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Tom Springer

Articles by Tom Springer

A Christmas Tree You Don’t Know Beans About

The locust tree is a rare symbol of Christmas and Easter as one.

Local Man, 54, Kills First Turkey

"I dipped the now limp turkey into a cauldron of boiling water, plucked its feathers and gutted it. On a chilly afternoon, it felt perfectly natural and pleasurable to warm…

A Young Girl’s Guide to Power Tools

At age 12, our daughter discovered that our front yard could be more than a place to turn cartwheels. It was also an evergreen source of income. I’d gladly pay…

From Dogs to Fur Babies–and Back Again

As Edward Abbey said, “When a man’s best friend is a dog, then that dog has a problem.”

No Chairlift, No Spandex, No Problem: The Rustic Virtues of X-C Ski

During the fall color tour, we often drive to a ski resort near my home in southwest Michigan. It’s about the only time my family visits the place, which goes…

The Appeal of a Well-Simmered Life

It’s 9 a.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which seems like a reasonable, civilized time to make apple butter. Yet in my mother-in-law’s farmhouse kitchen, 9 a.m. might as well…