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Good ghosts of Escanaba

ESCANABA — The October moon hangs like a big orange pumpkin in the sky. All around north Escanaba, attics and basements take on an eerie glow! A chilly wind rustles the jack pines and rusty acorns scatter from the oak trees. Friendly ghosts arise from their slumber! Around brick chimney posts, coffee pots brew on woodstoves that have been gone for decades. Age old aromas of baking bread, cabbage soup, smoking hams and cinnamon from povitica and apple pie, fill the air. In a peaceful attic between an antique steamer trunk and a pile of Iron Port newspapers (one of Escanaba’s ...

Unpredictable nature of U.P. fall salmon fishing

When I turned into the parking lot, it was a couple of hours before sunset, which meant it would be great timing for hitting the water for some salmon or brown trout fishing before darkness would be dropping fast. Over the past three evenings, I have been down here to this big lake tributary ...

Helping hand or handout?

Dear Annie: My 27-year-old son moved back home eight months ago after his lease ended. The plan was for it to be temporary while he "regrouped." But since then, he's applied to only a handful of jobs. Meanwhile, he's sleeping in, playing video games and getting defensive if I bring up the job ...

Reducing household plastic use

Dear Heloise: Here are some new ways in which I've reduced my household plastic use: I started using new products like biodegradable dishwasher pods and laundry soap, both of which either come in a cardboard box or a plastic bag that's a fraction of the usual plastic container. I've also been ...

Gift becomes a must-have tool

Dear Heloise: One Christmas, my good friends surprised me with a gift called a "SaladShooter" (a motorized rotary grater). Before I could mute my inner thoughts, I blurted out: "What am I going to do with that?!" (So much for awkward moments!) Over the years, the SaladShooter has become one of ...

Grandbaby out of reach

Dear Annie: I have always strived to be a super supportive mother-in-law and have maintained what I thought was a great relationship with my daughter-in-law until recently. My daughter-in-law gave birth to my first and only grandchild a little over a year ago, and I have tried my best to ...