Every now and then my love for Wisconsin seems, how shall we say it? Unrequited. I wax on about my lovely state -- the food, the people, the music, the sunsets and the seasons. Then Wisconsin, God love her, dumps 14 inches of snow on the fifth day of spring. What the heck, Wisconsin? I [...]
I am not always a fan of firsts. First day of school? I was the mother thinking, "Yes, you look adorable lugging that crisp oversized backpack on your tiny shoulders and looking at me with that big missing-tooth smile, but wouldn't you like to stay home with me a few more years? I can teach [...]
Magic happens when you wake up on a leisurely Saturday morning and discover the greatest winter gift of a Midwestern childhood -- packy snow. By Saturday evening our neighborhood looked like a George Lucas snow globe. One family spent the day building a giant snow arch for the mailman, and another built a castle and [...]
"Well,I know now. I know a little more how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person." --Sylvia Plath Some snowfalls land gently, like a lace tablecloth on an old, scared dining room table. That's how Sunday morning's snow seemed to me. It approached without fanfare before dawn, tidied up the [...]
She barreled in swiftly, unapologetically late to the party and still its honored guest. Crystal beads clung to her fancy pants and frosty confidence sparkled in her eyes. She'd been invited for Christmas, but Ashley didn't care. She trailed a white velvet stole from her diamond-heavy fingers, tossed back her salty shoulders and laughed at [...]