October 1992 marked our first autumn living in Vermont. Up to that point, the farthest east I had been is Washington, D.C., and no farther north than Cooks Forest State Park in western Pennsylvania. But as the leaves began to change in late September and peak in early October, we…
It was the Spring of ’63 or ’64 at my Grandma K’s house in Avon Lake, Ohio. Not sure why, but if I recall correctly, my brother and I were staying with her for a few days. Perhaps it was 1963, and mom had reached the midpoint in her pregnancy…
The air was cool and crisp, but not cold—the sun’s warmth kept any discomfort at bay. The occasional clouds were not a nuisance or obstruction; they added to the texture of the brilliant azure blue sky. Dry leaves swooshed and crunched beneath our feet. Those they had left behind on…
It was as if the angels were waging a snowball fight with a great swath of northwest Illinois. We were sitting in a restaurant at dinner when the fight began. On our drive to Rockford to meet up with my brothers, the temperature was warm enough that a light, intermittent…
