Al fresco season

Al fresco season

Al fresco season blew into Wisconsin on a charcoal-scented cloud this weekend and we all -- traveling troubadours, weekend skippers, ATV drivers, backyard barbecuers, Timber Rattler tailgaters, cabin cleaners and Midwest munchers -- dusted off our picnic tables and bellied up with glee. Food tastes better when you can eat it outside. Music sounds sweeter [...]

You’re here, Trina

You’re here, Trina

I visited my friend Trina on the day she passed away nearly 12 years ago. She looked at me fiercely from her hospital bed and said, “I don’t want to die.” Had I not been overwhelmed by the sadness of the moment and the absolute finality of our time together, I might have responded more [...]

An antique heart

An antique heart

My friend Jill gave me an antique heart for my birthday this year and I can’t stop thinking about how accurately it symbolizes foster parenting. Both beyond and within all the training and tears, the meetings and stress, the constant worry, the laughter, the learning and the love beats the heart. And, thankfully, it’s not [...]