Tag: adventure

Story Worlds: Places I’ve Been, Part 2

Story Worlds: Places I’ve Been, Part 2

What settings have inspired you? What stories do you associate with them? Which stories will you never forget? Earlier, I shared how authors thrust us into their story worlds, by mixing words together in such a way that we’re living and breathing alongside the characters. I’ve discussed where story ideas come...Read More
Elmer Sparks, Part 2: Spreading Happiness through Bluegrass Music

Elmer Sparks, Part 2: Spreading Happiness through Bluegrass Music

Tuesday nights at the Muckwanago Library must be the happiest in all of Wisconsin. It’s the night of the monthly Bluegrass Jam. Even before I stepped foot in the room (April 9, 2018), the twangs, strums, and picking of banjos, guitars, and string bass wafted out to the corridor, compelling...Read More
Elmer Sparks, Part 1: Spreading Happiness through Photography

Elmer Sparks, Part 1: Spreading Happiness through Photography

Only one photographer ever got my husband to smile for a portrait. Just one. And a genuine smile, not a fake smile-through-your-teeth “can we get this over with?” kind of smile. That man is Elmer Sparks. That was the year he took portraits of every family in our church for...Read More
Deputy Barney Fife says to Nip it in the Bud!

Deputy Barney Fife says to Nip it in the Bud!

[caption id="attachment_1025" align="alignright" width="231"] Via classic_film on Visual Hunt[/caption] With his zeal for combatting crime in Mayberry, Deputy Barney Fife considers jaywalking as serious as theft. Of course this fits with his philosophy to nip crime in the bud, especially when there’s a new boy in town causing trouble for...Read More
Sheriff Andy Taylor recommends the Snappy Lunch in Mayberry

Sheriff Andy Taylor recommends the Snappy Lunch in Mayberry

At my house, on any given weeknight, I’m caught watching The Andy Griffith Show reruns. Invariably, my son walks by and says, “You know, Mom, that’s not real life.” “That’s why I like it,” I say. Conflicts are all neatly wrapped up in thirty minutes. Problems run the gamut from...Read More