I Things I love about October: leaves changing color, widely available pumpkin spice options, and Halloween decorations and movies. Leaves are ablaze with color here in the Marquette area. The most spectacular fall displays in the Upper Peninsula are actually in the Keweenaw Peninsula, in case you’re planning a visit. It’s a couple of hours drive from our home to the middle of the Keweenaw. … Continue reading Pumpkin Spice and everything nice
I missed the Chicks last week when some of them were in Nashville. Not that I would’ve seen them in person anyway. But, because they were in Tennessee — and I wasn’t! I do get a bit homesick. Not because I’ve ever lived in Nashville. I lived in and around Memphis for most of my life. My brother and his wife lived in Nashville for … Continue reading I’d like to be on the road again
My calendar is pretty open these days. It’s summer, after all. And I’m waiting on a much-needed knee replacement surgery, so I try not to walk much. I’m obsessed with made-up holidays, so I decided to look up what’s on tap for August. I’m talking to the right crowd to let you guys know: Today (August 9) is Book Lovers Day! Start reading or writing … Continue reading Make up your own holiday
My husband and I will likely drag our camp chairs down the side of our block and stake out a spot to watch Marquette’s annual July 4th parade. I love a parade as much as the next guy. I especially love marching bands. It’s hard not to admire someone playing an instrument that weighs as much as a tuba. This year the city of Marquette is … Continue reading A 25 buck memory is priceless
May 15 would have been my dad’s birthday. I shed a few tears and I texted with my brother and sister— the only two people in the world who understand that loss and who share many of my sweet memories of our wonderful daddy. Little brother pointed out that Daddy would have been 90 this year. I had lost track of time. Our dad was … Continue reading Daddy knows the drill
It’s that time of year when “yard sale” and “garage sale” signs are a common sight. One man’s junk is another’s treasure, and I’ve bought my share of both junk and treasure over the years. We all have knickknacks and odd items scattered in our homes, neither beautiful nor particularly useful, which guests could never guess the true value of. My brother bought this cut-glass … Continue reading Money can’t buy me love
It’s been a season of change for me. Winter has turned out to be much more like spring for us this year in the U.P. – much warmer temperatures overall and much less snow than past years. While hubs and I are not native Yoopers, we have lived here in Marquette 14 years now. We’ve experienced quite a few winters. This nearly snowless winter has … Continue reading Late edition
It seems my home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is receiving what lots of people across the nation were hoping to hear from Punxutawney Phil, the world’s most well-known groundhog — that there’s going to be an early spring. As Joni Mitchell famously said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Hey, Phil, can we take it back? According to the news, Punxutawney … Continue reading Don’t Know What You’ve Got
Filling out a medical form a few days ago, I had to write 2024 for the first time. Having been born and grown up in the twentieth century, this date still sounds futuristic to me. It brings to mind the song 2525, which first came on the radio in 1969. (I had to look up the release date and the artist, Zager and Evans). At the … Continue reading Good intentions
We don’t have any little ones on our gift list this year, and I miss shopping for them. When our niece Molly, who is nineteen now, was about two, we gave her a bouncing Tigger doll for Christmas. While enthusiastic with the idea, my husband later became less than enamored with this gift. After I had already wrapped the box and slipped Tigger under the … Continue reading The joy of Christmas shopping
I’m not donning a costume for Halloween this year. In fact, it’s been quite a number of years since I put on a disguise for All Hallows Eve. But I did spend some time over the weekend thinking back on Halloweens Past. One year when I was still in high school, I went out a double date with one of my best friends, her boyfriend … Continue reading Costumes I have known
Welcome to “Behind the Book,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share the real stories behind our stories: Inspiration, motivation, frustration, jubilation– research, rewrites, tidbits– you’ll find them all right here… Hiya! It’s Kathy, and I’m delighted to offer a peek into my first book, Protocol. A large portion of its plot revolves around odd messages my protagonist receives … Continue reading Behind the book: Protocol
Chicks on the Case 