Oh The Places You’ll See…

Family vacations with my Dad were always an adventure. Even though there are six kids in my family, being the youngest meant that I got to be the last at home long after everyone else moved out. So, I got to go on road trips with my parents being the only child on board. Sure,…

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

I’ve been to New York twice in my life. That is enough to know that I have a true love for the city but I could never live there. This Midwest girl gets too excited by the city that never sleeps and wants to do everything there is to do. Thus, I never sleep when…

Watching the Signs…Heeding the Voice…

When I was a teenager, a crow took up residence in the big oak tree in our backyard. He would sit up there and pretty much spend hours annoying my little dog who was trying to rest down below. This crow would drop pieces of bark, acorns and even rocks on the dog’s head until…

Home is Where the Heart Is…

This old saying holds true for me as my heart and home are certainly here in the cold winter-land of Wisconsin. My siblings are here, all within a 5 mile radius, and we are all close. Close enough to call each other to talk whenever we want. We also love to get together for brunch…

The Long Goodbye…

I lived above my sister’s place for almost 20 years, renting a small one bedroom apartment one block from Lake Michigan. For the last ten of those twenty, I begged her nearly daily to let me have a cat. Her answer was always “no pets allowed!” We’d argue and I’d sulk but, eventually, we’d make…

Try the Chocolate Covered Crickets

My Dad was what one might call a character. He was a hard worker when he wanted to be, a Union man for part of his life and a business owner until his retirement in the 70s. My parents owned Kelly’s Tavern in Kenosha, WI for the longest time. We lived upstairs from this establishment,…

Snow Days, Then and Now

Wisconsin, where I live right now, is under a winter storm warning. It’s snowing and piling up. Schools are closed or, in these days, have all gone virtual for the day. Poor kids don’t even get a decent snow day anymore with this pandemic going on! When I was a kid I loved the snow.…

I’ll Be Outside Waiting with My Coat On…

Back in high school, sometime in the days of dinosaurs, I had an English teacher, Sister Margarita, who had us write an essay on the most unforgettable character in our lives. I don’t remember who I chose to write about but I’m pretty sure with my limited Catholic high school experience it was probably my…

I Am NOT A Serial Killer!

I was looking in my wallet for a receipt and out of the corner of my eye caught a glance at my driver’s license/photo ID. YIKES!! Now, I’ve been driving since I was sixteen years old and I’m many more years older than that. I can honestly say that I have never had a photo…