The apple muffins I made tasted “off.” I’d spent long minutes hunting up muffin tins and paper baking cups. (I seldom bake.) I have had plenty of baking failures because I’ve only guessed at amounts, so this time I measured…
Holidays such as Thanksgiving often make us recall our childhoods. It was this time of year when, as a naïve young girl, I was forced to learn the harsh realities of life. But those experiences also awarded me with a…
A few weeks ago, I travelled to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island where my group’s tour guide and other educators shared many facts. After hearing a presentation by a poised young Mi’kmaq woman, I learned that archaeologists…
One reason I love to travel is to hear various people’s life stories, often very different from mine. It’s almost like being allowed to live multiple lives. My daughters and I traveled to Ireland over fourteen years ago, but I…
Hi, it’s Josie the Cockapoo, hoping you see this column and send my mum a cheery emoji or note. She’s cleaning out the dog cupboard, finding my old toys and puppy stuff, and getting all emotional. She was making good…
I recently concluded a week-long class at The Clearing, a folk art school in Door County’s Ellison Bay. The Clearing, named for the opportunity for students to “clear their mind,” is a place where people can learn a craft or…
Are you having trouble achieving a goal, completing a task, or working through an issue? Find a friend or group to help you. My doctor once told me I should do weight-bearing exercises. It was hard to motivate myself to…
After my husband read a recent column in which I described a low point in my writing career, (my presenting to an audience of two—an exhausted mother and an intoxicated man) he responded, “You’re looking at this all wrong. When…
Think back to the first car you ever owned. Or the vehicle you used to take your family on a special vacation. When it was time to hand the key over to its new owner, did you get a twinge?…
Chances are you’ve gone through a personal experience that started a whirlwind of events that changed your life forever. Mine came exactly one year ago when, knowing I was going to faint, I dropped onto my knees and lowered myself…