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They tell me I used to patch our boys’ boxer shorts. I hardly remember doing that, but I do know that I’m thrifty. One time, I made the boys some boxers out of quilting fabric, some of which was pretreated to glow in the dark. When I was awakened by a son having a nightmare,…
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*These thoughts go out to a special friend right now (first written on August 1, 2021). Some people are just so bold and strong. I’m thinking of a particular person who many of us know and love. She is like no other. It starts with love, humor, and a generous giving, sharing and caretaking personality.…
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In the photo below, I’m not sure what BFI stands for. Could it be Battallion Format Inspection? These were military style camps. The mysteriously beautiful Lakeside Labs (along the shores of West Lake Okoboji) got a closer look by me last week, on 2 separate visits. For 12 years now, (since we’ve owned a lakehouse),…
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Did I tell you that our daughter was married last week? This momentuous event took place at the end of an “L” shaped dock, decorated with palm fronds and conch shells. The dock jutted out into the waters of a Caribbean Bay island off the northern coast of Honduras. It was only the 2nd wedding…
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Our mother was quite cheerful as she went about raising her brood, keeping house, and later, a career with Penney’s. A favorite image of mine is seeing her open the dining room windows, 3 in a row, to let the southern breezes in. The way the gauzy curtains ruffled out into the room, reflected Mom’s…
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The other day, I splashed a lot of coffee on a favorite white cotton dishtowel. As I vigorously sprayed hot, hot water on it, in the sink, very close to the stain, I was reminded of how I learned to do this from Ed ( Co-owner and Master Baker) and Kara (Pastry Chef and Operations…
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It was the summer of 1969; senior year of high school was ahead of me. I had a full time job taking care of two children at their house, while their mother worked at J.C.Penney’s. She picked me up and took me home, before and after work. The days were long, but basically I enjoyed…
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Newer is not always better than old, and sometimes old is even better than new! That is my opinion. Today, as we transition to colder weather and put outdoor furniture in the garage, I’m thinking specifically of our heavy wrought iron set. Always accept help, by the way, when it comes to moving items down…
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This past weekend, we had guests (family members) who love to go barefoot, and spent the whole weekend doing so. We’re kind of known for that. My dad once walked barefoot in the snow to retrieve the newspaper at the end of the driveway. And, this summer, our 19 year old granddaughter walked barefoot on…
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Today, a dramatic storm blew through northwest Iowa. Although predicted for the general area, it came up quickly and ferociously, with winter like winds. I loved watching it and listening to it, shutting off the TV so there were no distractions. Later, when I went outside, I was startled to see a huge section of…
On Writing, On Life 