Me Time
Long before solo vacations were cool, I found myself lost in the woods alone. Usually in fall. It became somewhat of an annual tradition – hiking to new places to photograph fall colors and waterfalls, shop, and visit roadside attractions. This annual habit evolved into a ritual that now provides an opportunity for an annual […]
What Have We Become?
Sometimes the universe is subtle. Other times, it plops a billboard in front of you. This is a story about the latter of the two. I’m writing this after a day of hiking in record high temps in God’s country as part of my annual get away to the UP of Michigan. It is a […]
Behind these Walls… Love Wins.
For the past few months, I’ve watched a small but mighty battle brew around our public library. A WPR reporter called me for a quote – I hesitated to go on record and declined to comment. Not because I don’t have an opinion. I am after all a patron, Iron River taxpayer, donor, former board […]
Got Beef?
Ten years ago, I birthed a beautiful baby boy. Our first major outing was the Bayfield County Fair where I, with my heightened hormones, watched middle and high school boys (and girls) auction off beef to pay for college. Later, while nursing and watching yet another rerun of Friday Night Lights, I looked at my […]
The Big 10
Jake from Moon Lake today crashing the party to let you all know I’ve hit double digits. Next month I’m convinced I’m starting 5th grade as the fastest, smartest kid in the school. Not a bad way to start the year. I had some big wins this past year – literally. My baseball team went […]
Summer Reads
I’ve stumbled across some incredible new reads this year – some new authors or at least new to me – some not so much. And, given we have at least a solid month of beach time, even in northern Wisconsin, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite reads in case you are looking […]
The Vessel
You spend the first half of your life building a vessel and the second half filling it. My morning to read list includes a book by Richard Rohr called Falling Forward. It is based on Swiss psychologist Carl Jung’s “two halves of life” in which the first half of life you create your life, often […]
Next Stop, MLB
My son’s baseball team won the Little League Championship in our small town. It marked the end to a very busy June packed with endless sitting in a blue chair watching the grass grow, along with Jake’s confidence. On game day for the championship and the ability to close out the season undefeated, Jake informed […]
Little League Moments
The start to summer break and Little League baseball is a great reminder of inertia. The contrast of sprinting through May at a breakneck pace of planning for the future while endless finish lines suddenly comes to a screeching halt during Monday night (and most other weekdays that end with Y) Little League Baseball. IYKYK. […]
Graduation
High School graduation is a mixed blessing for those navigating grief. In my latest Rural Rambling, I share en excerpt from my book Now What? Navigating Life After Loss where I look back at 6/6/96. The first big milestone sans mom. Chapter 4: The Waterfall Two months after my mom died, I found myself standing […]