When I was younger, another birthday was something I anticipated with great excitement.  One more tick of the year led to a new school grade, new responsibilities and more freedom.   Birthdays were celebrated with a large family gathering, typically combined with Easter due to the closeness of the two days.  It was also my favorite season – Spring.  Growth, renewal, all of the dormant animals, flowers and trees awakening.  I would spend hours walking through the woods searching for spring wildflowers as the trees sprouted their new leaves overhead.  As I grew older, my birthday turned into ..read more

I have debated about sharing the story that follows, but with the recent loss of several friends and family, I find that this story brings me peace when I struggle with the “why”.  My mother was a multi-faceted woman who loved fiercely, defended her own, bragged about our accomplishments (even after we were older and gray) and defined devotion to family.  She was never speechless, she always had a response or a comment for every situation, except for the time when I came home and said, “Guess who I met last night and he asked me to go out on a date?” For sixteen years they had worked t ..read more

When I was in high school, we took our final trip in the old Apache camper.  My Dad had fallen off a ladder at work and broke his finger.  He needed to see a specialist in Petoskey, so Mom and Dad decided to take the camper out one last time.  We traveled down to Petoskey for his doctor appointment, staying at a campground nearby.  Then we headed back north to Tahquamenon Falls.  It was odd, just the three of us camping, but my brothers were grown.  No longer did I have to fight to sleep in the drop-down bunk – it was all mine for the taking.  But as I lay in the quiet camper, I realized the v ..read more

My brothers were dedicated band members in high school, both marching band and orchestra.  By the time I was part way through elementary school, I had been to more band concerts, competitions and football games then I would attend for the rest of my life.  Mom was in Band Boosters helping to raise funds and support the students.  She ended up accepting a part-time job as an assistant to the band director, otherwise known as a “band-aid”.  She helped fit and distribute marching uniforms, was at every football game to dole out her famous hot chocolate and traveled with the band when they went to ..read more

The first time I saw a snowmobile was in the 70’s.  Friends of ours had them and I was able to briefly take a ride during a snowy trip to the Upper Peninsula.  Not properly equipped for the cold, I took one lap around the barn and wanted off.  I decided then and there, I was a summer gal.  Winter was not my thing.  Why on earth would anyone want to ride on one of those things in the bitter cold? Fast forward twenty years and my new boyfriend opened the door to his garage and showed me his super sleek Phaser.  He said, “I can’t wait to take you for a ride” while I tried to smile enthusiastic ..read more

I have written about Mom and Grandma – both influential, strong women who helped shape my life and provided me with unconditional love and support.  My mother’s sister, Doris or Dode as we called her also guided and inspired me.   Tall, gregarious, with an infectious guffaw of a laugh that filled a room and invariably ended in a snort.  I am the youngest and the only girl among the cousins on Mom’s side of the family.  With three older sons, she doted on me when we were together.  She made outfits for my dolls and every year I could count on a birthday card in the mail.  She and I were bor ..read more

My Dad is the quiet unsung hero of my life.  He lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his father and three older sisters.  Growing up on a farm and being the only son, he was destined to stay and carry on the long farming tradition.  How thankful I am, that he did. He has always been a hard worker, working both on and off the farm. After we sold the farm in the south to the state, we remained there on a lifetime lease and kept a few beef cows and then sheep.  With his expertise in farming and a strong work ethic, it did not take him long to find a job working in the farming indus ..read more

Sneakers was a powerful dog. At slightly over 100 pounds, she ruled the house, watching over us and all the other animals. When our Grandson was young, she would always win a tug of war, dragging him along the carpet and through the house. We always said we should hook her to a sled and have her pull us through the fields in the winter. She loved the vet, no actually, she LOVED going to the vet. She had a large vocabulary – just saying the word “vet” within her earshot would elicit a run to the door, begging to go for a ride. Actually taking her to the vet required two people – one to ..read more

After I graduated college, Mom and I decided to take a road trip to see Grandma.  I asked Grandma if Willow, my cat, could come along.  Grandma didn’t have pets, but she reluctantly agreed to let Willow visit.  With everyone packed into my Ford Escort, we were off and running.  Willow decided the best place to ride was standing in my lap with her front paws on the steering wheel.  A couple of hours into the trip, while speeding down the highway, the car suddenly lost power.  Utilizing the last bits of momentum the car had, I maneuvered to the side of the road.  Turning the key didn’t do an ..read more

I have been obsessed lately with making fabric yo-yos. Not sure what the end product will be, but the repetition of cutting circles, placing small stitches around the perimeter and pulling the thread tight to create a small flower like bundle has been soothing to me lately. I have stacks of fabric waiting to be transformed – the finished pile keeps growing.  Browns, blues, greens, reds – each with its own delicate pattern.  As I work my way through the stack, each fabric can transport me to a time in the past when I created a project using a similar (or sometimes the same) color or pattern ..read more