My granddaughter turned 21 last week. I still remember when she was three and a half-years-old and she looked across the dinner table studying my face. “Grammy, you have blue eyes.” “Yes,” I said, “and they’re the same ice-blue color…
The family requested having Christmas at the cabin in northern Wisconsin this year. That means one family will have to sleep in the tiny basement and the other in the garage, or what we call the bunkhouse. My husband designed…
Have you ever stolen apples from an orchard or milk from a farm because you were hungry? I have. Have you ever watched your parents rummage through trash cans looking for their next meal? I have. Have you ever attended…
I spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving with a passionate Frenchman. This artist, (see if you can guess his name), was born in 1840. “Every day I discover more and more beautiful things. It’s enough to drive one mad. I have…
The apple muffins I made tasted “off.” I’d spent long minutes hunting up muffin tins and paper baking cups. (I seldom bake.) I have had plenty of baking failures because I’ve only guessed at amounts, so this time I measured…
Holidays such as Thanksgiving often make us recall our childhoods. It was this time of year when, as a naïve young girl, I was forced to learn the harsh realities of life. But those experiences also awarded me with a…
A few weeks ago, I travelled to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island where my group’s tour guide and other educators shared many facts. After hearing a presentation by a poised young Mi’kmaq woman, I learned that archaeologists…
One reason I love to travel is to hear various people’s life stories, often very different from mine. It’s almost like being allowed to live multiple lives. My daughters and I traveled to Ireland over fourteen years ago, but I…
Hi, it’s Josie the Cockapoo, hoping you see this column and send my mum a cheery emoji or note. She’s cleaning out the dog cupboard, finding my old toys and puppy stuff, and getting all emotional. She was making good…
I recently concluded a week-long class at The Clearing, a folk art school in Door County’s Ellison Bay. The Clearing, named for the opportunity for students to “clear their mind,” is a place where people can learn a craft or…