Everyone’s a Critic

My husband and I recently returned from a week-long trip to Florida. I worked some on my writing, but mostly I drank up the sunshine and warmth. The respite from mid-western cold and snow was a much needed treat. But during the week, I did have to face several critics. […]

Continue reading

Playing Board Games With Adonis

My siblings and I spent much of our holiday vacations playing games. No one in my family is particularly athletic, but we are cutthroat at cards. And board games. None of us likes to lose. Because the age difference from me to my younger siblings was pretty wide, we had […]

Continue reading

Driving With My Daughter In Maui

Two years ago in late September, my daughter and I took a trip to Maui—a belated celebration of her graduation from law school the year before. She and I have different interests, but we decided Maui offered enough activities for both of us to enjoy. And (at least tacitly) we […]

Continue reading

Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park

My father and I took a day last week to go to Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park in Washington State. It was the first time either of us had seen this part of the park. The lake itself is a gem, nestled between forested hills. When we arrived, the […]

Continue reading

Clear Lakes and Surprises

This summer my husband and I visited two Clear Lakes – one in Iowa, and one in Oregon. Despite their same names, the lakes are quite different. But each lake delighted us with surprising features and surroundings. We stopped by the Clear Lake in Iowa on our way back to […]

Continue reading

Summer Rains and Memories

The past two days we have had rain in Kansas City. Monday felt almost autumn-like – cool, with a steady rain that lasted all day. Tuesday was warmer, steamier, but still grey and dreary. I sat writing in my journal on Tuesday, the room dark, no sunshine streaming in my […]

Continue reading

Confessions of a Non-Skier

After I whined in a recent post about skiing, I now must report that I did not ski on our recent family vacation. I had good intentions, but discretion dictated that I abstain this year. In mid-December, we drove to Whistler, British Columbia, in a snowstorm in the dark. (It’s […]

Continue reading