The storms that converged on Wisconsin had been brewing all day. Weird cloud formations stretched ominously across a sky that sagged with hot, sticky moisture. So, no one was surprised when the alarms on our cellphones started pinging urgent warnings of impending weather. Then, the win whipped up and we all watched trees bending low [...]
I honestly thought yesterday was April Fool's Day. I spent much of the morning thinking about whether the weather was Wisconsin's idea of a practical joke. Other members of my household called it a different holiday. "It's Christmas again!" the four-year old shouted when he came downstairs and saw all the snow. Then, we had [...]
"A southern wind smells like spring," Molly announced as we strolled through the woods on an unseasonably warm Sunday. So, we all stood still and took a good, deep breath. "Huh!" I said. "It does! How poetic. Where did you learn that?" "I didn't," she said. "I just think it does." Less than 24 hours [...]
An unfamiliar November sun rode in this weekend and we Midwesterners responded with great gulps of glee. Everywhere we looked people rode bikes they had put away for the winter, hauled out the summer shorts, dined al fresco , walked, jogged, raked leaves, climbed playground equipment and tried to stay outside as long as possible. [...]
The tornadic storm that ripped through Appleton Friday tore large branches from nearly every tree in our yard, tossed porch furniture and trampolines down city streets, knocked trees into power lines and wreaked mad havoc everywhere it touched down. But you know what it left standing? My You Are Beautiful sign. I say that without [...]