My fascination with flight probably came from my father. At an early age I discovered my dad was a Navy Aviator Trainer during WWII. He never continued flying after the war, but was drawn to planes. In my teens the air …Read the Rest
Getting in Touch with Jon’s Roots
One thing I have wanted to do since coming to Wisconsin, is go to Pulaski during Polka Days. I wanted to see how it compares to my Cedar, Michigan Polka Fest. Pulaski is about 50 miles to the North. We decided to go …Read the Rest
A Time Honored and Valued Tradition in the Heartland
My Grandma Orr’s advice still rings in my ears to this day. Thirty plus years ago she told me that I should look for a husband in church. She was right. I found someone with the same values I wanted …Read the Rest
Not Your Typical Parade
My friend Ginny exclaimed that I, as in me, have never arrived anywhere early and this morning was no exception. She wanted to see the Classic Wooden Boat Parade that would be taking off at 9 a.m. sharp from …Read the Rest
My Big Extreme Gardening Adventure
My grandmother always said “let your housework go a bit in the summer, so you can spend your time outside and enjoy God’s creation while the weather is nice”. I agree whole heartedly. So I decided to get out and …Read the Rest
HOME BREWED in NE WISCONSIN
Four or five years ago, my good friend Jane and I decided to purchase compost tumblers on-line. We thought we could save a few dollars by assembling them ourselves rather than buy from a garden center. I liked the idea of having a …Read the Rest
Twin Orr-chards Once a Traditional Farm, Now a CSA Farm
Last week I popped in at my cousin’s estate sale. She was selling items that belonged to her family that she reluctantly needed to let go, due to lack of space. She surprised me with our Grandma’s red Pyrex applesauce …Read the Rest
Day’s End
Having spent the better part of the day in Grand Rapids in the scorching heat and moving quickly from one air conditioned venue to another, I was relieved to be finally heading North. After a couple of hours of driving, the white …Read the Rest
And So the 2011 Growing Season Begins in NE Wisconsin
Last year, with great curiosity, I attended the Gardens of the Fox Cities’ “Heirloom Plant Sale”. I was pleasantly surprised that individual plants were sold. So this year I came prepared and had done my homework before hand with a list of plants I would be happy to get
Not an Ordinary Tree By Any Means
So why do I say this is no ordinary tree? It is a century apricot. This tree was planted by my Great Grandparents, John Jacob Lipp and Ada Thalman Lipp. Apricot trees typically mark the first sign of spring in an orchard. It is …Read the Rest