May 25, 2020 The specter of my job starting up again has caused a flurry of commitments to appear on my calendar. Not all of them are work-related, but their net effect is that I feel my free time slipping away. If I’m being honest, the past two or three weeks have been the hardestContinue reading “And How Does That Make You Feel?”
Author Archives: Driftless Grace
Change is Swift(s)
May 17, 2020 I should have known I was inviting trouble with that last post. Things aren’t as sunny here today, in any sense of the word. It started two days ago with the announcement that a local theater group will not open their proverbial doors this year. As with all closures, protecting the healthContinue reading “Change is Swift(s)”
Roaring Twenties
May 14, 2020 After a chilly week that included several late frosts, the sun’s warmth (if not the sun) has returned. It’s fitting, as I have just emerged from what felt like a week-long sleepwalk. On both the weather front and the Grace front, May is looking pretty good all of a sudden. Why? NotContinue reading “Roaring Twenties”
This One Hurts
May 5, 2020 Though I rarely look at my calendar nowadays, I can still sense when the weekend has come around. The neighbors tending their lawns outside my window are visibly relaxed. In the park a few blocks away, cyclists and dog walkers and fishermen are out in force. The park, which borders the WisconsinContinue reading “This One Hurts”
Thumbs Up
April 29, 2020 On Monday afternoon, while visiting my mom, I managed to slam my car door onto my thumb. It hurt badly and looked even worse. But when the initial shock had subsided, what I mostly felt was embarrassment. In the midst of a societal slowdown, I could have avoided an injury if I’dContinue reading “Thumbs Up”
Standstill
April 25, 2020 In “things I should be doing” news, today would have been the annual Ice Age Trail conference. What have I done today? Not much. I have a daily routine, but it’s nothing profound — and even that falls by the wayside sometimes. As an illustration, the highlight of my day was makingContinue reading “Standstill”
Mostly Sunny
April 21, 2020 Momentary panic aside, the last week or so has felt like a dream to me. I say “dream” not only in the surreal sense, but in the sense that I’m leading the kind of life I have always hoped for. I’ve gotten used to the rhythms of my new town. I knowContinue reading “Mostly Sunny”
The End of the Beginning
April 16, 2020 (better late than never) Staying in, as I’ve come to realize, is a necessary task that keeps us all “safer at home”. But there’s a part of my brain that insists on treating it like a game, Mary Poppins-style. How long can I go without encountering another person? How many nutritional mealsContinue reading “The End of the Beginning”
Disenchanted April
April 12, 2020 A stroll through the misty and deserted streets of my new town was just what I needed this Easter morning. It’s no substitute, though, for everything else I should be doing this time of year. My not-to-do list has quickly become a want-to-do list. I’ll admit that there are perks to theContinue reading “Disenchanted April”
Change of Address
April 8, 2020 The man in his garden was right. Life does go on amid all this darkness. Last week, my life took me to a new apartment about twenty minutes’ drive from my childhood home. I can’t remember why I was in such a hurry to move – all that packing and driving andContinue reading “Change of Address”
Driftless Grace 