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…
I admit it. I’ve led a privileged life. As a child my father did the snow-blow-ing. After marriage, snow-blowing fell onto my husband’s chore list. Oh, I might have dabbled a bit, and I have been known to help shovel,…
The first time I walked around Yellowstone, I felt like I’d entered another world. I would imagine any of you who have visited the national park experienced similar feelings of awe and wonder. I’d seen pictures but nothing can compare…
Bushfires are raging in Australia. People and animals are fleeing for their lives. Maybe you’ve seen some of the touching footage of desperate animals seeking the help of humans. One posted by the NSW Police Force shows an officer offering…
I recently told my longtime neighbor and friend that my husband and I were considering a major purchase. “They cost $600 dollars a piece,” I said, “and we’ll need two. It’s not a fun investment, kind of like shelling out…
I took advantage of a rare 40-degree December day to clean up the garden. On my hands and knees in the soil, I ripped out dried brown stalks of sedum. As I cleared the old stalks away, I could clearly…