Country Woman Essay

Raising kids in the country. This was my topic in a recent essay published in Country Woman magazine. Here's an excerpt:

"Our sons are in college now, living in small rooms in big cities. But I like to think the lessons they learned growing up in the country resonate with them every day. That they learned patience by calming an ­anxious horse; gentleness by bottle-feeding a motherless lamb; and the importance of speed and precision by cadging an egg out from under a broody hen."

To read the whole thing, click here.

Spring is Back!

After one monster of a winter, spring has finally returned. The 4-foot snow drifts are melting, melting. And in their absence are bulbs already pushing up out of the ground. Snowdrops are blooming right now in our shade garden. And the daffodils are 5 inches tall, budded and ready to pop. A couple warm days of sun and our yard is going to be ablaze in sunny blooms. A big sigh of relief!

I've been thinking about daffodils a lot. Wishing for them. And writing about them too. Read about the 10 Top Daffodils for the Midwest in Midwest Living magazine. And although you can't plant bulbs right now, you can buy little pots of 'Tete-a-Tete' and other small narcissus in garden centers. There's nothing more cheering!