A few years after we moved to Kansas City, my husband bought a sailing canoe. You have probably never seen a sailing canoe—they are rare, for good reason. A sailing canoe is a regular canoe to which a mast and a keel can be attached. Ours looked something like this […]
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The Summer I Knew Nothing—Studying for the Bar Exam
Thirty-five years ago, in the summer of 1979, my husband and I moved to Kansas City to study for the bar exam. I’ve written before about our trip from California to Missouri, but I’ve tried to block the bar exam and the preparation for taking it from my memory. Still, […]
Continue readingJim the Wonder Dog
I wrote last time about Marshall, Missouri. Marshall does have one claim to fame—it was the home of Jim the Wonder Dog. Owned by Sam Van Arsdale of Marshall, Jim was a Llewellin setter (an English setter) that lived from 1925 to 1937. Jim could allegedly understand human speech and […]
Continue readingWhich Ugliest Town in America?
I first visited Missouri in early June 1977, before my now-husband and I were married. I’ve described that visit—the trip to Fort Osage and the making of gooseberry pie. But what I didn’t say in that post was that I thought his hometown of Marshall, Missouri, was the ugliest town […]
Continue readingAuthor’s Blog Chain
I’ve been asked to participate in an Author’s Blog Chain this week, which gives me the opportunity to tell you more about my writing. Juliet Kincaid, a Kansas author and member of the local Sisters in Crime chapter, tagged me on her blog, Juliet Kincaid, Writer. Juliet has recently written a series […]
Continue readingA Fall Family Feud Over Trees
The trees have been gorgeous this autumn in Kansas City. I can’t say it’s been the best year I remember for fall colors, but it must be among the top five. The turning leaves have been so bright that if I were a painter—and I am most decidedly not a […]
Continue readingBarlow Road to Foster Farm: Civilization At Last
I’ve mentioned the grueling Barlow Road around the south slope of Mt. Hood before. Barlow Road was the last leg of the Oregon Trail for the emigrants who decided against floating down the Columbia River. The descent down Laurel Hill on Barlow Road past the summit, a 60 degree slope […]
Continue readingFavorite (and Forgiving) Peach Cobbler Recipe
It is peach season in Missouri. If it is peach season, it is time for peach cobbler, one of my favorite desserts. We like to buy our peaches from Schreiman Orchards in Waverly, Missouri, but any fresh peaches will do. Canned peaches will do in a pinch. I don’t really […]
Continue readingConquering Fear Through Grandpa’s Glasses
When my daughter was in preschool, she was afraid of many things. Santa Claus, Disney movies, and fireworks were just a few of the things she dreaded. She ran screaming down the hall when Santa Claus showed up one Christmas Eve. She would not take his candy cane, nor pull […]
Continue readingReverse Gold Rush Journey: My Trek to Kansas City
It was 34 years ago this week that my husband and I arrived in Kansas City to live. Early June, 1979. We had just finished our last law school exams, and didn’t even stay in California for our graduation ceremony, because the preparation course for the Missouri bar exam had […]
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