Author/speaker Jodi Schwen thrives in the heart of central Minnesota’s north woods by keeping her wit about her.
Her book, Northern Comfort: The Musings of Jacqueline Pine Savage, will be published June 1, by North Star Press, St. Cloud, MN.
Some call it “outstate” or the “boondocks” –Jacqueline Pine Savage calls it home. Either way, living in a rural community means finding the humor in north woods living. Laugh anew over the sacred holidays of hunting and fishing seasons, family bonding when the dogs get “skunked,” and how to politely refuse the house tour when guests come a-calling.
The Elusive Ice Cream Truck
Like Red Dog in the Chevy Chase movie Funny Farm, the ice cream truck was always tantalizingly out of reach of our booth at the Little Falls Arts and Craft fair. Its tinkling tunes were heard or perhaps its colorful logo would be...
The Starting Line
It's early spring; the snow is still a foot deep and the first high school track meet is being held indoors at St. Cloud State's track-and-field house. I rise before dawn on Saturday morning to drive our teenage son to school to catch the team bus, then return home to...
Jackypine: Bird Lady of the North Woods
The Bird Lady of the North Woods Some women smuggle newly acquired purses or shoes into the house — hoping the hubby won't notice another addition to the never-ending shopaholic addiction. I smuggle 40 pound bags of sunflower seeds, stashing them in dank, murky...
A Mother’s Day Lament
A Mother’s Day Lament Whose bright idea was it to place the Minnesota fishing opener on Mother’s Day weekend? I long for a lovingly prepared breakfast in bed, leisurely late church service, followed by a sumptuous twenty-foot-long buffet enjoyed in the bosom of my...
The Gift Couch
My current couch. Why do I always gravitate toward brown? I don't need to match my furniture to the color of my dog, do I? The Gift CouchorLessons Learned in the Hand-Me-Down School of Life Trying to wed...
Branching Out
[It was too dark to take a photo of the tree I found on the walk. Here's a local sunrise instead! ~Photo by Jodi Schwen, all rights reserved.] Once, while taking an early-morning walk in my neighborhood, I heard a bird singing in the trees overhead. Wanting to...
