life
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The Musical Chord That Hits the Heart
I just concluded a long phone call with a friend who remains in California with her parents. Having traveled out for the holidays, she remains as the final closure of her mom’s eyes draws near. I always feel a need to lift the clouds, so I opened the call with “Is this Chinese takeout?” Laura Continue reading
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Why Parents Keep Their Kids Away From Trump Supporters In Family
I heard again over the Holidays why some parents will not allow their kids to be around family members who support Donald Trump. More evidence as to why they do not want the kids around the racist and toxic conservative came this week as Trump gestured like a drunk idiot as he made an impression Continue reading
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DXing Captivated Young And Old Alike
I came across the following diary entries from my husband’s 2nd great-grandfather, George Rowe, who was born just before the Civil War started in 1860. That means he was about 62 years old at the time he was DXing. Say what? George was a sheep farmer and retired schoolteacher who would sit by the amber Continue reading
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Madison Snowplow Drivers Deserve Thanks
Tuesday night, as the snow started to fall with gusto, James and I trekked across the city to stop at a business that had framed one of our pictures. The snow was beautiful, and while most drivers were mindful of how they needed to operate their vehicles, others thought Mother Nature could be toyed with 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: “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
Caffeinated Politics 