Nope, it’s not about cleavers. Read on. I’ve always been known as a Pollyanna, accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. “Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt,” a quote by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, hangs above my computer and rests at the bottom of my emails. But you know what? It isn’t always that easy. Sometimes I have... READ MORE >
We’re used to this, right? We know about black flies and head nets and repellents, but my goodness! This has been the bug year of bug years. I had hopes, what with the dry spring (well, when it finally came), that the dryness might ameliorate the insect populations, but for some reason it did the opposite. We’ve been deluged. Not... READ MORE >
“When is the thrift store opening?” “Are you taking donations yet?” As president of the First & Second Thrift Store Board of Directors, I’m barraged with these questions daily. What was I thinking when I accepted that position? Actually, I’ve enjoyed volunteering for the thrift store, but I never signed up for this particular gig. None of us did. It’s... READ MORE >
Picture a beige moonscape. Imagine each crater inflating to a tall stone mushroom— a fairy chimney. Paint a dazzling blue sky with sun articulating each dune-like shadow by day and transforming it to luminous rose and magenta at dusk. Waft a few blue-and-red-striped hot-air balloons above, and you’re in Cappadocia, Turkey’s geologic marvel. I love Cappadocia, and the Kelebek is... READ MORE >
I’m currently recuperating from a knee replacement (happily but painfully). I thought I might write about knees, but I’ve been so moved by the kindness of friends that I decided to share a short story I wrote about connections. Better than boring you with knee issues. Enjoy. No School She sat alone in the wing-back chair, a delicate rose-painted teacup... READ MORE >
Sadly, our weeks in Turkey are coming to a close. I’ve been amazed to find Turkish words and verb tenses bubbling up from the nether reaches of my brain. Turkish is a difficult language, but it makes up for that by being a kind one. Some of its daily niceties warm my heart: When you see someone working, you say... READ MORE >
I am beyond proud of one of my former students. Staci Lola Drouillard is a soft-spoken, unassuming dynamo. She’s also a writer (as well as a fine baker). Staci’s most recent book, Seven Aunts, is a deep-dive into her family history with a focus on her aunts. I clearly recall my Ojibway students having strong ties to their “Aunties,” and... READ MORE >
Personality inventories intrigue me, so how could I resist offering to play guinea pig for a friend learning to analyze personalities? Piece of cake, I thought. I know myself. When we got to talking about organization, I explained that I’m random and don’t come by organization naturally, but that I’ve learned to organize myself. My elementary school desks were always... READ MORE >
We recently spent an enlightening three days with journalists from around the world, fellows in the 2023 World Press Institute Program. The ten of them are in the U.S. for nine weeks, and little Grand Marais is a part of their annual program, thanks to Marja Wiinanen and the Cook County Historical Society. Other cities they’re visiting include Los Angeles,... READ MORE >
So, the good news is that we’re still breathing— you as you read this and me as I write it. The bad news is that we’re breathing too much through our mouths. Who knew? I have minor lung damage from pneumonia, so when a friend recommended, I read Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor, I... READ MORE >
