A Root Canal in Italy
I’m on the porch flipping through the Italy section of my latest travel catalog when a tooth in my lower right jaw throbs. Please stop, I tell it. I try to distract myself with descriptions of Italy’s art, culture, and…
Amy Laundrie
Fifty Years of Finding Home
I’m taking a twilight stroll along the river walk when it strikes me: fifty years ago this week, I moved to the Dells. I can still see myself lugging suitcases down a narrow spiral staircase into the basement apartment I’d…
It Takes a Crew—And a Little Glow—To Make Magic Happen
Last week I added a surprising new addition to my life’s résumé: hot air balloon crew member. My brother, sister-in-law, husband, and I joined my cousin Mike—a balloonist—at the Rhinelander Hodag Park’s Salute to Heroes Balloon Festival. He handed us…
That Creative Buzz
I’ve got that buzz again—that creative thrill that zings through me when I stumble on just the right idea for a column or dream up a fresh way to celebrate the launch of my latest book. My fingers twitch. My…
Still Good for Something: Josie the Cockapoo Reflects on Aging
I’m feeling pretty useless these days. I try to remember the good ol’ days when I was a dynamo. I once jumped into a cold lake because I thought Mum needed saving while she was zipping around on water skis.…
Oh, Those Summer Nights
“Summer Nights” from Grease loops in my head as I mash a banana and crack open a beer—not to sip, not yet, but to bait moths. According to online sources, moths are drawn to a fermented mix of banana, sugar,…
Are You Spending Your Time the Way You Truly Want?
I knew I was about to pass out. I stood up and walked from the carpeted floor to the kitchen to call for my husband, who was downstairs. I woke up to shouting. “Amy, what was that noise?” Frank was…
The Messy Badger Who Lives in My Writer’s Den
The last time I deep-cleaned and fastidiously organized, I was eight months pregnant—which was forty-four years ago. Because I can’t count on another nesting instinct, it’s time to face the drawers of outdated research notes, defunct electronics, and enough paper…
Family Traditions at the Little Cabin: Fireflies, Fawns, and Fourth of July Magic
Forty-eight years ago, my husband and I honeymooned in a rugged log cabin tucked beside a northern Wisconsin lake. It had log walls, one cozy bedroom, a single bathroom, and a quiet magic that made it feel much bigger. We…
Sprinkled with Magic
In honor of International Fairy Day, which is celebrated this week, I’m sharing a story that proves that a bit of magic—and a sprinkle of sand—can make a lasting memory. My six-year-old granddaughter, Maria, hurried up the walk to our…