Author: Sharon Kennedy
The U. P. Witches of Winter
by Sharon M. Kennedy Witch of winter Folklore is filled with stories of winter witches. Today, January 6, marks the Christian Epiphany, the day when Italians believed La Befana—their “famous” winter witch—visited children. Apparently, she bestowed gifts on the good and coal to the naughty. She was like Santa in…
Buffalo in Winter Along M-129
When I moved back to the Upper Peninsula in the early 1980s, I was surprised to see buffalo roaming the fields on a farm on M-129. Such a sight wasn’t common in or around the Detroit area where I lived. The only buffalo I had ever seen were on nickels….
The Remains of a Brimley Chicken Coop
By Sharon M. Kennedy Last winter I pulled on my snowshoes and made trails in my backyard. I took a photo of the old chicken coop and my trail leading to it. This year the snow will remain pristine as I won’t be snowshoeing anytime soon. Some readers might remember…
Mom weathered many a cold winter on the Brimley Farm
By Sharon M. Kennedy Mom never complained about winters. She knew they would be long and harsh. She was born in 1917, the youngest of seven siblings. According to a note I found among her brother’s papers, three of their brothers died young. Eddie passed when he was three, Joe…
Get Out of My U.P. Drawers
By Sharon M. Kennedy We all know nosy people. They’re the ones who poke through your kitchen cupboards, rummage through your drawers, and steam open your letters. They have nose trouble, at least that’s how Mom described them. No matter how busy their own lives are, they always find time…
The Past is Never Really Past
By Sharon M. Kennedy My mother, her mother, and Mom’s sister my Aunt Kate We all reach a certain age when the past is more real than the present. I’m not talking about folks with Alzheimer’s disease, just folks that have time to sit quietly and reflect on the years…
Grandpa Joe’s in Trouble
By Sharon M. Kennedy Well, I guess there’s ample ground for the impeachment and permanent removal of Grandpa Joe. After all the hullabaloo about finding highly classified documents in the basement of a Florida home, we now discover boxes containing some of the same stuff in Joe’s old office and…
Disrobe? I Don’t Think So – A Trip to the Dermatologist
By Sharon M. Kennedy A few years ago I made an appointment to see a dermatologist. Don’t ask me how, but a sliver of vanity survived all the tribulations I’ve endured throughout the years and that’s what prompted the visit to the doctor’s office. My condition wasn’t serious, just a…
The Value of a Fifth Wheel
by Sharon M. Kennedy Every vehicle comes with a fifth wheel. It’s meant for emergencies so it won’t get you very far, but in a pinch it’s a good thing to have at the ready. It’s kind of like having an unmarried friend. Such a person comes in handy when…
The SideRoad Kids are Excited
by Sharon M. Kennedy The SideRoad Kids are anxious to tell their side of the story penned by the author. Tonight at 7:00 p.m. they’ll get their chance. They’ve waited a long time to speak up, and they’re ready for their Zoom call this evening. Flint is almost jumping out…
The Mouth of Truth
By Sharon M. Kennedy In Rome, there’s a marble mask called the “Mouth of Truth.” It rests against a portico wall in a village I won’t even attempt to spell. The other day I took a break from endless chores and watched an old movie called “Roman Holiday.” Audrey Hepburn…
Sometimes Even a Yooper Screws Up
by Sharon M. Kennedy People who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are known as Yoopers. We’re a peculiar lot. We’re usually thick-skinned because we have to be. Winters are harsh, summers abound with ticks and porcupines, and spring and autumn are almost non-existent. We make a living any way we…
A Back Yard in the Upper Peninsula
By Sharon M. Kennedy There was a time, not so very long ago, when I put out numerous birdfeeders for chickadees and other feathered winter visitors that came along. However, with so many feeders, it wasn’t long before the birds were pushed aside by squirrels. Lots of squirrels. They came…
Welcoming the New Year
By Sharon M. Kennedy We humans are a strange lot. At the start of each New Year, we make resolutions and are sure things will be different. We’ll live the exciting, safe, prosperous and happy life that evaded us during the old year. Some of us will. We’ll work harder…
December Days after Christmas
By Sharon M. Kennedy Well, Christmas is over and I hope everybody’s happy. Did you all get everything you ordered from Santa? Did your dad get socks, a box of white handkerchiefs, and a bottle of Old Spice? Did your mom get a box of chocolates, a frilly apron, and…
No Room at the Inn
by Sharon M. Kennedy If you don’t have money, you don’t ask for a room at the inn. If you’re poor, you don’t pay taxes on earned income because you didn’t earn any. You don’t ride a donkey because you can’t afford an animal. If you travel a long distance…
It’s Festivus for the Rest of Us
By Sharon M. Kennedy Festivus is a fictitious event inspired by Don O’Keefe’s family of Mt. Pleasant, MI and made famous on a “Seinfeld” episode. O’Keefe was one of the writers for the show and mentioned the imaginary holiday his family celebrates on Dec. 23. His dad was tired of…
UP Notable Book Club presents a Q&A session with Sharon M. Kennedy, author of The SideRoad Kids: Tales From Chippewa County
UP Notable Book Club: the Crystal Falls Community District Library in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) has scheduled author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List. The 25th event is with Sharon M. Kennedy whose book The SideRoad Kids:Tales of Chippewa County presents stories…
