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# Author Amy Laundrie

Adventure Awaits!

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## Posts

- [The Hanky I Hoped I Wouldn’t Need](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/07/11/the-hanky-i-hoped-i-wouldnt-need/) - Right before my granddaughter Maria's wedding, her sister Vanessa handed me a lacey handkerchief and said the bride wanted me to have it. As she hurried off to deliver others, I smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift. It wasn't simply a hanky. It was Maria's way of acknowledging this would likely be an emotional
- [My Lunch with Abigail Adams](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/06/29/my-lunch-with-abigail-adams/) - As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, I find myself imagining an unusual lunch guest. What if Abigail Adams, first lady of our country from 1797–1801, joined me on the back deck for lemonade and conversation? I picture her studying the electric fountain in my water garden, listening to the buzz of a neighbor's lawn mower,
- [What Oatmeal Molasses Cookies Taught Me About Marriage](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/06/20/what-oatmeal-molasses-cookies-taught-me-about-marriage/) - As I measure out the oatmeal for a batch of "Soft Oatmeal Molasses Cookies," I find myself thinking about marriage. My husband and I celebrated our 49th anniversary this month. In just a few weeks, we'll attend our granddaughter's wedding. As I scoop ingredients into a bowl, I find myself wondering what advice I'd give
- [Wonder on Wings](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/06/14/wonder-on-wings/) - It was a cool morning, and I happily stepped inside the warm, humid butterfly house off Highway H in the Dells. A yellow swallowtail flew toward me while other butterflies flitted about as a worker set out fresh banana and watermelon slices. I had an unusual question for Diane Wright, co-owner of Brilliant Butterflies in
- [A Gift From Sunnie](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/06/07/a-gift-from-sunnie/) - Being Sunnie's human is never dull. Life with a puppy is filled with surprises. This morning, I spent several minutes working on a routine to show family and friends all the commands Sunnie has learned. I'm setting the choreography to Bobby Hebb's "Sunny." The lyrics of that 1966 song describe a life once "filled with
- [A Brush with the Fountain of Youth](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/05/30/a-brush-with-the-fountain-of-youth/) - While Juan Ponce de León spent his life searching for the fountain of youth, Betty Heller-Hobbs seems to have found it right here in Wisconsin Dells. At 93, her eyes still sparkle with mischief and curiosity. My husband and I visit her condo overlooking Lake Delton. Everywhere we look are vivid paintings, framed family photos,
- [Goodbye Lake Delton](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/05/22/goodbye-lake-delton/) - I walked toward the doors of Lake Delton Elementary for what was likely the last time. The school where I had taught for thirty-three years would soon close, but the memories still rushed in. My fourth-graders hopped in potato sacks during Pioneer Day races in the field. Near the tall tree, we released painted lady
- [Under Maple’s Branches](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/05/17/under-maples-branches/) - Forty-nine years ago, my husband, Frank, of only a few months, and my father dug up a silver maple sapling from the yard of the home where I had spent my teen years. Back in the 1970s, people often planted silver maples for quick shade because the trees can grow three to seven feet a
- [A Keeper of Stories](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/05/10/a-keeper-of-stories/) - Like the quilts displayed in her home, Jean Brew’s life is a tapestry of stories, carefully stitched, lovingly preserved, and meant to be passed down. Recently honored with the William Canfield History Award, Jean has spent a lifetime making sure the past is not forgotten. But for her, history isn’t about dates or dusty artifacts.
- [A Bracelet of Mothers](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/05/04/a-bracelet-of-mothers/) - Many years ago, my aunts gave me a gift unlike any other. It wasn’t wrapped in glittery paper with ribbons and bows. It came in a simple box—plain, sturdy, dependable. Much like the women it honored. Inside was a bracelet made of wooden panels, each one bearing the photo of a mother in my family
- [The Eight-Dollar Shoes That Lightened My Footprint](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/04/25/the-eight-dollar-shoes-that-lightened-my-footprint/) - My granddaughter is getting married in a few months, which means I needed to find a pair of dress shoes. This may not sound like breaking news, but for me, it ranked somewhere between preparing taxes and breaking off another tooth. I dread shoe shopping. Dress shoes are expensive, and many seem designed for young
- [Fox Bones, Sweatshirts, and Earth Day Lessons](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/04/19/fox-bones-sweatshirts-and-earth-day-lessons/) - Several years ago, I had the chance to hike Isle Royale, that rugged wilderness park in Lake Superior, where moose outnumber people and wolves howl in the distance. Before our group set out, our trail leader explained the seven principles of “Leave No Trace,” including “Pack it in, pack it out” and “Leave what you
- [Happiness, Wherever You Land](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/04/12/happiness-wherever-you-land/) - Sunnie, our new puppy, fell head over paws for the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. She pulled on the leash as we got closer. Once her paws hit the warm sand, she dug furiously, pausing now and then to stretch out as the sand shifted beneath her, cradling her like a memory foam mattress. She
- [Learning to Love My Faithful Buzzards](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/04/04/learning-to-love-my-faithful-buzzards/) - They’re back — the harbingers of death. I step outside into the twilight and hear the soft rustle of wings. Shadows ride the thermals above me. One descends and lands on the top of a pine tree. Another follows. Soon, our backyard is peppered with dark wings. It’s unnerving. With their keen eyesight, my husband
- [The Joy of Coming Home](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/03/28/the-joy-of-coming-home/) - I pack the last suitcase and set it near the others with a happy sigh. Gulf Shores, Alabama, offers white-sand beaches, thrilling dolphin sightings, balmy weather, and a chance to play tennis nearly every day. Still, it isn’t home. I miss family, friends, and neighbors. I miss our church, Kiwanis meetings, browsing the shelves at
- [Chasing Spring (and a puppy’s great escape)](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/03/19/chasing-spring-and-a-puppys-great-escape/) - Spring has a way of tossing wild possibilities at our feet — the kind that can leave us breathless before we even realize we’ve started running. Gulf waves roll in with a steady hush. The beach stretches empty in both directions. For a moment, everything feels right with the world. Then my four-month-old puppy, Sunnie,
- [The Day My Smile Disappeared](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/03/15/the-day-my-smile-disappeared/) - One minute I had a front tooth. The next minute I didn’t. I was standing in the bathroom—not eating, not flossing my teeth—when it suddenly fell out. I truly can’t remember what I was doing seconds before because the shock wiped all other thoughts away. I looked in the mirror, horrified. There are certain dental
- [Beach Hair. Don’t Care](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/03/08/beach-hair-dont-care/) - There’s a faint crunch beneath my feet when I walk across the condo floor. My black pants are decorated with sandy paw prints. My hair hasn’t obeyed me for days. And the funny thing is — I don’t care. There’s something about being near the ocean — and on vacation — that lowers expectations. And
- [The Seasons of a Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/02/27/the-seasons-of-a-life/) - I didn’t watch much TV as a child, but I remember the loyal Lassie and Flipper, the dolphin who could solve nearly anything with a flick of its tail. In those shows, problems wrapped up neatly in thirty minutes. Goodness prevailed. As a teen, my TV watching increased, and I became obsessed with That Girl,
- [If this is Utopia, Where’s My Nap?](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/02/22/if-this-is-utopia-wheres-my-nap/) - When I was still teaching, I used to fantasize about retirement. In my imagination, it was a magical land of unlimited, unscheduled time — a bright tunnel of endless hours stretching toward infinity. In that perfect world, I could take a two o’clock powernap every day. The gardens were gloriously weedless, my nails were always
- [Sunnie’s Guide to Living Well](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/02/15/sunnies-guide-to-living-well/) - Our mini goldendoodle, Sunnie, burst into our lives, bringing along a surprising number of life lessons and gentle truths. Here’s a sampling of Sunnie’s guide to living well. Take time to stretch. Right after Sunnie gets out of her crate, she performs what I can only describe as puppy yoga. She lengthens her body, curls
- [Love is in the Air — and Her Name is Sunnie](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/02/08/love-is-in-the-air-and-her-name-is-sunnie/) - This will be my husband Frank’s and my 50th Valentine’s together. In honor of the day, we had planned to exchange the Valentine’s Day cards I save each year — why spend money buying new ones? — and settle in to watch a romantic comedy. That was before we got a new puppy. We named
- [Wanderlust](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/02/01/wanderlust/) - January started out fresh and new, with crisp snow that made me eager to pull out the cross-country skis. For a while, winter delivered exactly what it promised: bright mornings, clean trails, and a quieter pace. But now, facing another cloudy and cold day, it hits me hard. The wanderlust. My remedy is to browse
- [Josie's Worn-out Heart](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/01/24/josies-worn-our-heart/) - On January 19th, my husband and I had to say goodbye to the puppy dog. After Josie struggled with labored breathing for hours, we got her to the vet. I held her as she panted, her small body tense against mine. She looked at me with pleading eyes—eyes I will never forget. The vet examined
- [A Life Lived in Stories](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/01/19/a-life-lived-in-stories/) - Some people tell stories. Others—like the prolific and beloved Jerry Apps—live inside them and invite us in. It was with a sad heart that I learned he passed away on Dec. 23, 2025. During his 91 years, Jerry was a teacher, authored more than 50 books, and was an amazing—but also humble—star of many PBS
- [Calling for a Moose](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/01/10/calling-for-a-moose/) - Patience has never been my strong suit. I like productivity and fast results. But winter—and my ten-year-old grandson—had a different lesson in mind for me. While at our cabin in northern Wisconsin, Mason snowshoed off into the woods alone. He returned minutes later, eyes wide. “I heard a moose!” We’d talked before about how, several
- [Hidden Worlds, Right Before Our Eyes](https://www.laundrie.com/2026/01/04/hidden-worlds-right-before-our-eyes/) - A new year has a way of reminding me how much of the world I still haven’t seen, experienced, or truly noticed. There have been moments in my life when I’ve stopped short and thought, Wow—there’s a whole other world out there. I hope I find myself thinking that often in 2026. The first time
- [ A New Year’s Guide—Courtesy of My Mandevilla Plant](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/12/27/a-new-years-guide-courtesy-of-my-mandevilla-plant/) - In the past, as New Year’s approached, I’d buy a fresh journal—the kind with blank pages for weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. I would sit down with good intentions and my favorite pen, a Pilot G-2, determined to reinvent myself. I’d write lists, read inspiring quotes, watch Ali Abdaal’s motivational YouTubes, and vow to become an improved
- [Keeping Traditions Alive Through an Old-Fashioned Christmas](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/12/21/keeping-traditions-alive-through-an-old-fashioned-christmas/) - Some families choose bright lights and bustling schedules at Christmas. This year, we chose something quieter. No waterparks. No venturing off to buy batteries or take advantage of sales. No packed schedules. We're trading dependable Wi-Fi, a dishwasher, and extra space for a small, remote cabin in northern Wisconsin. It begins outside, where we strap
- [A Season for Noticing](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/12/14/a-season-for-noticing/) - I was excited when the mockup for my latest picture book arrived in the mail. The cover of When an Octopus Crashes Your Party was colorful, imaginative, and fun. I eagerly flipped through the pages, scanning for typos or layout issues, and found a couple. A week later, during the swirl of Thanksgiving preparations, the
- [Embracing the Night (Even When You’d Rather Hibernate)](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/11/30/embracing-the-night-even-when-youd-rather-hibernate/) - As the days grow shorter and the sun slips away before many of us have even thought about starting supper, I find myself wanting to do what any sensible woodland creature would do: crawl into a warm den, curl my paws around a mug of chamomile tea, and not emerge until April. One night, while
- [A Thanksgiving Lesson From Josie](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/11/21/a-thanksgiving-lesson-from-josie/) - Josie the Cockapoo’s worn pads click across the kitchen floor. Fifteen years old. My husband and I display a photo of her as a puppy—see photo above—and often comment on how quickly the years have gone. Bare patches show where she’s scratched herself raw from persistent allergies. Still, when I ask if she wants a
- [The Farm That Love Built](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/11/17/the-farm-that-love-built/) - Nestled in the lovely Baraboo Hills sits Jane’s Journey Home for Dogs—or simply “the farm,” as many affectionately call it. I spoke with Rachel, who has worked there since the non-profit was founded in 2021 and brings over twenty years of experience in animal welfare. She first met the owner, Larry Barton, through their church
- [A Studio Filled with Stories and Light](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/11/09/a-studio-filled-with-stories-and-light/) - Step inside Marjorie Cutting’s Baraboo art studio, and you’re greeted by a twelve-foot fabric panel of the Archangel Rafael. His hand-sewn wings drape gracefully down, and a blue fish with lace-trimmed fins rests at his feet. In many traditions, Rafael is known as a guide who brings understanding along with physical and spiritual healing. Standing
- [Singing it Our Way](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/11/01/singing-it-our-way/) - The moment “Dean Martin” strolled on stage at the Legacy Theatre in Lake Delton—drink in hand, cigarette dangling, voice smooth as silk—I was back in my teens. I could see myself standing in our living room, wearing a colorfully patterned culotte dress while my mother knelt to pin the hem. Dean Martin’s record spun on
- [History is Haunting Enough](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/10/26/history-is-haunting-enough/) - Some places don’t need ghosts to feel haunted. I recently visited Lake Delton’s Dawn Manor Speakeasy. Walking up to the entrance, diners are greeted by historic gargoyle-like stone statues. These weathered guardians once graced Dawn Manor when Helen Raab owned it. I picture the passionate arts patron and world traveler, who died in 1970, walking
- [I Wish Someone Had Told Me…](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/10/18/i-wish-someone-had-told-me/) - “I wish someone had told me…” Those five little words can open the floodgates to wisdom, reflection, and humor. When I asked fellow Wisconsinites to finish the phrase, their answers reminded me that life itself is a classroom—one where the best lessons often arrive long after the final bell has rung. One of the first
- [The 5:00 a.m. Club](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/10/11/the-500-a-m-club/) - I’ve always loved getting up early, when the world seems to hold endless possibilities and before responsibilities tug at me. One of my daughters does, too. And a dear friend of mine does as well. I enjoy writing; my daughter likes to sip her coffee on the deck and study the constellations; my friend prefers
- [Heartbeats Well Spent](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/10/05/heartbeats-well-spent/) - The human heart has about 2 billion beats in a lifetime. That’s about 35 million beats a year, about 100,000 beats a day. How are you going to spend yours? I’m having a fish fry outside at the Keg in downtown Dells with a friend who comments that she’s busy all day long, but wonders
- [A Birthday Wish: Keep Wondering](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/09/28/a-birthday-wish-keep-wondering/) - While walking on one of my favorite hiking trails, a monarch flits past me. This fragile insect, no heavier than a paperclip, will soon begin its journey to Mexico—battling heat, storms, and cold, adjusting its flight with the sun or, on cloudy days, its internal compass. How is that possible? I often struggle to remember
- [The Spirit of the Crane](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/09/22/the-spirit-of-the-crane/) - Garoo-oo-a-a-a. The call of the sandhill crane always makes me search the sky. My fascination began in my 30s, when my husband and I joined the annual Sandhill Crane Count. We rose at 4 a.m., brewed a thermos of coffee, and set out to meet park coordinator Ed O’Brien and others in a wetland near
- [Outfoxed by Eighteen Pounds ](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/09/14/outfoxed-by-eighteen-pounds/) - Every evening after supper, my husband and I scheme and whisper like spies as we plot ways to get our small dog to take her three pills… and nearly every night Josie outsmarts us. I start in the kitchen with liver sausage. She neatly extracts the pills and spits them on the floor. I move
- [The Storm That Built a Shed](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/09/05/the-storm-that-built-a-shed/) - It started with a mess: rotting firewood, a broken cartwheel, and my husband muttering, “Maybe I’ll try to fix it.” At the time, it felt small and ordinary. Later, I thought of the saying that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas. Frank’s offhand comment was the
- [A Root Canal in Italy](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/09/01/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 the vine-clad Tuscan hills. I linger over images of the turquoise Mediterranean coast and its
- [Fifty Years of Finding Home](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/08/23/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 rented. The place had hosted seven summer workers before me, and it showed—dusty corners, greasy
- [It Takes a Crew—And a Little Glow—To Make Magic Happen](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/08/08/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 T-shirts, pins, or earrings representing Wally, his smiling orange fish. The balloons wouldn’t be flying
- [That Creative Buzz](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/08/03/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 thoughts race. I feel lit up inside. I imagine bestselling Midwest authors like William Kent
- [Still Good for Something: Josie the Cockapoo Reflects on Aging](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/07/25/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. I helped herd Mum’s pet ducklings and kept them from waddling too far away. I
- [Oh, Those Summer Nights](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/07/20/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, and beer. “Summer lovin’ had me a blast…” Olivia Newton-John’s voice plays in my mind
- [Are You Spending Your Time the Way You Truly Want?](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/07/13/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 rushing up the stairs. I had fainted and fallen on the tiled floor. The next
- [The Messy Badger Who Lives in My Writer’s Den](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/07/02/the-messy-badger-who-lives-in-my-writers-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 clutter to make even a loyal badger leave the state. I need motivation, so I
- [Family Traditions at the Little Cabin: Fireflies, Fawns, and Fourth of July Magic](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/06/29/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 eagerly launched the old fishing boat and explored the pristine waters. Overhead, an eagle soared.
- [Sprinkled with Magic](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/06/22/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 house and asked, “Do you have the magic key, Grammy?” “The what?” “The magic key
- [Who Made a Difference in Your Life?](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/06/15/who-made-a-difference-in-your-life/) - She wore her hair in a stylish French twist, but she could hit a softball out of the schoolyard. She was my third- and fourth-grade teacher, and I loved her. Shirley Meyer never achieved anything as monumental as winning a gold medal, but she was a treasure who touched many lives. Miss Meyer led a
- [Then again...Maybe We Just Did](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/06/08/then-again-maybe-we-just-did/) - Dear Dad, Happy 100th birthday—and happy Father’s Day! Even though you’ve been gone 45 years, I still think of you often. I like to imagine you’re watching over me and my family with a smile and an approving, “Dirty Dog,” your favorite expression. If you are watching, you’d be chuckling over your granddaughter, scheming to
- [Finding Joy in the Summer Season](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/05/31/finding-joy-in-the-summer-season/) - Three years ago, my husband and I spent a week at Disney World in Florida. I loved the Soarin’ Around the World ride, where you could strap in and experience, through digital projection, flying like a bird. The ride felt so real, it swept me away. I flew over the Swiss Alps, swooped past colorful
- [From Strays to Soulmates: The Transformative Power of Shelter Animals ](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/05/24/from-strays-to-soulmates-the-transformative-power-of-shelter-animals/) - Last week, I shared highlights of my interview with the Sauk County Humane Society (SCHS) and mentioned the Basset Hound mother, Princess, and her puppies. By the time Princess and her puppies were brought to the shelter, they were all close to dying. Princess was cruelly used for breeding purposes and was so emaciated that
- [Healing Tails: How Sheltered Pets Change Lives](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/05/15/healing-tails-how-sheltered-pets-change-lives/) - What do meeting Mrs. Wisconsin, hearing about the joys of bathing a Great Dane, and learning about saving an emaciated basset hound have in common? They all resulted from my visit to the Sauk County Humane Society. In honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day (April 30) and National Rescue Dog Day (May 20),
- [Honoring our History](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/05/11/honoring-our-history/) - It will soon be here. Memorial Day is a day we set aside to honor those U.S. military personnel who served in the armed forces. My father was in the Navy during World War II, serving aboard the USS Crater. I don’t know anything more than that. There was never any mention that he was
- [Celebrating the Queen Bees in Our Lives](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/05/03/celebrating-the-queen-bees-in-our-lives/) - I pull off the main street in the Dells onto Bowman Rd. to get a supply of local honey. The “honey guy’s” truck is parked next to a farmer selling flower baskets, perfect Mother’s Day gifts. Honeybees and Mother’s Day seem a fitting combination. I pick up honey, pansies, morning glories, and petunias, which my
- [Echoes of Feathered Friendships](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/04/27/echoes-of-feathered-friendships/) - It’s spring, the season of rebirth, and I drive toward Portage’s Tractor Supply with a longing heart. I picture the fluffy ducklings that they sell. I imagine holding them, listening to their soft peeps, and then setting them down so I can enjoy their antics. I could just pull in and take a quick peek.
- [Earth Day Fun from your Camp Counselor](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/04/20/earth-day-fun-from-your-camp-counselor/) - “Don't take this the wrong way, Amy,” a fellow tennis player said to me, “but I just have to tell you.” I brace myself for what she's going to say. We had just finished a doubles match, and although I’d missed several shots, I was playing pretty well for me. So, I didn’t think it
- [The Unstoppable Bello Nock](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/04/13/the-unstoppable-bello-nock/) - I recently visited with the famous Bello Nock, a comic daredevil who’s performing this spring in Lake Delton. Come listen in on our conversation. “My earliest memories of you, Bello, were when I had you as a fourth-grade student at Lake Delton School. It was spring, you’d just arrived, and you seemed keen on impressing
- [Lessons Learned From Rejection](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/04/07/lessons-learned-from-rejection/) - I’m looking at my email and see I got another rejection—this one from a literary agent. Between agents and editors, my total must now be up into the thousands, or at least it feels that way. Several of my fellow writers, creators much more talented than me, couldn’t take the hurt, depression, and loss of
- [My Grossly Fascinating Visitors](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/03/29/my-grossly-fascinating-visitors/) - Credit Casey Butler
- [Cars Shape a Journey](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/03/24/cars-shape-a-journey/) - “Wiggle, wiggle, Daddy.” My sister, brother, and I would call this out while sitting on the bench seat of our Rambler classic 550 station wagon. (The wagon had wing vents for ventilation and an A.M. radio with one speaker up front, but no power brakes or steering.) If we were on a country road, Dad
- [Hoping for Spring](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/03/16/hoping-for-spring/) - The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.~S. Brown~ Like many of you, spring is the season I most anticipate. I watch for that first blooming crocus; I even enjoy spotting the first dandelion. I pour over photos of a spring trip my husband and I took to view the brilliantly colored tulips
- [Chilling Adventure in the Land of Ice and Luck](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/03/09/chilling-adventure-in-the-land-of-ice-and-luck/) - The warmer temperatures mean ice is melting, and anglers, snowmobilers, UTV and ATV drivers, and ice skaters need to check conditions before venturing out. On February 26th, The Wisconsin State Journal reported the Lake Rescue Team rescued an ice skater on January 8th after a fall through the ice near Monona Terrace. The area where
- [Flavors of Home](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/03/04/flavors-of-home/) - My husband and I are enjoying an Alabama getaway, but we miss the comforts and familiarity of home. To ease our homesickness, I decided to find a fish fry in the area.Friday night fish fries have played a significant role in my life. They’re a nod to tradition and a reminder that simple pleasures bring
- [The Living Woods](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/02/17/the-living-woods/) - The woods have a heartbeat. I walk through a valley and look up to view icicles dripping onto the rocks below. The droplets will nourish the ground this spring so other trees and plant life, such as berry bushes, can pump water from their roots to their branches. I’ve enjoyed plump raspberries and blackberries from
- [My secret valentine](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/02/06/my-secret-valentine/) - Tap, tap, tap. My secret valentine will not be dissuaded and keeps tapping on the bay window. Earlier this morning, at sunrise, I heard him whistling at me. If I was back in high school, I might suspect my old boyfriend, who would sometimes knock on my bedroom window to get my attention. Tap, tap,
- [What we Wisconsinites Love about Winter](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/02/01/what-we-wisconsinites-love-about-winter/) - Many of us are complaining about the weather, so when a friend surprised me and mentioned that he’s learned to love Wisconsin winters, I asked him for details. He said he took a lesson from the Alaskans, many of whom prefer winter because of the lack of mosquitoes and the ease of travel. Natives helped
- [To all the Fitness Fads I Loved Before](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/01/24/to-all-the-fitness-fads-i-loved-before-2/) - So, it’s been several weeks since New Year’s. How are your resolutions coming? Did you make one involving exercise? Were you swayed by one of the latest fads such as sculpt workouts, Zumba, spinning (bicycling), shine dance (see my article on this at https://bit.ly/42jqQKh) or goat yoga where participants do poses while interacting with goats?
- [One Can Touch the Hearts of Many](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/01/19/one-can-touch-the-hearts-of-many/) - What would you do if you found a half-grown pig looking sick and lost wandering your neighborhood on a blustery, cold day? It was on such a day, that a gentleman named Sam found an abandoned pig barely alive in his Wisconsin Dells neighborhood. He pulled out a camp mattress as a barrier from the
- [A Night at the Cliff’s Edge](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/01/10/a-night-at-the-cliffs-edge/) - Years ago I was at Ellison Bay’s folk school, “The Clearing,” for a weeklong class called “Touch the Earth; Love the Earth” when the director mentioned that we could sign up to spend the night in the Cliffhouse. Back in 1935, the founder of The Clearing, Jens Jensen, used the Cliffhouse as his private hideaway
- [One of the Most Fascinating People I Ever Met](https://www.laundrie.com/2025/01/05/one-of-the-most-fascinating-people-i-ever-met/) - “When I was a freshman, one evening my date handed me the first violet of spring. I looked at it, told him its Latin name and then I ate it. It was our last date.” —Frances Hamerstrom, American ornithologist, Wild Food Cookbook, 1989 The year was 1990 at the Madison Book Fest. I was nervously awaiting
- [Cherishing the Old; Embracing the New](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/12/26/cherishing-the-old-embracing-the-new/) - Traveling to Panama just weeks before New Year’s was a good reminder to cherish the old and embrace the new. Impressive pre-Columbian ruins are nestled between modern skyscrapers, some with amazing architectural designs. One soaring building was blueish and had a magnificent corkscrew twist. In Panama City, cars race in heavy traffic down narrow streets.
- [The Gift of Mandarins](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/12/13/the-gift-of-mandarins/) - Christmas is sights, especially the sights of Christmas reflected in the eyes of a child. William Sarayan, American novelist and playwright In planning for the holidays, I asked my daughter who lives in California if she’ll be bringing mandarins like she’s done in the past. She explained her trees weren’t producing. There’s an enormous difference
- [A Tribute to Cherished Chairs](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/12/05/a-tribute-to-cherished-chairs/) - My husband and I bought the matching brown velvety chairs the year after we married. They’ve been with us for forty-six years. The fabrics are worn, and the mechanisms, replaced twice, are grinding again, but, like dear friends, we can’t seem to part with them. I nursed both of our daughters while warm and cozy
- [How a Small Gratitude Journal Can Have a Big Impact ](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/11/19/how-a-small-gratitude-journal-can-have-a-big-impact/) - Thanksgiving is the perfect time to discuss the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. I’ve done this since April. Although fancy journals are available, I didn’t invest in one. I simply use a small spiral notebook to jot down five things I’m grateful for. I do this daily. Since I keep the notebook near my
- [Raccoons Captivate Fanciful Imaginings](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/11/15/raccoons-captivate-fanciful-imaginings/) - While hiking along the Wisconsin River, I see raccoon tracks. They’re distinctive because they’re shaped like human hands. I’m near the same ridge where, earlier in the spring, I heard the frantic cries of a baby raccoon in distress. I was sure it had been separated from its mother. I forced myself to keep walking,
- [Discovering the Unexpected at Dead Horse Point](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/11/10/discovering-the-unexpected-at-dead-horse-point/) - I’m happily whipping about, my arms full of sheets, when I turn the tight corner into the laundry room. Crash! My mood plummets. I grumble as I dump the sheets in the washer, grab the waste basket, and drop down to my knees to pick up glass shards. The framed photo of Moab, Utah’s sunlit
- [Veteran Joseph White Eagle Lifts our Hearts](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/31/veteran-joseph-white-eagle-lifts-our-hearts/) - I asked Veteran Marine combat engineer Joseph White Eagle, who enlisted in 1988 and served in Desert Storm and Desert Shield, to share stories about his military experience that would make us laugh, cry, and reflect. He generously did that and more. When Joe’s father met his senior drill instructor on the day before Joe’s Veteran Joseph White Eagle Lifts our Hearts
- [The Absent-minded Chef](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/26/the-absent-minded-chef/) - I start the pork chops browning in a skillet. The weather has changed and with the onset of autumn and the stressful presidential campaign, I’m wanting comfort foods. As I turn the pork chops over so they brown on the other side, I think about our family get-together in a few days. We’re raking leaves
- [I’m Watching You](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/19/im-watching-you/) - I’m hiking into the woods near my home in the Dells at night, feeling eyes on me. My mission is to see if I can get the resident barred owl to call back to me, an annual event that, to my family’s amusement, continually beckons me. The skeleton shadows, however, are creeping me out. It
- [The Cheery Sunflower](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/15/the-cheery-sunflower/) - The Cheery Sunflower "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It's what sunflowers do.”—Helen Keller. I’ve always loved sunflowers. They remind me to look on the bright side and they bring a smile to my face. It turns out I’m not the only one who finds them cheery. While walking
- [The Spoon of Power](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/13/the-spoon-of-power/) - I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. A famous columnist, blogger, speaker, podcaster, playwright, consultant, teacher, multiple Moth StorySLAM winner, and the internationally bestselling author of nine books, including Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling, agreed to share a story with us. I was tempted to
- [Finding Humor Through the Wrinkles](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/10/05/finding-humor-through-the-wrinkles/) - I’m retrieving balls at the Baraboo High School tennis courts before my partner and I begin a second set of doubles. Just outside the fence, three young girls sit cross-legged on the cement. Ah, the wonder of being that young and flexible again. As they chatter away, I recall being a pom-pom girl at Racine’s
- [Flushed with Gratitude](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/09/29/flushed-with-gratitude/) - My husband and I were in Cologne, Germany, last May, waiting in a long line to use the public restroom. The staff of our Rhine River Tour had warned us we’d need tokens (worth around $.50), so we’d gotten a few. A man at the head of the line dropped a token into a slotted
- [As Good as I Once Was](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/09/21/as-good-as-i-once-was/) - A milestone birthday looms before me. While biking down a country road, Toby Keith’s classic, As Good As I Once Was, keeps echoing in my head. I ain’t as good as I once was; I got a few years on me now; But there was a time. . . There was a time whenthe clock
- [Taste the Reindeer Broth](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/09/15/taste-the-reindeer-broth/) - Reindeer herder in Norway
- [Josie the Cockapoo’s Specialty](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/09/08/josie-the-cockapoos-specialty/) - I’m relaxing in my doggie bed after supper when Mum comes in waving my favorite toy, a stuffed lamb, around. I ignore her, and she looks at me with a look of concern. “What’s wrong, Josie?” What’s wrong? Does she really need to ask? Snort-snort. This Cockapoo is not excusing her asinine actions. Did she
- [Our School Year Wish](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/09/03/our-school-year-wish/) - At Walmart, I see a girl, age 9 or 10, accompanied by her mother, filling a cart with school supplies. I’m immediately transported back to the fourth-grade classroom. “Mrs. Laundrie,” a nine-year-old boy says, rubbing his forehead, “I’ve been working so hard on this measurement problem, my brain hurts.” I smile. “Everyone’s been working hard,
- [Time to Play!](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/08/25/time-to-play/) - photo credit: Tara Draper “What would bring you joy today?” That question is one that life coach and yoga instructor, Kristen (Omkari) Kloostra, would have us ask ourselves daily. “Are we reconnecting with our inner child and allowing ourselves to “play?” My mind flashed back to my own childhood. I fondly remember excitedly coming home
- [Life Lessons Learned From a Quaking Bog](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/08/16/life-lessons-learned-from-a-quaking-bog/) - It would have been easy to stay curled up in the recliner, but I’d signed my husband and me up for a Wisconsin Natural Resources class “Beautiful Bogs: Bog Ecology & Tour,” and it was time to grab our tall rubber boots. We gathered at Eagle River’s environmental center, Trees for Tomorrow. Once we met
- [Thrill of the Hunt](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/08/12/thrill-of-the-hunt/) - August 10th is National Garage Sale Day and August 17th is National Thrift Shop Day. Besides being fun, “thrifting” helps reduce waste that normally would end up in our landfills, so I’m all for it. And I’m not alone. According to the 2024 ThredUp Resale Report, the used apparel market worldwide is growing three times
- [Let’s Lose Our Minds](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/08/03/lets-lose-our-minds/) - Photo taken by Shirley Tollaksen
- [Tales From the Old Tamarack Tree](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/07/29/tales-from-the-old-tamarack-tree/) - The sun drops low in the sky over the lake and casts a golden glow on my trunk and limbs. They are brittle now. My sap has stopped flowing, and the end is near. The years of harsh northern Wisconsin winters, the heavy rains, and the passage of time have taken their toll. I couldn’t
- [Savor Summer’s Magic](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/07/20/savor-summers-magic/) - I’ve been watching my hedgehog cactus and knew it would bloom in a day or two. This morning I awoke and there it was! A magical white burst of color. I took several photos and then sighed. I know it will only last a day. Like summer in Wisconsin, we anticipate it, and then, like
- [A Hair-Raising Hike in the Woods](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/07/14/a-hair-raising-hike-in-the-woods/) - My daughter and two grandsons joined me on a nature walk over our Fourth of July vacation at our northern Wisconsin cabin. It’s difficult to hold the attention of a ten- and thirteen-year-old boy, so I planned a scavenger hunt that would include wildlife stories. The first challenge was to spot “the hanging tree.” My
- [Letting the Sails Take You Where They Will](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/07/12/letting-the-sails-take-you-where-they-will/) - Mary and Bill Ernst's sailboat, Puffin. Credit Mershawn Pikus.
- [Thoughts from a ’48 Ford Truck](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/06/27/thoughts-from-a-48-ford-truck/) - Vroom-vroom-vroom. When the Historical Society asked if they could decorate me for their 4th of July float again, my engine revved up an extra hundred rpms. I may not be as smart as the Tesla I saw this morning or as fancy as the ‘57 Chevy that flashed by, but this land of the free
- [It’s Okay to Cut off Heads and other Photography Tips](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/06/21/its-okay-to-cut-off-heads-and-other-photography-tips/) - Local photographer Casey Bender Butler and I spent a pleasant afternoon sipping beverages at the Dells’ Bella Goose and talking about how best to capture the precious and powerful moments in our life. She’s happy to share some of her secrets. It’s okay to cut off heads to try attention to what’s important. Experiment with
- [The Power of Letters](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/06/17/the-power-of-letters/) - I’m sorting through the bin of old letters I’ve saved and pull out a stack from elementary school. “Dear Amy, I love you. Do you love me? Circle yes or no.” Seeing the neatly penciled words written by David Onnick instantly brings me back to third grade. David and I competed in multiplication flashcard drills
- [Tell People What They Mean to You](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/06/09/tell-people-what-they-mean-to-you/) - A friend, who recently lost her husband, shared something she’s learned since his death. People are contacting her regularly, telling her what her husband meant to them, recalling wonderful moments they shared with him. She loves to hear their stories, but she keeps wishing that her husband could hear them too. She shares an important
- [Matching Lives](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/06/02/matching-lives/) - I’m sorting through seasonal clothes in the closet when I linger at the forest green vest my son and daughter-in-law gave me. They bought a matching one for my husband, Frank. I include it along with heavier clothes and bring them all to an upstairs “off-season” closet. As I slide hangers over, I notice a
- [My Memory Garden](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/05/26/my-memory-garden/) - Do you have a lot of photo albums? I do. In fact, I have 37. Wanting to downsize, I’m going through them and transferring the best photos into a compact, plastic case. The others (forgotten landscapes or duplicates or blurry images) go into one of three piles. 1. See if someone else wants these. 2.
- [Cemetery Stories and Surprises](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/05/17/cemetery-stories-and-surprises/) - Several years ago my husband and I visited my elderly relative, Per Moen, in Norway. I expected he’d take us to his home. We had limited time, and Per surprised us by taking us to a cemetery instead. Country and family are important to Per. Although Per spoke English, he said little while he showed
- [The Entertaining, Helpful, and Intelligent Crows in Our Backyards](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/05/13/the-entertaining-helpful-and-intelligent-crows-in-our-backyards/) - “Caw, caw, caw.” My backyard crows demand my attention. I imagine you have crows in your area, too. I feed my murder of crows regularly. They enjoy leftovers, sunflower seeds, dog food, and peanuts in the shell. They, in turn, help watch over our property. Many years ago, when I was still raising pet ducks,
- [Hen or Human, Motherhood is the Hardest Job You’ll Ever Love](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/05/05/hen-or-human-motherhood-is-the-hardest-job-youll-ever-love/) - I’m driving along Highway 16 on my way to Portage when I spot a hen and drake mallard walking across the road. Their waddling movements make me smile. I brake and since traffic is clear, I leisurely watch them. I wonder why they’re choosing to walk instead of fly. Maybe they’re conserving energy for all that parenthood
- [I’m Losing It](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/04/27/im-losing-it/) - I’m losing it. I’ve misplaced an unusual amount of items this month. These have included the usual—cell phone, car keys, and reading glasses. One day I couldn’t find all three of my readers. But I’ve also lost unique items such as a brightly wrapped birthday gift. My daughter bought a pair of earrings for my
- [Find Joy in Today, Take Two](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/04/22/find-joy-in-today-take-two/) - Last year, my husband Frank and I planned a trip of a lifetime—a Rhine River cruise through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Twenty-four days before the trip, though, Frank ended up in intensive care with a major health crisis. Four days after he was out of the hospital and on the road to recovery,
- [10 Ways You Can Live to Be 100](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/04/15/10-ways-you-can-live-to-be-100/) - Hara Hachi Bu. My daughter and her husband, who are both dieticians, taught my grandsons to end their mealtime prayer with this Japanese phrase. Hara Hachi Bu means “eat until you’re 80% full.” According to Dan Buettner, author of “The Blue Zones: Secrets of Living Longer,” it’s one of the top ways we can live
- [Fun Times Celebrating Earth Month](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/04/07/fun-times-celebrating-earth-month/) - While my daughter, grandson, and husband pier-fished on a Gulf Coast lagoon, the wind swept one of our plastic bait containers into the waves. We felt awful, but it would be dangerous to swim or kayak out to get it, so we agreed to compensate by spending the afternoon picking up litter along a remote
- [Fun Field Trips](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/03/27/fun-field-trips/) - Over forty years ago, I stood next to the man who later became my husband at an Upham Woods campfire. After hearing his mellow baritone during the group’s singing of Kumbaya in that romantic outdoor setting, I was a goner. Since then, we’ve often celebrated our anniversary by enjoying the outdoors and I know right
- [Treasure Hunting along the Ocean](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/03/21/treasure-hunting-along-the-ocean/) - I’m walking along the sandy white beach of Gulf Shores, Alabama, looking for treasures from the sea. Today I chose a remote stretch of beach, one littered with barnacle-covered driftwood and debris such as bottles, ropes, and bent crab traps. In the 45 years I’ve explored these beaches, I’ve found many unusual items, most of
- [Island Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/03/16/island-life/) - I often wish I could live two lives so I can squeeze everything in. One way to live a second life is by traveling and connecting with new people. While playing pickleball in Alabama, my husband and I met Cathy and Gary, and there was an instant connection. We learned Gary grew up near our
- [Laughter is the Best Medicine](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/03/11/laughter-is-the-best-medicine/) - Are you feeling draggy these days? Have the doldrums got you down? I have good news for you. March 19 is National Let’s Laugh Day. Mayo Clinic points out that laughter enhances our intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates our heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by our brains. So, let’s
- [Channeling my Inner Little Girl](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/03/01/channeling-my-inner-litte-girl/) - I avoid looking in the full-length mirrors as I find a spot in the back of the Alabama fitness center. I don’t want to see this dowdy, klutzy body. My aching back and sore knee would rather nap in the sunshine, but this vacation is giving me the perfect opportunity to explore new exercise classes,
- [What’s Your Name Again?](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/02/25/whats-your-name-again/) - “Charles, it’s your serve, right?” I asked my tennis opponent. He looked around, confused. “Charles?” I repeated. “Who’s Charles?” he asked. I’d done it again. My writer’s brain names people as if they were characters in one of my manuscripts. My dignified opponent, whose actual name is George, was a perfect Charles in my mind.
- [Lessons Learned From a Pond](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/02/18/lessons-learned-from-a-pond/) - If you think back to your childhood home and neighborhood, did it influence your personality? I spent my teen years in a house that overlooked a duck pond. The pond and surrounding farm area not only educated me about the joys and harsh realities of life, but they helped form my character. My parents held
- [Enjoy the Game](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/02/11/enjoy-the-game/) - If I don’t get this second tennis serve in, my partner and I will lose the game. I’ve double-faulted once before, so I need to focus. Really focus. I tighten up, clench the racket, and toss the ball. I bring my racket down. Wham! My serve lands outside the box. Double fault. Way to lose
- [Mystery Man, and His Secret Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/02/05/mystery-man-and-his-secret-life/) - Valentine’s Week is an ironic time to highlight a public figure of the 60s and 70s since our mystery icon, or M.I. for short, led a double life, betraying his wife and daughters while he had a secret 29-year love affair. I was an adolescent when I escaped from the news of protests against the
- [A Free Trip Anywhere in the World](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/28/a-free-trip-anywhere-in-the-world/) - Last week I was at a gathering when a woman said the daughter of one of her clients gifted her with a trip to anywhere in the world. I sucked in a quick breath. Surrounding eyes grew wide or blinked as people thought of where they’d go. Skiing in Vail, Colorado, or, better yet, the
- [Inspirational Lynn](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/22/inspirational-lynn/) - Imagine waking up one morning with a high fever, severe chills, nausea, and diarrhea. You think it will pass, but you become incoherent and unresponsive. Your partner calls 911 and an ambulance rushes you to a hospital. You end up in the ICU with septic shock, which has a 30% survival rate. Your heart is
- [Skiing](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/19/skiing/) - Swish! Memories of cross-country skiing down a mountain in the Tetons, a world silenced by sugary snow, miles of undisturbed white swells, oceans of sapphire blue sky. Pushing off, Skiing in the Porcupine Mountains, making the first tracks through pristine crystals, sneaking up on twenty deer herded up in the woods, a stand of white
- [Mystery Sea Creature](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/15/mystery-sea-creature/) - Last week’s column starred a mystery bird. This week I’m challenging you to guess a sea creature, one that played a trick on me and then gave me a cheeky smile. In the wild, Delphinapterus leucas lives in the cold Arctic and sub-Arctic, but my first encounter with her was at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. I
- [Can you Guess this Mystery Raptor?](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/07/can-you-guess-this-mystery-raptor/) - As I stroll down a peaceful Wisconsin Dells road framed by giant pine trees, a high-pitched squeal draws my eyes upward. Can you guess which bird flies above me? It has a seven-foot wingspan and is heading toward the river where its keen eyes can spot a tasty snack from a mile away. It will
- [A Wave to the Men and Women in Blue](https://www.laundrie.com/2024/01/04/a-wave-to-the-men-and-women-in-blue/) - I am cruising from Portage to Wisconsin Dells along the smooth stretch on Highway 16 when a police car that was half-hidden alongside the road pulls out and follows me. Maybe you know the feeling of having your stomach drop down to your toes. I check my speed and slow down. He or she keeps
- [Best Discoveries of 2023](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/12/27/best-discoveries-of-2023/) - I enjoy skimming the wrap-ups of the year and thought it would be fun to poll my Wisconsin friends and family about 2023. I asked for “best discoveries” and got a wide range, including book recommendations and goal setting. I was inspired to use the goal setting recommendation and now have 3 goals for 2024.
- [Tested by the Spirit of Christmas](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/12/17/tested-by-the-spirit-of-christmas/) - I met Shelley Mordini in her haunted office. Details about the building formerly owned by the Ringling brothers appear at the end of this column. I was in a holiday mood and excited to hear Shelley tell the story I call, “Tested by the Spirit of Christmas.” Shelley’s acquaintance, Corey Hartman, remembers the ghost of
- [Forever Homes for Holy Land Donkeys](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/12/10/forever-homes-for-holy-land-donkeys/) - I recently read a book where the main character, Patrick, who ran a donkey sanctuary, had to ask a vet to give a suffering donkey a lethal injection. Afterward, the donkey’s bonded buddy was overcome with grief. He had grazed alongside his friend and they’d often touched noses. They were happiest when together. Now his
- [Ways to Stress Less and Enjoy Christmas More](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/11/26/ways-to-stress-less-and-enjoy-christmas-more/) - When I look at the calendar and count the days until Christmas, I get anxious. Maybe this happens to you, too. As Christmas approaches, here are some tips to stress less and enjoy more. Shop locally at unique stores and soak in the holiday atmosphere. If you can’t find anything or don’t enjoy the crowds,
- [Forget the turkey. What is my bid?](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/11/14/forget-the-turkey-what-is-my-bid/) - 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 work it out. We will hold the auction in our living room after dinner when
- [It’s Coming, it’s Coming](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/11/10/its-coming-its-coming/) - 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 its paws to dig in the ground and bury an acorn, a snack for when
- [Make a Difference](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/11/05/make-a-difference/) - 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 post featured a fresh basket of sun-ripened tomatoes near a homeowner’s mailbox. The sign said,
- [Ms. Dreamer Meets Mr. Practical](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/10/29/ms-dreamer-meets-mr-practical/) - 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 Frank said, “Didn’t you notice how the coffee maker needed cleaning?” “It needed cleaning?” I
- [Cemetery Stroll Prompts Ghostly Tales](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/10/22/a-ghostly-walk/) - 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 traffic, an advantage for walking in twilight, but when tree branches cast eerie shadows on
- [Me-time](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/10/15/me-time/) - 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, escaped into novels, worked on my soft-touch dinking strategy for pickleball, and tried to power
- [Agonize Less; Live More](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/07/16/agonize-less-live-more/) - 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 because I’d be sharing the island with dangerous animals. These included roaming predators with jaws
- [My Aging Dog](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/07/08/my-aging-dog/) - 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 for the woods. What was up with her lately? I called her, but she didn’t
- [There’s No Place Like Home](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/07/02/theres-no-place-like-home/) - “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 the drive home from the airport, we soaked in the beauty of Wisconsin’s green rolling
- [Everyday Heroes](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/06/25/everyday-heroes/) - 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 began with the guide explaining that the index card name tags on the wall near
- [Enchantment on the Ice Age Trail](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/06/18/enchantment-on-the-ice-age-trail/) - Beth Hays, at the age of 63, completed her goal. Hiking 4-15 miles each time she set off, in spring, summer, fall, and winter, her wool socks and Columbia hiking boots logged an astounding 1238 miles and she completed the entire Ice Age Trail. It took some convincing, but I was finally able to convince
- [That’s Why We’re Here](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/06/09/thats-why-were-here/) - “I’ve been helped by acts of kindness from strangers. That’s why we’re here, after all, to help others.” — Carol Burnett Last week, I stood in line behind a young man purchasing books at the Kilbourn Library book sale. “Mrs. Laundrie!” he exclaimed. I recognized him as a past student. “Yes, how are you?” “I’m
- [Cheers](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/06/03/cheers/) - Our Mayflower River Cruise began in the Netherlands, where my husband and I toured the famous Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. Striped, bright, exotic, scented or not, each tulip, hyacinth, or daffodil was unique. But viewing the expanse of the various flowers swirling together and complementing one another was beyond spectacular. Strolling past the windmill and through
- [Jewels in My Memory Box](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/05/25/jewels-in-my-memory-box/) - Jewels in My Memory Box “You didn’t!” My mouth dropped at a detail my brother shared about a hunting trip he’d taken out west. Jeff and I were enjoying a glass of wine together on the sundeck during Mayflower’s “Tulip Time on Jewels of the Rhine” river cruise of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland.
- [Finding Joy in Today](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/05/21/finding-joy-in-today/) - Twenty-four days before we were set to embark on the trip of a lifetime, my husband Frank had a major health crisis. For months, we had planned this Rhine River cruise through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Then Frank wound up in intensive care. Four days after he was out of the hospital and
- [The ’48 Ford Truck Reflects](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/05/12/the-48-ford-truck-reflects/) - At 72 years of age, my engine has turned over a few times. I have multiple dents in my fender, my tailgate shows wear, and I have plenty of dings in my wooden truck bed. So as I hear the hotrods roaring to the Dells for the annual automotion classic car show, my cherry red
- [How You Can Change a Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/05/04/how-you-can-change-a-life/) - Mother’s Day is May 14th. Many youngsters could use a mother or adult mentor in their life. Fortunately, there’s a volunteer program which gives them a chance to develop relationships with adults who can guide and encourage them. Together, child and adult enjoy time together at the park, baking cookies, playing sports, watching a movie, or
- [One Brave Act](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/04/30/one-brave-act/) - My husband and I will travel to Europe soon on a river cruise along the Rhine. We aren’t seasoned travelers, and instead of anticipating the joy of seeing the beauty of French villages and the Swiss Alps, the “what ifs” have invaded my head. What if we forget something like our passport or can’t find
- [A Mother’s Echoing Words](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/04/23/a-mothers-echoing-words/) - Days before my mother died, she turned to me and, eyes moist with both sadness and gratitude, she shared her dying thought. “The best thing I ever did in my life was to have you kids.” These words have been echoing in my head over the past two weeks since my husband Frank has had
- [Ready to Party?](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/04/16/ready-to-party/) - Let’s celebrate with Mother Earth this spring! As stewards working hard to protect our home, we should also set aside time to enjoy it. Join a group or enjoy a solo adventure. Most of these ideas are near Wisconsin Dells. If you live elsewhere, though, they may inspire you to search for similar recreational opportunities
- [The Voices in Our Heads](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/04/09/the-voices-in-our-heads/) - I hear voices in my head. I’m guessing you do too. Advice different people have given me over the year returns at various times. For instance, when I think things like I wish it was summer, advice from a coworker twenty years ago haunts me. I had commented on how I was looking forward to
- [Parade of Priorities](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/04/03/parade-of-priorities/) - I sat down with a new friend during my recent trip, and she mentioned she and another friend were going to an Alabama Parade of Homes on Sunday. “Did I want to come along?” My remaining vacation days are few, and I tilt my head and ponder. Magnolia Springs has lovely homes under canopies of
- [Josie the Cockapoo Tells All](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/03/26/josie-the-cockapoo-tells-all/) - Mum’s a bit stressed out this week—something about finalizing the cover for her new book. So being the faithful companion that I am, I agreed to write this week’s column if she agreed not to read it. (I want to get a few secrets off this furry chest, and some might hurt her feelings.) Oh,
- [Daisy Duke](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/03/19/daisy-duke/) - “Check out your sister’s legs,” my sister-in-law called to my brother in September 2020. We had paused on a bike trail to drink some water. “They look like stovepipes.” It was true. I had made a doctor’s appointment, but it was still several days away. When I pressed my thumb into my fat, puffy leg,
- [Here’s to you, Candy](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/03/12/heres-to-you-candy/) - We’re aware of the big decisions that steer our course, such as choosing a mate or a career, but if you think back, what was a minor decision you made that ended up being life-changing? For me, it was getting a horse of my own; a horse I would name Candy. It was the late
- [Ponder the Wonders](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/03/05/ponder-the-wonders/) - I carefully placed the lavender hyacinth in my shopping cart. Such a marvelous wonder. This fragrant, colorful array of blossoms that makes me joyously think of spring came from a dull brown bulb only weeks earlier. How that bulb could produce this fragrant plant is mind-boggling to me. Research would explain that the plant sends
- [Just Call Me Sherlock](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/02/26/just-call-me-sherlock/) - I’ve turned into a spy. Since my husband has had some heart problems, and since he sometimes goes to our rural cabin by himself, I now track his phone using the app “Find My Phone.” I admit to feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing, but Frank’s okay with it, and it’s a sensible precaution, so
- [Shifting Currents](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/02/19/shifting-currents/) - Shifting Currents The current has shifted. It’s both unsettling and comforting. I’d seen it coming, but after my husband had scary chest pains, I couldn’t deny it. The shifting began when our son Jon and four other relatives joined my husband Frank at the cabin for the annual ice fishing week. Besides ice fishing, this
- [Decisions Shape Us](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/02/09/decisions-shape-us/) - “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” Tony Robbins, author and inspirational speaker My husband and I studied the trip itinerary for “Tulip Times on the Jewels of the Rhine” for the fifth time. We have a tough decision to make; one that could shape our future, maybe even
- [Sweet Grandma or Superwoman?](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/02/06/sweet-grandma-or-superwoman/) - Have you ever wondered what you would do in a scary situation? Let’s say someone reached in your car and grabbed your wallet or phone or purse. A woman I met last fall at a folk art school in Door County, Marge, had this happen to her when she was 79. At my first glance
- [My Long-suffering Husband](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/01/29/my-long-suffering-husband/) - This morning I asked my husband to duck-tape my wrists together. He raised his eyebrows, but he took the tape and gave my wrist two wraps. Frank is used to my strange demands which often involve a scene I’m writing. Today, I’m working on the climax of a new young adult novel in which a
- [Remarkable Animal Moms](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/01/22/remarkable-animal-moms/) - Human moms aren’t the only ones who take extraordinary steps to protect and care for their young. Animal moms, too, will sacrifice and risk their lives for their young. Earlier this winter, while my husband and I pulled Christmas lights and decorations out of the storage area above our garage, we found something both disturbing
- [Pickleball: you can’t lose](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/01/15/pickleball-you-cant-lose/) - Pickleball, a mashup of tennis, badminton, and Ping-pong, which appeals mainly to seniors, is the fastest growing sport in America. The court is smaller than a tennis court, so seniors often choose it over tennis since it’s easier on the knees. My husband and I discovered the game five years ago. We learned the fundamentals,
- [Special Days to Last a Lifetime](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/01/07/special-days-to-last-a-lifetime/) - What if you could return in time and relive any day in your life? That question came up over the holidays and has rumbled around in my head ever since. Would you return to a big event day such as a wedding? It would be wonderful to relive a joyous celebration, although I have pictures
- [Families Share Much More than DNA](https://www.laundrie.com/2023/01/01/families-share-much-more-than-dna/) - 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 as yours.” Our common eye color is coincidence, not genetics, but as in many stepfamilies,
- [An Old-Fashioned Christmas](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/12/15/an-old-fashioned-christmas/) - 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 built-in Murphy beds and there’s a wood-burning stove inside, but the decor is early-American tool
- [Living Multiple Lives](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/12/11/living-multiple-lives/) - 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 a yoga camp in India or hiked the Pacific Crest Trail or trained a goshawk
- [Nothing Short of the Impossible](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/12/01/nothing-short-of-the-impossible/) - 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 such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it.” A print of
- [These Muffins are for the Crows](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/11/27/these-muffins-are-for-the-crows/) - 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 the flour, sunflower seeds, baking soda, orange rind, oil, and molasses. Finally, I laboriously diced
- [Thanksgiving Weirdness](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/11/20/thanksgiving-weirdness/) - I’ll get to see all six of my grandchildren this Thanksgiving. I think back to my feelings about my grandparents when I was their age and shudder. Grandparents moaned and groaned when they pushed themselves out of their chairs and talked about dull things like politics or relatives I didn’t know. In my estimation, they
- [A Lesson from Micky, the Old Hen](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/11/06/a-lesson-from-micky-the-old-hen/) - 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 lesson, one I hope to always remember. Since we lived next to a pond and
- [The Orange Barrels of our Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/11/13/the-orange-barrels-of-our-life/) - A few weeks ago, I was zipping along on the interstate in the early morning darkness, smiling to myself because I had everything in control. Lake Geneva’s book festival would allow me to sell my books and meet fellow authors and readers. Life was good. Traffic on the two-lane stretch was tight. l was in
- [Facts Forgotten; Feelings Remain](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/10/30/facts-forgotten-feelings-remain/) - 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 have uncovered artifacts that prove the indigenous people were present in the maritimes 13,600 years
- [Living More than One Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/10/23/living-more-than-one-life/) - 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 still remember our visit with the couple who owned the bed and breakfast where we
- [My Mum, by Josie the Cockapoo](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/10/16/my-mum-by-josie-the-cockapoo/) - 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 progress with a keep, donate, and throw pile until she pulled out my pink fluffy
- [Visionaries of the Earth](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/10/09/visionaries-of-the-earth/) - 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 enhance their skills at such things as writing, painting, music, yoga, metal sculpture, woodworking, and
- [Find Your People](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/10/02/find-your-people/) - Are you having trouble achieving a goal, completing a task, or working through an issue? Find a friend or group to help you. My doctor once told me I should do weight-bearing exercises. It was hard to motivate myself to lift weights until a friend suggested we meet in her basement gym three times a
- [Looking on the Bright Side](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/09/25/looking-on-the-bright-side/) - After my husband read a recent column in which I described a low point in my writing career, (my presenting to an audience of two—an exhausted mother and an intoxicated man) he responded, “You’re looking at this all wrong. When the man slurred out, ‘That wuz’ just wonderful,’ he could have meant it. You should
- [Saying Goodbye to Swinger](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/09/18/saying-goodbye-to-swinger/) - Think back to the first car you ever owned. Or the vehicle you used to take your family on a special vacation. When it was time to hand the key over to its new owner, did you get a twinge? Maybe this has also happened with a favorite bike or boat? Did you feel silly
- [A Chance to Save a Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/09/12/a-chance-to-save-a-life/) - Chances are you’ve gone through a personal experience that started a whirlwind of events that changed your life forever. Mine came exactly one year ago when, knowing I was going to faint, I dropped onto my knees and lowered myself onto the Dells clinic’s carpeted floor. The receptionist saw me, got on the intercom, and
- [If You Had It To Do Over Again](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/09/03/if-you-had-it-to-do-over-again/) - Most of us have struggled with the thought, If I had it to do over again, would I have… Maybe you’ve questioned a major decision you made regarding a relationship or a big purchase or a career choice. Recently I had a moment when that question flashed through my mind. A woman in her early
- [Lifelong Learning](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/08/28/lifelong-learning/) - I have always loved this time of year. My energy level peaks with the hint of cooler weather and the start of school. As a child, I would count the days, organizing my back-to-school supplies and pondering the prospect of new friends and classes. This enthusiasm for learning has continued. Some of my all-time favorite
- [Your Life’s Purpose](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/08/21/your-lifes-purpose/) - I’ve always been a huge Oprah fan, and I’m channeling her for this column. One of my favorite Oprah’s quotes is, “I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a
- [Forest Bathing](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/08/14/forest-bathing/) - I recently attended Milwaukee’s environmental conference, nicknamed “Green conference,” held at a high school. Driving there was stressful, and leaving was even more so because I took a wrong turn. By the time I arrived home, I felt drained. But I didn’t want to plop down on the couch. As usual, I wanted to head
- [Local Plumber unclogs toilet; the culprit smiles at him](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/08/07/local-plumber-unclogs-toilet-the-culprit-smiles-at-him/) - Have you ever had to call the plumber to unclog your toilet? I asked Tom Brooks of Baraboo Plumbing for the craziest thing he’d ever found blocking one. He described going to an elderly man’s house and working on his severely clogged toilet. Unable to find the cause, Tom had to remove the it and
- [Advice From a 100-year-old Card Shark](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/07/31/advice-from-a-100-year-old-card-shark/) - Do you ever think about how people will remember you? What your friends and family will say about you after you're gone? If you live to be 100, what are the adjectives an interviewer might use to describe you? In Millie Becker Duffek's case, card-shark was not the first adjective that
- [Lessons Learned From the River](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/07/25/lessons-learned-from-the-river/) - “What are the chances we’ll get dumped?” I asked Bob, the owner of Sylvania Outfitters in Watersmeet, Michigan. “Let’s just say you shouldn’t worry about fixing your hair tomorrow,” he replied. The following day my husband, brother, and sister-in-law joined me for a three-hour kayak trip down the middle branch of The Ontonagon River. The
- [Solve the Mystery of Two Kind Kilbourn Families](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/07/17/solve-the-mystery-of-two-kind-kilbourn-families/) - “I arrived at a little town on the Wisconsin River,” Frederick Louis Haeberle wrote in his nineteen-page essay, “Why I Came to America.” He arrived in early March, 1884, after immigrating from Germany. “It was very cold, and my clothing was light - no overcoat, no overshoes, no mittens. As I walked along the main
- [Stories Entertain and Connect Us](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/07/10/stories-entertain-and-connect-us/) - We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.—Jimmy Neil Smith, Director of the International Storytelling Center. Since human life began, we’ve shared stories. Whether the details of the buffalo hunt or the dramatic polar bear escape were told around a campfire on
- [Words of Wisdom from Josie the Cockapoo](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/06/28/words-of-wisdom-from-josie-the-cockapoo/) - Hi, it’s Josie the Cockapoo, hoping to get this into the paper before Mum-Amy catches me. She doesn’t let me write often—something about too many run-on sentences and getting off track—but I’m turning 12 on the 12th of this month and I have some words of wisdom to share. Not that I understand everything. For
- [Dude Ranch Adventure Fills my Memory Bank](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/06/25/dud-ranch-adventure-fills-my-memory-bank/) - Think about a pleasant memory you have of your grandparents. I’m guessing it isn’t opening a Christmas or birthday gift from them, but it’s a fun experience you shared. That was my hope when I set out to spend a weekend with my daughter and young grandsons. When I learned there was a dude ranch
- [Finding the One](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/06/15/finding-the-one/) - My husband’s and my 45th wedding anniversary is days away. Our older granddaughter has a boyfriend and is the same age I was when Frank and I married. The world has changed dramatically in 45 years, but the basics of a good relationship haven’t. Join me as I give advice to help my granddaughter and
- [In Honor of Fathers](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/06/15/in-honor-of-fathers/) - It was 2007, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I walked into the funeral home for my beloved step-father’s visitation. He’d married my mother a few years after my father died, when I was in my late twenties. Needing to work up courage before I viewed his body, I read the cards on
- [Your Bucket List](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/06/05/your-bucket-list/) - On a beautiful spring morning at Baraboo’s International Crane Foundation, friends and I talk about people who have recently passed away. One friend says, “I told my husband we’re at the age when we need to check the obituaries every time the paper comes out.” I agree. Others nod as well. Our tour begins and
- [Mystery Bird](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/05/29/mystery-bird/) - Earlier this year, I had fun with mystery columns on a local man, woman, and business. Now see if you can guess this mystery bird. The bird whose scientific name is Cathartes aura flew directly over my head last night as I was finishing up some gardening chores. A second, third, fourth, and a fifth
- [The Value of Cemeteries](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/05/23/the-value-of-cemeteries/) - My daughter Heidi flew in from California over Mother’s Day to spend time with me. Since her two boys weren’t along, we had the chance to dine out, visit Madison’s botanical garden, kayak the Wisconsin River, and have a memorial walk around the Spring Grove Cemetery. A few years ago, my husband and I debated
- [Tell Your Story](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/05/15/tell-your-story/) - “To survive, you must tell stories.” Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher Two weeks ago in my Mother’s Day column, I talked about Mom telling me she’d gotten angry with my father and had cut her wedding dress up to made curtains. My mother and I had been interrupted and I’d never thought to ask her about
- [A Simpler Time in my Plymouth Valiant](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/05/12/a-simpler-time-in-my-plymouth-valiant-2/) - Photo by Aaron Toth
- [Memory Scraps on Mother's Day](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/05/01/memory-scraps-on-mothers-day/) - You might be like me, motherless on Mother’s Day. My mother was a smoker who quit her Raleigh cigarettes too late. It’s been 16 years since I last heard her voice and laughter, was warmed by her smile, or saw her face light up when I came for a visit. My memories of her are
- [May: The Perfect Month for Chuckles](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/04/25/may-the-perfect-month-for-chuckles/) - According to “The Teacher’s Calendar,” May is National Teaching and Joy Month. If you’re like most of us, you could use some joy and maybe even a chuckle, so sit back and enjoy this collection of classics. Thanks to fellow teachers who shared. I’d set up an incubator with quail eggs so all interested students
- [Earth Week in Wisconsin Dells](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/04/15/earth-week-in-wisconsin-dells/) - Debbie keeping watch over the land “No man can own the Dells. He can only be its custodian for a time.” —George H Crandall (Dells business man and environmentalist who bought the boat company in 1929) In my desire to interview long-time Dells residents, I met environmentalist Debbie Kinder in her home, one that has
- [Stories, Politics, and Solving Life’s Problems](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/04/10/stories-politics-and-solving-lifes-problems/) - Wanting to feature iconic Dells community members, I set off to interview Newport long-time residents, Don and Anita Nelson, farmers and the owner of Thunder Valley Inn. I happily sat alongside one of their good friends, Arlen Kanno. I ran my hand alongside their well-used kitchen table, feeling a pleasant shiver of déjà vu. I
- [Tennis, Attitude, and Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/03/20/tennis-attitude-and-life/) - “Deuce,” I call to my opponents. We’re playing doubles tennis, and I’m serving to “Flinger,” a man with a reputation for flinging his racket when angry. He and his female partner exchange words and I catch the word “fault.” Are they hoping I’ll double fault like I did the last time I served? The thought
- [The Mysteries of the Sea](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/03/31/the-mysteries-of-the-sea/) - What is it about seashells that draw people to them? What gives them their ancient mystery and magic? When I ask my daughter-in-law if she wants me to grab her a shell bag in preparation for our beach walk, she quickly raises her hand as if I’d offered a dieter a second serving. “No, I’m
- [Spring's Sensory Delights](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/03/27/springs-sensory-delights/) - The outdoor pickleball games at Alabama’s Gulf Shores State Park were going well—nice weather, great competition, friendly people, so why was I itching for this game to be over? What was drawing me away? Is that the screech of an osprey I’m hearing? Might I hear my favorite bird call of all times, one that
- [Cultivate Hope](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/03/13/cultivate-hope/) - Last week I wrote about my idyllic childhood, much of what I spent outdoors. It turns out a famous naturalist and I share some of the same childhood experiences (I’ve included four) as well as a desire to cultivate hope. As a child, this nature lover, Jane Goodall, and her sister collected London snails, painted
- [A Quack-a-Doodle Childhood](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/03/06/a-quack-a-doodle-childhood/) - My husband and I recently spent 10 days at an Airbnb that I chose mainly because of its description of being on a property with horses, a pig, goose, goats, and chickens. Growing up in the 50s and 60s had its intense moments (warring countries and the threat of nuclear war were prevalent back then,
- [Travel is Inspirational](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/02/27/travel-is-inspirational/) - My creative juices had frozen up. The endless cold and lack of change in routine had made life stagnant so it felt good to pack the suitcases, get on the road, and anticipate adventure. We spend three days on the road and finally arrive at our Florida Airbnb cottage. I chose it because it was
- [Rings on a Tree](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/02/19/rings-on-a-tree/) - My husband, who enjoys turning rough wood on his lathe and making bowls, pens, or other objects, recently finished an unusual piece. He had cut a slice from a dead ash tree thinking the grandkids would have fun counting the annual tree rings. The slice had warped into a bowl. With the bark still on,
- [Love in the Form of Purrs, Nibbles, and Pecks](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/02/14/love-in-the-form-of-purrs-nibbles-and-pecks/) - In honor of Valentine’s Day and February 20th, National Love Your Pet Day, I devote this column to exploring the various ways our pets show their love to each other and to us. My daughter’s family took in a two-week-old orphaned kitten born on New Year’s Day. Jack Frost needed to be bottle-fed every two
- [Can You Identify this Mystery Business?](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/02/06/can-you-identify-this-mystery-business/) - Over the last month, I’ve challenged you to guess the identity of a mystery man and a mystery woman. Today, see if you can guess this mystery business. Here are the clues. This business used to be on Highway 13, but is now in Lake Delton.was established in 1882 when Highway 12 was a gravel
- [Can You Identify This Mystery Woman?](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/01/30/can-you-identify-this-mystery-woman/) - A few weeks ago, I wrote a “Mystery Man” column. Today, try to guess our “Mystery Woman” (MW) who lives near Wisconsin Dells and is someone who has an amazing health story. On August 12, 1998, our MW at age 45 was at the sink doing dishes when her husband asked her a question. She
- [Winter: a Great Time of Year](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/01/24/winter-a-great-time-of-year/) - We’re coming up on the midway point of winter. It’s time to appreciate this season for all it offers. Winter is the perfect time to enjoy inside activities such as watching movies, reading, arts and crafts, and baking, but let’s concentrate on appreciating the outdoors. A retired Wisconsin Dells dentist and winter enthusiast, Dave Clemens,
- [Mystery Man](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/01/16/mystery-man/) - I knew I’d enjoy interviewing this long-time Wisconsin Dells resident because I’d already heard some of his stories. What I didn’t know is that he’d use his sophisticated webcam to watch me pull into his driveway. Our mystery man, or MM, is 82 years old, but he is up to date with the latest technology.
- [Celebrating with Kindness](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/01/09/celebrating-with-kindness/) - “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Martin Luther King. More than 50 years after his death, Martin Luther King Jr. continues to influence us. Known for spreading the word of peace and kindness for all, he inspires people to challenge themselves, their kids, and their grandkids to spread kindness
- [Someday We'll Laugh About This](https://www.laundrie.com/2022/01/02/someday-well-laugh-about-this/) - Have you ever had one of those weeks? A time when you needed a laugh to help you get through the days? For anyone who has, join me in celebrating “Someday We’ll Laugh About This Week” which is held January 2-8. I love the idea of leaving regrets behind and looking toward a promising future
- [Kisses on the Cheek](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/12/27/kisses-on-the-cheek/) - A few weeks ago, my five and seven-year-old grandsons, now fully vaccinated, joined their parents, my husband and me for a celebration. We began by swimming in an indoor pool where we witnessed the five-year-old learn how to swim for the first time. Afterward, we returned to our house for a meal. The boys, who
- [Give Yourself Priority in the New Year](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/12/20/give-yourself-priority-in-the-new-year/) - As a teen, my father used to challenge me to do 50 pushups. I worked up to it and eventually did that many. I recall a new boyfriend meeting my parents for the first time and my dad bragging about my ability to do pushups. He even had me demonstrate. I don’t recall the boyfriend’s
- [Gifts That Matter](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/12/11/gifts-that-matter-2/) - What gifts do you remember receiving as a child? I can recall only a few. Instead, I remember family gatherings beginning with those at my grandmother’s house. Grandma served lutefisk (we kids got to have pigs-in-the-blanket instead of the pungent cod) and great desserts. My favorites were her famous pecan dreams. See recipe below. Afterward,
- [Believe in Yourself](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/12/06/believe-in-yourself/) - An elderly neighbor died. Soon after, large garbage bags appeared outside her home. Her family must have had the arduous task of cleaning out her possessions. It’s hard enough to deal with the loss of a loved one. Having to sort through everything from personal items to files of paperwork only adds to the misery.
- [Start with a Story](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/11/27/start-with-a-story/) - My phone interview with Jerry Apps last week was not only enlightening, but emotional. The 87-year-old is the author of over 40 books. He’s also the amazing but humble star in many PBS documentaries about the land and farming in the 50s. We share a publisher, and during a Zoom meeting he told a story—as
- [Big Money](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/11/19/big-money/) - I was in a panic. I didn’t have an idea for a Thanksgiving column. I could share my long list of things I was grateful for, but nothing listed was especially unique and column-worthy. Then a woman stopped me after church. She mentioned that she still thought about a column I’d written several years ago
- [Fellow Seniors, Let's Get Going!](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/11/14/fellow-seniors-lets-get-going/) - Fellow Seniors, Let’s Get Going! A Facebook friend recently posted results of an extensive 2018 U.S.A study showing that the most productive age in human life is between 60 to 70 years of age. She joked that she had better get going. The study intrigued me and I investigated further. According to the New England
- [Love Heals](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/11/08/love-heals/) - Last week my husband and I walked into a family restaurant that caters to locals. Near our table sat an elderly man wearing a veteran’s cap. A medium-sized, black and white dog wearing a service vest lay under his table.The dog’s constant wagging tail made me smile. “I see you like dogs,” the vet said.
- [Travel Story Souvenirs](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/10/31/travel-story-souvenirs/) - During my nine-day “Painted Canyons” tour of Utah’s parks, I refrained from accumulating national park stamps and souvenirs. Instead, I collected travel stories, some current and others dating back many years. Since we were with a bus group, I shared my experience while on a previous bus tour to Washington D.C. A pair of arrogant
- [Hair-tingling Shivers](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/10/24/hair-tingling-shivers/) - “Get away from that edge,” a woman warned my husband. He and I were part of a group living on the edge, touring Canyonlands, one of the five national parks we’d view in Utah over the next few days. The voice belonged to a woman in our group who admitted she had anxiety issues about
- [Get a Buzz On](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/10/17/get-a-buzz-on/) - As an author and columnist, I’m often asked how I get my ideas. I get them from daily life. Ideas can come from something I’ve experienced, read about, a reflection, a tug at the heart, or something that strikes me as funny. I’ve heard other authors mention that they know they’re on to something when
- [Carefree and Driftless](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/10/10/carefree-and-driftless/) - Sometimes a person just needs to ignore the drudgery of the “to do” list and leave their burdens and worries behind. I took this advice and spent a carefree day “drifting” along with a group tour. I intended to set all worries aside and enjoy Wisconsin’s scenic driftless area. In the capable hands of an
- [Transport Me](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/10/02/transport-me/) - Transport Me My good friend Liisa Eyerly and I share many things in common including a love of writing, playing tennis and pickleball, and an appreciation for our Scandinavian heritage, but Liisa is way cooler than me. I might have introduced her to a few good writing books and authors, but she introduced me to
- [My Trip by Med-flight](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/09/25/my-trip-by-med-flight/) - The Friday of our local fall festival, Wo-Zha-Wa, I had a 2:30 appointment at the clinic because the last few days I had felt light-headed and dizzy. Ten days before that, swollen ankles prompted a visit. My blood pressure was high (unusual for me) and I began taking a pill, hydrochlorothiazide, that many people take
- [And the Years Go By](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/09/20/and-the-years-go-by/) - I’m about to celebrate another birthday and as my grandmother used to say, I’m getting up there. Last month I picked out what will probably be my last kayak. An older person thinks about those things. It really isn’t so bad. Gulp, gulp. Just because compressions stockings and bran flakes are frequent entries on the
- [In Our Own Backyard](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/09/13/in-our-own-backyard/) - In Our Own Backyard Fifty years ago, Catherine Marshall’s book Christy had a profound effect on me. In my idealized view, I wanted to be just like Christy and help children who were dealing with poverty and other serious issues. When I ended up getting my first teaching job in the Dells, I quickly found
- [Your Past Shapes Who You Are](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/09/05/your-past-shapes-who-you-are/) - Do you ever think about how your childhood, teen years, and high school experiences shaped the person you are today? After attending my husband Frank’s class reunion and hearing stories about his younger years, it’s easy to see how he became the man he is today. While in elementary school, a group of older bullies
- [Joy in the Classroom](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/08/30/joy-in-the-classroom/) - I recently took my grandsons to Lake Delton’s school’s playground. When my older grandson asked me if I’d ever brought my students here, I told him I had. Years instantly melted away and memories, like welcoming ghosts, rose from the familiar ground. I was fortunate to have taught fourth grade for over 30 years at
- [Celebrating All America's Workers](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/08/21/celebrating-all-americas-workers/) - Labor Day was created to honor American workers, but the winner of my August photo contest, Annie the working collie, might like it if we acknowledge working dogs as well. Because of their sensitive noses, we’re able to use dogs to find missing people, including survivors of disasters such as collapsed buildings. We’ve all seen
- [We Can Do This!](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/08/16/we-can-do-this/) - The elderly woman had a determined look on her face. Her back was bent with osteoporosis, and she wore a brace on one knee. Still, she kept on with a determined jog. I was at Milwaukee’s USA Triathlon National Championships supporting my son-in-law and brother-in-law, who were among the 6,000 competitors coming from all 50
- [Stardust Brought to Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/08/05/stardust-brought-to/) - To prepare for August's “Global Sleep Under the Stars Night” and in honor of my new picture book coming out featuring nocturnal animals, I gathered a flashlight and my favorite pillow, set up a cot outdoors, and put my dog’s bed underneath. I’d spotted both bear and mountain lion in this rural northern Wisconsin area,
- [Announcing a contest—best animal tale or photo](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/07/31/announcing-a-contest-best-animal-tale-or-photo/) - Yesterday my husband, who enjoys watching Good Morning America, called for me to join him since they were featuring beluga whales and he knows I once had a memorable encounter with one. Lara Spencer narrated the segment as hip hop violinist, Big Lux, performed for three belugas at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium. The small whales appeared
- [Misfits](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/07/25/misfits/) - The gosling my husband and I raised, now three years old, is a misfit. She looks the same as the other four adult Canada geese on our cabin’s lake, but since she imprinted on humans, I’m sure the other geese sense she’s different and are wary of her. Occasionally, a goose or gander, protective of
- [Summer Days and Nights](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/07/19/summer-days-and-nights/) - One early spring morning in Wisconsin, a luna moth pupa wiggles. It had spent all winter camouflaged in the leaf litter and its ability to wiggle scared off several predators, including several mice. Now that its metamorphosis is complete, the adult moth uses the serrated spurs near the front edge of its wings to split
- [Nature's Quaking Trampoline](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/07/12/natures-quaking-trampoline/) - My five and seven-year-old grandsons take me out for a paddle boat ride on our cabin’s northern Wisconsin lake. The five-year-old spies a neighbor’s blown-up orange and yellow plastic raft that is also a trampoline. “Can we bounce on that?” he asks. I have to explain that it isn’t ours and tell him no. His
- [The Power of Story](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/07/04/the-power-of-story-2/) - “The tooth must be extracted,” my dentist said, “and because of how the roots are way up in the sinuses and its location, it will be complicated. I’m referring you to the oral surgeon.” I was in pain and when I called to make the appointment, I couldn’t get in for several weeks. I wanted
- [Celebrating Small Things in a Great Way](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/06/27/celebrating-small-things-in-a-great-way/) - Celebrating Small Things in a Great Way “If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way. Don’t wait for great opportunities. Seize common, everyday ones.” Self-help author Napolean Hill My daughter calls me from our northern Wisconsin cabin. “I can’t believe it,” she says, all excited. “Right now, swimming near shore,
- [The Complicated Fox](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/06/20/the-complicated-fox/) - You know those complicated relationships where you can both admire and detest someone? Feel anger but also sympathy; sadness but also amusement? I have one of those roller coaster relationships with the fox. As a youngster, I hunted rabbits with my dad. One wintry morning, a brilliant red fox crossed my path. I still recall
- [Dig In!](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/06/13/dig-in/) - It happened four years ago when my husband and I decided to celebrate our anniversary by whitewater rafting in the Menominee River. “Dig in!” The command came from James, our whitewater rafting guide. Our inflatable rubber boat was nearing Hell’s Hole, a Class IV rapids with a five-foot drop. The Menominee River had swollen after
- [Swapping Stories](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/06/06/swapping-stories/) - Holidays such as Memorial Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be sad ones for those of us who have lost our grandparents and parents. If you have siblings, it can help to talk to them. My brother Jeff and I were visiting on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. I had the phone on
- [Slowing Down Time](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/05/30/slowing-down-time/) - We’re at the brink of summer, and I fear in September we’ll lament, “It went so fast.” If only we could slow down time. But how do we slow down time? Researchers have found these four things help: have new experiences, feel productive by setting goals and working to achieve them, be fully engaged in
- [Refilling My Pixie Dust](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/05/27/refilling-my-pixie-dust/) - “Disney World is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced,” friends told my husband and me at dinner one night. “You have to go.” We met with our travel agent. “It seems strange to go to Disney without kids,” I said. “Get yourself a pair of Mickey ears,” she said with a wink. “You get to be
- [Gertie, the conclusion](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/05/20/gertie-the-conclusion-2/) - I was anxious to return to our cabin that August three years ago to check on Doc, the mallard, and Gertie, the orphaned goose we’d raised. Get a grip, I told myself during the long ride. Gertie is only a goose, one of the thousands we Wisconsinites hear honking and watch flying in their classic
- [Gertie and Friends, the Teenage Years](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/05/07/gertie-and-friends-the-teenage-years/) - A few weeks ago I shared the story of fostering Gertie, an orphaned gosling. I had to carry her around in a pouch to keep her happy for the first few weeks we had her since she’d imprinted on my husband and me. I also described her swimming after a paddle boarder, startling the poor
- [Getting Through Dark Times](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/04/16/getting-through-dark-times/) - I was merrily strolling along the sidewalk in my lavender Crocs when the toe of my right shoe buffed against the cement and BAM! I was down on the sidewalk, blood oozing from my knee. What just happened? Double that minor scraped knee. Now triple it and keep escalating it for the major tragedies we
- [Thoughts From an Old Pine](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/04/16/thoughts-from-an-old-pine/) - A lifetime ago, a young married couple carted me to a clearing in their new backyard. I was tall and strong and it took both of them to lift me. As they patted the soil around my roots, settling me into a comfortable hole and giving me plenty of water, they smiled at one another.
- [Gertie the Extraordinary Goose](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/04/25/gertie-the-extraordinary-goose/) - Think about those extraordinary moments of your life. You might recall a milestone celebration or something unplanned, such as the gift of a perfect spring day when you fished a stream and caught a brook trout or the warm night you strolled outdoors under a star-filled night. Or it could be the day you got an unexpected phone call that changed your life.
- [Winston, the Smiling Dog](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/05/02/winston-the-smiling-dog/) - Meet Winston, a Border collie mix who has enriched Sonja and her family’s life. Winston, who loves to go for walks, play ball, and fetch Frisbees, brings energy to their home. He’s sensitive, intelligent, and keeps the family laughing. “He can smile,” Sonja reports, with a hint of pride. “Winston loves attention, and he’ll lie
- [We Rock](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/04/08/we-rock/) - “I found mine in a tree,” a friend told me excitedly, while we visited in an Alabama restaurant. “I found mine hidden in some weeds,” her husband said, leaning toward me. “Someone had painted Mississippi on the top.” The delight in both seniors’ faces made them resemble kids on Christmas morning. They were talking about
- [Connecting to Those Who Came Before](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/04/02/connecting-to-those-who-came-before/) - Discussions about online fatigue and the value of face-to-face experiences are prevalent these days. I’m sure we’ll have more virtual options in the future, but engaging with a screen can’t compete with being on site and physically being with others. I receive many emails from places like Road Scholar advertising a virtual tour to countries
- [Tennis Life Lessons](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/03/26/tennis-life-lessons/) - “Stop bouncing around so much,” Jean, a master tennis instructor, had coached me. “Plant those feet when you’re hitting the ball. And relax!” No more acting like a Jack-in-the-box, I tell myself later, when facing my opponents. If my partner and I can win this next game, we’ll have the doubles match. “No pressure,” my
- [Hello world!](https://www.laundrie.com/2011/12/06/hello-world/) - Welcome to my blog. I'd love to spend time with you discussing stories, writing techniques, and shared passions for nature, animals, and photography. I look forward to meeting you, Amy Laundrie
- [Noah's Ark](https://www.laundrie.com/2011/12/06/noahs-ark/) - Hello! Welcome to my blog, a place where writers and readers can meet to share the joy of stories. And who doesn’t love a swooshing good story.I was perched on top of the waterslide at “Noah’s Ark” waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. I pulled up my stretched-out one piece as I waited for my turn. The
- [Great Things Come in Small Packages](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/02/28/great-things-come-in-small-packages/) - Great Things Come in Small Packages Greetings fellow story lovers!Shortly after my young daughters and I began taking riding lessons, I dreamed of buying a horse of our own. In order to save money, I considered bidding for a wild horse at a Bureau of Land Management auction. I read many books and articles, and
- [Passion](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/04/14/passion/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, What makes you grind your teeth, giggle like a hyper kid, or hiss like a panther? What makes the hair on the back of your neck tingle, your fingers dig at your scalp, or your throat ache with sadness? These intense feelings can be the origin of impassioned stories. Egg A
- [What If . . .](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/04/14/what-if/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, What if . . . are magic words to writers and story tellers. What if an animal attraction with over 100 live reptiles including crocodiles, unusual albino iguanos, and the world’s largest snake caught on fire? snake This question led to my interviewing the owner and began the fourth Kayla Montgomery
- [Painting Word Pictures](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/04/14/painting-word-pictures/) - wall Greetings fellow story lovers, Even though there are times when I wish my imagination wasn’t so active, it is a great tool for storytelling. Ever since I began trail riding in isolated woods, I’ve been terrified that my horse and I will be attacked by dogs. My imagination paints a vivid picture of the
- [Inspiration](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/04/19/inspiration-2/) - Inspiration Greetings fellow story lovers, What gets your creative juices flowing? Where are you when inspiration strikes? Among my favorite times in life are those moments when I’m driving along on a long quiet stretch of highway and my mind starts whirling with ideas. It also happens in the bathtub, upon wakening, at my computer
- [Writing is Like Hatching an Egg](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/07/02/writing-is-like-hatching-an-egg/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, Two ducklings hatched out of my incubator this spring. I love this project. Although it demands hard work and patience, it can produce joyous results. The same is true of the writing process. Stories begin with ideas. The fertile mind incubates a nucleus of an inspirational thought, rotating it in the
- [Moth Tears](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/07/02/moth-tears/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, Poet Ted Kooser inspired my muse with the following poem. Lobocraspis Griseifusa This is the tiny moth who lives on tears, who drinks like a deer at the gleaming pool at the edge of the sleeper’s eyes, the touch of its mouth as light as a cloud’s reflection. --Ted Kooser
- [Silent Rock](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/07/03/silent-rock/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, I felt it again yesterday while hiking--the heartbeat of the woods. Does the pulse I feel come from all the creatures watching as I walk down their sun-dappled trails, or from all the past creatures that have lived here? Did they, too, enjoy watching the woods change with the seasons? In
- [The Artist's Spirit](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/07/03/the-artists-spirit/) - Greetings fellow story lovers, A friend who wrote and illustrated children’s books, Marsha Dunlap, died after a long battle with cancer. One of the first times I met Marsha was during a blinding snowstorm. A small group of us had rented a bed and breakfast and hired an award winning author, Marion Dane Bauer, to
- [Interview with Author Kathleen Ernst](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/09/10/interview-with-author-kathleen-ernst/) - Kathleen Ernst, a Madison native, is a social historian, educator, environmentalist, and the award winning novelist of 24 books. Her historical fiction for children and young adults include American girl mysteries. Her long anticipated American girl six-book Caroline Abbott series will debut September 4th. The third book in her adult Chloe Ellefson mystery series, THE
- [Living Other Lives](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/09/10/living-other-lives/) - The beauty of the world of literature is that it allows you to live other lives. I’ve been an attractive 17-year-old red-head whose many adventures include solving the mystery of who’s trying to harm Fortune, the racehorse on my aunt’s ranch. In the same story, I had the chance to brood (as only a teenager
- [Colorful, Colloquial Characters  (Rated PG for Earthiness)](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/09/10/colorful-colloquial-characters-rated-pg-for-earthiness/) - As a child, and okay, as an adult, too, I happily read Robert Newton Peck’s Soup books. His ability to describe his characters such as Soup’s nemesis, Janice Riker, is peachy. “She was the biggest and strongest and meanest kid that the world ever knew. She had the body of a hunched-back, bowlegged ape and
- [Great Things Come in Small Packages](https://www.laundrie.com/2012/11/09/great-things-come-in-small-packages-2/) - Great Things Come in Small Packages Greetings fellow story lovers! Shortly after my young daughters and I began taking riding lessons, I dreamed of buying a horse of our own. In order to save money, I considered bidding for a wild horse at a Bureau of Land Management auction. I read many books and articles,
- [My Purse: Mirror To the Soul Or Where the Heck Are My Car Keys?](https://www.laundrie.com/2015/07/27/68-2/) - If the purse is the mirror to a woman’s soul, I’m afraid mine needs polishing. I dump the contents out on a tray and begin sorting. Ah, here’s my granddaughter’s missing barrette. Hmpphh! So that’s where I put the Map-quest directions. I could have saved myself five dollars worth of gas and a lot of
- [A Simpler Time In My Plymouth Valiant](https://www.laundrie.com/2016/07/27/a-simpler-time-in-my-plymouth-valiant/) - While waiting for the light to change, I pulled up alongside an older woman driving an antique blue Plymouth Valiant. My first car was a turquoise Valiant. I wondered if this one, too, had the cool push buttons for neutral, reverse, and drives 1, 2, and 3. The light changed, and I let the Valiant
- [My Secret to Weight Loss](https://www.laundrie.com/2016/07/29/my-secret-to-weight-loss/) - Want to increase your exercising and maybe lose a few pounds? Forget joining the gym. I have the solution. Get a puppy! Six week old Josie, a silky black Cockapoo, came to live with me and my husband at the end of August. Since she loves adventures, I have been more active than ever. She’s
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [Message Received](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/11/message-received/) - Several years ago my daughter Heather and I visited a friend’s lovely flower garden. The friend commented that she hadn’t yet seen a monarch. Minutes later, one appeared. It sipped nectar from an orange and black coreopsis. My daughter and I exchanged looks. Butterflies are important symbols in our family. The day of my mother’s
- [My Smelly Reputation](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/11/my-smelly-reputation/) - The janitor, spray can in hand, looked around my fourth grade classroom. “Did a snake escape and die in some corner?” “No, I don’t think so.” I breathed through my mouth to avoid the smell. A girl had recently brought in a grass snake in an uncovered container. As the reptile slithered its way up
- [Gertie, the conclusion](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/09/11/gertie-the-conclusion/) - I was anxious to return to our cabin and check on Gertie and the duck since my husband and I had left them on their own. I especially missed Gertie, the orphaned gosling we’d raised. Get a grip, I told myself. Gertie is only a goose, one of the thousands we Wisconsinites hear honking and
- [Gertie and Doc, the Teenage Years, part 3](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/09/13/gertie-and-doc-the-teenage-years/) - Our rescued Canada goose, Gertie, and our pet mallard, Doc, continued to entertain my husband and me. Gertie the goose stretched her neck, getting her head as close to me as possible, and told me stories. I loved hearing the soft, whispery wiggle-wiggle sounds. When I gave them their favorite treat, watermelon, Gertie gave me
- [Gertie, One Terrific Goose, part 2](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/09/13/gertie-one-terrific-goose/) - E.B. White, in his classic Charlotte’s Web, had the famous spider write adjectives in her web describing the beloved pig. The words Some Pig, Terrific, Radiant and Humble saved Wilbur’s life. I wish E. B. White was still alive so he could meet my pet Canada goose, Gertie. She is some goose or, uh, some
- [Reaching Out to Friends, part 1](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/09/13/reaching-out-to-friends/) - I never dreamed I’d have a feathered friend to rival Happy Feet, a Runner Duck who was the only one who hatched from our incubator a few years ago and imprinted on my husband and me. She pecked her way into our hearts as she followed us everywhere we went and “kissed” our toes
- [To All the Fitness Fads I Loved Before](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/10/06/to-all-the-fitness-fads-i-loved-before/) - I admit it. I’m fickle. I can get caught up in exercise fads, buy equipment, and then, after the newness leaves, the new toys sit. I recently tried to get rid of a stationary bike. “Pedal,” as I’d affectionately named her years ago, sat in an upstairs bedroom for over a year without her wheels
- [Cool Jobs](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/10/19/cool-jobs/) - How would you like to get paid for taste-testing bourbon, chocolate, or various beers? Would training to be a wine steward and earning the title sommelier appeal to you? Or maybe you’d rather don your cool shades and earn a paycheck by test driving for companies like Ferrari, Maserati, or Lamborghini. The website cooljobs.com shares
- [Laughter--the Language Everyone Understands](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/03/17/laughter-the-language-everyone-understands/) - Yesterday I had the chance to share my latest picture book (virtually) with two bilingual classes in New Jersey. The second graders were enthusiastic, especially when I held up a snakeskin and the shell of a snapping turtle, my storytelling props. Still, it was hard to connect with the large number of kids, especially those
- [Memorable Gifts](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/03/11/memorable-gifts/) - My family will celebrate several spring birthdays, and it’s time for me to think about gifts. What makes a gift special? In order to find out, I decide to list gifts that left an impression and examine why they did. I hope a pattern will emerge. My elder daughter gave me a retirement gift that
- [Happiness Sneaking in Through Back Windows](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/03/05/happiness-sneaking-in-through-back-windows/) - The year was 1975. I was twenty-one years old, and I’d just gotten my first teaching position as the Title 1 teacher for Wisconsin Dells. With only three days before the start of school, I was about to see my classroom for the first time. Since Title 1 teachers have smaller groups, I didn’t expect
- [Only in a Small Town](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/02/25/only-in-a-small-town/) - I was returning from a Kiwanis meeting at Camp Wawbeek on February 8th. My husband and I had taken separate cars since he wanted to attend a boy scout meeting, and I wanted to return home and type up the meeting notes for the newsletter before I forgot them. The rural Wawbeek road was plowed,
- [New Dreams Every Day](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/02/18/new-dreams-every-day/) - Ready for a trivia game? Who said the following? “I don’t have no plans of slowing down because the number says I should. I don’t pay attention to that. I wake up with new dreams every day.” Here’s a hint. This woman recently sang for a Super Bowl commercial titled“ 5 to 9,” since it’s
- [The Under-appreciated Rodent](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/02/12/the-under-appreciated-rodent/) - I used to think these common rodents were just, well, bushy-tailed creatures who were good at caching away acorns. But the more I watch and read about them, the more my appreciation grows. My interest in squirrels began years ago when my father-in-law told me an incredible story. His backyard was at the edge of
- [Worry Less: Live More](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/02/04/worry-less-live-more/) - Last week’s newspaper had an article about the pandemic halting the winter research on Isle Royale. Seeing the name of the Lake Superior island I’d hiked years ago brought back a flood of memories. I’d gone with a group through Eagle River’s Trees for Tomorrow. We began our journey at Copper Harbor, Michigan, where we
- [Three Wintry Life Lessons](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/01/28/three-wintry-life-lessons/) - My father was a quiet man, and he wasn’t the type to give long explanations or lecture. Still, just spending time with him taught me important life lessons. One of his classrooms was the frozen fishing lake. Ice fishing is a lesson in patience. As a middle child who wanted to spend time with her
- [Go Ahead. Uncork the Champagne](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/01/22/go-ahead-uncork-the-champagne/) - Although the comment was made more than twenty years ago, I still remember it. It was midweek, probably a Wednesday or Thursday, and I had just made a comment about longing for the weekend. A coworker, JoAnn Luke, who taught kindergarten, gently said, “Amy, don’t wish your life away.” The words have stuck with me
- [Indulge Ourselves](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/01/14/indulge-ourselves/) - We’re in the middle of a Wisconsin winter during a time of political unrest while trying to survive a pandemic. We deserve to indulge ourselves. Here are a few suggestions: Get those endorphins flowing! Head outdoors to breathe deeply of winter’s fresh air. Photograph how the sunlight shines on icicles.Watch for a morning when the
- [Spirit of the Eagle](https://www.laundrie.com/2021/01/07/spirit-of-the-eagle/) - January is National Bald Eagle Watch Month. An intricate part of Native American spiritualism, and included in symbols such as scouting and our nation’s presidential seal, the bald eagle inspires us to greater heights. If you’re like me, when you encounter or hear these powerful birds, you pause to appreciate the moment. Did you know
- [Beyond Our Wildest Dreams](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/12/31/beyond-our-wildest-dreams/) - Beyond Our Wildest Dreams Are you afraid to set an ambitious New Year’s goal? If so, you might be interested in what Margo Sue Hoile learned in 2016 after she hiked Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro. “You’re capable of more than you think you are. “The climb was physical, of course,” Margo began, as we hiked Chapel
- [Holiday Hiking Trails](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/12/27/holiday-hiking-trails/) - Christmas is sure to be different this year, so why not embrace it? Why not start a new tradition such as going on a hike each day from Christmas to the new year? Josie the Cockapoo, my husband, and I discovered many new trails this year or found new aspects of old favorites. Listed below
- [Gifts That Matter](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/12/18/gifts-that-matter/) - What gifts do you remember receiving as a child? I can recall only a few. Instead, I remember family gatherings beginning with those at my grandmother’s house. Grandma served lutefisk (we kids got to have pigs-in-the-blanket instead of the pungent cod) and great desserts. My favorites were her famous pecan dreams and poppy seed cake.
- [Ten Ways to Have a Super Fun But Safe Holiday](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/12/10/ten-ways-to-have-a-super-fun-but-safe-holiday/) - My seven-year-old grandson’s virtual birthday party was a huge hit. My grandson acted as the Master of Ceremonies and had a printed schedule for the robot-themed contests. Partiers had the chance to work individually or in teams. We could enter as many contests as we liked. These included the best robot costume, the best robot
- [The Art of Seeing](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/12/03/the-art-of-seeing/) - Last week I took my dog Josie for a hike along the Wisconsin River. It was a glorious day—45° and sunny. I started on an overlook where I watched the gentle current, a boat causing a churning wake, and appreciated the dark blue color of the water. I descended, hiking along a well-worn path. It
- [A Cheeky Thanksgiving](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/11/25/a-cheeky-thanksgiving/) - This Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for the prospect of a vaccine so that, once again, we can be together with family and friends. I’m grateful to those individuals, gifted people from various backgrounds, who have come together, communicated and cooperated, to make the vaccine a reality. It reminds me of connection I made with an
- [Five Tips to Keep You Productive](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/11/19/five-tips-to-keep-you-productive/) - Last year, my husband and I hosted 24 people for Thanksgiving. This time last year, I was writing shopping lists, figuring out where everyone would sleep, and cleaning the house in anticipation. This year’s Thanksgiving will include four people and a celebratory toast courtesy of ZOOM. I’ll miss the large gathering, but since I’m not
- [Books That Changed My Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/11/12/books-that-changed-my-life/) - Hurry up, Slowpoke was one of the first books I was able to read myself. Simon Mouse is a slowpoke who lags behind his mother and sister and winds up having a fantastic adventure on his own. It was the start of my journey as a lifelong reader. I recently found a copy of it
- [Veterans Share Emotions From Battlefields](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/11/05/veterans-share-emotions-from-battlefields/) - Have you ever thought about what you’d want to say to loved ones before you die? Would your last words show concern for how your family would fare, or might they include a light-hearted comment hoping to ease their grief? Throughout history, many veterans have given thought to that question and acted, including one very
- [Presidential Trivia](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/10/29/presidential-trivia/) - Feeling the stress of election week? Grab a fellow voter, and just for fun, play Presidential trivia. One person asks the first six questions. Then switch.1. Which president got a $20 fine for speeding on his horse-drawn carriage?Ulysses S. Grant.2. Which president received two grizzly bear cubs as a gift in 1807 and allowed them
- [Night Walk](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/10/22/night-walk/) - I park by the entrance to the woods, aware that it’s nearly dark. It had rained all day, and this was the first chance I’d gotten to take the dog for a walk. I try not to let the neighbor’s ghostly decorations, including a skeleton and witch, influence my decision. Even Josie, who usually springs
- [The Yellowed Birthday Card](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/10/16/the-yellowed-birthday-card/) - The birthday card arrived, yellowed with age and ragged on the edges. I hold it tenderly. My childhood friend, Sharon, and I have exchanged the same birthday card since 1979. We only sign our name and the month and year. Still, every year we write smaller, hoping to leave room for many years to come.
- [Caw, Caw, Caw](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/10/11/caw-caw-caw/) - Caw, caw, caw, I call, as I carry pieces of old bread out to my crows. Nearby neighbors must be shaking their heads. “Amy’s at it again.” But I don’t care. I not only like having feathered friends, I appreciate how they look after the property and warn me of trouble. A few days ago,
- [Secret to a long, happy life](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/10/01/secret-to-a-long-happy-life/) - What is the secret to a long, happy life? Since I have a birthday this week and thought I could use that excuse to guilt my friends and family into doing my work for me, I polled a bunch of them. They came through. Although I got chided by some for insinuating that they were
- [Circling a Life Through Devil's Lake](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/09/25/circling-a-life-through-devils-lake/) - “Let’s celebrate your birthday with a hike around Devil’s lake,” I told my husband of forty-four years. “Josie needs to get some exercise.” (I’ve learned that I’m more likely to get a Yes if I mention the adventure will make our Cockapoo happy.) “Why Devil’s Lake?” he asked. “I was looking at photos the other
- [Fall, a Time of New Beginnings](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/09/17/fall-a-time-of-new-beginnings/) - We often think of the start of the school year as the end of summer, but we can also think of it as a time of new beginnings. School kids, parents, and staff have extra challenges this year, but they’re figuring it out. They’ll evaluate what’s working and incorporate the more innovative techniques, such as
- [Time Alone Has Benefits](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/09/12/time-alone-has-benefits/) - How much do you like your alone time? Would you rather bring adult beverages and tube as a group or rise early and kayak a quiet river? Would you rather join a group of friends, safety measures in place, for a weekend of fun and games or rent a cabin in the woods and hike
- [How To Live a Wag-Worthy Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/09/03/how-to-live-a-wag-worthy-life/) - Mum’s brought me to the vet because of excessive licking (I won’t get into the personal details) but will mention that I keep hearing the word “surgery.” I’m not sure exactly what that entails for this kibble-loving cockapoo. I expect I’ll do fine, but now that I’m over ten years old, it’s time to share
- [Going Back to School 2020](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/08/28/going-back-to-school-2020/) - Classroom flashbacks are engrained in me. No wonder, since I was a student for 15 years and a teacher for over 35 years. In last night’s back-to-school dream, I was setting up for the water tank experiment to teach density. I added red salt water to the left side and clear blue water to the
- [Caught From My Grandsons](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/08/20/caught-from-my-grandsons/) - I caught them from my grandsons. The three E’s. Starting with enthusiasm.I purposely sat across from my grandson, Mason, while my husband drove the speed boat, so I got the best view of the six-year-old’s expressions. The faster we zipped around the lake, the bigger his grin. He has a way of grinning with his
- [Memory Gifts: Yesterday, tomorrow and Today](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/08/13/memory-gifts-yesterday-tomorrow-and-today/) - The summer wind whispers my name and the sun’s rays beckon to me. I ask my family if they want to go on a nature walk. My daughter Heidi, her two sons, and my youngest granddaughter hike along. We enter the woods near our northern Wisconsin cabin. We ample down a deer trail until we
- [Trail Mix Vs. Crepes in Champagne Sauce](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/08/10/trail-mix-vs-crepes-in-champagne-sauce/) - While friends Jeanne and Bull Kahler joined my husband and me for an outdoor meal on a picnic table, we recalled memories of a three-day backpacking trip we’d taken many years ago in the Wyoming wilderness. We have fond memories of climbing to a summit and seeing a vast herd of elk, wading through pristine
- [Dogs to the Rescue](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/07/30/dogs-to-the-rescue/) - I’m not a powerful swimmer, and since I was snorkeling, I wasn’t wearing a life jacket. I had gotten out farther than I planned, lured by a school of bluegills and a trout. The memorizing underwater plants resembling an emerald forest and the fascinating bass nests, lined with colorful rocks, pulled me farther from shore
- [Oldest Treasure](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/07/23/oldest-treasure/) - What is the oldest treasure in your house? Is it something as tiny as a rare coin or as large as an antique dresser? Is it a practical item such as your grandfather’s toolbox or something as decorative as a great-aunt’s tatted tablecloth? Is it an ancestor’s treasured toy passed on through the generations, or
- [Tackling Gruesome Jobs](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/07/21/tackling-gruesome-jobs/) - I open the cabin bathroom door after it had been closed up for two weeks and see hundreds of dead ants. Their black bodies litter the floor, bathtub, and float in the toilet. My husband had sprayed before we left and the contact spray had worked. I needed to tackle the dirty job of cleaning
- [The Last Quack](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/07/09/the-last-quack/) - I made arrangements this week to give away my duck pen. I’ve been raising ducks for twenty-some years. I started it as a project in my elementary classroom and finding it enjoyable, continued it even after I retired. Back in March I ordered mallard eggs from E-bay. I incubated them, watched as they hatched out,
- [Privilege vs. Patriotism](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/07/07/privilege-vs-patriotism/) - Fourth of July preparations brought back vivid memories of my husband’s and my 2016 Washington D.C. trip. I witnessed acts of patriotism and sadly, one act of selfish, assumed privilege. My husband Frank and I joined a tour group of forty people from various walks of life. Our guide said she hoped everyone would employ
- [Million Dollar Winner](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/06/27/million-dollar-winner/) - Karen Weber-Mendham won a million dollars in the 2013 Lay’s Potato Chips “Do Us A Flavor” contest. Yet from my perspective, her life hasn’t changed. She still works at the Land O’ Lakes library in northern Wisconsin, still gives her family top priority, and still loves and supports her community. She entered the contest on
- [Treasures in the Attic](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/06/20/treasures-in-the-attic/) - My husband and I drag out the yellowed boxes peppered with dead Japanese beetles from the far corner of the attic. We’d put off this dirty chore to clean, sort, and organize long enough. To psych myself up for the task, I imagine uncovering a valuable treasure that I’d auction off on eBay. I roll
- [Moss Cookie, Anyone?](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/06/14/moss-cookie-anyone-2/) - Carefree, warm days are on the horizon! Get out, let your worries go, and lose yourself like you did as a kid. What are your fondest childhood summer memories? Exploring? Camping? Baseball? Hanging with friends? One of my earliest childhood memories dates back to when I lived near a pond. One morning I grabbed a
- [The Adventures of Popeye and His Gang](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/06/05/the-adventures-of-popeye-and-his-gang/) - I set my ducklings on the shoreline of our cabin’s small lake. Unlike past pet ducks, these four immediately took to the water, enjoying dunking, splashing, and diving. Named after Popeye characters since they love spinach, the sailor-man and his gang of three soon dabbled, a term for ducks skimming along the surface of the
- [Those Who Want, Who Can, Who Will](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/05/30/those-who-want-who-can-who-will/) - Last week we celebrated Memorial Day, a holiday set aside to honor the men and women who died while serving in the military. This week it’s fitting to honor the people who are serving us today, whether that’s on the front lines in the military or in medical facilities, or performing curbside pickups. One example
- [All I Need to Know I Learned From Ducks](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/05/15/all-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-ducks/) - I’ve gleaned many helpful tips and truths from watching my pet ducklings. Here’s a few to ponder. The first one out of the egg has the advantage. Every day is an exciting, new adventure. If you want the worm, go out, dig around, and find it. Preening to impress the flock is worth the effort.
- [The Day I Ran Over Cousin Vic](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/05/12/the-day-i-ran-over-cousin-vic/) - Today I ran over my husband's relative. Good thing he was already dead. I had parked along a road in the Spring Grove cemetery to ponder and walk. After returning to the car, I decided rather than wind around, I’d simply swing a 180. I made the turn and was almost back on the road
- [The Thrill of Anticipation](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/04/30/the-thrill-of-anticipation/) - 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, savory smells filled the kitchen and tantalized the tastebuds. Patience, I repeated to myself, but
- [An Examined Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/04/25/an-examined-life/) - 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 pandemic have caused you to examine your life. A question that often comes up is
- [Mother Earth Speaks](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/04/19/mother-earth-speaks-3/) - 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 smallest environmental gestures. One thing this pandemic has taught you, my earth children, is how
- [Spring Obsession](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/04/09/spring-obsession/) - 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 hike near a stream hoping to spot skunk cabbage, an aromatic native perennial that flowers
- [For the Sheer Joy of It](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/04/02/for-the-sheer-joy-of-it/) - 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 captain spotted a pod. He maneuvered the boat to travel in the direction the dolphins
- [Reflecting on a Sour-Face Experience](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/03/26/reflecting-on-a-sour-face-experience/) - 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 like he was having fun. When an opponent returned the ball with a winning shot,
- [Trees that Fascinate and Captivate](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/03/08/trees-that-fascinate-and-captivate/) - 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 about trees that fascinate and captivate? As a child, I had a favorite elm tree.
- [The Wanderer's Spirit](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/03/07/the-wanderers-spirit/) - 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 new places and the unfamiliar. I’m fortunate to be enjoying my morning coffee while watching
- [A House Speaks](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/02/28/a-house-speaks/) - 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 rooms, taking up residence in bed-rooms that once sheltered children. I’ve watched this old farmhouse
- [Love From a Teacup](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/02/14/love-from-a-teacup/) - 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 their warm and inviting apartment in Baraboo’s Oak Park Place and Joan, remembering I enjoy
- [Hear Me Roar](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/01/31/hear-me-roar/) - 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, but I’ve never had to op-erate the machine on my own. Until now. People who
- [Secret Worlds](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/01/25/secret-worlds/) - 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 with actually hearing the bubbling mud pots and spouting geysers, experiencing the rotten-egg sulphur smell
- [Tragedy: May it Bring out the Best](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/01/16/tragedy-may-it-bring-out-the-best/) - 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 a kangaroo water. He pours some in his palm and the kangaroo, cautious at first,
- [Importance of Close Friends](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/01/09/importance-of-close-friends/) - 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 money for a new roof or appliance.” My friend nodded. “True, but it needs to
- [New Beginnings](https://www.laundrie.com/2020/01/02/new-beginnings/) - 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 see the tender green sprouts just waiting for spring’s rains and warmth. New beginnings. I
- [Much is Told in Silence](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/12/20/much-is-told-in-silence/) - My father was a quiet man and never gave long explanations. When I was about 10-years-old, he pointed to our old red Farmall tractor and told me to drive it into the shed. In the past I’d stood behind him on the draw-bar and looked over his shoulder. I’d seen him working the pedals, but
- [How to Find Joy in your Life](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/12/13/how-to-find-joy-in-your-life/) - Are you looking to add or rediscover joy in your life? Think back to what excited you when you were around 10 years old. What gave you that buzz, got you jumping out of bed on a Saturday morning, engaged you so much you didn’t care if you ate or missed your favorite TV show?
- [RESTORE-ing Christmas](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/12/08/restore-ing-christmas/) - I am going to admit this right now. Christmas shopping stresses me out. I feel pressure to find the right gift, and sometimes resort to just grabbing something to get it over with. I wish I could restore the Christmas spirit. To add to the pressure I’m feeling, several years ago my siblings and sister-in-law
- [The Power of Thank You](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/11/27/the-power-of-thank-you/) - This Thanksgiving, before we dig into the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, many of us will take a moment to give thanks. Some of us will do it eloquently, maybe in the form of a prayer, some hurriedly so the food doesn’t get cold. However, the day after Thanksgiving our moment of gratitude is often
- [Speaking bee, duck and water dragon](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/11/23/speaking-bee-duck-and-water-dragon/) - Have you ever wished you could be like Dr. Doolittle and converse with animals? Maybe, like my brother, you already do. My brother is a beekeeper and needs to be mindful of his hive with the onset of winter. He also understands the language of his bees and has a relationship of mutual respect with
- [Stoicism Can Be Damned](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/11/16/stoicism-can-be-damned/) - To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal, to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Oliver A beloved friend, Hazel Seamans, wife of Percy Seamans
- [Honoring and Supporting Those Who Have Served](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/11/11/honoring-and-supporting-those-who-have-served/) - “Thank you for your service.” The woman’s voice draws my attention and I watch the TV. She is shaking the hand of a veteran arriving home after an Honor Flight. The news clip ex-plains that the Korean War veteran had spent the day with his daughter viewing memorials in Washington DC, visiting with other veterans,
- [Come closer . . . closer](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/10/31/come-closer-closer/) - Her throat closed when she smelled gasoline and smoke. He’d come back for her. She couldn’t stop the whimper from escaping her lips. She covered her mouth, but it was too late. He’d heard. Rustling of pant legs came closer . . . closer. She ran to lock herself in the bedroom, but he had
- ["Kidding" Around](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/10/25/kidding-around/) - During a recent Kiwanis meeting, a man named Dave shared his story about working for a business that rents out goats to parks or landowners who want to rid their property of invasive weeds. Dear readers, is it just me, or is this a brilliant idea? Rather than using harmful herbicides, the landowner is clearing
- [Goodnights Across the World](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/09/30/goodnights-across-the-world/) - In September we celebrate World Peace Day. As night falls this evening, families across the world will have different prayers, rituals, and lullabies. But as we adults gaze down on our loved ones, we’ll all share the same wish. Peace. . . Peace. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” an American girl says, kissing her
- [Tough Old Bird](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/09/20/tough-old-bird/) - My mate and I ride a thermal along the rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Although I have the reputation of being “a tough old bird,” I melt as I take in her curved beak, nearly 10-foot wing span, and impressive featherless face. Humans rarely use the word “beautiful” when it comes to describing scavengers
- [Fun Times](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/09/13/fun-times/) - This week is the Dells Wo-Zha-Wa festival. Wo-Zha-Wa is a Ho-Chunk phrase which means having fun. It’s a popular time for locals to connect with old friends, for tourists to visit the Dells, and for everyone to celebrate the beginning of September and maybe even find a few deals downtown. Early in my husband’s and
- [What I Miss About Back to School](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/09/03/what-i-miss-about-back-to-school/) - It’s back to school time, and I feel a wistful twinge as I wander down the school supply section of Walmart. I’ve been retired for almost a decade, but old habits die hard, and I add a packet of lined paper to my cart. I started teaching in 1975. Back then, before technological advances
- [A Northwoods Gathering](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/08/17/a-northwoods-gathering/) - I awoke early at our Northwoods cabin and walked outside to let my four pet ducks out of their pen. I nicknamed them the “Dabblers” after I brought them to the lake for the first time and they ignored the pretty lily-pad laden lake, choosing to play in a puddle instead. The Dabblers happily splashed
- [The Passionate Spirit](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/08/09/the-passionate-spirit/) - A friend who wrote and illustrated children’s books, Marsha Dunlap, died after a long battle with cancer. One of the first times I met Marsha was during a blinding snowstorm. A small group of us had rented a bed and breakfast and hired an award winning author, Marion Dane Bauer, to critique our work and
- [Regrets of the Dying](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/07/18/regrets-of-the-dying/) - My father dreamed of going elk hunting out west. He worked at least 40-hour weeks at American Motors and maintained a huge garden so finding the time (and extra cash) was a strug-gle. Dad occasionally took time for himself to hunt or fish, but at age 55 he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He died
- [A Treasure Box of Memories](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/07/12/a-treasure-box-of-memories/) - My treasure box, the size of a loaf of bread, used to belong to my mother who called it her jewelry box. For as far back as I can remember, it sat on her dresser. Now it sits on mine. I suspect you have a treasure box, too. It might be your dad’s tackle box,
- [4th of July Gratitude](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/07/11/4th-of-july-gratitude/) - Earlier this week I buckled on a fanny pack so my phone would be safe during my bike ride. I set out and enjoyed cruising on a remote country road with rolling hills. I continued onto Highway O and headed north so I could view the scenic Baraboo bluffs. Pedaling along, I enjoyed the smell
- [Wait, Watch, Hope](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/06/06/wait-watch-hope/) - This spring I was anxious to arrive at our northern Wisconsin cabin to see if the orphaned gosling we raised and released last year had returned. Last fall, after Gertie still hadn’t found a buddy, my husband and I dropped her off in central Wisconsin where thousands of geese congregated. She’d be able to choose
- [Memorial Tributes](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/05/31/memorial-tributes/) - Memorial week is a time to pay tribute to others who have gone before us and many people do that by tending gravesites. Cemeteries dot the countryside taking up valuable land. Wouldn’t that land be better used for housing, recreation centers, or parks? I used to think so. Then I started walking in the Dells’
- [Frozen moments](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/05/31/frozen-moments/) - My husband and I were driving through northern Wisconsin this past week when we spotted an albino doe. We stopped to watch it and talked about the other times we’d seen albino deer. We recalled the exact locations, Palmer and Sand Lake, and details. One time we actually saw two albino does walking together. Each
- [Unexpected Mothers](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/05/10/unexpected-mothers/) - Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day, but mothers can take unexpected forms, proven by these incredible examples of surrogates across species. Earning first prize in my interspecies mother-of-the-year photo contest is a medium-sized dog with seven baby opossums clinging onto her back. After the mother opossum was killed, the dog owner bottle-fed the orphans. The dog
- [Mother Earth Observes](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/04/25/mother-earth-observes/) - My eyes water. My throat feels scratchy. My lungs burn. People say I’m doomed; that I, Mother Earth, will never recover. I worry that they could be right. The wind stirs my grasses. I watch. A family heads out for a day at the park. I see how they’re enjoying spending time with me. Their
- [Daughter Turns Forty](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/04/11/daughter-turns-forty/) - My first-born child turned forty this spring. Was it truly 40 years ago that I sat in a stream of March sunlight in the living room awaiting her birth? The thrill of holding my daughter for the first time must be timeless since I still recall studying her fuzzy reddish-blonde hair, her full lips
- [Goodbye Long Winter: Hello Spring](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/04/10/goodbye-long-winter-hello-spring/) - When Derrick Mayoleth, blogger extraordinaire for Devil’s Lake State Park, reported that the great blue herons had returned, I knew spring had truly arrived. These amazing birds nest in a rookery close to the group camp parking lot on the south shore. It’s an ideal place to view them. My husband and I have met
- [Ireland: Bog Bodies to Pookas](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/03/22/ireland-bog-bodies-to-pookas/) - When my daughters were college age, I arranged for the three of us to go on a trip together. We discussed where to go and chose a tour of Ireland which included seeing the beautiful landscape, visiting local pubs, learning about various Irish figures such as St. Patrick, and sampling their native beer, Guinness. Our
- [Josie the Cockapoo Heads to the Ocean](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/03/16/josie-the-cockapoo-heads-to-the-ocean/) - The suitcases are coming out! Mom Amy packed my doggy life vest and Dad Frank packed the kayak. That means that we’re going back to that place where Leftie the alligator lives. I can’t wait to see if she’s sunning in her usual spot. Best of all, I’ll get to retrieve sticks in the waves
- [Go ahead, Crawl Under a Table](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/03/03/go-ahead-crawl-under-a-table/) - My husband and I took our grandsons to the Shrine circus in Madison this past February. Benjamin, three years old, fell asleep on the way there. We had just gotten inside the huge coliseum when a 6-foot creature with fuzzy orange hair, a chalk-white face, big red nose, and floppy shoes strode toward him. Arm
- [The Poinsettia](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/02/25/the-poinsettia/) - I’m killing it. Slowly . . . hour by hour. The poinsettia sits on the floor of the basement utility room. Its once festive red petals, now wilted from lack of water and sunlight, torment me. Back in December, with the promise of the holidays, the plant’s cluster of tiny yellow flowers surrounded by bright
- [The Creepy Marsupial](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/02/25/the-creepy-marsupial/) - At 7:15 p.m. my dog dashes from the living room to the back porch barking. I follow, egging her on. “Is the marsupial coming in for the night?” My dog woofs back. I grab the flashlight I keep handy and shine it outside. The creature waddles for the safety of our deck. Female, I guess.
- [Looking for Romance?](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/02/11/looking-for-romance/) - Seductive bird songs filter in through my office window. It’s Valentine week, and love is in the air. If you’re looking to add romance to your date, use these ten tips from nature. Tip #1 is to take advantage of music and song. Many species besides birds rely on their voices to win a mate.
- [Pura Vida](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/02/02/pura-vida/) - Pura Vida by Amy Laundrie Tired of the sub-zero temperatures and shoveling snow? Take a mental break and journey along with me through the hot, humid jungle. Wake up to freshly brewed Costa Rican coffee. Stroll along the emerald green ocean beach. Inhale the honey and vanilla scented tropical orchids. Watch as a scarlet
- [Swinging with Tarzan and Jane](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/28/swinging-with-tarzan-and-jane/) - I stepped carefully onto the swaying suspension bridge that would take me 300 ft. across a stretch of misty northern Costa Rican jungle. Towering trees dripped with moss and dangly, snake-like vines. The man ahead of me carried impressive photography equipment. His heavy steps made the bridge bounce wildly and sway. Thoughts of cables breaking
- [Love of the Country, Heritage, People](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/28/love-of-the-country-heritage-people/) - Scarlett O’Hara had her Tara, Heidi had the Swiss Alps, I have my midwestern corner of America, and my Norwegian relative has his beloved Brønnøysund. When my husband and I visited my 80-year old relative, Per Moen, and his American wife, Joan, during our trip to Norway, I took many vivid photos of the land
- [Josie the Cockapoo Gets Her Say](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/28/josie-the-cockapoo-gets-her-say/) - Finally! I’ve been asking Mom-Amy if I could write a column and after three months of whining, she finally gave in. I’m Josie, a cockapoo, and head of the Laundrie household. My parents picked me out because my tail never stopped wagging. But I have to tell you—snort, snort!—now that I’ve lived with them for
- [The Power of Story](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/28/the-power-of-story/) - “They did what?” I leaned closer straining to hear my elderly aunt’s thin voice. “Your dad and Uncle Wally took three young great horned owls from a nest and raised them.” I shouldn’t be surprised. Wisconsin farm boys in the 1930’s hadn’t yet read the “Keep Wildlife Wild” billboard. Capturing wild critters continued to intrigue
- [All Forward in the New Year](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/02/all-forward-in-the-new-year/) - “All Forward!” The command came from James, our whitewater rafting guide. Our inflatable rubber boat was nearing Hell’s Hole, a Class IV rapids with a five-foot drop. The Menominee River had swollen after recent rains and James’s six inexperienced rafters needed all the direction he could give if we were to survive Hell’s Hole. We
- [A Sparky Father’s Love](https://www.laundrie.com/2019/01/02/a-sparky-fathers-love/) - I love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the movie starring Chevy Chase as the father. He earned the nickname “Sparky” after incorrectly wiring the house’s 25,000 twinkle lights. I’m reminded of another use of the term Sparky. Roald Dahl, in his book “Danny the Champion of the World” includes a note at the back. “When you
- [Money Well Spent](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/12/11/money-well-spent/) - A while back friends and I sat at a restaurant enjoying breakfast and discussing the Powerball which had risen to over $750,000,000. “Oh, how I’d love to win,” one friend said, clasping her hands. “I’ve never bought a ticket,” I admitted. Curious about my friend’s animated eyes, I asked, “What would you buy?” “A new
- [Remembering Our Heroes](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/11/29/remembering-our-heroes/) - My husband and I toured Washington D.C. in the spring of 2016 along with a group of forty other people. Our tour guide explained that our index card name tags taped on the wall near our coach seats would rotate. “All will have an equal chance to view the scenery from the choice seats,” she
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-2/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-4/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-5/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-2-2/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-3-2/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch
- [The Cast Iron Skillet](https://www.laundrie.com/2018/08/01/the-cast-iron-skillet-4-2/) - In August my sister Rachel and I had the chance to spend several days together. We were bound to talk about childhood memories, our deceased parents, and the difficult task we faced when dealing with their possessions. “I wish we hadn’t given Goodwill the old cast iron skillet,” my sister said, while helping prepare lunch

## Pages

- [Amy Laundrie](https://www.laundrie.com/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube] Adventure Awaits! Recent PublicationsBooks for AdultsBooks for ChildrenKayla Montgomery SeriesRecent PublicationsBooks for AdultsBooks for ChildrenKayla Montgomery Series Recent ArticlesA Season for NoticingI was excited when the mockup for my latest picture book arrived in the mail. The cover of When an Octopus Crashes Your Party was colorful, imaginative, and fun. I eagerly flipped through
- [test](https://www.laundrie.com/test/) - ACTIVITIES:The Quack-a-Doodle ParadeExciting set of coloring pages! COLORING BOOKInstructions on making your own pinwheel!MAKE A PINWHEELFREEBIES:Follow Me Into the WoodsFun word search, crossword, maze, and backyard scavenger hunt!DOWNLOAD GAMESPlayscript and animal mask instructions!SCRIPT AND CRAFTSExciting coloring pages!COLORING PAGESACTIVITIES:Stranded on Castaway IslandFun activities inspired by Stranded on Castaway Island! FUN ACTIVITIESTEACHER GUIDE:Noah's Ark Pet Care ClubA
- [About Amy](https://www.laundrie.com/about-amy/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]About Amy Author and Presenter atclassrooms, libraries, bookstores, book groupssenior centers Retired Teacher who loves to connect with people of all ages. My pet ducks sometimes come, too Animal Lover:horses, dogs, ducksI love them all. Adventurer Nature Lover JoyfulBooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]2021 © Amy Laundrie Author | All Rights Reserved
- [Test 2](https://www.laundrie.com/test-2/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]About Amy Author and Presenter atclassrooms, libraries, bookstores, book groupssenior centers Retired Teacher who loves to connect with people of all ages. My pet ducks sometimes come, too Animal Lover:horses, dogs, ducksI love them all. Adventurer Nature Lover JoyfulBooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]2021 © Amy Laundrie Author | All Rights Reserved
- [Presentations](https://www.laundrie.com/presentations/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]Follow Me into the Woods Interactive Classroom VisitClass Visit ItineraryThe Quack-a-Doodle Parade Interactive Classroom VisitClass Visit ItineraryStranded on a Castaway Island Interactive Classroom VisitClass Visit Itinerary“Laundrie's presentations captivate even the most restless youngsters. Her enthusiasm and excitement are irresistible. A sentence or two from her and the audience is hushed and focused on every word
- [Books](https://www.laundrie.com/books/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube] When an Octopus Crashes Your PartyWhat happens when an octopus shows up at your birthday party?Expect splats in the kitchen, slimy streamers, silly games, and a cake that tastes a little like the sea. With eight arms for hugs, high-fives, and fist bumps, Twinkle Toes makes sure this birthday is one nobody will forget.
- [Teachers](https://www.laundrie.com/teachers/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]Amy LaundrieTeachers, or Educational Superheroes as I think of you, I was an elementary teacher for 35 years. I know how stressful your job is. Here are ways I can help. MATERIALSVIDEOSPRESENTATIONSACTIVITIES:The Quack-a-Doodle ParadeExciting set of coloring pages! COLORING BOOKInstructions on making your own pinwheel!MAKE A PINWHEELFREEBIES:Follow Me Into the WoodsFun word search, crossword, maze,
- [Contact](https://www.laundrie.com/contact/) - BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]Contact MeI love to hear from fellow readers, writers, and animal lovers. My writing and my adventures keep me scurrying, but I pride myself on getting back to people in a timely manner.Laundrie@Live.comAmazon Author PageFacebook Author PageTwitter AccountSociety of Children's Book Writers and IllustratorsGoodReads Author PageSUBMITBooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]BooksArticlesPresentationsTeachersContact[YouTube]2021 © Amy Laundrie Author | All Rights Reserved
- [Articles](https://www.laundrie.com/articles/) - SubscribeAnd you will receive an email for new articles by Amy Laundrie #mc_embed_signup input[type="text"], #mc_embed_signup input[type="email"] { background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2); /* white with 20% opacity */ border: 1px solid #ccc; /* optional: helps it show up against various backgrounds */ padding: 8px; color: #000; /* text color, change as needed */ } Email
- [Gifts That Matter](https://www.laundrie.com/gifts-that-matter/) - What gifts do you remember receiving as a child? I can recall only a few. Instead, I remember family gatherings beginning with those at my grandmother’s house. Grandma served lutefisk (we kids got to have pigs-in-the-blanket instead of the pungent cod) and great desserts. My favorites were her famous pecan dreams. See recipe below. Afterward,

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- [Rascal](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/rascal/)
- [Sterling North](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/sterling-north/)
- [pet raccoon](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/pet-raccoon/)
- [fish fries](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/fish-fries/)
- [fawns and fireflies](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/fawns-and-fireflies/)
- [Northern Wisconsin](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/northern-wisconsin/)
- [vacation](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/vacation/)
- [rural family stories](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/rural-family-stories/)
- [cabin](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/cabin/)
- [family traditions](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/family-traditions/)
- [summer memories with grandkids](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/summer-memories-with-grandkids/)
- [lakeside cabin stories](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/lakeside-cabin-stories/)
- [Land O' Lakes](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/land-o-lakes/)
- [old-fasioned family fun](https://www.laundrie.com/tag/old-fasioned-family-fun/)