Growing up in the lush green hills of Wisconsin, I never knew much about the desert. It was brown, dry, and covered with cactus. When I moved to the Phoenix area in the Sonoran Desert, I realized how I never understood the beauty that can be found here and in other deserts. Last week, my friend, Kathy, and I made the four-hour drive to Las Vegas. Our goal wasn’t to hear any concert or see any of their famous shows, but rather to explore two parks in the *Mojave Desert that offered plenty of Continue Reading
By the skin of my teeth – thank you
Did you know the traditional gift theme for the second anniversary is cotton? I didn’t until I looked it up last week. I love that kind of research that is generally useless unless you’re on a trivia team. But why did I need to know? Last week, I celebrated the two-year anniversary of the publication of my first book, Carrie’s Quest. I celebrated by buying more cotton quilting fabric. I launched the book at the start of the pandemic, with extravagant plans for a book tour, aware that Continue Reading
Going Home, Part 2
A month ago or so, I wrote about going home, and asked, can we ever go home again? I was on my way to my small hometown in Wisconsin where I was raised and educated, and flew the coop the first chance I had (1976). Yet, it has always been home. My parents are buried there, I have several school friends who live in the area, and fortunately, my sister and several members of her family remain there. In 2001, after having lived in several other towns and cities for work, I moved to the Lansing, Continue Reading
Testing, testing …
"Testing, testing ... 1 - 2 - 3." "This is a test of the Patchwork Journey Broadcast Network. Do not adjust your screen or volume. This is just a test. " "I have the results of your lab tests." "Students, for today's test, I need you to remove your books from your desktops and get out a number 2 pencil." Do students even have text books anymore? Do they sit at desks when school is in session? And seriously, would they have any idea what a number 2 pencil was? I am so out of the loop Continue Reading