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.
As we drove to the airport, I said to my husband that it felt as though with every step I was leaving my comfort zone, moving steadily into the unknown. This Italian writing retreat would…
Read MoreWhen I wrote my memoir, I discovered the power of place on writing. I hadn’t been on the farm I grew up on in years. Standing in the barnyard, soaking in the familiar sights and…
Read MoreWhen I see tulips, I can’t help but think of wooden shoes. So when these two red tulips opened today, I went in search of de klompen. ‘De klompen,’ as the Dutch call wooden shoes,…
Read MoreI joined the PurpleStride Iowa pancreatic cancer walk on Saturday, in memory of a friend who died of the disease, and to offer moral support to his wife and children. There were hundreds of us…
Read MoreThere’s no hurrying good carrion. My husband threw a dead rabbit out into the field a couple of days ago. Today the vultures have been circling. Every once in a while, a vulture will drop…
Read MoreIf you’d like to know more about the habits of bluebirds, build a bluebird nesting box or just look at pretty bluebird pictures, this book could be for you. I was attracted to “The Bluebird…
Read MoreIn a classic case of ‘if you build it they will come,’ I’m delighted to report that we have bluebirds checking out the bluebird house my husband build earlier this spring. At first just one,…
Read MoreThere are so many ways to tell a life story. I found a new one this week when I drove to Lockridge in southeast Iowa to interview Johnny McLain for The Iowan. McLain could not…
Read MoreAfter I posted about dove hunting, my brother-in-law in Alaska suggested I shoot with a camera. Good advice, though my camera is usually someplace else when I see a bird. And the birds are not…
Read MoreI’ve been studying small Iowa towns of late. Trying to decipher what makes some more successful than others. One answer appears to lie in taking a close look at your community and making the most…
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