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Tennis Life Lessons
“Stop bouncing around so much,” Jean, a master tennis instructor, had coached me. “Plant those feet when you’re hitting the ball. And relax!” No more acting like a Jack-in-the-box, I tell myself later, when facing my opponents. If my partner and I can win this next game, we’ll have the doubles match. “No pressure,” my […]
Laughter–the Language Everyone Understands
Yesterday I had the chance to share my latest picture book (virtually) with two bilingual classes in New Jersey. The second graders were enthusiastic, especially when I held up a snakeskin and the shell of a snapping turtle, my storytelling props. Still, it was hard to connect with the large number of kids, especially those […]
Memorable Gifts
My family will celebrate several spring birthdays, and it’s time for me to think about gifts. What makes a gift special? In order to find out, I decide to list gifts that left an impression and examine why they did. I hope a pattern will emerge. My elder daughter gave me a retirement gift that […]
Happiness Sneaking in Through Back Windows
The year was 1975. I was twenty-one years old, and I’d just gotten my first teaching position as the Title 1 teacher for Wisconsin Dells. With only three days before the start of school, I was about to see my classroom for the first time. Since Title 1 teachers have smaller groups, I didn’t expect […]
Only in a Small Town
I was returning from a Kiwanis meeting at Camp Wawbeek on February 8th. My husband and I had taken separate cars since he wanted to attend a boy scout meeting, and I wanted to return home and type up the meeting notes for the newsletter before I forgot them. The rural Wawbeek road was plowed, […]
New Dreams Every Day
Ready for a trivia game? Who said the following? “I don’t have no plans of slowing down because the number says I should. I don’t pay attention to that. I wake up with new dreams every day.” Here’s a hint. This woman recently sang for a Super Bowl commercial titled“ 5 to 9,” since it’s […]
The Under-appreciated Rodent
I used to think these common rodents were just, well, bushy-tailed creatures who were good at caching away acorns. But the more I watch and read about them, the more my appreciation grows. My interest in squirrels began years ago when my father-in-law told me an incredible story. His backyard was at the edge of […]
Worry Less: Live More
Last week’s newspaper had an article about the pandemic halting the winter research on Isle Royale. Seeing the name of the Lake Superior island I’d hiked years ago brought back a flood of memories. I’d gone with a group through Eagle River’s Trees for Tomorrow. We began our journey at Copper Harbor, Michigan, where we […]