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Thoughts From an Old Pine
A lifetime ago, a young married couple carted me to a clearing in their new backyard. I was tall and strong and it took both of them to lift me. As they patted the soil around my roots, settling me into a comfortable hole and giving me plenty of water, they smiled at one another. […]
We Rock
“I found mine in a tree,” a friend told me excitedly, while we visited in an Alabama restaurant. “I found mine hidden in some weeds,” her husband said, leaning toward me. “Someone had painted Mississippi on the top.” The delight in both seniors’ faces made them resemble kids on Christmas morning. They were talking about […]
Connecting to Those Who Came Before
Discussions about online fatigue and the value of face-to-face experiences are prevalent these days. I’m sure we’ll have more virtual options in the future, but engaging with a screen can’t compete with being on site and physically being with others. I receive many emails from places like Road Scholar advertising a virtual tour to countries […]
Tennis Life Lessons
“Stop bouncing around so much,” Jean, a master tennis instructor, had coached me. “Plant those feet when you’re hitting the ball. And relax!” No more acting like a Jack-in-the-box, I tell myself later, when facing my opponents. If my partner and I can win this next game, we’ll have the doubles match. “No pressure,” my […]
Laughter–the Language Everyone Understands
Yesterday I had the chance to share my latest picture book (virtually) with two bilingual classes in New Jersey. The second graders were enthusiastic, especially when I held up a snakeskin and the shell of a snapping turtle, my storytelling props. Still, it was hard to connect with the large number of kids, especially those […]
Memorable Gifts
My family will celebrate several spring birthdays, and it’s time for me to think about gifts. What makes a gift special? In order to find out, I decide to list gifts that left an impression and examine why they did. I hope a pattern will emerge. My elder daughter gave me a retirement gift that […]
Happiness Sneaking in Through Back Windows
The year was 1975. I was twenty-one years old, and I’d just gotten my first teaching position as the Title 1 teacher for Wisconsin Dells. With only three days before the start of school, I was about to see my classroom for the first time. Since Title 1 teachers have smaller groups, I didn’t expect […]
Only in a Small Town
I was returning from a Kiwanis meeting at Camp Wawbeek on February 8th. My husband and I had taken separate cars since he wanted to attend a boy scout meeting, and I wanted to return home and type up the meeting notes for the newsletter before I forgot them. The rural Wawbeek road was plowed, […]