I grew up on a farm in rural Wisconsin. Living outside of town meant I couldn’t easily see my friends, so I made do with my two sisters who i adored (and also hated), and my chaotic, big-hearted extended family. Although my family had plenty of toys, our biggest asset was our imaginations (which inspired the creation of things like the magical Power Action Tree where a simple pine cone was all it took to ignite a rocket destined for the moon!).
My sisters and I were expected to participate in certain seasonal chores (baling hay in summer, picking up sticks from the yard in spring, stacking wood in winter, and by far the best — climbing into the corn wagon and jumping around to make sure the corn got pushed onto the escalator and up into the corn bin in the fall — so fun!), but we were far from typical farm girls (believe it or not- I’ve never milked a cow).
My parents were hard workers and busy between work and dealing with all of our shenanigans (like that time someone drove the lawnmower into the garage — ahem, it wasn’t me!!) They were strict, but encouraged our independence. They prioritized school, but knew how to host the best outdoor parties. And they loved us.
