Could Today Get Any Better?
Today has been surreal. I woke up to discover that the story I wrote for the New York Times about living in the American Gothic House was placed on the front page of the Arts section. Early this morning, a friend sent me a picture of the print version of the newspaper —since we don’t […]
All it Takes is a Few Words, a Few Bites, and a Willingness to Try
As you can see, I am really focused on promoting peace, love and understanding these days. It’s a reaction to all the political maneuvering going on, a lot of policies being changed that are resulting in putting lives at risk, all because some people (too many) live in fear of what they don’t know, what […]
The World Needs More People Like Ann
My friend Ann is dying. She had breast cancer about 10 years ago but it came back. In her spine. Containable but not curable, the drugs held it back for about a year or two. I hadn’t talked to her for a while and last fall I had a very strong sense that I needed […]
“There is ALWAYS Hope, Bea.”
There is ALWAYS hope, Bea. He wrote this—with the word always in all caps—above a newspaper article he had circled in black ink. He left the paper on the kitchen table knowing I would be down for my morning coffee well after he had left the house to feed hay to his cows, check on […]
Introducing Farm Week at Camp Doug(h) – Sign up now!
Iowa is considered the Heartland of America. Zoom in a little closer, to the southeast corner where the Iowa, Illinois and Missouri borders meet, and you will find Camp Doug(h). Previously known to Doug’s friends as Camp Doug, the (h) was added when Beth moved as a nod to her baking. Beth Howard and Doug […]
The Book That Doesn’t Want to Be Born…Yet
The photo to the left (it’s a Bitmoji) is me. It’s me and it sums up everything I am feeling right now about writing my American Gothic House memoir. I am trying to get my story down — my whole story — about my four years of misadventures living in a rural Iowa tourist attraction. […]
Bread Making Class: When the Teacher Becomes the Student
The Pie Lady goes to bread school. On Saturday I took an artisanal bread making class. I have been teaching baking classes for the past 11 years, not the student of them. But I believe in continuing education, in stretching, growing and expanding. I hunger for new information, crave new ideas and skills, and I’m […]
What To Do With All That Privilege
This essay also appears on Huffington Post. On Saturday night I dreamed I was in the elegant living room of an older wealthy woman. I stood next to her delivering an emphatic, tearful plea, insisting, “When you are born into privilege it is your responsibility to help others less fortunate than you.” Man, […]
Guest Blog: Life in the Not Very Fast Lane at Camp Doug(h) — by Doug
There is no set time when Happy Hour starts on the farm. Beth’s dad, Tom Howard, had a set in stone 5pm start time. For us, in the late spring or summer, it may start at 9pm while we are fixing supper. But now and then it actually starts right on time. The official start […]
Making Noise for Women’s Healthcare
A Planned Parenthood rally on the banks of the Mississippi River.I wonder what clever thing Mark Twain would have said about this. Last week was kind of a big week. On Sunday, I marched in a rally for Planned Parenthood in Burlington, Iowa. Why? Because Iowa is eliminating funding for any healthcare clinics that provide […]