Short stories and photos shared with humor and love
I hustled over to the ice rink on a very busy Tuesday afternoon because sometimes winter acts like a spoiled child. It can blow through so furiously we hide in our houses, bundled up and waiting for the tantrum to pass. Each time we poke our heads out the door, our faces freeze in its [...]
My young neighbor rescued my pumpkin's ear yesterday and attempted to reattach it. "I knew it would blow away if I didn't try," he said. Imagine taking the time too repair someone's pumpkin on a blustery day! The kids are alright (and my pumpkins are too). We've always been a Halloween-loving neighborhood. Carol down the [...]
Late Friday afternoon ahead of one of Appleton's busiest weekends, the Appleton Police Department encountered a suicidal, homicidal person just a few blocks away from an already busy downtown. Skillfully and compassionately, they negotiated an end to the drama with no injuries to anyone. The department, currently led by Police Chief Polly Olson, has enjoyed [...]
Yesterday, my mom and I treated ourselves to the Appleton City band concert. We have a standing Tuesday night date at Pierce Park in the summer. We generally park our folding chairs in exactly the same spot, audience right, in the grass near the playground. My mom has been going to these concerts for more [...]
I didn’t agree with every sign I saw among the hundreds held aloft at the protest I attended Saturday in Appleton, but I sure was happy to see them there. All those voices felt as optimistic as the spring air that carried them, harbingers of warmer days ahead. Democracy demands participation. No matter what your [...]