Category Archives: Columns

A toy for everyone & a playful cat

February 1, 2021Car-E, Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

This video starts with Car-E trying to play with my hand, which means he’s chewing on me. This cat-play goes on for a minute before I start reading–just to let you know.

Eventually, I read about three-year-old Russell’s favorite toy, a shopping cart. I hope you enjoy the story and the cat antics.

All toys are outgrown and handed down. That’s the way it should be.

Rachel ended up using the pink shopping cart.

Family memories are good to save, even little ones.

Under a blanket of snow?

January 31, 2021Columns, Weather, wintersusanmanzke

After inches of snow, seeing even a bit of soil showing through gave me a glimpse of the spring to come in 1982.

Some places are covered in snow this year (2021). On Sunnybook Farm the snow amount is far below normal. Other areas seem to have gotten our share this winter.

Though we are weeks from spring, even a little sign of the end of winter is good, as I wrote in this archival column.

Some people feel lucky to get a lot of snow. Sledding and skiing are on their agenda. Other people are grateful when the inches of white misses their home. Plowing and shoveling can be skipped.

Are you a snow lover?

Groundhog Day?

January 30, 2021Columns, winter, Wisconsinsusanmanzke

I’ve never believed in this creature or its weather predictions.

This column makes my feelings clear.

So when February 2 arrives on Tuesday, I will not check how the groundhogs feel about winter around the country.

There’s sure to be at least 6 more weeks of winter. That’s just t he way it is in Wisconsin.

Eventually spring will arrive in her own sweet time.

I look forward to seeing green again.

A museum adventure

January 29, 2021Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

I loved going on school field trips, but I think this one was the most challenging of all.

Robby’s 4th grade class was going to the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, in Neenah to see their antique glass paperweight collection. All those active children and all that glass made me nervous. Here’s what I wrote about that day.

Now I wish I had jotted down the lyrics to the songs the kids were singing on the bus. That would be fun to share today.

The boys were active as always, but we all survived and no glass was broken. Thank goodness.

Recalling winter babies

January 28, 2021Columns, Familysusanmanzke

This 1982 column talks about three babies that were all born in winter. It recalls all the clothes and bundling involved that goes along with winter births.

It doesn’t end with those three bundles of joy. The end has an announcement.

Of course, in those days we didn’t know who would be joining our family in the summer. It wasn’t until mid-summer that news was shared. Only until after the July birth of Manzke baby #4 could we introduce Rachel Jo.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person