letter-from-home
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Letter From Home: “They All Want To Be A Christmas Tree!” 12/19/25
Though our home on the Madison isthmus was built in 1892 with one large white pine from the northern reaches of Wisconsin, we have never had a white pine Christmas tree. But when I was a young man, that variety was the only one ever to be decorated for Christmas in the apartments where I… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Recalling Past Christmas Smiles From WDOR And Keta Steebs” 12/17/25
This morning, I awoke to a very nice email from the granddaughter of a favorite person I knew when working in Sturgeon Bay. Keta Steebs was the newspaper reporter and columnist for the Door County Advocate. The email message asked me to call and reminisce about Keta’s life and who she was, the impact she… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Conversations” 11/13/25
It was a beautiful night in Madison. Clear skies and the temperature was 46 degrees. For November at 9 PM, I call that a win. As such. I put the top down on the convertible and set off to pick my better half up from Dane County Airport. With many days of news stories about… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Best Bang For The Buck” 10/10/25
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens in a bookstore. It’s not loud or flashy. It doesn’t demand your attention like a movie trailer or a viral video. It’s quieter, more intimate, something that I have always found so fulfilling. There is a sense of unfolding possibilities as my fingers trace the spines of… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Tim Grimm, Sergio Webb, And Brooks Katzman” Spring 2025
Do we find happiness, or does happiness find us? On Saturday, I was sitting in the middle of our lawn with a variety of wooden outdoor furniture in need of staining. With brush in hand and my head turned down to make sure the ridges of the wood were properly coated, I heard the voice… Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Embracing The Seasonal Change” Late Summer 2025
Over the past several weeks, Madison has been gripped by intense heat and humidity. The air has hung heavy, leaving people listless and wondering—especially as runners pass by our homes, glistening with sweat—how do they do it? These were the days when even the faintest breeze brought relief, and we could only imagine the bracing… Continue reading
