Most Thanksgiving hosts prepare for the big day by grocery shopping, baking, and cleaning, but I’ve dusted off heirlooms and “treasures” for a family auction. Mind you, no money is exchanged and if two people show interest in something, we…
I hurriedly scoop another armful of dead flower stalks and drop them into the wheelbarrow. There’s a chill in the air. The ka-runk, ka-runk of the geese flying overhead call a warning. It’s coming; it’s coming. A fat critter uses…
National Make a Difference Day, observed every fall, presents an opportunity for people to contribute their efforts toward creating a brighter future. Beginning in September, I began posting “small kind gestures” that I found in the community. My first Facebook…
While on the road to Portage, I listened to a book on tape and was dreamily transported to another world. I took a sip of my travel mug of coffee. Yuck! Dishwashing soap. I recalled this morning when my husband…
I didn’t choose to walk through Wisconsin Dells’ Spring Grove cemetery in the dark. Today’s long car ride prevented me from getting in my daily hike, and this was my first chance to exercise. The cemetery’s paved roads have no…
If you’re anything like me, you sometimes need a break and a bit of me-time. I enjoyed my recent hiatus from column deadlines. I luxuriated in long hikes, took writing classes, prepared for the release of a new children’s book,…
When a friend mentioned Copper Harbor, Michigan the other day, my mind immediately rewound to the summer I met a group there for a week-long camping adventure on Isle Royale. The trip was worrisome since I’d never wilderness camped and…
My dog Josie sat in my lap while we waited in the kayak for my younger daughter to join us. To my surprise, she rose, stepped to the front of the kayak, jumped off into the shallow water, and headed…
“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look it any further than my own back yard.” Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz My husband and I had a marvelous time touring European countries, but on…
When my husband and I toured Washington D.C., I had expected to be wowed by the spring cherry blossoms and educated by the museums and memorials. I hadn’t expected to be inspired or to see democracy in action. Our trip…