I have about a dozen ceramic bowls sitting in my cabinet. There’s a tiny purple one that’s shaped like a heart. A couple of others are shaped like trapezoids. They’re all awash with color and include some interesting patterns. All of them are currently empty. Keep in mind, I don’t have a particular need for…
Author: Lee Pulaski
Lee Pulaski is a Wisconsin journalist, photographer and author of more than 25 books in the mystery, romance and fantasy genres. He writes about his Arizona upbringing combined with his life now in the Midwest. Pulaski can be reached at leepulaski2@gmail.com
Could new trend reduce streaming services to a trickle?
I love some improvements in technology, the evolution of how we navigate our world. Of course, there are some places where I draw the line. One of those is streaming services. It’s not for a lack of trying, though. Streaming services like Netflix came as an alternative to cable and satellite television years ago when…
Creative spark can become a flame with the right circumstances
We all have a creative spark somewhere that inflames us and causes us to do wonderful things. Sometimes, it’s getting that perfect photograph of a raccoon clutching a tree branch in the forest. Sometimes, it’s painting that perfect image of a bowl of fruit sitting on a kitchen table. It could be sewing the most…
The spirit is willing, but the cash is weak when it comes to fun
When you love someone, you want to go and do things together on a regular basis. It’s completely understandable. After a while, just being at home loses its excitement, and you want to be somewhere else doing something else. One of the big things my sweetheart, Todd, and I like to do is go out…
Pizza could save America’s reading scores
You can’t be a writer without readers. You also can’t be a writer without being a reader. I was fortunate to have a family that put a lot of stock into reading, showing it’s an important way to learn and a vital method for expanding your imagination. You could say that reading is its own…
Birthdays serve as reminders we’re still alive
This week, the family celebrated a milestone. My mother turned 70 a few days ago, celebrating with burgers involving the whole family. When it comes to milestone birthdays, a lot of families rent out venues or go out to fancy restaurants. That’s just not our style, though. It might have something to do with dealing…
Mission BBQ mixes good deeds with great food
If you look around your community, there are plenty of places where you can stop to get a bite to eat. Whether it’s a romantic night out with your significant other, a place where you can host business clients or even spend some time alone for a meal, everybody has their favorites. Todd and I…
Full range of emotions felt with Mother Nature’s weather wackiness
I grew up in Arizona, where the weather was constant sunshine for around 300 days out of the year. You had rain and even snow—although no one I talk to believes that snow could fall in the desert. However, precipitation was more of an anomaly than a regular thing most times. I find myself thinking…
Libraries should make it easier to access knowledge, not harder
One of my mother’s favorite brags is that I learned how to read at the age of 3½. It is one of the things that she is most proud of. The key to getting a young boy like me into reading was exposing me to books. During those days, there were few bookstores, so much…
Wart! Latest Super Mario movie has added incentive
It takes a lot to convince me to go to a movie theater these days, mainly because a lot of films out there don’t have the grab factor to convince me to shell out $20 for tickets and snacks. However, it looks like 2026 could be a year when the movie industry actually entices me…
Preference for school structures up in the air
I recently got to thinking about how schools have changed. I wasn’t thinking about the curriculum or the technology that teachers and students use to teach and learn, respectively. My thoughts turned to accessing the school from the outside. Growing up in Arizona, my schools weren’t single buildings with multiple floors like you see in…
Tribal identity can’t be defined by blanket terms
There are about 600 different tribes in the United States, each with their own different culture, language and traditions. In Wisconsin, where I currently reside, there are 12 such tribes, and in Arizona, where I grew up, there are 23. In my lifetime, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some different tribal members in both…
Rural Roots and American Rainbows 