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The Value of Cemeteries
My daughter Heidi flew in from California over Mother’s Day to spend time with me. Since her two boys weren’t along, we had the chance to dine out, visit Madison’s botanical garden, kayak the Wisconsin River, and have a memorial walk around the Spring Grove Cemetery. A few years ago, my husband and I debated […]
Tell Your Story
“To survive, you must tell stories.” Umberto Eco, Italian philosopher Two weeks ago in my Mother’s Day column, I talked about Mom telling me she’d gotten angry with my father and had cut her wedding dress up to made curtains. My mother and I had been interrupted and I’d never thought to ask her about […]
Memory Scraps on Mother’s Day
You might be like me, motherless on Mother’s Day. My mother was a smoker who quit her Raleigh cigarettes too late. It’s been 16 years since I last heard her voice and laughter, was warmed by her smile, or saw her face light up when I came for a visit. My memories of her are […]
May: The Perfect Month for Chuckles
According to “The Teacher’s Calendar,” May is National Teaching and Joy Month. If you’re like most of us, you could use some joy and maybe even a chuckle, so sit back and enjoy this collection of classics. Thanks to fellow teachers who shared. I’d set up an incubator with quail eggs so all interested students […]
Stories, Politics, and Solving Life’s Problems
Wanting to feature iconic Dells community members, I set off to interview Newport long-time residents, Don and Anita Nelson, farmers and the owner of Thunder Valley Inn. I happily sat alongside one of their good friends, Arlen Kanno. I ran my hand alongside their well-used kitchen table, feeling a pleasant shiver of déjà vu. I […]
The Mysteries of the Sea
What is it about seashells that draw people to them? What gives them their ancient mystery and magic? When I ask my daughter-in-law if she wants me to grab her a shell bag in preparation for our beach walk, she quickly raises her hand as if I’d offered a dieter a second serving. “No, I’m […]