The Suitcase Lady

“There are only four weeks in the entire year when we can keep our car ...”

“I have just discovered the ultimate way to recycle a Christmas tree. My husband and ...”

“Last week my cousin and I went to visit a relative at a care center. ...”
1 comments

“If I say "Frida", the last name "Kahlo" might pop into your mind. However, this ...”
1 comments

“A monumental traffic jam was reported in Berlin recently causing warnings to be sent out ...”

“One of the lovely things about being married is that we don't have to read ...”
5 comments

“Spring refuses to be quarantined. Living in a northern climate, I know snow and ice ...”
1 comments

“The other morning, a red admiral, a mourning cloak, black and yellow swallowtails and numerous ...”
2 comments

“At this moment, big, orange daylilies are the reigning flowers of our roadsides, fields and ...”
1 comments

“Leave it to the French, masters of joie de vivre, to create a burst of ...”
1 comments

“I love my neighbor state of Minnesota for many reasons, but their keen appreciation of ...”

“It appears that we have a little Houdini living in our midst. This shouldn’t come ...”

“My son and I agree that a huge number of things in life are made ...”
2 comments

“As Labor Day approaches, summer starts to wind down. And just as every day is ...”
4 comments

“I have never been a fan of Christmas shops that are open all your round. ...”
2 comments

“An art teacher friend recently posted a delightful piece of amphibian news. It's too good ...”

“Sometimes one good thing leads to another. That is exactly what happened when I was ...”

“I'm a lover of letters, i.e., typefaces and fonts. Serif, sans serif, bold, condensed, gothic, ...”
3 comments

“Here's an alert for all the chocolate lovers who are reading this. A new Mecca ...”
2 comments

“Since today's momentous election is on everyone's minds, I thought it might be a good ...”
3 comments

“Last month there was a big brouhaha in Britain. It all started out quite innocently ...”
1 comments

“The Japanese people know how to make a wish for the New Year. They flock ...”
3 comments

“There's a candy crisis in America. NECCO (New England Confectionary Company) has gone out of ...”
1 comments

“I have a Japanese American friend who is more observant of nature than anyone I ...”
1 comments

“The entire city of Kiruna, the most northern berg in Sweden and 90 miles north ...”
2 comments

“Tengu is a hugely popular supernatural creature in Japan. He is said to live deep ...”
1 comments

“Have you ever been in Atlanta? If not, consider visiting some April when this hilly, ...”

“I am ecstatic. Hopeless romantic that I am, I have recently discovered another Valentine's Day ...”
1 comments

“What do you visualize if I say "zebra crossing"? My first impression at hearing this ...”
3 comments

“Luxembourg City is the capital of the tiny but extremely wealthy country of Luxembourg. Perched ...”

“Here's a tricky trivia question. Where is the only place in North America where the ...”
1 comments

“From grade school on, I have always loved geography. The physical features of the land ...”
2 comments

“Caterpillars don't usually have birthday parties....but there is one exception. THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, a ...”
2 comments

“One of my favorite rooms in our house is the fish room. There is not ...”
1 comments

“The only better summer thing than sitting on the front porch is sitting on the ...”
1 comments

“Amid the litany of horrors that is the daily newspaper, a delightful bit of news ...”

“Fashion is fickle; style endures. But I do delight in observing fashion trends. When my ...”
1 comments

“I live less than an hour away from all these wonderful things; kames, drumlins, eskers, ...”

“I'm keeping a close eye on the 10 day weather forecasts lately. My concern is ...”

“The phrase "getting high" has taken on a new meaning. In the true American spirit ...”
1 comments

“It's time again for turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and Brussel sprouts, the Peter Pans of ...”
3 comments

“The New York Times recently ran a front page article in its art section entitled ...”
1 comments

“A small bit of sanity has returned to the world of airline travel. United has ...”
1 comments

“In case you missed seeing "April in Paris" this year, here is a report. I ...”
1 comments

“It's no secret that I love bread. No day goes by in our house that ...”
3 comments

“I just found out that my cousin Peter, a photographer, visited The Bread Festival in ...”

“My husband and I are working on a big project. It all came about because ...”
2 comments

“(This one is for Jenny) Bead work is a beloved art form of people all around ...”

“Last week's blog featured the Vochol, a beaded Volkswagen. This week is about a more ...”
2 comments

“In case you missed the great goat story a few days ago, here is a ...”

“Even people who express a hatred of insects love the Lepidoptera, or butterfly family. We ...”
1 comments

“We were traveling for eight days last week, and when we came home, everything in ...”
1 comments

“Last week we were sitting in Lou Mitchell's famous breakfast restaurant in Chicago waiting for ...”
1 comments

“I recently read an artist's obituary in the Times that took up almost a full ...”
1 comments

“Small towns in America love to promote themselves with claims to fame. Within a small ...”
1 comments

“When it comes to veggies, I like mine small. Petite peas, slender asparagus, baby green ...”
1 comments

“The other morning I sat down to eat breakfast, looked out the window at the ...”
1 comments

“Nobody does "cute" like the Japanese. Gushing over cute people, animals and consumer items is ...”
3 comments

“After 136 years under construction, one of the world’s most iconic structures finally will be ...”
2 comments

“It's no secret that I love globes and maps. Whenever I am in a classroom ...”

“About three week ago, I got winter out of the closet. Ever since studying Japanese ...”
2 comments

“Perhaps my love of Art Deco is hereditary. For their wedding venue, my parents chose ...”
2 comments

“I walked into one of my favorite public school classrooms last week, and half the ...”
5 comments

“"Objects in motion tend to remain in motion" is a law of physics that I ...”
4 comments

“If I had unlimited wealth, flying around to see special exhibits at art museums would ...”
3 comments

“It's June, the month named after Jupiter's wife, Juno, and I would like to talk ...”
3 comments

“The beach in front of our house looks like a giant has been playing pick ...”
3 comments

“If you visit our house, please do not attempt to use our front door. Thanks ...”

“I do not make a habit of reading the obituaries. But when the obituary is ...”
1 comments

“The Queen was reigning along all the roadsides and meadows as we were driving to ...”
1 comments

“My list of museums to visit just got two new additions; the new Center for ...”
1 comments

“Geology rocks......literally. Look up America's top natural attractions and you will be looking at the ...”
2 comments

“This is a true story about an incognito pumpkin patch. I view, or more accurately, ...”
1 comments

“The fantasy ended a week ago. I had myself convinced that we were going to ...”
2 comments

“March is painted in many shades of gray up here in the tundra where I ...”
1 comments

“I will not be the art teacher at one of my favorite small schools next ...”
9 comments

“Readers of this blog know that I am a dedicated beachcomber. For me, nothing is ...”
5 comments

“It takes a lot to induce us to get up at dawn on a Saturday ...”
4 comments

“We are having a glorious purple moment. It's happening in our front yard and was ...”
2 comments

“For many of us, summer is the most glorious season of all, a time to ...”
1 comments

“Tagetes patula is brightening up our porch. That is the scientific name for marigolds which ...”
1 comments

“When I was a child, I lived within easy walking distance of two drug stores. ...”
8 comments

“I spent a fair amount of time this summer standing on one leg like a ...”
3 comments

“In very small towns, the Post Office is the heart. Our Post Office is a ...”
3 comments

“I know exactly where I want to be on Halloween night. I want to be ...”
4 comments

“My books were checked out and I was leaving the library. But then I spotted ...”
2 comments

“I am cancelling the Suitcase Lady Blog for this week. I hope to return next ...”
3 comments

“Last month my husband and I missed a wonderful event. We missed it because we ...”
1 comments

“It takes a true visionary to look at an abandoned, weed-infested, rusty, garbage-strewn elevated train ...”
2 comments

“Picture the perfect Christmas home scene. Chances are the vision is a Victorian or colonial ...”
4 comments

“It's the perfect time to think about champagne. It's an even better time to drink ...”
5 comments

“This blog is about Las Vegas. If immediate thoughts of a million flashing lights, frenzied ...”
1 comments

“My mother only had one punishment that worked on me when I was a kid. ...”
5 comments

“The title of the book jumped out at me from the shelf in the art ...”
7 comments

“To find spring in Wisconsin, a scavenger hunt is necessary. Swelling buds and returning birds ...”

“Elephant mothers don't get cards, flowers or presents on Mother's Day, but they definitely deserve ...”
1 comments

“I've just finished another year of Art in a Suitcase programs. One overriding thing made ...”
4 comments

“On September 30, 2014, I published a blog about New Jersey. ("Jersey" in the archives.) ...”
2 comments

“"I have a wonderful fairytale for you today. It takes place in a magical forest ...”
2 comments

“We are surrounded by a giant cocoon of green. The April showers did not materialize ...”
1 comments

“A dear friend just gave us a marvelous present. It weighed five pounds and was ...”
1 comments

“Twenty years ago, I embarked on the largest art project in my life. My husband ...”
9 comments

“When I worked for a library, I visited schools each May to promote our summer ...”
2 comments

“I took Rangda to school with me the other day. A seventh grade teacher had ...”
1 comments

“"I don't think we're going to see many bright colors outside for about three months," ...”
11 comments

“His official name is Marmota monax monax, but we just call him Woody. A woodchuck, ...”
3 comments

“Summertime has officially arrived and with it comes the world's most charismatic insects, the butterflies ...”
2 comments

“All the marketing people in the world couldn't do a better job of branding the ...”
3 comments

“Soon the stridulation will start. For me, that's the signal that summer is waning and ...”
2 comments

“Robots are a hot topic at the moment. Reports  heralding the incredible advances in robotics ...”
2 comments

“We share our home with two black cats who frequently cross our paths. I have ...”
3 comments

“The Maryland branch of our family recently suggested dinner at Cafe "Hun". Visions of Attila ...”
3 comments

“Summer is at its peak of ripeness. Despite the fact that every store is trumpeting ...”
2 comments

“Mr. Tom doesn't purr. We know that he is a happy cat. Every time we ...”
2 comments

“Sometimes you just get lucky. We had finished eating a late dinner at a restaurant ...”
2 comments

“"Better walk across your road and pick some beans," my farmer neighbor advised. "The canning ...”
1 comments

“We have ants. Fortunately none are inside our house, their two residences are outside in ...”

“I am a dedicated tunnelophile. I've been fascinated by tunnels since I was seven years ...”
1 comments

“We've been eating breakfast between the bees and wasps lately. The days have been sunny ...”

“Pulling into my driveway, I spotted a bulging plastic bag beside the door. After getting the ...”
2 comments

“I've been a beachcomber all my life. As a child, spending a day on the ...”
3 comments

“I've been banned from juice boxes. "I don't think you should associate with juice boxes any ...”
1 comments

“It's time for dragons.  Forget everything you know about these legendary beasts...that they breathe fire, ...”
3 comments

“I just found out that I am part of a cult. For 39 years I ...”
1 comments

“Last weekend we drove to Kentucky to buy a broom. Our thirty year old broom ...”
2 comments

“Quick....if you had $120 million to spend on art, what would you buy? This tantalizing question ...”
3 comments

“I take great delight in finding the treasure in the trash. And since almost everything ...”

“The curtain is coming down on summer. Many sun filled days remain, yet the signs ...”

“The present arrived in a bucket. Shortly after we moved to the country, a good ...”
6 comments

“Anyone who has lived in America the last decade knows that every transaction with a ...”
7 comments

“My mother-in-law was a world class worrier. Her worst case scenario was: "What if a ...”
3 comments

“This is a love story. And like all love stories, it is happy and it ...”
2 comments

“This week marks the fifth anniversary of my weekly blog. To celebrate, I want to ...”
4 comments

“I learned in fourth grade how to be an "A" student. The assignment was to ...”
3 comments

“It's coming. Any day now a huge wave of euphoria will wash over us bringing ...”
1 comments

“March is Youth Art Month. All across America, teachers will be decking the walls with ...”
2 comments

“Having recently seen an exuberant production of Hairspray, my thoughts wandered to hair. Unlike those ...”
4 comments

“I married into a family that is famous for throwing away the directions. From faucets ...”
2 comments

“It appears as though I have become a pariah to 50% of my fellow Americans. ...”
4 comments

“We're spinning, and it's not a lazy twirl. Zipping around at 700 to 900 miles ...”
2 comments

“I have figured out the ultimate solution to my footwear needs. Only two items are ...”
6 comments

“"Wear a crown of eyes around your head," was the advice of Joan Miro's art ...”
6 comments

“If I start to tell a joke, stop me. It is genetically impossible for me ...”
1 comments

“I believe that the perfect celebration of the Fourth of July would be a nationwide ...”
2 comments

“I did not buy the zucchinis. Fleet Farm had a 2 for 1 sale on ...”
2 comments

“I've only wanted to attack my husband once in 47 years. Forty years ago on ...”
3 comments

“The girls are back. Correction: the mothers-to-be are back. Two days after the Fourth of ...”
1 comments

“Our beach is heavenly. But our shells are evil. Crunchy piles of zebra mussel shells punctuate ...”
1 comments

“I waited a long time to see my first rainbow. When it appeared, it did ...”

“I have never understood Jello. How can anything made out of water, sugar, food coloring ...”
2 comments

“Neko (neck oh) is the Japanese word for cat. Maneki Neko means "beckoning cat" and ...”

“Finally, after sixteen years, something is working. Readers of this blog know that my husband and ...”
1 comments

“My husband and I have always considered ourselves to be tidy people ... no mold ...”
3 comments

“One morning last week, my husband went out for the mail and came back with ...”
1 comments

“"Lifetime fitness" was not a phrase that had been invented when I attended a Polish, ...”
2 comments

“I don't subscribe to pity parties, nor do I favor unbridled nostalgia. But I do ...”
4 comments

“Our son likes to get high. He is once again building a tree house. It's ...”
5 comments

“No English phrase exists for the Japanese concept of wabi sabi. My favorite explanation is ...”
1 comments

“Christmas Eve is the only Jewish style holiday Christians have. I've always been puzzled why ...”
1 comments

“My husband grew up in Lake Wobegon. Of course, the name of his hometown was ...”
4 comments

“My childhood was defined by tractors. Since I grew up in a city, that statement ...”
2 comments

““...it is always advisable to perceive clearly our ignorance.” I recently came across this Charles Darwin ...”
6 comments

“A recent scientific study revealed what every backyard birder already knows: Many birds love black ...”
6 comments

“My mother-in-law was a splendid cook who had a life long penchant for junk food. ...”
4 comments

“A good project is a sure cure for late winter cabin fever. In our case, ...”
7 comments

“Nature definitely painted the tropics in technicolor. The flora and fauna that circle the middle ...”
5 comments

“The big day is almost here, and an investigative report is in order. Spring in ...”
6 comments

“I am old enough to remember the time in America B.P. ......Before  Pizza. I recall ...”
6 comments

“Years ago we were strolling in San Antonio on an extremely warm, spring day. Sidewalk ...”
2 comments

“Home Control struck again last night. We had just gotten settled upstairs in bed when ...”
5 comments

“How was I to know? Lactococcus lactis is part of my "culture and heritage". Does that ...”
2 comments

“I am a believer in silence and its soulmate, solitude. That doesn't mean that I ...”
2 comments

““If I said, 'You're looking gaudy today', what would I mean?” Many eager young hands in ...”
4 comments

“My husband and I recently had the good fortune to be driving down Clark Street ...”
2 comments

“The mint died. Those three word sum up our gardening abilities. How could two people ...”
8 comments

“You have to love a country that has the word "happiness" in its Declaration of ...”
2 comments

“It is a scientific fact that teenage boys vaporize food...lots of food. When my own ...”
1 comments

“The ballet is being presented daily across the road from our house. Hundreds of white ...”
4 comments

“I exist because of a library... the elegant Milwaukee Central Library to be exact. More than ...”
7 comments

“I am a lover of bridges, both the mighty and the minute. Going up and ...”
6 comments

“I love clean beginnings and endings. Summer sits neatly between the bookends of Memorial Day ...”
5 comments

“I'm going to put a sign on my refrigerator that says, "Remember Galileo." I am ...”
6 comments

“Dedicated travelers come in two varieties: the first want to touch down everywhere on the ...”
2 comments

“My husband adores another woman. Since the lady is 75 years old and lives in ...”
2 comments

“When I was a teenager, a German exchange teacher came to our  high school for ...”
2 comments

“The evil letter arrived two weeks ago. "Spider Problems" it screamed in bold type. "We ...”
3 comments

“Every issue of New Mexico Magazine that lands in my mailbox has some reference to ...”
3 comments

“Several hundred houseguests arrived last week. Fortunately, they don't want to be fed. Unfortunately, some ...”

“Last Thursday I walked into my library to see a book display informing me that ...”
4 comments

“Perhaps I love California because we had such a hard time getting there the first ...”

“In these pre-Thanksgiving weeks, elementary school children all over America have been busy writing assignments ...”

“Last week was a mess. At times we didn't know which mess to tackle first. I ...”
3 comments

“Sewing machines and I are not compatible. For Christmas many years ago, my husband surprised ...”
2 comments

“The idea behind a Christmas cookie exchange is simple. A number of women each agree ...”
8 comments

“A creature definitely is stirring. And that creature most certainly  is a mouse. Fortunately, said ...”
1 comments

“The word "peace" is currently in season. But three more words should also be considered: ...”
5 comments

“Anyone can remodel a kitchen by being handy with $40,000. It's a real trick to ...”
1 comments

“The Interstate Baking Company recently filed for bankruptcy. In other words, Twinkies have tanked.Who would ...”
2 comments

“"There is no such thing as an Idaho potato. But there are potato varieties that are grown ...”

“Sousa doesn’t talk. It’s odd to live with a creature that drifts silently through the ...”

“The other day it sounded as if the Acheson, Topeka and Santa Fe was roaring ...”
1 comments

“"Don't ever send your children to a school where the kids call teachers by their ...”
2 comments

“Obviously, I am having an owl year, and I'm delighted.Scientifically, an "owl year" occurs when ...”

“Last weekend I developed an advanced case of cabin fever. It hit like a shock ...”
4 comments

“At the age of seven I got my first library card, and life turned mysterious.  ...”
2 comments

“"Once again the time of the great sex orgy is at hand." Unfortunately, I can't begin ...”

“The big news last week was cheese. A Wisconsin cheese has just been named the ...”
4 comments

“My Aunt Lillian worked in a hat factory. Shortly before her untimely death, she was ...”
6 comments

“My father and his big sister, my Aunt Vi, could never agree on candy. Since ...”
2 comments

“Our yard hosts a dinosaur, a gigantic bird holding barbells in his wings, a parade ...”
2 comments

“Perhaps the time has come to reinstate Home Economics classes in our schools. While we are ...”
4 comments

“...dedicated to Chris and Cathy The other night around midnight, I was about to go out ...”
2 comments

“"Beware of health foods", is an imperative I believe in. A few decades ago a segment ...”

“It's comforting to know a country exists that worries about its G.N.H., gross national happiness, ...”
2 comments

“Springtime is like Fridays... both are wonderfully filled with promise. In the case of Fridays, the ...”

“My daughter once suggested that I have an inordinate fondness for limes. This remark was ...”
4 comments

“The babies arrived last week, and they're adorable. Our neighborhood raccoon moms brought their offspring ...”

“When our son was in high school, he was asked to fill in his religion ...”
2 comments

“ My husband and I have been searching for a canoe for the last 13 years. We have ...”

“Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire relied on the kindness of strangers. My husband ...”

“I am fully aware that a sunset is merely a sunrise in reverse. But I ...”
1 comments

“The dictionary defines picnic as "an outing or occasion that involves taking a packed meal ...”
5 comments

“Dinner at our house has always been the time to come together and share the ...”
3 comments

“I recently took a road trip out West and saw a lot of alligators on ...”
3 comments

“My husband calls little dogs "dog seeds." "Plant them," he says, "and they might grow into ...”
2 comments

“Serendipity is wonderful stuff. When serendipity strikes twice in a row, it's a double delight. Our ...”
4 comments

“It was the ultimate irony. My husband and I just spent a night sleeping across ...”
9 comments

“Shakespeare is almost always right on the mark, but he missed the target when it ...”
4 comments

“The curtain came down today at 4:19PM CDT. Summer has bowed out; Autumn begins its ...”
5 comments

“Good things bear repeating. I recently had occasion to revisit the KattenKabinet, and it remains ...”
1 comments

“After  68 years, Gourmet Magazine is going away. Since I do not have a subscription ...”
2 comments

“Dare I use the word... cozy? (Cosy, if you're British) It's such an old fashioned ...”
10 comments

“Here's a surefire way to keep the witches at bay. Paint your front door blue. ...”
3 comments

“I was not a supermom. My generation of women did not have to do it ...”
4 comments

“I was about to roll out a pie crust the other day when I stared ...”
5 comments

“There will be no knife problem this year. We are celebrating Thanksgiving in California with ...”
1 comments

“I won't be getting a GPS for Christmas. Everyone who knows me realizes I would ...”
3 comments

“An American toy store is the last place in the world I want to be. ...”
5 comments

“It's ironic. My grandfather was from Bohemia, but his German wife, my grandmother, never baked ...”
11 comments

“Thoughts on happiness seem appropriate for the end of the year. Recent science theories are ...”
3 comments

“Teenage boys and cats have independently discovered a source of endless entertainment. Just give them ...”

“A British author just wrote a book about the importance of aunts. I wish I ...”
1 comments

“On many blustery, subzero, winter mornings when I leave for work, I meet my neighbor ...”

“I am extremely steamed up about soup... pun intended. I just ate yet another disgusting ...”

“Stupid is an excellent word - so strong and succinct. Too bad it's been banned ...”

“Combining romance and reason is an oxymoron, thus making Valentines Day a celebration of irrationality. ...”

“I knew something was terribly wrong when I saw the front door.A small 9x12 sign ...”

“Driving home from work, I recently heard a great piece on National Public Radio. Some ...”

“I was following a gigantic, smiling pig down the highway recently. Considering that pigs turn ...”

“St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching, so it must be time for me to toast ...”
1 comments

“Everyone here in the upper Midwest is yearning for any signs of spring no matter ...”

“I recently decided to introduce my middle school students to the wonders of world class ...”

“A few evenings ago I spotted a bunch of guys standing on a bridge near ...”

“Many people are not enamored of grocery shopping. I'm not in that group. Even after ...”

“Most of us are blissfully oblivious to the number of words we read each day. ...”

“The best thing about my husband's retirement is the coffee. Although most kitchen functions still ...”
1 comments

“Fads are like a rash. First only a few spots appear, but soon they are ...”

“Try as they might, the likes of Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Starbucks have not succeeded in ...”
1 comments

“Patience was on sale the other day at my Goodwill Store. This "patience" consisted of ...”

“The hot item on President Bush's European trip last week was the chicken washing issue. ...”

“I was coming home from work last week, driving through Green Bay, when a van ...”

“One of the newest words in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is "locavore". The word is ...”
1 comments

“(This blog is dedicated to Judith, Nick Nick and Tin Tin)I recently came across a ...”
1 comments

“I don't know if any of you have noticed, but a significant number of the ...”
1 comments

“Is the opposite of a marathon a slowathon? If so, sign me up.I don't understand ...”

“One of the greatest openings of any book I've ever read is from Glitz by ...”
1 comments

“This summer two crows have taken up residence in the small pine woods next to ...”

“My husband has been increasingly more morose lately, and I know exactly what's wrong. He ...”
1 comments

“My father once bought a half gallon carton of Sealtest New York Cherry Vanilla Ice ...”

“Japan wisely designates certain special citizens as living national treasures. If America ever becomes enlightened ...”

“I spend a fair amount of time in places other than my Midwest Wisconsin home. Therefore, ...”

“I am a failure as a consumer of durable goods. I have only bought one ...”

“I was definitely upstaged last week, and I don't mind one bit. Anyone who would try to ...”

“I have to confess that I've lost my snake. And what's worse, I've lost it ...”
1 comments

“My husband is a dexterous juggler, and he has Halloween to thank for this delightful ...”

“It's election day, and I won't have to call my kids and remind them to ...”
1 comments

“The lone duck was hunkered down in the sand on the beach in front of ...”

“Over the river and through the woods was definitely not the route to my grandmother's ...”
1 comments

“It appears as though the Grinch has stolen the American economy. Moreover, it doesn't look ...”

“We had one of our best Christmas trees in July, and it required absolutely no ...”

“Gadgets are primarily guy things. I figured this out many years ago when my brother-in-law ...”

“Your children should never forgive you for certain things. In my case it would be ...”

“Having a birthday on New Years Eve is no picnic. Restaurant prices are inflated, drunks ...”

“Once again St. Patrick's Day is creeping closer, and I have a closet crisis. ...”
2 comments

“One of my life goals is to understand the equation E=mc2. I'm smart enough to ...”
2 comments

“The people of Chicago have spoken, or more accurately, 30% of them have. The reign ...”
2 comments

“Thank goodness people have an infinite capacity for self deception. Every year I'm hopeful that ...”
1 comments

“My husband loves islands, preferably warm ones. He could happily walk out the door of ...”

“Never undervalue the salutary effects of comfort food is my motto. There's nothing wrong ...”
3 comments

“I doubt if there is a man in America who doesn't bow down to the ...”

“Last week I stopped at my favorite local coffee shop, The Culture Cafe. Rich, the ...”
1 comments

“A big, bustling Farmers' Market is a wonderful place to be. That's why my husband ...”
1 comments

“I just completed a week of programs for kids on the solar system. I had ...”

“June is here, and it's time for the marriage quiz. Do not, I repeat, do ...”

“Wedding planning is only slightly more pleasant than walking through an active minefield. This goes ...”

“As usual, Shakespeare has it exquisitely right; Midsummer Night's Eve is a magical time. Those ...”

“I don't make a habit of driving my husband crazy. But, occasionally, I cannot resist ...”
1 comments

“One night each year my gentle, soft-spoken, peace-loving husband turns into a total pyromaniac. That ...”

“Maybe it's because we are a frontier people, or maybe it's our flagrant love affair ...”

“My name is Mary because my mother was not a risk-taker. If her wishes had ...”
2 comments

“I have a lifetime goal of learning to appreciate opera. The quest got off to ...”
1 comments

“This is the blog the neighbors are waiting for me to write. It's a known ...”

“If you are squeamish about insects, stop reading right now.You've probably heard that only insects ...”

“I can only bake one cake. Fortunately, it is a very luscious cake. It is ...”

“We had a rash of murders at our house lately, and I definitely wanted them ...”
1 comments

“People can be divided into two basic types - those who bend down to pick ...”
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“The difference between style and fashion is easy. Fashion is someone else telling you what ...”

“I confess to a great fondness for spiders. Spiders are creators of great beauty, and ...”

“Most everyone knows that witches are make believe. Those that don't have created much havoc ...”

“The other day a friend of mine was venting her rage over the convoluted security ...”

“My grandmother was poor, but she had one prized possession, her 150 piece set of ...”

“I believe I hate turkey dressing as the result of a big misunderstanding when I ...”

“I am a minimalist. I try not to have more stuff than I can care for.To that ...”
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“My neighbor the next road over got a free peacock, or more correctly, a free ...”

“Fruitcake can be very scary stuff. Let's face it, sometimes the idea of a tradition ...”
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“I was a lucky child. My parents always had a fight right before Christmas. Since ...”

“I have two perfect New Year's resolutions.Don't feel guilty. Don't feel guilty when you break ...”
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