Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: YUKON-2 Pawnee Rock wasn’t anywhere near the Yukon. Nevertheless, YUkon-2 was our telephone prefix when I was a kid. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, each telephone exchange began with two letters to make phone numbers easier to remember. We had the super-cool YUkon exchange …
Back to the ’50s
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: BACK TO THE ‘50S A model home built in Prairie Village presented a new and exciting lifestyle option to Kansas City area residents in 1954. The number of people who toured the house that year, 64,000, was equivalent to the population of Johnson County at …
Moon Marble
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: MOON MARBLE “Do you guys mind if I turn on the big rocket flame for a minute?” Bruce Breslow asked the group of about 20 gathered in his marble-making studio. “Yes,” shouted the dozen or so Cub Scouts in the bleachers. With encouragement from …
A Part of Kansas – Radio Version
Yo, I was on the radio this morning, celebrating Kansas Day. Here’s a link: A Part of Kansas. **** ***
Under the Kansas Sky
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: UNDER THE KANSAS SKY Blazing clouds in the southwest looked as if they were filled to the brim with Orange Crush. The twilight sky glowed like a neon sign in the wilderness. I was sitting on my couch on a January evening until the …
Ten Years!
Today is the 10 year anniversary of my column, Flyover People. It all began January 28, 2003. And so it goes. Another 10 years? Sure, why not? ***
A Creative Life
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: A CREATIVE LIFE While cutting up a chicken last week, the knife got away from me and nicked my hand. As I searched for a bandage, I thought of a moment about 10 years ago with my late father. In that scene with my dad, …
Loving the Wind
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: LOVING THE WIND “How can you call yourself a Kansan if you don’t love the wind?” Dan Markowitz accused me when I ran into him at the Java Cat. “Um,” I stammered. “Too much of a good thing?” In a recent column, I …
What Remains
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: WHAT REMAINS When I noticed the downhill-sloping sidewalk in front of my grandparents’ former house, I remembered being 8-years-old, holding onto Grandpa’s hand, and skipping beside him on the way to the neighborhood grocery store. We each have latent memories, things that we forget …
Holiday break
The Gazette doesn’t print on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day – and since those fell on Tuesdays this year, no Flyover People column. Flyover People will return this Tues., Jan. 8. Thanks for following along, my friends!
Looking for Joy
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: LOOKING FOR JOY It was the third week of December, 1986. Depressed, I sat alone in my new apartment. The divorce from my (first) husband had been finalized that week. Even if a divorce is the best thing for everyone concerned, it still turns your …