Archive - Independently Speaking

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Anne When we were in Amsterdam, I did not want to tour Anne Frank’s house. You know the story. Anne Frank was a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl who kep…

May 13

Van Gogh Before we went to Amsterdam, I did my homework and came across a statement from a taxi driver who said that every tourist gets off the plane and…

May 6

Amsterdam It could have been a little easier. But it could have been a lot harder. A few months ago, when plane fares were incredibly cheap, we bought two…

Apr 29

Oh those cheesy potatoes...I screwed up the cheesy hash browns. But that didn’t ruin the party. We had a big family dinner planned for Easter. Always big fun, I was really…

Apr 21

Sunrise I sat watching the sun coming up over Olson Lake, or, as everyone who lives here calls it, the slough. The sky was a pastel riot. High overhead,…

Apr 15

Raccoon I’m feeling better about my life; thanks for asking. In my experience, there are two ways to pull of this feat. One, actually have your life sta…

Apr 8

Windows I don’t want to write about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock after he mocked his wife, except to say neither one of them ended up looking that gre…

Apr 1

Burning Since I have 25 years of old columns lurking around…somewhere close to 1,500 essays of one kind or another, I thought every now and then I post …

Mar 27

Mid-morning Number Two spent the weekend at our house and when she got up Sunday morning, she made a request for fresh caramel rolls. I had to go to town fo…

Mar 25

What's in a file cabinet...I have a folder in my file cabinet labeled, “I’m Dead!” I thought the exclamation point was a nice touch. My wife and I were headed somewhere a …

Mar 18

Ice Number Two asked, “Papa, can you check to see if the ice is okay?” I applaud any and all safety concerns from a teenager, but it’s been a cold w…

Mar 11

Satisfaction In an article by Arthur Brooks, he wrote about walking by his teenage daughter’s bedroom and hearing laughter coming from within. He poked his h…

Mar 4

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