On Fourth of July morning, my boys and I headed to our local you-pick strawberry farm to stock up on berries for the weekend’s festivities.
It was eighty and sunny — gorgeous picking weather, and we got a little carried away with plucking and piling those crimson beauties. Continue reading
Summer is really-and-truly here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we are grabbing onto it with marshmallow-stickied hands.
When Jaclynn Kreider was a young girl, her father, Jack Kriegl, was her hero. They enjoyed many of the same things – playing sports, Green Bay Packers football, skiing, hunting, trapping, and spending time outdoors.
Hello, Friends!
Here’s a little sunshine for your Monday…
In November, I shared the Sternhagen family’s journey through a sad and bewildering time as their infant son Blake was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a condition that could dramatically shorten a child’s life (full story here). Continue reading
Last Saturday, my oldest son came down with a stomach virus that only lasted a couple hours. On Tuesday, the middle one had it; he bounced back quickly too. On Thursday, the youngest was a bit off–not much appetite, a few bad diapers–that whole thing. Continue reading
Since the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, I can’t escape conversations about this series. Continue reading
As a child, Bob Coombs knew he would one day become famous. He loved performing and singing, and imagined living a vibrant life in New York or Los Angeles, pursuing his artistic dreams. In high school, Bob participated in chorus and drama, and reveled in being on a stage under the spotlights. Continue reading
My dad had hip replacement surgery last Friday. The procedure went well, and he was discharged on Sunday, with physical therapy scheduled for Monday. My mom got sick on Sunday night, and couldn’t bring him to his appointment. I volunteered to transport him to and from therapy. He called that morning and explained that he really needed bathing. Could I pick him up early and bring him to my Nana’s house so he could use her walk-in shower? An hour later, we were standing in her bathroom, unloading my dad’s Pert Plus and Irish Spring from a ratty blue duffle bag. Continue reading
One of my favorite times of the day is when I first hear my 22-month-old son Miles talking in his crib in the morning. Sometimes it’s earlier than I want it to be, and I know that when I step out of bed and walk past the balcony door, my ankles will be hit with a cold draft. I know that as soon as we go downstairs, I’ll be filling cups and cutting toast and refereeing squabbles and gathering gear for outings. Continue reading
I couldn’t do crowds and lines this year. I skipped shopping at the mall. I skipped parties and white elephant gift exchanges. It was just too much to keep going out when I wanted to keep going in. Continue reading
REVISIONS OF GRANDEUR 