Category Archives: Family

Inventing a day to celebrate

February 23, 2021Columns, Family, fun, Odds and endssusanmanzke

I get an email every day from National Day Calendar telling me what is celebrated today. BTW: Today is National Dog Biscuit Day.

This column from 1987 talks about other days of celebration.

I think my dog Sunny and his canine friends invented National Dog Biscuit day! Sunny wants to celebrate by eating treats all day long.

A family story that still makes me smile

February 21, 2021Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

Life on Sunnybook Farm has been documented in my column for over 40 years.

This story from 1987 brightened my day when I came across it in my archives. Poor Rob was completely shocked by what his little sister did, or thought she did.

I hope you enjoy it, too.

I cherish this family story and think how lucky I am that my column helped me save it all these years.

Suggestion: write down one of your own family stories today.

Dad’s funny story retold

February 20, 2021Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

My dad told all kinds of fun stories about his life. This is one of my favorites. If you want a laugh listen.

I asked him to tell this one over and over again.

You can see how I took this story and fictionalized it in my novel, BARLEY SOUP AND SLUG SPIT.

I also have copies to sell and they are for sale at Sissy’s, too.

Lights that brighten a winter

February 19, 2021Columns, Family, funsusanmanzke

Northern lights are awesome, but you can’t always see them, especially if it’s cloudy.

These winter lights are different. Just take off your sweater in a dark room and they will capture your attention, too, especially if you then touch a light switch.

This 1987 column talks about the times our children zapped each other using these lights.

Sometimes after my cat leaves my lap, Car-E also leaves a charge of static electricity. I think we both get zapped at these then, which is not fun for either of us.

Sometimes you have to be hardhearted

February 16, 2021Columns, Familysusanmanzke

It’s not always fun being a mother especially if you put your foot down.

This column from 1986 is when this mother knew best, even if her daughter didn’t think so.

Rebecca (Becky) might want to write her own version of this episode. There’s always two sides.

I would not change my decision. It was Becky’s own good

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person