The Suitcase Lady

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

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

“Sometimes you have to leave home to discover what's in your own front yard. In ...”
4 comments

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

“I hurry home from work on summer days eager to see what's going on in ...”
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“Understanding the big picture is more important than knowing the details. Delightful as they may ...”
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“The ballet is being presented daily across the road from our house. Hundreds of white ...”
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“It is a scientific fact that teenage boys vaporize food...lots of food. When my own ...”
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“Frances told me one night at dinner that she had no stories. "Of course you do," ...”
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“You have to love a country that has the word "happiness" in its Declaration of ...”
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“The mint died. Those three word sum up our gardening abilities. How could two people ...”
8 comments

“We northerners will come to the end of the sky road next Monday, June 21. ...”
3 comments

“My husband and I recently had the good fortune to be driving down Clark Street ...”
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“Sometimes a gift isn't. The most spectacular gift of this sort we ever received was ...”
11 comments

““If I said, 'You're looking gaudy today', what would I mean?” Many eager young hands in ...”
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“I am a believer in silence and its soulmate, solitude. That doesn't mean that I ...”
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“Only Robert B. Parker could write a line like this...."she smelled like a French Sunset." Last ...”

“Last Friday we once again became landlords. Our tenants arrived early in the morning, checked ...”
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“How was I to know? Lactococcus lactis is part of my "culture and heritage". Does that ...”
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“Home Control struck again last night. We had just gotten settled upstairs in bed when ...”
5 comments

“My husband and I do not chase fire trucks to watch buildings burn. If we ...”
3 comments

“Perhaps women are forever frozen in the fashions that reigned in their childhoods. I know ...”
4 comments

“Years ago we were strolling in San Antonio on an extremely warm, spring day. Sidewalk ...”
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“The coyotes were yipping up a storm when I was in Albuquerque recently. All day ...”
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“I am old enough to remember the time in America B.P. ......Before  Pizza. I recall ...”
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“The big day is almost here, and an investigative report is in order. Spring in ...”
6 comments

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

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

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

“Consider the heart. By far, it is my favorite graphic symbol. Voluptuously shaped, lushly hued and ...”
1 comments

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

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

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

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

“My son is not a competitive person. He's highly creative and mainly focused on what ...”
7 comments

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

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

“You know you're out West when the downtown streets are named Iron, Coal, Lead, Silver, ...”
2 comments

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

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

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

“I was about to roll out a pie crust the other day when I stared ...”
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“One of my all time favorite movies is “The Brave Little Toaster” (1987). I generally ...”
3 comments

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

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

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

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

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

“Antique dealers must get extremely tired of hearing these words. "Why, we had one of ...”
4 comments

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

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

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

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

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

“When our son was little, he informed us that the only food not improved by ...”
4 comments

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

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

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

“Last Saturday we had dinner with the goats. The goats were on the roof. Mid-meal, ...”
1 comments

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

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

“In three years of writing blogs I have failed to address the topic of ice ...”
7 comments

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

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

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

“With the help of our neighbors we salvaged the boat benches last week. We now ...”
2 comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I am a fan of ampersands (&), those flamboyant little symbols that fill in for ...”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“My cousin sews a mean seam. She selects gorgeous fabrics, makes her own patterns and ...”
1 comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“My husband came home one day last week and said, "You have to drive past ...”

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

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

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

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

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

“Our frontyard is a 70 foot bluff. Before having my current frontyard, I thought geological ...”
1 comments

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

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

“I have the perfect post office. Being a person who loves mail, this is a ...”
1 comments

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

“It's not easy sleeping with a 26 pound cat. The space Gato takes up in ...”

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

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

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

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

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

“Woodchucks, a.k.a. groundhogs, are the largest members of the squirrel family. Their name comes from ...”

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

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

“Unbeknownst to me at the time, our family lived for thirty years in an atomic ...”

“Purple is a secondary color, the marriage of red and blue, but it is primary ...”

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

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

“That handsome guy returned last week. I spotted him alongside the road as I was ...”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I was a lucky child. My parents always had a fight right before Christmas. Since ...”

“Fruitcake can be very scary stuff. Let's face it, sometimes the idea of a tradition ...”
1 comments

“I want to make it clear that I am not a Swedish wanna-be.My grandfather got ...”

“My neighbor the next road over got a free peacock, or more correctly, a free ...”

“I am a minimalist. I try not to have more stuff than I can care for.To that ...”
1 comments

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

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

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

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

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

“The difference between style and fashion is easy. Fashion is someone else telling you what ...”

“When I think of Holland, I do not visualize tulips and windmills. I think of ...”

“People can be divided into two basic types - those who bend down to pick ...”
1 comments

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

“I am fascinated by old, abandoned farmhouses. They dot the American countryside from east to ...”

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

“When I was three, our neighbor's dog knocked me down and stole my graham cracker. ...”
1 comments

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

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

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

“I am starting an opossum fan club. I'm hoping all of you will join.There will ...”
5 comments

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

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

“I admit to being addicted.Fortunately, my addiction is not illegal, expensive or fattening. I'm hooked ...”
1 comments

“ My parents were jocks. They were not into team sports, but they believed in ...”
1 comments

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

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

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

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

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

“Everybody pretty much agrees that feeding birds is a good thing. Feeding raccoons and other ...”
1 comments

“I like to remind my middle school art students that art doesn't have to be ...”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I'm so glad I am not a rabbit! As I inform the kids in my ...”
2 comments

“I know where the best troll in America lives. At the risk of alienating my ...”
1 comments

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

“One week last November when I was feeling particularly unloved by the world at large, ...”
2 comments

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

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

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