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The Stories That Stay with Me
At the library, I ignored dozens of new audiobooks and checked out Old Yeller instead. I wondered why. Was I simply feeling nostalgic, remembering lazy summer afternoons reading beneath the old elm tree in our backyard, or was something deeper drawing me back to a story I'd loved as a child? The more I thought […]
The Sounds of a Wisconsin Summer
The haunting call of a loon echoes across the lake outside our cabin. To me, no sound says "summer up north" quite like a loon. "Sunnie, let's go," I whisper to our puppy as we head for the dock. The loon calls again. Both adults drift lazily across our small lake. One suddenly dives. When […]
The Hanky I Hoped I Wouldn’t Need
Right before my granddaughter Maria's wedding, her sister Vanessa handed me a lacey handkerchief and said the bride wanted me to have it. As she hurried off to deliver others, I smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift. It wasn't simply a hanky. It was Maria's way of acknowledging this would likely be an emotional […]
My Lunch with Abigail Adams
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, I find myself imagining an unusual lunch guest. What if Abigail Adams, first lady of our country from 1797–1801, joined me on the back deck for lemonade and conversation? I picture her studying the electric fountain in my water garden, listening to the buzz of a neighbor's lawn mower, […]
What Oatmeal Molasses Cookies Taught Me About Marriage
As I measure out the oatmeal for a batch of "Soft Oatmeal Molasses Cookies," I find myself thinking about marriage. My husband and I celebrated our 49th anniversary this month. In just a few weeks, we'll attend our granddaughter's wedding. As I scoop ingredients into a bowl, I find myself wondering what advice I'd give […]
Wonder on Wings
It was a cool morning, and I happily stepped inside the warm, humid butterfly house off Highway H in the Dells. A yellow swallowtail flew toward me while other butterflies flitted about as a worker set out fresh banana and watermelon slices. I had an unusual question for Diane Wright, co-owner of Brilliant Butterflies in […]
A Gift From Sunnie
Being Sunnie's human is never dull. Life with a puppy is filled with surprises. This morning, I spent several minutes working on a routine to show family and friends all the commands Sunnie has learned. I'm setting the choreography to Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." The lyrics of that 1966 song describe a life once "filled with […]
A Brush with the Fountain of Youth
While Juan Ponce de León spent his life searching for the fountain of youth, Betty Heller-Hobbs seems to have found it right here in Wisconsin Dells. At 93, her eyes still sparkle with mischief and curiosity. My husband and I visit her condo overlooking Lake Delton. Everywhere we look are vivid paintings, framed family photos, […]