A book review on Yangzse Choo’s novel The Fox Wife, steeped in the folklore and history of Manchurian China.

Muriel embarks on another creative project outside art and books. Learning new skills and accepting some disappointments along the way. Ultimately, it was a worthwhile project.

Muriel shares the benefits of canning and freezing summer produce, and discusses the cookbook that taught her how, entitled Summer in a Jar, by Andrea Chesman.

Muriel shares her husband’s Italian heritage, growing Romas, and preparing tomato sauce passed down from a friend.

Muriel shares her experiences and challenges at her recent art festival and what she learned about connectivity.

When Wisconsin heats up to Florida temperatures, Muriel is reminded of growing up without air conditioning. Those memories help her in writing descriptions of summer’s heat.

After working in a basement studio, Muriel shares her experience of having a north-facing window in her new studio. Historically, artist have had to use natural light to create their artwork. There are benefits to the constant and consistent indirect light.

Muriel explains the reasons for the change and the steps taken to convert documents from Word to Pages.

Muriel reflects on a canoe outing on Ada Lake when she discovered the living lines on lily pads created by the leaf-miner nymph. Nature’s artistry is inspirational in making her small artworks.

Michael and Muriel share an unexpected encounter in the chicken coop.

Muriel reviewed Home Before Morning by Lynda Van Devanter, a nurse’s experience in Vietnam, her healing, and dedication to helping others through the Vietnam Veterans of America Women’s Project.

Muriel shares a book review of The Weight of Silence, written by Heather Gaudenkauf, and discusses how the author’s narrative style effectively creates a suspenseful journey in this powerful story.

A few reasons we enjoyed the historical SS Badger on the Great Lakes' marine highway system to Ludington, Michigan.

Building a short story from memories of her grandparents, when her grandfather worked with a prisoner road crew at Camp 48. Photo credit: Floral City, Images of America, Arcadia Publishing.

The scene of a foggy morning relates to Muriel’s state of mind, between the completion of one project and the start of another. She also looks into self-help to improve this situation.

Lynne M. Kolze encourages us to write letters in her book, Please Write. Muriel writes a review of Kolze’s exploration and discussion of handwritten letters historically, emotionally, and therapeutically in an award-winning nonfiction book.

Muriel describes their experience at the Ridges to Rivers Book Festival in Viroqua, WI. They also visited the 1913 Kickapoo Orchard for a long-sought heritage apple tree.

A visit to Airlie Gardens sparks creativity with Muriel’s artwork. The azalea blooms’ colors and shapes become a muse to transform nature into small paintings.

Immersing herself in historical sites helps Muriel bring authenticity to her story and characters, sparking creativity in her writing journey.

The frozen landscape conveys beauty and appreciation during an ice storm but also signals a delayed spring.