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.
The Iowa State Fairis all about the food, right? Food we eat and enjoy and then regret when we remember the calories? Well, the Fair offers huge banquets to enjoy that contain not one single…
Read MoreThe Iowa State Fairis all about ____________ (fill in the blank) Everybody thinks of something when they go to the Fair. Food on a stick. The big boar. The Midway. Livestock judging. The Butter Cow.…
Read MoreThose of you who know me, know I’m all about the cows. I grew up on an Iowa dairy farm and spent 35 years promoting the dairy industry. So, this year’s Iowa State Fairhits me…
Read MoreCheck out this little guy! We were watching TV and looked up to see this tree frogworking his way up our picture window. It was quite a hike for him. This window is a full…
Read MoreFrancie Nolan grew up in an exceedingly poor Irish family in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. Her story is chronicled in the classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Facing hours on the…
Read MoreGrowing up on the farm, we had a big garden. Big enough to fill our fruit cellar and deep freeze. Enough to feed our family at every meal, through the winter, until the garden gave…
Read MoreI joined friends for a walk along the bike trail north of Johnston over the weekend. We went early in an unsuccessful effort to beat the heat and humidity. At 7:30 a.m., the sun was…
Read MoreIf you write fiction – or want to give it a shot – consider entering the 2nd Annual Montezuma All-Iowa Writers’ Conference Fiction Writing Contest. In addition to the adulation of your peers, and the…
Read MoreMonarch butterflies began to arrive in our gardens this past week. They are most active late in the afternoon, when they flit from flower to flower, alighting particularly often on purple coneflowers. The colors of…
Read MoreOur book club just discussed The Work of Wolves by Kent Meyers. Described as ‘an expansive novel of great emotional depth,’ this book delivers a powerful read. Set in South Dakota, the author establishes the…
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