After my lunch of grilled veggie burgers that tasted like hockey pucks, my husband decided to prepare supper. He added onions, small round potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and sweet potatoes to a chuck roast and turned on the instant pot. Soon,…
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, is credited with this famous quote: “An unexamined life is a life not worth living.” My apologies, Socrates, for my light interpretation of your words, but these are unusual times. Maybe, like me, sheltering-in-place and this…
Be assured, my children, I, Mother Earth, will join you and we’ll celebrate this landmark Earth Day, the 50th, together. Even though you will mark my existence in isolation or through social distancing, we can still jointly applaud even the…
I’m obsessed. I keep eagerly looking for signs of spring. I take photos of my blooming crocuses and post them on Instagram. I breathlessly study the forsythia bush for signs of when it will burst into yellow blooms. I impatiently…
In March, before my vacation activities along the Gulf of Mexico began closing because of the coronavirus outbreak, I was able to go on a dolphin cruise. We rode out for over 15 minutes without a sighting, and then the…
Before the coronavirus threat closed down the Alabama pickle ball court where I’d played while on vacation, I’d watched the sour-faced man bang the pickle ball back to his opponents time and time again. He never smiled, talked, or looked…
Do you have a special tree that you recall from your youth? Maybe it was one you remember climbing. Do you have a favorite tree now? Maybe it’s one you joyously anticipate watching burst into spring blooms. What is it…
Are you more of a homebody or do you long for adventure? Why do some of us often seek new horizons? What is it that wanderers find so appealing? Four answers come to mind. First is the desire to explore…
Has a house ever spoken to you? The sad and broken house near our Northwoods cabin speaks to me. It stands alone. Its snow-covered roof has collapsed. Remnants of curtains blow out of its shattered windows. Coyotes have invaded its…
If anyone can teach us about lasting love, it’s Duane and Joan Wilcox who will celebrate their 70th—yes, 70th!—anniversary this summer. My husband and I met with them recently so I could interview them for Valentine’s Day. We arrived at…