try. She shifted their family schedule around so that he could attend an extra lesson with his voice instructor to go over his part. When she presented the opportunity to her son, he refused the lesson and rejected the mom’s sacrifice to figure o...

I see grass of green, White flowers too. I see them bloom for me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world. I see courts of brown Jerseys of white Friends and more sports during the days, And time with family at night And I think to myself What a wonderful world. The colors of the flowers reflect the sunset in the sky And remind me to be grateful when things go awry I see people shaking heads, asking, "What would you do?" All we can say is, "I love you." When her baby cries, I'll want to know And I'll be there to watch our family grow. And I think to myself What a wonderful world. Yes, I think to myself What a wonderful world.

 Letters From the Nest, April 18, 2025 https://lettersfromthenest.substack.com/p/potholes It’s pothole season. Did you know that? In early spring, potholes are at their worst because, throughout the winter, roadways have been exposed to water seeping into cracks in the pavement, expanding and melting, causing widespread destruction. Some websites name Michigan the state with the worst reputation for potholes, but we have our fair share of potholes here in Pennsylvania, too. Have you ever been on a back road littered with potholes? I remember girls' camp whenever I’m on a poorly maintained road. I have attended many girls’ camps over the years, both as a participant and as a leader, and it seems like a rule of life that the last half-mile or more of the drive to camp is pitted with potholes. Imagine this: you’re nearing the end of a couple of hours in a cramped car. You have drunk too much soda, and each bump reminds you that you really should have used the facilities when the chanc...

Penn State usually schedules spring break around the 2nd week of March. It's still pretty cold, so staying in town for the week isn't always delightful. This year, I was determined to find a beach with temperatures at least in the 70s.  I used a website with short descriptions of family-friendly beaches along the East Coast to choose a place to go. I searched along the coast from north to south, checking each location's weather forecast during the week of spring break. I determined that we could reasonably drive down to South Carolina to catch some warmth and sunshine. So, that's what we did! First, we prepped the van. Gavin and Brooklyn were so excited for their week off; they were good helpers.  They're cute in their matching-ish outfits. I did not spend much time on my appearance, and it was COLD in the garage where we were working, so I had my hoodie up. When I finally came in the house, Sean told me I looked crazy. It was just messy hair from my hoodie, but, ya...