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.
My dad was not a particularly vocal man. In most cases, he showed us rather than told us what we needed to know. On our family farm, work came first. Dad definitely showed us about…
Read MoreMy granddaughter Eliza took her first solo steps on Sunday. And she did it right in front of me. How lucky is that? Her mom and dad and sister saw it too. We applauded. We…
Read MoreI put the hard hat on because they made me. It felt awkward though the safety glasses were even worse, perched over my regular glasses and so scratched seeing through them was a challenge. Not…
Read More“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb We planted a tree this week. A ginkgo. “They’re slow growers,” the nurseryman said. “We…
Read MoreSome 20 years ago an animal rights activist dressed like a pig walked up to a young woman who wore the crown of Iowa Pork Queen that year and shoved a whipped cream pie…
Read MoreI luv u sis! That was the message written on one of the roadside ornaments I found as I walked this past week. When I read those words, I couldn’t help but smile as I brushed…
Read MoreAh, tis the season. Decorations are everywhere. Houses, trees, lamp posts. Every year the decorations seem to get bigger and brighter. But I have seen this year that small and subtle can have great impact.…
Read MoreRecently an abandoned storage unit went up for auction. Rummaging through the contents, the buyer found dozens of hats, capes and dresses all once owned by none other than music legend Aretha Franklin. The Queen…
Read MoreIn the category of teaching an old dog new tricks, here are two things I’ve learned about candy making from Sue, a member of my book club who is the undisputed queen of candy making.…
Read MoreKathy makes perfect peanut brittle. And she shared her recipe with me. But any cook will tell you that having the recipe and achieving the same result as the master are not always the same…
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