My name is Migizi, but you can call me McGee, Gizi, or just Gee. My purr-son, Linda, has been moving slowly after hip surgery, so she enlisted my help to get the Christmas letter done. I’d rather wrap purr-esents, but because I want to remain her fur-iend, I agreed to write the annual Hanstra Year-in-Review.
Read MorePumpkins on the front porch are rotting. Thanksgiving leftovers are almost gone. It’s time to crawl into the storage closet under the stairs and bring out our Christmas decorations. As is our annual habit, we replace our normal decor with festive trimmings.
Read MoreIt was mid-December. We were all waiting. But we weren't waiting like the rest of the world.
In homes, they waited for Christmas. Young children counted the days with their advent chains and calendars, anticipating that wonderful morning when they would tear the paper, fling the boxes, and see their wishes come true.
Read MoreAs I walk through the few remaining rows of Christmas trees, I attempt to sort out my feelings. Growing up, there were hundreds of acres of trees. These few are all that remain. I should feel something, I tell myself. While a little part of me wants to cry, the emotion that’s bubbling up instead is joy.
Read MoreI have no regrets. At least seven bene-fits come to mind as I consider how semi-retirement fits my life today.
Read MoreA sneak peek at “semi-retirement,” while revisiting a favorite Thanksgiving post.
Read MoreA week ago—six days before my hip surgery, while running errands and getting as many ducks lined up as possible, I called my husband Tom and said, “I think we should buy a recliner.”
Read MoreA sore right shoulder. A noisy kitchen appliance. And November 9.
These three things actually could save my life.
Read MoreSoon, I’ll be joining the loons on our southward migration for the winter. It’s been a good summer. I’ve learned a few things in this grand experiment that I can take with me on my future journeys back and forth.
Read MoreI turned 60 this past year, and I admit I have qualms about joining the ranks of older persons. Is my aging body a sign of weakness? Will others look at me and assume I’m incapable? If I let my hair go gray, will others see me as irrelevant?
Read MoreLooking back, I can see that the adjustment to an empty nest happened in three stages. For me, each one was a necessary part of the process. The first two stages were a matter of survival, while the third one helped me thrive.
Read MoreMost young adults walk into the world of health insurance with no health issues, or perhaps one or two minor ones. That was the case with our older children who had made this transition. While there was some stress, it was not unlike other stressors in their new adventure of adulting.
But young adults with Type 1 Diabetes (or other major health issues) have additional struggles.
Read MoreHow many times have you asked for a recipe and then, when you pulled it from your files, forever connected it to the person who first shared it?
Read MoreFear can be a good thing. It protects from danger, preserves life in the face of enemies, and keeps offspring safe from harm. While wild animals fear humans, it’s common sense for humans to fear wild animals as well.
Wildlife is just that…wild life. Our role is to respect, protect, and care for the creatures we share this earth with.
Read More…We stopped a couple of times along the way for some amazing mountain vista views. We weren’t sure if we were looking at Denali or not, so we texted our Alaskan cousins who replied, “You’ll know it when you see it! (IF you see it.)”
But at 20,310 feet—nearly four miles high—how could we not see it?
Read MoreOn our trip, we had many wildlife sightings including whales, otters, sea stars (a.k.a. starfish), moose, and more. Then, when we arrived home last Sunday, we had even more wildlife surprises.
Read More“How did we get so lucky?” I asked my husband, as we took in the view. From the porch of our Minnesota cabin, “our lake” looked stunningly blue through the white birch and pine trees.
Our cabin on the lake was an unexpected dream come true at the end of last summer. And although it’s already given us many happy moments, and promises years of delight in the future, it hasn’t come without some pain and struggle.
Read MoreEllie was feeling the weariness of carrying another baby. With three little girls already, she hoped this fourth one would be the boy her husband so wanted to help carry on the farming someday. Of course, she wouldn’t trade her girls for anything, but it was common knowledge that a girl couldn’t become a farmer. Farmwife? Yes. But farming was a man’s job.
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