The Old Washing Machine

The Old Washing Machine

| By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s dad | When I was growing up, my mother could not do the laundry because the two-tub washer was in the basement and she had rheumatoid arthritis. She was confined to a wheelchair many times in her life. One of my brothers or I...
Peaches and Fuzz

Peaches and Fuzz

| By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s dad | My father had about five acres of peach trees of several varieties. Each spring, before the blossoms came out, we would prune the peach trees. They had to be pruned quite heavily each spring or they would not produce big...
My (Sort of) Battle with a Skunk

My (Sort of) Battle with a Skunk

| By Alesha Thompson, Jennifer’s sister | On our mini farm in Wisconsin, we have lots of critters. Mostly our awesome tomcat, Pippin, takes care of them—mice, chipmunks, and even rabbits. But there is one critter that even Pippin can’t defeat. We know this...
Salted Caramel Layer Cake–Delicious!

Salted Caramel Layer Cake–Delicious!

| by Nicole Thorpe, Jennifer’s daughter | It was my birthday last week! I made my own birthday dinner, and my own birthday cake, but my husband did 100% of the clean-up, so it was actually a sweet deal. I’ve always wanted to experiment with caramel flavors in a...
Baby Elephant Quilt

Baby Elephant Quilt

By Allison Sharp: Jennifer’s sister I am thrilled to announce that I have another grandchild! There is nothing in the world that is better than a grandchild, and her birth means, obviously, that I got to make a baby quilt! Her mother requested something purple,...
The Elk Hunt

The Elk Hunt

By Richard Gappmayer, Jennifer’s father In Utah permits to hunt elk were obtained by participating in a lottery. My father would pay the fee, enter the lottery, and hope to draw a permit. To my knowledge he went elk hunting only once. Here is what happened. I...