An Up for a Down Day
When I'm feeling DOWN and I need an UP. I take FIVE. It's a simple RX for when you're low. It won’t cure chronic depression, but it interrupts a sadness that might slide into something more. When I offer it to friends, I jokingly sign the RX as "Dr. Ann." 1. Eat a...
A Cut Above: The Upside of Shearing
My husband tried shearing a sheep. Only once. He claimed, “It looked like the sheep's fleece went through the blender.” Now each spring our sheep are sheared by a professional; it’s an entertaining event. The shearer hoists the ewe on her bottom so she’s vertical and...
Q & A on A Beautiful Day
In Kindergarten we learned to raise our hands to ask a question. We couldn’t swear, call each other names, intimate kids on the swing set, or swear. We were taught to be kind. "Kinder" actually means children in German, but maybe it's also a good reminder to be...
The UPside Down Bucket List
I have an UPside-Down Bucket List. It’s everything I avoid or put off because it demands a steep learning curve or stepping out of my comfort zone. This UPside-down Bucket List demands I put on my big girl panties. So what’s on my list? You’ll probably laugh....
A Lesson from a Little Cowboy
As the cast of Oklahoma! danced “The Farmer and the Cowman,” blonde-haired Henry strutted his toddler self, wearing a cowboy hat and boots, just like his dad, the cowboy lead. His baby sister Gracie clapped in time to the boisterous music. Henry had adored Seussical...
From ER to Star to Police Car
ON THE MORNING I was supposed to fly to Nashville, I awakened at 2:40 am with a piercing double ear infection. Stars in the Grass was a Christy finalist for Best Debut Novel and the Awards Gala was that night; but after googling AIR TRAVEL and EAR INFECTIONS, my trip...