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.
“How’s your writing going?” a young man asked me during a holiday gathering. “It’s going exactly as well as my ability to stay in my chair and keep writing,” I responded. He nodded with a…
Read MoreVinegar, cold water, and Epsom Salts. My mother was a great believer in simple solutions to what ails you. Poison ivy? Wrap it in a cloth soaked in vinegar. Cut or puncture wound? Soak it…
Read MoreWhat lines divide us? Who put them there? What happens if you step across? Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Helpchallenges readers to think about that. Stockett takes us back to Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s, a…
Read More“Oh, what a pretty thing!’ I know I’ll think that when I see the first one. The Emerald Ash Borer has a regal name and it does look stunning in it’s jewel-toned, green shell. But…
Read MoreMy mother commented often about how well educated people like George Washington, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin were. The implication being that they were better educated than people today. My comeback was that yes these…
Read MoreWe had unseasonably warm December weather yesterday – 61 degrees! How great is that in the dead of winter? I watched snow melt, creating streams that ran off, mostly down storm sewers. Except in the…
Read MoreThis is my first winter of prairie watching. I noticed how strong prairie plants were during summer wind storms. They bent but didn’t break. That same quality is true in the winter. Snow piles up…
Read MoreMy granddaughter gave me the finest gift this Christmas – the gift of joy. All I had to do was watch her and look through her two-year-old eyes to receive it. The piano? Played…
Read MoreRichard Nixon made history in 1973 with his ‘I am not a crook’ statement. Public relations people everywhere used ‘I am not a crook’ as an example of how not to make a statement. Do…
Read MoreA song is part of my granddaughter’s going to bed ritual. My favorite song to sing when I tuck Hannah into bed is “My Favorite Things,” the song Maria sings to quiet the fears of…
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