"Give a Piece a Chance." — Books. Blog. Pie Classes. And a Pinch of Activism.
Quality of life. Quality of life. Quality of life. This is your new mantra. Quality of life is what you have to determine when your pet gets old or sick, or both. How do you define quality of life, and how do you measure it? And when it’s an animal—a pet who is considered a … Read more
RAGBRAI, the Des Moines Register’s Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa, is really all about the pie. The Amish, the church ladies, home bakers and commercial bakers alike can be found all along the 500-mile route feeding the masses their homemade goods from strawberry-rhubarb, peach, blackberry, apple and more. Sometimes they even have homemade ice cream … Read more
During the summer of 2015, I traveled around the world making pie in 9 countries. At long last, I have gotten the story down, but not on paper as you would expect. Instead, I taught myself how to edit a film using iMovie. Forgive my amateur skills, but like I always say about making pie: … Read more
In late March I began what became an extended break from Facebook. I use Twitter and Instagram too, but Facebook is my go-to social platform. It’s a place where I get to hang out with my friends and keep up with their news, which is especially valuable to me because I live on a farm … Read more
This aired on Tri States Public Radio March 21, 2019 LISTEN HERE The 2020 presidential campaign has begun and with it the Democratic candidates are descending upon Iowa. Flying in from all parts of the country, they are bringing with them the promise of new ideas, new policies, and, god willing, a new administration. … Read more
Former “90210” Publicist Remembers the TV Star Luke Perry, aka Dylan McKay, in 1990 When I heard Luke Perry had had a stroke, I expected him to live. That’s because a friend of mine recently had a stroke, his second one, at age 56 and he is recovering. My friend, like Luke, is fit and … Read more
It’s 3 degrees outside and dropping. They’re calling this the Polar Vortex, the Arctic Blast, or maybe it’s just Hell Freezing Over. News reports say that Midwest temperatures will be the lowest they’ve been in a generation, that it will be colder in Chicago than in Antarctica. To think I could be in Florida right … Read more
This essay originally aired as a commentary on Tri States Public Radio (Macomb, Illinois) LISTEN TO IT HERE Sticking to my New Year’s resolution to exercise more and spend more time outdoors, I’ve been doing a weekly Sunday morning hike with two other girlfriends. Near Farmington, Iowa, we discovered miles of trails through Shimek State … Read more