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Published on: Author: bette 7 Comments

Kids have been dropping out of high school since there have been high schools, but our dropout “problem” is relatively new. At the age of 11, my grandfather, John Alfred “Benny” Benson, was sent to work on a stranger’s farm in the next county when his mother died.  His father, Otto Benson, an Iowa farmer… Continue reading

A Poem for Olivia – Jan. 29, 2014

Published on: Author: bette Leave a comment

I wrote this poem the day after my daughter called to tell us that she was pregnant.  On January 28, 2014 and we were in our RV at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, California.  The news came as a shock for many reasons, and I’m afraid that my tone on the phone was not one… Continue reading

Some Things Stick: S.T.A.R. Problem Solving

Published on: Author: bette Leave a comment

We’ve been sitting out in the middle of the desert about 5 miles from Quartzsite, Arizona for the past week and a half.    Today we’re leaving  for Lake Cahuilla – a little known County Park tucked directly behind PGA West in La Quinta, CA.   Quartzsite is a strange little town.  It’s almost a ghost… Continue reading