Recently my daughter and I visited the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas about two hours from Kansas City. The unique area covers four million acres in primarily eastern Kansas and north-central Oklahoma characterized by rolling hills and hosts the most dense intact tallgrass prairie in North America. The region has a […]
Thoughts on Mental Health
During my days in college I met our wonderful Assistant Dean of Students, Dr. Ron Barnes. He became a mentor for me long before I fully understood the meaning of the word, and we have kept in touch ever since. After leaving Iowa State University Dr Barnes served on the staff of the Menninger Foundation, […]
Celebrate
I hadn’t planned on feeling warm and fuzzy about the World Cup coming to the US this summer. In the weeks since Kansas City and surrounding towns have opened their doors to host Argentina, England, Netherlands, and Algeria, I have changed my mind. From my distant vantage point it appears Kansas City has become the […]
Joyous Longevity
The A-Z Field Guide by Sieglinde Othmer Everyone on board for living a long, joyous life? I can hear a resounding “Yes!” and I feel you all nodding in affirmation. I heard Sieglinde Othmer speak recently about her delightful book, Joyous Longevity, full of common sense tips to help people feel good about their age […]
Kansas City’s Union Station
Do you remember the golden age of train travel? When train stations were the center of commerce and the hub of activity in America? Every summer my family would travel by train from Ames, IA to Ogden, UT to visit our grandparents. As as result, I am forever nostalgic about train stations and this bygone […]
The Month of Love
What’s the story behind Valentine’s Day? How did Cupid become part of this celebration of love? No, it’s not a plot from greeting card companies or confectioners. The answer is an interesting combination of Greek and Roman mythology with the legend of a Christian martyr added into the story. In Greek mythology, Eros was a […]
Let Heaven and Nature Sing!
We had our first snowfall several weeks ago and for two days afterward the world was glistening, transformed, you could even say it was enchanting. If you’re from Minnesota, “enchanting” might not be your adjective to describe snow. Regardless, I love this photo from Country Living Magazine and the accompanying cow that seems to have […]
Bienvenidos! to Santa Fe
After researching and reading about the Santa Fe Trail off and on for two years while writing Lila’s Journey, I was in a very sweet spot last week visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico. The purpose was a reunion with hometown girlfriends I’ve known since childhood, which is always special, so it was a win-win. The […]
WWI Liberty Memorial
I visited the WWI Liberty Memorial here in Kansas City yesterday. What a wonderful museum. If you’re ever in town or have a bucket list of great history museums, add this one. I was there an hour and a half and only scratched the surface. I can’t begin to do this museum justice in a […]
Aphids, Mud, Corn Rash and Sunburn: What gets better than that?
Nothing takes me back to my Iowa roots quicker than a picture of a corn stalk. I couldn’t let the month of August go by without sharing a blog from another Iowa native and dear friend, Mary Ellen Vogt, who wrote about detasseling corn as a summer job in the 50’s. What is detasseling you […]
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