AS MOST ARE AWARE , I committed to writing short essays about favorite places along our iconic M-22 highway in northwestern Michigan. The majority of the 116 miles of the roadway is in Leelanau and Benzie Counties, with the beginning and ending segments in Manistee and Grand Traverse Counties. There is so much to see and experience along this infamous highway that connects four beautiful counties, each offering a unique blend of adventure and lifestyle opportunities. I had a

AFTER EXPERIENCING TWO DISAPPOINTING  selections from my library over the holidays, I decided to revisit my 2013 memoir, From the Hip & Heart. I   still had an early copy resting on top of my dresser. https://goo.gl/Uecvh6 I’ve become a steadfast reader of printed and bound books, and I like this habit very much. It helps bring balance to my dependence on my electronic devices. Twelve years have passed since I published my collection of humorous essays. I was interes

MY DINNER ENTRÉE FOR CHRISTMAS was a New England-style turkey pot pie. It came at the suggestion of my New Hampshire sister, who orders her pot pies from a specialty store on Cape Cod. She knew I preferred making my own, which prompted her to recommend a recipe from Yankee Magazine. I decided to buy a puff pastry to top off the homemade ingredients, reasoning that my kitchen was busy enough with several other recipes in progress. As you can see from the above photo, the puff

EMILY DICKINSON, THE FAMOUSLY RECLUSIVE poet from the mid-nineteenth century, expressed to associates that to experience peace in life, we must seek out simple pleasures and be grateful for the small joys we might easily take for granted. With these thoughts spinning in my head this Christmas week, I reflect on the importance of being grateful each day. I actively generate thoughts on being joyful, which I often express with whispers and little chuckles during my daily routi