My daughter and two grandsons joined me on a nature walk over our Fourth of July vacation at our northern Wisconsin cabin. It’s difficult to hold the attention of a ten- and thirteen-year-old boy, so I planned a scavenger hunt…
Mary and Bill Ernst's sailboat, Puffin. Credit Mershawn Pikus.
Vroom-vroom-vroom. When the Historical Society asked if they could decorate me for their 4th of July float again, my engine revved up an extra hundred rpms. I may not be as smart as the Tesla I saw this morning or…
Local photographer Casey Bender Butler and I spent a pleasant afternoon sipping beverages at the Dells’ Bella Goose and talking about how best to capture the precious and powerful moments in our life. She’s happy to share some of her…
I’m sorting through the bin of old letters I’ve saved and pull out a stack from elementary school. “Dear Amy, I love you. Do you love me? Circle yes or no.” Seeing the neatly penciled words written by David Onnick…
A friend, who recently lost her husband, shared something she’s learned since his death. People are contacting her regularly, telling her what her husband meant to them, recalling wonderful moments they shared with him. She loves to hear their stories,…
I’m sorting through seasonal clothes in the closet when I linger at the forest green vest my son and daughter-in-law gave me. They bought a matching one for my husband, Frank. I include it along with heavier clothes and bring…
Do you have a lot of photo albums? I do. In fact, I have 37. Wanting to downsize, I’m going through them and transferring the best photos into a compact, plastic case. The others (forgotten landscapes or duplicates or blurry…
Several years ago my husband and I visited my elderly relative, Per Moen, in Norway. I expected he’d take us to his home. We had limited time, and Per surprised us by taking us to a cemetery instead. Country and…
“Caw, caw, caw.” My backyard crows demand my attention. I imagine you have crows in your area, too. I feed my murder of crows regularly. They enjoy leftovers, sunflower seeds, dog food, and peanuts in the shell. They, in turn,…