March 21, 2023 Happy third birthday to this very blog! I started Driftless Grace in the first week of COVID lockdowns. It was a way of creating something positive from the chaos while also finally making good on my threats to start a blog. Since then, it has developed into a crucial part of myContinue reading “Marching On”
Author Archives: Driftless Grace
As the Snow Flies
March 10, 2023 “The beauty of being warm,” I once wrote in a class assignment, “is that at some point beforehand you were cold.” We were in the midst of a frigid Wisconsin winter. I wanted to capture the idea that experiencing bad weather makes taking refuge in a warm house that much sweeter. ThisContinue reading “As the Snow Flies”
Common Thread
February 8, 2023 While I wish I could sit in an empty room and write beautiful prose on my laptop for eight hours straight, such a thing has never happened. What’s more likely is that I’ll finish work some afternoon and find myself thinking of a few paragraphs I could get down. (Then I’ll editContinue reading “Common Thread”
Comfort Zone
January 3, 2023 My blog has now existed for three years, and I’m still writing about the pandemic. This wasn’t my intention – although I don’t think I had an intention in those early days. But I’m at peace with it. Countless things have changed for me because of what happened in 2020; I wouldContinue reading “Comfort Zone”
Lights and Display Contest
November 18, 2022 When I was a kid, I thought that my town kept to a rigid schedule – one I could never hope to understand as a mere civilian. The idea that workers put up our Christmas lights whenever they felt like it was blasphemy. That illusion was finally broken for me this week,Continue reading “Lights and Display Contest”
Wild Life
October 3, 2022 Thanks for your well-wishes after my last post. I’m happy to report that there are no lingering effects from my unprovoked fight with a window. There is an alley here in town that makes bird sounds. When I passed it last week, I heard hundreds of house sparrows cheeping their delight atContinue reading “Wild Life”
Heads Up
August 17, 2022 I’ve had a busy summer, so it wasn’t too surprising last week when I was rushing to get somewhere and sustained another silly injury. I imagined no window where indeed there was one, and came away with a cartoonish – though very real – concussion. My prescription from the urgent care doctorContinue reading “Heads Up”
When Life Gives You…
June 21, 2022 I never carry cash, but I felt guiltier than usual about it the other day when I walked past dueling lemonade stands. The two tables were set up across from each other on a silent back street. If they were relying on foot traffic, I would be their only visitor for aContinue reading “When Life Gives You…”
Gatherings
June 1, 2022 One of my favorite summer rituals, which I’ve mentioned before on this blog, is watching chimney swifts gather at their roost sites. I’m grateful to the friend who introduced me to these little guys – and pleased that I correctly guessed where they would be in my new town. It was aContinue reading “Gatherings”
Service Announcement
May 5, 2022 The other day, I went into a store and was immediately helped by three considerate employees. These folks knew exactly what I wanted and where to find it. They talked me through my options and I left promptly, glad I had made the trip. There’s no way to tell this story withoutContinue reading “Service Announcement”
Driftless Grace 