Essays

On a morning in late spring, my husband and I are canoeing a section of the Manistee River. Close to shore a merganser duck is swimming with ten ducklings in a row behind her. Ten.

“Personally, I cringe whenever I hear [music] recorded at Interlochen. Lesser music less well presented is not my favorite!”

The long tables are set with white cloths and purple ribbons down the middle. Bouquets of daffodils alternate with baskets of hot cross buns.

And the best thing about these plants is their mysterious habit of closing up their leaves each night, like hands praying. The Shamrock also comes in a deep purple color which is my favorite.

You couldn’t tell that we are afraid, but no matter how ordinary, no matter how routine, we know that any medical procedure can change a life... Maybe my life.

My mother’s refrigerator was jam-packed—with jam and every other foodstuff that could be crammed onto its shelves. “Please find me some black olives,” she’d say, and I would dive into the chaos.

Valentine’s Day is approaching so here’s a heartwarming story about porcupine love.

I didn’t know she was ill and I look up from the paper, feeling strangely empty and sad.

Have you ever noticed a goose swimming in an icy pond and wondered how they keep their feet warm? It turns out they have lots of strategies.