Blog
As a curious observer of life, I blog on writing, marketing, my prairie - anything that interests me in the moment. I like to have conversations with readers, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I'll respond.
Great weather. Great garden. And it just keeps coming. I foist tomatoes and peppers off on anyone who visits. We eat tomatoes at every meal. I’m not kidding. Even breakfast. I picked two dishpans of…
Read MoreI am thinking that ‘Grandma’ may be the very best word in the English language. My granddaughters came to visit on Sunday. Their parents in tow. While the youngest is still a baby in arms,…
Read MoreWe drove the back roads of northeast Iowa yesterday, skirting north of Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Waverly. We speculated on whether the many large birds soaring far above us were turkey vultures or Bald Eagles.…
Read MoreCoffee shop. Ice cream parlor. Lunch counter. But that’s the least of it. My favorite coffee shop these days is Smokey Row just off I-235 at MLKing in Des Moines. The thing I love about…
Read MoreCrossword puzzle clue: Showy fall flower Answer: Aster Did you think asters? Since a crossword puzzle is part of my everyday routine, ‘aster’ and ‘showy fall flower,’ are always linked in my mind. Asters are…
Read MoreThere are far more complicated recipes for Ratatouille, but here’s the more simple version I used, taken from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. Ratatouille 2 cups cubed, peeled eggplant 1 small zucchini,…
Read MoreThe last eggplant. The last zucchini. The last onions. That’s what I brought in from the garden this past week. My mother always made soup with the last vegetables of her garden. She had so…
Read MoreMy name is Carol. I’m addicted to web stats. There. I’ve said it. Every day, I look at the statistics for my blog. How many visitors? Which countries do they live in? Which browsers do…
Read MoreHave you noticed how when you’re away from a place for a while and then come back, it all looks different? I was always struck by how our kitchen on the farm always looked so…
Read More“Taste this,” I say, pulling leaves off a small prairie plant and handing them to friends who tour my prairie. “Taste it?” they ask, skeptical. I nod. With some hesitation, they do. “It’s licorice!” they…
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