“It’s a really nice day,” they said. “It’s quite warm except for the wind,” they said. I didn’t believe it! Yesterday was cold! The wind was from the north, whipping across the plains and barreling through the trees, tossing whitecaps on the lakes. Even my newly-opened yellow crocus thought it was cold. I know how they […]
Feb 14, 2016
Be My Valentine
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Remember how excited we’d get as children on Valentine’s Day, counting those cards, reading the verses, keeping them in boxes? What a sweet custom! It seemed to me that my kindergarteners got more excited about Valentine’s Day than about Christmas. They would decorate white paper sacks which I fastened to the chalk tray then they would […]
Feb 6, 2016
Owls, Blackbirds, and Folgers
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An owl woke me this morning! Of course, it was way before daylight and for a moment, I didn’t recognize it. The soft “who” came again. It was an owl–the first one I’ve heard in years. He stayed around a while, calling. Maybe he wanted to be good and sure I was out of bed. So, […]
Feb 3, 2016
Neighborhood Walk
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Yesterday, I took my camera with me as I went for a walk through the neighborhood. Winter time trees are beautiful because their symmetry is starkly visible without the covering of leaves. A certain tree with white bark stood out against the blueness of sky, a silent, regal guardian of its domain. In summer, fully leafed, its uniqueness […]
Feb 1, 2016
Gravely Speaking
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Grave Heritage is finished except for final readings, edits, and re-writes. This is one of my favorite excerpts. I thought you might enjoy it too. As I drove across our bridge, around the house, and into the garage to park beside Mom’s Toyota, a sense of homecoming met me. I loved the trees that seemingly […]
Jan 28, 2016
A Poem for a Squirrel
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A few days ago, my blog post was about a squirrel in my back yard. I mentioned that Jane would probably write a poem about the aforementioned squirrel. I was right. She did! Yesterday at our critique, she shared that poem with us. I am so honored! And, if my friend the backyard squirrel knew […]
