The Cabin Up North
When I moved here six years ago from Nebraska, I was prepared for the Packers, the cheese, and the snow. I wasn’t prepared for the jargon. What were cabins, cottages, lake houses, and places “up north”?
Rethinking Ownership
Twenty-five years ago, we moved onto our 1 1/2 acres just outside Manitowoc city limits and took Ownership of the land. What once was a sandy-soiled Wisconsin potato farm was now a grassy lawn dotted with trees tall and small planted by some previous owner.
Somewhere Down the Line
In 1954, my older brother took the train to Junction City. Two years later, I traveled by bus to the Marshfield Zoo. I’ll never know what possessed our kindergarten teacher to amend the field trip itinerary during that two-year interval.
The Case Of The Two-Headed Calf
The Billboard had promised gasoline, sandwiches, and the opportunity to see a two-headed calf named “Heady”.
Standing in The Pit Stop in Mineral Point, I gazed up and scanned for signs it was a hoax.
It’s Us or Them
When my wife and I moved out into the sticks in central Wisconsin from about 30 years ago, we looked forward to savoring the peace and quiet and living where the wild things were.
Madison Woman Makes, Plays Unique Musical Instruments Called Handpans
The sound is unique and captivates the ear. Shaped like a UFO the handpan is a relative newcomer to the music scene. The music sounds ancient but was first created in Switzerland around the year 2000 by two steel pan tuners.
Wisconsin In WWI: The Thick of It
One hundred years ago, Wisconsin went to war. In partnership with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, we’re exploring stories of Wisconsin men and women in World War I, curated by oral historian Ellen Brooks.
Moving North
In the fall of 2016 I resigned from my 25 year teaching career in Milwaukee, sold my east side condo and went to live on our family land just west of Oshkosh.
Death in the Afternoon
Kevin noticed her first. “She’s cold, Mrs. Pils, and she’s not moving.” Michael confirmed the news, “Her eyes stay closed when you touch her.” Death came quietly, unexpectedly during recess on a misty, gray October day at Northside Elementary School in Middleton.
What Does A Vegetarian Do With Roadkill?
When I first moved to northern Wisconsin, people would ask me, “Do you hunt?” “Do you ice fish?” “Do you garden?” And I would say, “No.” I am the vegetarian daughter of a naval officer who never learned to plant so much as a bean, so it made me wonder, did I really belong here?
Plymouth Woman Moonlights As A Cheese Competition Judge
Sandy Toney is the Vice President of Corporate Quality and Development at Masters Gallery Foods in Plymouth. She began her career with Masters in 1989.
“After a while in quality, I decided I wanted to move on to the grading,” Toney said.
Deke Slayton, Wisconsin Native and Space Pioneer
Deke Slayton had the heart of a warrior. The native of Sparta was just 19 when he earned his pilot’s wings during World War II. He flew 56 combat missions in B-25 Mitchell bombers in the skies over Europe before returning to the U.S.
John Steinbeck Considers Wisconsin
John Steinbeck’s Wisconsin
I’ve felt close to John Steinbeck ever since my 11th grade English class. We all had to choose an author for a term paper, and I picked Steinbeck more or less at random.
A Dress Made of Bullets
Lac du Flambeau’s Melissa Doud was recently nominated for a Native American music award for the song “Bullet Dress”. A song based on her experience a veteran. Melissa Doud and the Mambo Surfers didn’t end up winning, but for Melissa being nominated was huge considering that this is the first song she’s co-written or sung.
How About A Holiday For The Land?
The premise here is that the land has holidays, not just its nations and peoples but the land itself has holidays. These holidays have a seasonal core that is both selective as it is prejudicial.