Lori Duff Writes
Once upon a time I was a young person and I used to go out on dates. I even (don’t tell my kids) used to go out on romantic outings with their father. Now, we are 22 years into our marriage and a few weeks shy of a whole year into Coronapocalypse. We rarely leave…
I can’t remember the last time I was bored. Bored seems like such a luxury. It means that there is nothing to clean, your books-to-read pile is done, all your yard work is complete, there are no shows on Netflix to catch up on, you are too sore for a workout, and all the thoughts…
In case you hadn’t noticed from all the mask wearing people around you, we are in the middle of a pandemic. As I am writing this, which on ‘first draft day’ is January 21, 2021, over 400,000 Americans are dead from Coronavirus. Whether you believe this number is real or not, I can tell you…
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but things have been a little bit out of control lately. We can’t seem to go more than 45 minutes without breaking news. That doesn’t even count all the crazy stuff that’s going on in my personal life. Since we’re at the beginning of a new year, which some…
We have been dog owners for over two years now. Having Lincoln in our house has revealed a divide that I feel like sociologists should study. The divide is along gender lines, which I don’t think is coincidental. I never took a sociology class, but my daughter did, and she got an “A” in it,…
Well, well, well. We all thought that would never happen. The end of 2020. What a year. I suppose there’s someone out there who is thinking, “This was my best year ever!” but I can tell you this much – that person isn’t me. Probably wasn’t you, either. Whatever side of the aisle you’re on,…
About a dozen or more years ago, on Christmas Eve, I found myself in the emergency room with blinding pain in my abdomen. I put up with the pain for a few days, pretending I was okay for my little children’s sake, hoping it would go away. It didn’t. It got worse and worse, and…
Of all the things I’ve accomplished in my life, the one and only thing that anyone will care about is that I was on Jeopardy![1]. In my office, I have framed diplomas from prestigious universities, plaques proclaiming professional accomplishments, certificates certifying awards and accomplishments, and pictures of my actual greatest achievements of all – my…
The Silver Box by Margi Preus is the third in the Northwoods Mystery series for Middle Grade readers. Francesca Frye, known as Francie to her friends, is reminiscent of Nancy Drew. She is fiercely independent, smart, and resourceful. Like many children’s lit heroines, she has a bit of a tragic past. Her father died when…
It’s not like washing our hands is something we only figured out was a thing during this pandemic. We were always supposed to wash our hands regularly. After we went potty, for example, and before we handled food. I’m not saying I scrub like a surgeon every time, but I consider myself on the hygienic…