FRED’S DERBY When I moved to this town, Fred’s Derby was the place for eggs and hash browns when the bars closed down at 3 a.m. Fred’s had been there forever, a long, white building, windows on the highway side of the diner, dead flies on the window sill, sad plastic bottles …
Thurs. Sept. 4 at 6 p.m.
I’m thrilled to be giving a book talk/reading at the future home of the Lyon County History Center, 709 Commercial in Emporia, on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 6:00 p.m., The Lyon County Historical Society is in fund-raising mode, working at bringing in money to renovate the building in downtown Emporia. Right now the museum …
Sunday morning in Emporia
I’ve been posting some of the poems I’ve written lately. Here’s one from Sunday morning. I wrote this while sitting on a bench on Commercial Street in downtown Emporia. May 18 Sitting on a bench along the town’s main street, two Harleys pulse the air in front of me while church bells at the …
Bonita Garden
My friend Marcia Lawrence leans dangerously against the unexpectedly non-anchored peace pole in the brand new Bonita Garden of Grace. This community garden, for which Marcia wrote the grant, is a project of the Grace Methodist Church, which is right across South Ave. from the garden. Tonight they are having a picnic at the site.
Emporia Main Street Photo Contest
To celebrate May as National Historic Preservation month, Emporia Main Street will hold a historic photo contest. Three winners will be chosen and receive Main Street gift certificates. * Photographers must fill out entry form for each photo and attach to photo (limit of 3 photos per photographer). * The deadline for the contest is …
Great American Market
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: GREAT AMERICAN MARKET At 4:00 a.m. the sky is full of stars. I assumed that, of course, but now I know for sure. A few minutes later, looking at Facebook, I noticed that Casey Woods had posted a photograph from downtown Emporia showing …
A Time Capsule
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: A TIME CAPSULE Where were we 10 years ago? Step back in time with me, a decade, if you will. While cleaning my junk room over Labor Day weekend, I found newspapers and clippings, all from 2003. I started writing this Flyover …
At the Car Show
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: AT THE CAR SHOW At the Cruisin’ the Campus event recently, classic cars were parked along the circle drive at Emporia State University. I stuck my head inside of an old Chevrolet and remembered the car interiors of my youth: the metal dashboard, AM …
Where the Highway Ends
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: WHERE THE HIGHWAY ENDS In the summer of 1965, my parents took my brother and me to the Arkansas River, a mile south of Pawnee Rock, to see the flood. Heavy rains in Colorado had sent a crash of water downstream. This was a mighty …
Around Town on Foot
Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette: AROUND TOWN ON FOOT “Walking is also an ambulation of the mind,” essayist Gretel Ehrlich wrote. This is my new addiction. Last fall I began a somewhat regular outdoor walking program. Winter kept me inside for months, but spring put me back out on the …
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 …