Crystal Ball, April 17, 2013
Spring? Sprang? Sprung? Spring has been a long time coming this year. I’m not totally convinced it’s here to stay yet. Here are a few signs of spring: • You still have your snow shovel by the back door...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, April 24, 2013
April showers bring . . . rabbits While puttering around in the yard a few weeks ago, I noticed a spot in a hosta bed where the mulch had been mixed with rabbit fur and dried grass. It was a bunny...
View ArticleCrystal Ball: May 1, 2013
The fifth season: road construction Spring is here, just in case you had any doubts. It was confirmed for me last week when construction started on Highway 6, my route between home and the office. The...
View ArticleCrystal Ball: May 8, 2013
Card store malfunction From the “Things that shouldn’t be this hard” file: choosing greeting cards. How hard is it to pick out a greeting card? I mean, really. It’s a simple piece of card stock with...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, May 22, 2013
Sentiment and trash bags The Great House Purge of 2013 started when I ran across this quote on the web. Actually it started before that, but this kicked it into high gear: “When there is visual chaos,...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, May 29, 2013
‘Til my trophies at last I lay down’ So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, til my trophies at last I lay down . . . ” When I sang this hymn as a youth in the Wapello United Methodist Church, I was...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, June 5, 2013
Stuff The house purge continues. I’ve almost got the rooms on the second floor conquered and what a victorious feeling that is. One thing I’m discovering during this project is that I no longer feel...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, June 12, 2013
There’s always a project going on at our house. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to complete (the kitchen painting project). Sometimes it takes a couple of months (the house purging project)....
View ArticleCrystal Ball, June 19, 2013
Gardening, sort of I’m taking a break from writing about the house cleaning project this week. I intended to write about gardening. Then I had a pang of conscience. Is it right to write about gardening...
View ArticleCall me . . . maybe?
With apologies to Carly Rae Jepsen, who sings the fun little pop tune “Call Me Maybe,” I’m finding telephones one of the most frustrating modern “conveniences” humankind has created. You would think...
View ArticleCRYSTAL BALL: July 3, 2013
Should I save the . . . whatchamacalit? The Great House Purge of 2013 is becoming an educational experience. Aside from multiple trips to Goodwill and the burn barrel, it is teaching me things I never...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, July 10, 2013
Thoughts while walking a dog Of all the things I do with my dogs — training, trials, schooling shows, lessons, seminars and programs — one of my very favorite activities is going for a walk with them....
View ArticleCrystal Ball, July 17, 2013
There’s a pill for that . . . One of my favorite quotes from “The Big Bang Theory” is Dr. Sheldon Cooper’s line, “I’m not crazy. My mother had me tested.” With that in mind, I nearly burst out laughing...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, July 24, 2013
A tale of three kitties Earlier this summer, I adopted a litter of three kittens. The farm cat population at our place had dwindled to a scant few and that had been the status quo for several years. It...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, July 31, 2013
58 days until fall starts A friend of mine observed one recent evening while we were training dogs that all this lovely late-day sunlight is wasted on summer. The fact that sweat was rolling off both...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, Aug. 7, 2013
Losing it I’ve always taken pride in my ability not to lose stuff. At any given time, if I need a particular item around the house, I can usually find it with a minimum of fuss and searching. I’ve been...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, Aug. 14, 2013
A column about doing nothing You would think it would be easy to write a column about doing nothing. It’s one of our favorite words. Whenever someone asks what I’ve been up to, I always say, “Oh,...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, Aug. 21, 2013
A lazy end to summer This is the time of year when I look at the calendar and wonder what happened. Schools across the county start this week. Iowa State football kicks off before long. It’s decidedly...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, Aug. 28, 2013
‘All Creatures Great and Small’ I know this is going to date me and I don’t care. I’ve reached the age where clearly recalling something from one’s childhood should be considered an achievement, not...
View ArticleCrystal Ball, Sept. 4, 2013
Tech support I am the least “techie” person you will ever meet. I say this with great assurance because for me, a lap top will forever be a place where the cat sits and a web site means I need to do a...
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