Short stories and photos shared with humor and love
I hope the magic of summer in Wisconsin lures my granddaughters back again and again. I want the slow drift of campfire smoke to tickle their memory, and the sticky taste of S’mores to linger long after the last log burns. I’d like the little red train that chugged us through Bay Beach to show [...]
The quiet crept into our house like smoke on the water, thanks to billowing clouds of actual smoke on the water. The public pool across the street stood shrouded and empty, a lone frog croaked in the retention pond nearby. It is astonishing how loud silence can be, especially on a warm summer afternoon. The [...]
There is no better metaphor for summer than a sun-warmed strawberry fresh off the vine. Maybe you pop that first one of the season into your mouth while you’re still in the field. Its sweet burst of flavor reminds you of last summer — the lazy floats, campfires, music festivals, yoga in the park, crisp [...]
Are we Midwesterners ever not surprised by summer’s miracles? Monday, I rolled my yoga mat out onto a field covered with snow white clover blossoms. Just an eye blink ago, actual snow — mean, icy drifts of it, covered that same field. I took a deep breath of gratitude for the miracle of clover. On [...]
In a challenging world, I’m happy we still have lemonade stands and enterprising young people who run them. Our neighbors hosted just such a stand this past Saturday — complete with two kinds of lemonade, homemade brownies and cookies. They employed all sorts of impressive marketing tactics. In a tactic reminiscent of the Burma Shave [...]