-Meet Judy, a jewel of a friend from Nebraska- It’s about people who are put in my life—Sharon was that person—my best friend ever. You know the kind. For over forty years, we talked weekly, but even if we didn’t, we would just continue as if there had been no interruption at all in our conversation. It was in the late 70’s, and I worked at Hygain Electric. I was the manager … [Read more...]
I really wanted to go to college, and I should have
My grandparents were Germans from Russia, and my mom, Elizabeth Klug, was born in Russia and was about three years old when her parents came to America. My father, Michael, was born in Topeka, KS, and his parents were also Germans from Russia. I was 3rd oldest of 13 children, and lost two baby sisters when they were only 6 months old. I was one of four girls, and we … [Read more...]
Good still happens
What do you do if something extraordinary happens to you–out of the blue? I ask because such an event landed in my checking account on March 10th. I don’t need to describe the boring details, but it involved Social Security. (SS) My reaction was similar to the loss cycle: bargaining, denial, anger, depression, and then acceptance. Initially, I thought, “What? This … [Read more...]
Her money defined her
As I drive through North Platte, NE, I always think of Janene. I didn’t know her well, but she intrigued me. She was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and flaunted what she had. She was brash, with style. She had amazing clothes as well as shoes, jewelry, and handbags. She drove a big Lincoln, and her brick home was fit for entertaining royalty. Her bedroom was … [Read more...]
Sam and the bow of a boat
I had the pleasure of visiting with an artist who was living in a rustic cabin on the border of Rocky Mountain National Park. Her name is Sam. She shared the details of an online art class she was taking. The course required her to use the same subject or object for each assignment, incorporating the various techniques of each lesson onto the subject. Her choice was the bow of … [Read more...]
Alaskan Homesteaders
On a land and sea trip to Alaska, my husband and I had the honor of visiting a homestead family. Jonelle, one of the daughters, met us at the hotel, rode on the bus with us, and told us the family story. In the 1960’s, when she was three years old, her mom and dad, who rented farmland in South Dakota, decided they were never going to get anywhere there, and heard about a … [Read more...]
Three rural women in Utah
It is wonderful to get sweet stories every day, even when I least expect them. Little sparkles of gifts. Here are three tiny stories told in a few moments. All three women, as they shared themselves with me, helped me remember places I visited and gave me refreshing perspectives. I caught these stories while traveling from AZ to CO through Utah. Enjoy and appreciate the … [Read more...]
Serendipitous meeting with gracious and candid woman
Waiting for our room to be cleaned at the Ellerbeck Bed and Breakfast in Salt Lake City, a woman came from an adjoining room and greeted us with a big smile and high energy. We returned niceties, and she sat down to visit. Enthusiastically, she said, “I retired yesterday from twenty years of teaching, and after my retirement party, I said to myself, 'I am retired, and can do … [Read more...]
Happy start to my day
On a Spyder (three wheel motorcycle) from Arizona to Colorado through Utah, I tried to 'catch' rural women's stories. I met the women spontaneously and serendipitously. The stories are short because our conversations were quick and happened in passing. Interesting and accomplished rural women are across our country. The pictures correlate with the town or area. Enjoy! I … [Read more...]
Glad I’m not a cow
Being a new farm/ranch wife, with no experience in rural life, I connected, and felt sympathetic for cows. I liked them; they had big brown eyes, were great mommas, and lived by rigid rules or died. They looked at me when I jogged, and came to me when I called, “Here Bossy.” They have a hard life, and they are not dumb. When a heifer calf is born, the rancher is initially … [Read more...]
Small town vs city
I walked into a local thrift store in a small mountain town and heard a female voice say, “Ya, he walked in and said, ‘I'm gonna divorce you!’ and I said 'HALLELUJAH!'” I chuckled to myself and continued my scavenger hunt. I never saw the woman, but I did figure out she was on the phone to someone she hadn’t talked to in a while. She had the phone on speaker, and I could hear … [Read more...]
Mrs. Cooper – continued
One of the stories in my book My Clients…My Teachers is a story about Mrs. Cooper. I recently passed through a town where Mrs. Cooper lives, and stopped to visit. It was a treat for me and hopefully for her. She told me she so enjoyed getting my book. She lost her husband three years ago, and said, "I just wanted to go and be with him." We visited about her family and her … [Read more...]
Have you written YOUR life story?
You can think your life is boring or insignificant, but it is YOUR story in the making. Nothing happens that does not contribute to the story line, setting, and plot. Like any good novel, there are ebbs and flows, but always connections to history, past and present characters, and dreams. Fred Allen, American radio comedian, said, "A human being is nothing but a story with a … [Read more...]
Rural Women Are a Class Act
Rural Women Are a Class Act. This week I had the privilege of attending a conference of farm and construction equipment dealers. These rural businesses deal with individuals, families, and companies who buy tractors, tilling, and planting machines as well as large dozers, etc. for the construction of roads and buildings. (Sorry for the minimal description of what they sell and … [Read more...]
Rural women’s strength and resiliency
Rural women’s strength and resiliency What a great week. I had the opportunity to reconnect with women I have not seen in a long while. Enjoy my brief synopsis: Opal finally had the courage to leave her husband of twenty years and to build her life without the man who chose to have multiple women. She spoke of the pain and the damage to her self-esteem. She was naturally … [Read more...]