I don't know about you, but this sheltering-in-place thing is making it hard for me to keep track of what day it is. Is it Monday? Is it Saturday? Who knows? I still have two college girls, a high-schooler and a husband here every day. To make matters worse, last week...
No one likes to watch their parents grow older. In my eyes, my dad was always strong. When I was a kid, Dad used to throw me up on his shoulders while he walked through the hilly pastures on our farm. Yep, he was a farmer, which meant long hours of hard work. He also...
“Merry Christmas! Come in!” Grandma wiped her hands on her apron and hurried over to greet us. I took a deep breath, enjoying a wonderful whiff of turkey and apple pie. I stomped the snow off my shoes and kicked them onto a nearby rug. Four pairs of well-worn...
If you're a girl who grew up with brothers, you understand the torment I’ve faced. To be fair, I probably deserved it. I was an annoying little sister. I snooped through their stuff and tattled to Mom. Still, my brothers took such pleasure in picking on me. One of my...
It's been a busy week around here. Honestly, I'm still adjusting to having three extra people hanging around me all day. I didn't get much writing done, so I thought I'd share a story I wrote a couple of years ago. It's actually a "throwback" on my blog. If you've...
When I was a kid growing up on a farm, my parents dragged me along to all kinds of places. I’ve written about making my own fun while Mom and Dad left me with a bunch of cows (Keeping Company with Cows), riding on the tractor with my dad (Tractor Tunes) and checking...
Cleaning out an entire house is a monumental task – especially when that house holds 70 years worth of stuff. I recently walked through my grandparent’s farmhouse. Memories bombarded me from every stage of my life. When I was a child, I played with Lincoln Logs and...
I spent much of my early childhood years hugging my mom’s leg. I know, call me a mama’s girl, but sometimes you just need your mom close by. Like when a strange man talked to me at the grocery store. Or when I waited for the bus on my first day of school. Or even the...
Hi everyone! I have a special guest blogger today … my daughter Emily! But first, a little background info. I’m a bit of a packrat. Truth be told, I’ve saved papers from kindergarten through college. So last week I stumbled across a binder full of my old papers. I...
Most people can appreciate the rustic charm of an old barn. But I think those of us who grew up on a farm view them differently than the casual observer. After all, we've seen them through the eyes of a child. FYI: This is a barn on my parents' farm, but not "the...
I stared at the display of eyeglass frames when a saleslady strolled over to me. “Can I help you find something?” “No thank you. I’m just looking.” I kept my tone light, hoping the lady would take the hint and give me some space. She didn’t. “What kind of frames are...
It was the perfect day for our local high school’s state softball tournament. My husband and I sat near the top of the stadium and cheered on the girls. Of course, just as the game got particularly exciting, nature called. I whispered to Curt. “I’ll be right back. I...
Her bedroom was empty and the U-Haul was full. If it wasn’t for my middle daughter being so excited to move into her very first apartment, I would’ve been a mess. But she was ready, and I couldn’t have been prouder. “Well,” I said, glancing around the kitchen for an...