by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 22, 2026 | 2026, A Bench and a Tree, Blog Post
The quest to provide shaded benches in public spaces for the people of Michigan is not easy.And yet, after walking with Mother the last eleven years of her life, presenting to thirteen audiences throughout west Michigan, meeting with book clubs, and hearing from...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 15, 2026 | A Bench and a Tree, 2026
Mother and I discovered the bench while on an adventure to the Heinz Walkway in 2020. Shaded by seven “immense cottonwood trees” alongside Lake Macatawa, the bench became one of our favorite destinations. Mother wrote a poem about it titled “Peace and Tranquility.” We...
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 8, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
Between the emerging light of dawnand the evening’s disappearance,it is hard to choose a favoriteamidst so much bravado.
by Mary McKSchmidt | Jun 1, 2026 | Poetry, 2026
The first time I attempted the ascent,I turned back, the sleet and icy winds too formidable for one recently enlightened as to limits beyond which one should not hike. But the next day I trekked past the stone circle—a rare and ancient monument located in ankle-deep...
by Mary McKSchmidt | May 25, 2026 | 2026, Poetry
Grief is like the wake behind a boat. It starts out as a huge wave that follows close behind you and is big enough to swamp and drown you if you suddenly stop moving forward. ~ Jimmy Buffett 1. I arrived in the countryof my ancestors with a listof questions about...
