Thank You

With Christmas but a few days away, and the New Year approaching, it’s seems appropriate to take time out and thank people who have been so gracious and helpful as I have traveled around the Midwest from Minneapolis to Chicago, from Green Bay to Hudson, from Milwaukee to Park Falls and many places in between.

  First of all, a huge thank you to my wife Ruth, who has traveled with me and who has heard my talks so many times that she could deliver them better than me.  To the fifteen libraries we've visited this past year, the ten bookstores and ten historical societies—thank you.  A special thank you to Kent Barnard and his staff at Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, my home town, for his gracious support of my work and the wonderful way they have organized launches for my books and TV shows. 

 Thanks to all who attended special events where I spoke from a homeless group in Madison, to a DTS Alumni meeting, the Winchester Academy in Waupaca, the Riveredge Nature Center, a German Heritage group in Wausau, the Monroe Art Center, and many more.

 Thanks to the organizers of four book festivals where I spoke: Egg Harbor, Grafton, Mineral Point, and the Heartland Festival in Chicago.

 A special thank you Mike Schneider and his wonderful staff at The Clearing in Door County, where I have taught creative writing for 22 years and continue to teach there.

 To Jim Massey and his staff at The Country Today that runs my bi-monthly column—thank you.

A special thank you to the folks at Wisconsin Public TV, especially Mik Dirks, who takes my often rambling stories and makes something of them, and to Jon Miskowski who, at this late stage in my life, is teaching me once more the power of live TV.

To Larry Meiller, of Wisconsin Public Radio, where I have done radio shows for more than twenty-five years, and to the folks at KBRW, Barrow, Alaska where I do several programs a year.

And finally, to the many, many people who have read my books, listened to my talks, heard me on radio and watched me on TV, thank you so much.  It really means a lot to me.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: You can never say thank you enough.

UPCOMING EVENTS:     

January 8, Downtown Madison Rotary, Noon.  Limping Through Life.

January 15-16.  La Crosse Farm Show, Convention Center. Winter on the Farm.  

Speaking each day at 11:00 and 1:00.

January 22, 6:30 p.m. UW-Eau Claire Woodland Theater (in Davis Student Center). TV show with live presentation. (Winter on the Farm)