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.
Back to school is an exciting time. New books. New subjects to learn. New friends to make. I went back to school this fall, too, but not as a student. Now, I teach. My students…
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Human rights have been under attack in Iowa. The onslaught of abortion bans, book bans, and laws targeting LGBTQ+ children – all laws passed by the Iowa legislature this year – has been soul crushing.…
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We are in the third, maybe fourth, year of drought here in Iowa. Capricious rains tease us into thinking the drought may be over, but there’s no denying the affect of too little water on…
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I’m always delighted to learn something new. Even better when I’m totally surprised by the discovery. This week, I was surprised and delighted to find that a plant I’d always considered nothing more than a…
Read More“What epitaph do you want on your tombstone?” the workshop facilitator asked. After a little thought, I scribbled down, “She Had No Regrets.” At that time I’d recently experienced a moment of clarity about my…
Read More“Go out and do something, even if it’s wrong!” That was the advice my husband’s mother gave to her eleven children. While the ‘even if it’s wrong’ part leads me to imagine all sorts of…
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How can integrating America’s art and racial history tell a broader and more accurate story of our country than we commonly see? A remarkable exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum encouraged me to see it can be…
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“Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading.” – Lena Dunham After reading my post on struggling to read and write, my friend Jean Balser shared…
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I know when I lost my urge to write. Or at least to write positively. It was shortly after Donald Trump was elected President. All my efforts to blog came out angry or flat or…
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