Author: Dee
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Jigsaw Puzzles
North winds are whipping, and the ground is frozen, so yardwork is out of the question right now—hooray! That gives me the excuse to dig out a jigsaw puzzle and get busy building a picture. Sometimes I glue the puzzle together when it’s done, frame it, and hang it on the wall. But most of… Read more
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Snowy Days
As children growing up in Milwaukee, my sister and I didn’t care what the weather was doing as long as we could play outside. Mom bundled us up in heavy coats with scarves, fuzzy earmuffs, snow pants, boots, double socks, and warm mittens, and we’d brave the cold to make snow angels in the backyard… Read more
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Winter Birds
We were delighted to get our first snowfall of winter this week in the Roanoke Valley. Less than two inches fell but enough to make the trees sparkle. Unfortunately, the snow was topped with a coating of ice. Schools are closed, and travel is discouraged, but the roads were pretreated, and the plows are out… Read more
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Cashews
The holidays bring plenty of food to our house. We seem to buy too much to feed guests and must eat leftovers for a week. Gifts from friends include candies, fruitcake, and nuts. We do our best to eat most of it before the new year so we can begin our resolution to lose weight… Read more
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Christmas Squirrel
She came to us in summertime, begging for peanuts whenever we sat outside on the veranda. This squirrel was chubby—no, she was rotund. She was irresistible when she sat up with her pudgy front paws clasped across her chest, begging for a peanut, apple slice, or blueberry. Someone had obviously been feeding her before she… Read more
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Two Years of My Life
When the first copies of my book arrived, Valerie, the matriarch of my bear collection, gathered some of the little bears around her to read to them. Sitting on piles of books, the stuffed animals were my first devoted fans, along with Walter, of course. My book, Finding Splendid Shelter, started out as a simple… Read more
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After Thanksgiving
It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and everyone is still talking about the grand feast they devoured, their family gathering, and traveling to and from their holiday destination. It was different at our house. Walter and I had no company this year, no gathering to go to, and less than a grand feast for the big… Read more
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Touchdown!
I grew up in Wisconsin cheering for the Green Bay Packers during football season. They are one tough team when it comes to playing in frigid weather—the more snow, the better. The fans are even tougher, filling the stands while bundled up from head to toe with blocks of cheese on their heads. Nothing stops… Read more
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The H.I.T. Squad
Have you ever noticed sparrows lining up on the gutter of your house or the neighbor’s roofline? First one flies in, then two more, then three join them, until there are twelve sparrows looking out over the yard. Suddenly, they all fly down to a bird feeder or a birdbath as if the leader gave… Read more
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Veteran’s Day
My dad served in the Army during World War II. He rarely talked about that life event, but when he did, his face showed the pain of war. If I remember correctly, he worked in the military offices in the Philippines and fortunately did not see combat. Nevertheless, my mom said he came home a… Read more