A few weeks ago, someone took my You Are Beautiful sign from our front yard and I remember hoping it had found a good home and vaguely planning to replace it with a more permanent model. Then, the coronavirus came to town and trapped us all in this weird Stephen King novel. Suddenly, the air [...]
Category: The people in our neighborhood
One at a time
We're going to make our way through this pandemic one day at a time. It's a little overwhelming to think beyond that. So, we move forward one friendly wave at a time. One charming sidewalk chalk message at a time. One family group chat at a time. One deep breath at a time. One kind [...]
Unexpected pleasures
In a season that relies on meticulous planning, we enjoyed some unexpected pleasures this week that taught us lucky residents of this cool neighborhood how heart (and belly) swelling friendship can be. First, a young friend of mine and I arrived home after a long, stressful day and found a small gift hanging from our [...]
With a little help from my friends
I sent my friend Gina a cheese basket last year and she sent me back an heirloom piece of art hand-painted on the lid. My friend Jeannie recently delivered an unsolicited bunch of garden-grown tomatoes just because she knows I like them. Similarly, my friend Catherine texted me a picture of a tomato with my [...]
The wind in the willow
Some might stand in the aftermath of a ferocious storm and wonder how they will ever enjoy another warm summer day. My talented friends Vern and Deb Wilmot built a bench, and I think it's one of the coolest metaphors I've seen in a long, long while. The storm that whipped through Appleton earlier this [...]