It takes seven artisans to make a glass of wine — from the grape growers to the vintners to the coopers, etc. Or so the pitch goes at the small winery in Fairfield. And to draw a crowd, they bring in live music on weekend afternoons. Brent met a woman online and invited her there… Continue reading What Not to Do on the First Date
Category: summer
Pontoon Boat Disaster
(re-run) My parents didn’t know how to swim. When we went on vacation at Clear Lake, Iowa, and Dad wanted to take us out in a rented pontoon boat. My mom objected. Dad won in the end, and the five kids put on our life jackets. I think my mom did, too. I am sure… Continue reading Pontoon Boat Disaster
Street Dance
(re-run) After hiking six miles with the senior group called DASH, which does not dash at all, but rather hikes slowly through the woods with plenty of stops for bathroom breaks, snack breaks, or count-up-and-regroup breaks, I was too pooped to go out dancing. But my friends were going, it was close (just one town… Continue reading Street Dance
It’s Never Too Late
(re-run from 2021) Three weeks ago, I made a summer playlist. Does that seem silly? The last day of summer is almost here. I included songs with summer in the title, like Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly and the Family Stone, Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft, Summer in the City by the… Continue reading It’s Never Too Late
Domino Effect
(re-run) My youngest just left for grad school on the East Coast. She had moved back home for ten months to ride out the winter months of the pandemic. In April her dad up and sold his big house (where she always stayed) and moved out of state. Suddenly I had a twin bed in… Continue reading Domino Effect
Best Summer Day Camp Ever
(re-run) My two daughters were Girl Scouts and went to summer day camp at Twin Canyons in Lafayette, two towns over. In order to get them a slot, I volunteered to work the entire week. I did it for eleven years and enjoyed getting to meet every camper there (about 200 each year). I chose… Continue reading Best Summer Day Camp Ever
The Dog Days of Summer
I haven’t written a new blog post for a few days, and it’s time. I’ve posted re-runs every day for a long string of hot days now. My computer is playing Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, which puts me in the mood for writing. That song keeps reappearing in my life. You probably have a song… Continue reading The Dog Days of Summer
Weed, Water, Thrift
I just got home from an intense 48 hours of going to the beach, watering all my potted plants (gophers), and collecting more teacups for my dining-room side hustle selling dishes. It looked like sunshine, but only the first half day. After that, clouds and more clouds, but good for working in the yard weather.… Continue reading Weed, Water, Thrift
A Corny Tale
(re-run) Knee -high by the 4th of July It all started with a post on Facebook, showing how your average American doesn’t know how to shuck corn. If you are from Iowa in the 60’s, then you know how. We weren’t well off. As a matter of fact, people would give us bags of food,… Continue reading A Corny Tale
FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO
(re-run) You know summer has begun when you are constantly checking your email and calendar to make sure you’re not missing out on some live music that evening. Every town has its own series of music in the park. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free,… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 