Dancing Saved Their Lives

This story/poem sold to Turtle magazine in 1990. Melody Mouse Melody, a small, gray mouse, lived inside a people house along with many mousey others: mother, cousins, sisters, brothers. “To be alert, you must be able. The cat may lurk by chair or table,” her mother told small Melody. “So, exercise; eat carefully.” Now, exercise, […]

Head of the Family

His hat hangs on a peg in my hallway. It’s not the Stetson he wore on special occasions. This one has sweat marks, and a small spot of oil. It’s the one he wore every day as he mowed lawns, drove to the sale barn, or any time he went out the door. He never […]

Learning Time

School has started in my neck of the woods–children and teachers returning to fresh adventures, seeing old friends and making new ones. Hopefully, this will be a fun-filled, safe year for all. I wondered, as I looked out at bird baths this morning, if birds need to learn bird-things from their parents, or if it […]

Hope and the Super Bowl

  I am not a sports fan, but sports is the life breath for many people. However, I decided, since most of my family would be glued to the television screen watching the Super Bowl that year, I’d at least give the game a peek. Then, of course, I wanted to know who won, so […]

Nipped in the Bud

Below, I’m giving the start of a story I had begun to write. It was based on a true story that happened in 1902, a terrible miscarriage of justice. But, as I typed, I realized I really don’t want to write this story because I knew the facts behind it. I have the victim’s last […]

It Seems That I Know You

Is the past really the past or does it reappear now and then? I saw one of my old college professors the other day, even though he has been dead a good number of years. Now, before you think I’ve gone completely round the bend, let me explain. Actually, I didn’t see him but I […]