Aunt Beulah–Her Perfume, Her Life, and Her Legacy

Aunt Beulah–Her Perfume, Her Life, and Her Legacy

My aunt’s perfume I remember. On a trip to Norway, relatives wore that same fragrance. Aunt Beulah spent time in Norway during the 2nd World War. Family reunions at Mom’s home farm in summer attracted the Larson relatives once a year. Aunt Beulah and others congregated at the farm north of Amery, WI, for an […]

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury: Summer, New

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury: Summer, New

The book Dandelion Wine caught my attention because of the descriptions of growing up in a small community, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy. The variety of opportunities and choices mirrored my life in the area east and west of Amery, Wisconsin. I’ll present parts of the first chapter in which Douglas woke […]

Gladys and Henry Prepare and Perform on Easter Sunday

Gladys and Henry Prepare and Perform on Easter Sunday

Singing at Easter. Above, Henry and Gladys Armitage prepare for the service tomorrow at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Amery. For the last 15 years Henry has sung the Old Rugged Cross on Easter Sunday. (At Christmas, his special song is “O, Holy Night”). They’re cramming on this evening, not having worked on the song as […]

A Creepy Girl Visited Our Campsite

A Creepy Girl Visited Our Campsite

In 1960 we dedicated campers spent several nights each summer sleeping in tents and camping to get away from it all. One time we camped at the end of a pasture near our house west of Amery, and it turned out to be Pike Lake, one of the lakes around Amery,WI. Terry and Terry and […]

The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final

The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final

East of Amery a group of pre-7th graders gathered bravely to test weapons. We started a Mile High Club, not knowing that in the world outside of Amery it had a completely different meaning. Ours had nothing to do with airplanes or jets. The summer before our 7th grade year at Amery, a few of us […]

Around Amery Lester Was a Fixture: Finished

Around Amery Lester Was a Fixture: Finished

Lester became part of the small town scene, a regular in the real life play that was Amery Wisconsin. He performed jobs for money and praise, ate when diner owners brought him plates of food, and slept at locations known only to a few. As a mute, he understood people talking to him but couldn’t […]

Salute to the Humble, Yet Noble Sandwich

Salute to the Humble, Yet Noble Sandwich

  The lucious and ubiquitous sandwich with anything you choose to put between two slices of bread, or on one slice if you enjoy open-faced sandwiches as I saw in Norway: nearly all delicious. Britain‘s “biggest contribution to gastronomy” (did you know that?) Sandwiches have been a basic a part of my life, always easy […]