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…
Amy Laundrie
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
Goodbye Lake Delton
I walked toward the doors of Lake Delton Elementary for what was likely the last time. The school where I had taught for thirty-three years would soon close, but the memories still rushed in. My fourth-graders hopped in potato sacks…
Under Maple’s Branches
Forty-nine years ago, my husband, Frank, of only a few months, and my father dug up a silver maple sapling from the yard of the home where I had spent my teen years. Back in the 1970s, people often planted…
A Keeper of Stories
Like the quilts displayed in her home, Jean Brew’s life is a tapestry of stories, carefully stitched, lovingly preserved, and meant to be passed down. Recently honored with the William Canfield History Award, Jean has spent a lifetime making sure…