The Secret to a Happy Dog

At the far end of Mason Street in Stevens Point, you’ll find over 30 acres of doggie heaven that you simply must experience if one of the great loves of your life is of the canine influence. I don’t know what took me so long to get there, but last weekend was my new doggie’s...

Winter’s Walk Indulges Senses

This is the week I'm supposed to start getting in shape for Walk Wisconsin, according to the schedule posted on the website,  so I thought it might really be a good idea to get outside and actually start. Well, that's easier said than done. With this season's bizarre winter weather in combination with the dark...

The Iceman Cometh

After three days of above-freezing temps, the entire county turned into an ice rink. Events were being cancelled everywhere. Not because of too much snow, or too much cold, but because the warm days and freezing nights literally glazed everything over to a thick, icy shine. My driveway and back patio were iced over, and...

Sometimes you have to stop and smell the hot chocolate

Believe it or not, this was my Zen calendar quote for today: “You need not leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. You need not even listen, simply wait. You need not even wait, just learn to become quiet, and still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to...

The Cafe Where Time Doesn’t Exist

There's a sweet little cafe in a nearby town that I love to visit as often as I can. It's like one of those little cafes they feature sometimes in movies, just a little nondescript place with an underlying sense of nostalgia that's increasingly hard to come by. It's hard to describe why I love...

A Little Bit of Heaven in October

I'm absolutely sure what heaven is like. Heaven is a sun-filled blue sky autumn afternoon in mid-October. I had to run a few errands today, short ones, so I took my pup along with me. She always wants to go, and I would take her every time, but sometimes it gets a little warm, or...

What I Did with My Summer, Part Two

Not only did I spend a lot of my summer on a motorcycle, I spent a lot of it on local lakes and streams in my kayak as well. When it comes to how to spend my free time, I have to admit I'm a little torn. When I head out on my motorcycle and...

Kayak outing special through grandson’s eyes

This past Labor Day Weekend was an extremely warm one. I usually don’t do much in the heat but fall asleep, but my daughter invited me to join her and my grandson on a kayak outing Saturday afternoon, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day. The day didn’t start out...

A day in the life of Paula

Ever wonder what other people’s days are like? Ever wonder if your day is a typical one or not? Well here’s an outline of the average weekday for one of your favorite columnists, if you would like a little bit of comparison. Extra points for reading all the way to the end! 5:30 a.m.: The...

Seek out silence for a healthful, healing experience

With all the braying lately about who we are putting on the $20 bill and who can pee in what bathroom, I’ve been searching for some peace and quiet these days. It’s amazing what human beings can get their undies in a bundle about, and sometimes they go out of their way to find new...