Dear WinkWorld Readers,

When we were last together, I was leaving the book festival in Tucson and returning to the ranch in South Dakota.  Once again, I am reminded that I live in two different worlds–each with challenges and opportunities.  My primary care doctor asked me this spring how much social interaction I have, and I responded, “Where?” In our little community in Tucson, I have more social interaction by 9 a.m. daily than I do on the ranch in a week. In what follows, I hope to share just a glimpse of our ranch life as spring changes to summer, 2025.

Memorial Day

Much to my surprise, I find I enjoy wandering through cemeteries and thinking about all of those who have gone before me.  My family is primarily buried in Rapid City, Spearfish, and the National Cemetery.  Each location is only two hours away, and I often stop at any of the three locations, just for a quiet moment on a busy day in town running a long list of errands. I was also able to drive to Mobridge cemetery to decorate Bill’s grave for my dear Angel-Mama, 99-year-old Betty, who is adjusting well to a lovely seniors’ center in Bismarck.

Every spring Mobridge celebrates with a Tour of Tables, and Betty was honored this year.  Betty and I sure did hate that we could not attend, but we did get to spend the day together up in Bismark.

This year Wink and I also drove to Moville, Iowa to visit Wink’s graves.  While there we had a fabulous time with Wink’s only remaining sister, Elaine, and some of her family.  Wink also connected with a cousin, whom he had not seen in 30 years.

While in Moville, we visited the local high school, and even though it was a very busy last-day-of-school, an employee (Thanks, Ashton Gardner!) took us to the weight room area to show us where a photo of Wink is displayed.  Thank you, Larry Mayes, we know that you were behind all of this!

While we were in the southeastern corner of SD, we also had great moments with treasured Yankton College friends of 60 years–can it really be that long ago?! Thank you, Annie and Roger Smith, for pulling this group together at Muddy Mo’s magical coffee house, where Bernie Hunhoff, took very good care of all of us.  He even introduced us to some Eagles fans, who have recently moved to Yankton. Bernie was so busy taking photos for all of us, that he didn’t make it into any of the group shots.  Fortunately, Guy & Liza Larson saved the day with a photo, which they shared with us.

Wink and Bernie were once colleagues in the South Dakota legislature. Lots of great social interaction!

While in Yankton, we were able to attend an Ann Smith art show. Love her creations.

Atall School

Of course, when I returned from Arizona, I immediately scheduled a visit with Missy and students at our treasured rural Atall School (K-8) on the prairies.  As much social interaction and hugs and giggles as anyone could ever need or want! In addition, I always learn about new books for kids.  The language in Buffalo Fluffalo is captivating.

Books

Whether I am on the ranch or in Tucson, I always have books lying around in various states of having-been-read or waiting-to-be-read.  I mostly will read anything, but this month I notice a pattern in my book lying around on my bedside table and a coffee table.

Books on Aging: I notice that suddenly there are more books on aging lying around in my various piles of books. I won’t say that I am enjoying these. . . . Here is one example which is a handy resource, if I would only just DO what it says I should.

Graphic Novels: I have never been an avid fan of graphic novels, the way many children and young people are.  I did not even enjoy comic books when I was a child.  Lately, I have been reading more graphic novels and learning to appreciate them.  Here are two very distinct examples, which I am glad that I read.

Can We Talk about Something More Pleasant? is a graphic sad story about an older couple nearing the end of their life.  The images are gorgeous, and the story is told by a daughter.  The art pulled me into the story. Feeding Ghosts is a graphic memoir about a grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter.  The black and white graphics were a struggle for me, as they relay a heart-wrenching story. I am glad I read both of these books.

Elephants:  Apparently, if someone puts a photo of an elephant on a book cover, I will buy the book.  Here is the latest, which I enjoyed, The Elephants of Thula Thula by Franoise Malby-Anthony.  However, please do not read this elephant book, unless you have previously read The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony and There Is an Elephant in my Kitchen by Franoise Malby-Anthony.

One Book South Dakota

Every year, readers in South Dakota all read and reflect on one book.  I have started this one, but I am not yet finished.  A tough read for us Prairie People.  A painful history.

Internet

The internet provides me with lots of social interaction–particularly when I am on the ranch.  I stay in close contact with friends from various chapters of my life. I sometimes think of my Grandma Grace, who homesteaded on this ranch. I am in awe of how she survived without the internet, which provides connections to friends, ideas, books, and the outside world. Thanks to ZOOM, I am lucky enough to be involved with a small mentoring group, which keeps me up-to-date with various areas of education.  In addition, I love being included in a spiffy literacy group, where we use Close Reading to go deep into the thinking of a scholar or a concept. This week, we focused on the NAEP test–what on earth do those literacy descriptors really mean?  You might want to read the following:

Wendy Vaulton’s Rethinking Reading Proficiency, https://crrlc.lesley.edu/rethinking-reading-proficiency/, May 28. 2025

And/or

NAEP: A Modest Proposal by Paul Thomas of Furman University, May 10, 2025, https://radicalscholarship.com/2025/05/10/naep-a-modest-proposal/  He shares his writing on Bluesky, Twitter, and on his blog, RadicalScholarship.com

By reflecting and writing this issue of WinkWorld, I realized that I do have good social interaction whether I am in Tucson or here on the ranch.  In Tucson, when I walk out the door, there is often a neighbor or two nearby, and we can visit.  Or, when I leave our little community and head out to 8^th Street to walk where I immediately have other walkers to chat with.  However, here on the ranch, I often go for days with lots of quiet solitude, which I enjoy, but then we go somewhere, and we run into all sorts of people.  In addition, my computer and/or phone are always with me for great communication. If I could expand on something I learned from James Cummins, “human connections are at the heart of schooling,” I will add: and of living.  Dawn and I recently wrote a reflection for an edited book on the impact which Cummins has had on our professional work. After the book is published, I can share parts of the reflection on WinkWorld.

And, finally Parkinson’s Disease

Yes, I am doing well, and I continue with my exercises, but I do miss the social interaction that I had with my “Blue Buddies” in Tucson.  We, who are at a certain level of ability, are grouped together, the Blue Team. I have great fun visiting and laughing with them during our classes.  However, while I am on the ranch, I love my online Rogue in Motion, https://www.rogueinmotion.com/.   The founder connects with all of us daily with live classes and a huge library of recorded videos.  We also have lots of educational live classes, which I love.  Some of the research on Parkinson’s is very encouraging.  I suspect that in the next WinkWorld, I will share some of what I am learning.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Tucson Festival of Books, 2025: 1o0,000 of my best friends, and more books than I will ever be able to read.  Readers and writers in every direction.  Families reading together.   Children running and squealing with glee.  What is not to love?! The photo below from a previous year gives you and idea of what it looks like.

A Celebration of Literacy

Every year all of these readers, writers, and families suddenly show up on the grass in the middle of University of Arizona (known as the mall) campus to celebrate literacy.

So many books, but I will choose two to highlight 

Octavia Butler: Time to reread her prophetic words.

Banned Books: Trying to read as many as possible.

A highlight of my visit to Tucson: Dr. Adelberto Guerrero

We went for a great walk in a shopping mall with my favorite professor ever, Dr.  Guerrero (a.k.a., Beto), who had never met Dawn, nor heard her native-like Spanish. He is now 95-years-old.  Below  I am posting a photo of Beto, his friend, Mary, and me on our walk.  To the right of that is a pix of Dawn, Dr. Guerrero, and Dr. Macario Saldate chatting in Spanish with Dawn.

Previously, I had written about Profe Beto being my all-time favorite teacher.

My Favorite Teacher: Update August 26, 2019

Always a highlight of our time in Tucson: Mary Ann, my friend

Mary Ann and I met each other in 1975.  Wink, kids, and I were in Tucson on a very hot day and decided to go find a church.  We got lost looking for the one I had considered, but found another, Rincon Congregational, U.C.C.  Mary Ann and her three daughters, whom we had never met, greeted us at the door.  Bo, age 4, ran off to a Sunday school class with Mary Ann’s, youngest, Wendy and Amy, age 4.  Our Dawn Elizabeth, age 7, ran off to another classroom with Mary Ann’s Dawn Elizabeth, age 7.  We have all been fast friends since that day. In addition, we all still attend that same church, when we are here.

We walked miles in the mornings. Here we found tiles on a wall which had images representing various chapters in Don Quijote.

We visited our favorite neighborhood library.

We visited another favorite spot on the University of AZ campus, Women’s Plaza of Honor.

Best of all, we walked Sabino Canyon.  A year ago,  I could not even dream of ever being able to walk this canyon again.  We went almost  4 miles up hill and down hill without trouble.  It was  so affirming of my consistent exercises for the past year. Here we are taking a little break, after a particularly steep incline. 

Previous Tucson Festival of Books can be found in WinkWorld: Just use the Search button over on the left of joanwink.com 

In addition YouTube has various videos from the 2025 Festival. 

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

In the last WinkWorld, I wrote only about how my health improved in the last year.  In this post, I want to share some of the many activities I have enjoyed in January and February while in Tucson.  Wink and I keep reading about the importance of social interaction–particularly as we age.  I often notice that I have more human connections in Arizona in a week than I do in a month in South Dakota.

While in Tucson, we stay in our townhouse.  Our community is exceptional. None of us knew each other before we came here.  We all tend to watch over each other, support each other, and accept our many differences.   For example, here we are getting into the “birthday bus” to celebrate a neighbor’s birthday.

Christmas on the Desert

We had a good time together, in spite of the fact that 7 of the 10 of us had flu/food poisoning.

At the Desert Museum

Beauty and the Beast

I enjoyed the live performance by Art Express so much that I went twice! The soaring music and the home-grown desert thespians were pure magic. The photos below were taken at the two different performances.

The Music of ABBA

Not the original singers, but the music of ABBA never fails.  I spent most of the evening dancing and singing. Great fun! The woman on the left is our next-door neighbor and dear friend, Ro.  The woman on the right?  I have no idea who she is, but we had fun dancing together.

Birding at Sweetwater Wetlands Park

I didn’t even know about this treasure on the NW side of Tucson.  Brian Vanderberg and Sharon Biegen took me there. My favorite birds were a Vermilion Flycatcher and a Summer (red) Tanager.

The Art of Hank Willis Thomas

University of Arizona Museum of Art

Absolutely amazing! It was breathtaking and very sobering. I had never heard of him,  and now I will never forget him.

Reading and Writing

While here in Tucson, I continue to love reading–historical fiction is my favorite, followed closely by any book about elephants.  I am also focused on banned books, as I prepare for the great Tucson Festival of Books.  My writing during the last couple of months includes an oral history project with the University of Arizona, and another one with California State University, Stanislaus.  I also continue to write weekly for my StoryWorth project. Dawn and I are working on a project about Dr. James Cummins. I am thankful for the internet, which allows me to continue to connect on ZOOM and learn with different groups of friends: one on literacy, one on mentoring, several on books, and, of course, my dear Rogue in Motion which makes sure that I continue to learn with my Parkinson’s friends.  The more I learn, the less afraid I am.

Best Super Bowl Photo

The Eagle above the Philadelphia Museum of Art (and Rocky’s famed steps).  Our granddaughter’s & her friend, Erin’s apartment window looks directly down on this magnificent view.

Betty Jay

Soon I will be home to help my dear  AngelMama celebrate her 99th birthday.

And, when I get back to the ranch, I  will be back to go read with my treasured country school kids.

Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican clergyman

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.

If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

(said before 1986)

https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191843730.001.0001/q-oro-ed5-00016497

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

In the past year, I published two WinkWorlds on my journey with Parkinson’s. In the first post, I said that it would also be my last on that topic. Obviously, that plan did not work. My new plan is to publish once or twice a year on this topic, in case it could help even one other person.  I very much appreciate your many positive responses.

For me, Parkinson’s involves a Big Learning Curve

I suspect that I have had Parkinson’s for several years, but it was not officially diagnosed until last March 2024 in Tucson.   At that time, I had also been struggling with a 4-month infection in my toe and too many rounds of antibiotics. I was not doing well, and my attitude was simply that now I would quietly slip into “that still night.”

I returned to the ranch in April and spent about a month researching Parkinson’s.  I learned two things, which helped me immensely:  First, no two cases of Parkinson’s are the same. Each of us has a unique path with the degenerative disease.  Second, exercise is medicine, and the right meds are very helpful. This gave me hope, and I searched for specific guidance online and found many fabulous resources.  (These are cited in the previous two WinkWorlds which are linked at the bottom of this post.) I will add to these online resources in this post also.

A year ago I couldn’t, and now I can…

A year ago I couldn’t write, and now I can.  Not well. Slowly. And, not every day.  But, if I know that I will have to sign my name, at least I now know that I will be able to do it. Losing my cursive handwriting has been one of my biggest challenges.

A year ago I couldn’t type on the computer, and now I can. Slowly.  I have learned to use dictation, which is helpful.  I have only recently noticed that I now often use my fingers to type, and not my dictation program.  Texting on the phone still not possible, but the dictation works fairly well.

A year ago I couldn’t walk well and get around well without a cane or assistance, and now I can.  I now walk two to four miles daily.

A year ago I couldn’t drive well, and now I can. In addition, I had a terrible time getting in and out of vehicles and fastening the seat belts.  Don’t even ask me what it took to get in and out of Wink’s pickup. I had almost totally stopped driving as my arm ached constantly.  I started with acupuncture and within a couple of months, the pain was gone.  I remain pain free, and I am comfortable driving now.  My personal best was a 5-hour trip alone one way in South Dakota.

A year ago I couldn’t get up and down off the floor, now I can.  At PT and my Wellness exercise classes, we have to get down on our tummies, arms spread like Super Man, and then get up to do the next exercise.  Several times in a row. Fast. While simultaneously doing a cognitive task (spelling, orally listing things in a category, etc.)! Turns out that there is greater cognitive benefit for us if we stack 2 or more physical exercises with a cognitive exercise–as opposed to perfecting any one activity. For example, my Wellness instructor (PT person) taped a large circle of blue tape on the floor and told me to walk the circle and stay only on the blue tape.  While she timed me. Then she told me to count backwards by 7’s from 100 while walking the blue line on the floor, and being timed simultaneously.  Tricky.

A year ago I couldn’t take care of myself physically, and now I can.  I had trouble getting in and out of bed alone; getting dressed; and even getting my socks on alone.  Dean, Dawn, and my Tucson friends/neighbors helped me. (Dawn has great stories…)

Cognitive challenges?  I am holding steady on their tests.

My Parkinson’s is unique, but it is clear to me that if I had not done all of these exercises for the last several months, I would no longer be moving much.

Resources

My latest, greatest fav online resource is Rogue in Motion.

I love everything about Rogue, and now I use it as my primary resource.

PWR!

Parkinson Wellness Recovery

I am only beginning to learn about this location, but I have heard nothing but good.

LSVT

This was one of my first discoveries, and I think it is terrific.

Often referred to as:

LSVT Big and Loud

And/or LSVT Big

LSVT Global

LSVT Big Movements on youtube

Reposted below:

My first WinkWorld about Parkinson’s

Slide and Glide (or Loud and Proud)
June 21, 2024

My second WinkWorld about Parkinson’s

Boxing or Punching Parkinson’s
September 25, 2024

The next WinkWorld will highlight some of the fun things I have been doing in Tucson—other than my exercises.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

I have been agonizing as it is becoming clear that I will never get Christmas cards sent this year, but then the Atall (a tiny K-8 school on the SD prairies) kids saved me again! They had their Christmas program, and I realized that capturing this magic event would be the very best holiday greeting I could possibly send to bring joy to each of you. 

Every year when this remote country school has their special program, it always feels like a slice of Americana:  the past, present, and future. In what follows, I share a peak into this world, and I know it will stir fond memories for some readers.

We begin with the invitation which the teacher, Missy, created and shared.  (All I can think:  Just imagine creating and implementing all of this during the last week of school!)

Below, you see the actors lined up for the obligatory photo–oh, those faces!

Here are the actors, acting.

The Past, the Present, and the Future

In the photo below, past students, who  have gone on to high school and beyond, return.  We refer to them as the Atall Alums. The present students are all there with their families.  And, if you look closely, you might be able to find a  couple of future students who are eagerly waiting to have their turn at Atall School.

I saved the best for  the last.  I was not able to be with the students during the program this year, but they found a way to let me know that they were thinking of me, too!

A Greeting from the Classroom

Click on the link below.

classroom greeting

A Greeting from the Past, the Present, the Future

Click on the link below.

video We miss you

How blessed am I to love these kids?  I hope your holidays are restful, fun, safe, and filled with love.

The Magic on the Prairies continues at Atall School.  If you are a consistent reader of WinkWorld, you are aware that I have tried to capture this magic through the years.  The photo above was taken last week, when I visited the school.  For me, it is an absolute joy to spend a day reading with these K-8 students.  The graduates of 8^th grade go on to various high schools 15, 20, 25 or more miles in the distance, which means that secondary students board with another family in town, or their ranch families spend early mornings and late nights driving back and forth from ranch to town.

It is not an easy life for students and families, but it is a good life.  The local ranch families value their isolated tiny rural schools, and the community support is deep and wide.  I have now begun to keep my eye on this group of students after they graduate from various high schools.  Students are thriving, and they go on become wonderful citizens.  I cannot find a single exception, since I began writing about the joy of reading with these students many years ago. If you want to read any of the previous WinkWorlds, simply go to the left side bar of joanwink.com and click on SEARCH and write Atall or rural schools.

Last week, I took a selection of Harry Potter books, as I knew most of the younger children probably did not know the stories of Harry, and indeed several of them did not. I wondered if I had made a mistake with my choice of books.  However, as you can see in these photos, the magic of Harry did capture the students. I love this photo of Jessa as she read and brought the pages to life for all of us.

These two photos posted above also show the interest of the students.  On the left, Ellie was inching towards the book to be closer to the action.  On the right, you can see Tymber on the table, too.  How much do I love these two photos?? Not to mention, the two girls!

This is a stack of books which I am reading now.

I am also reading The Rent Collector which illustrates how literacy can change and improve lives–even in the most unlikely places: Cambodia in the book and Atall School in rural Meade County, SD.  Thank you, Annie Hlavka, for sharing the novel with me.  In addition, thank you for helping me to continue to post WinkWorld.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Through the years, I noticed that many of you enjoy the ranch stories better than anything else I post on WinkWorld. It has been busy! Recently, we spent five long days without any water in the house as the auxiliary pump in our house cistern quit functioning. This of course involves lots of plumbing, a bit of swearing, and trips to town for parts.
I hope you enjoy our recent experience.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

There I was, minding my own business at 3 am, as I happily read during my “Winksomnia.”  Before going back to bed, I decided to take a quick look at Facebook, and that is when I discovered a lively discussion between two of my friends, Sam and Donna, on a thread I had shared re: banned books. Sam questioned the use of the word, banned, as he could buy them in any book store or order a copy at any moment.  Donna replied  that she thought it referred to books  which are banned in school libraries.

Was it a dream?

I did not give this much thought until the next night when that Facebook discussion popped into my head. I thought it had been a dream, as I know these two people do not know each other.  I checked  my Facebook thread, and sure enough, there they were.  I wrote back to Sam and Donna.*

Sam and Donna, how much do I LOVE this discussion between two of my friends, who I am sure, do not know each other. You are both my friends from totally different contexts! You two have very different lived-experiences and distinct perspectives. By the magic of social media, here you are having a meaningful discussion about something which is very important.

 

Sam, yes, banned does mean that some books are banned in some school libraries. It also refers to isolated school districts where a parent has asked (a.k.a., insisted) that a specific book be “banned” from a class or library. I have studied this a bit, and it often is a parent who has not read the book, but has a political motive.

 

I suspect that the large book stores and small independent book stores have researched each “banned” book before setting it out on that table.

 

Sam, the bottom line for me is that I am happy that each of the three of us can access any book, anytime.

 

However, that is simply not true for some students–particularly students of poverty. Libraries and schools can often be their only avenue to free-range reading. If a book is denied from even one student, I am comfortable calling it a “banned” book.

 

The research question is starting to form in my head: What criteria does Book Store A use to label a book “banned?”

 

Big Hugs to both of you. Thanks for thinking with me.

I found out recently that the superintendent from a school banned “Where the Crawdads Sing.” No explanation.

My First Experience

I remember vividly my first experience with a book banning.  It took place in the 70s, when Dawn was already an avid reader in 3rd grade.  She walked into the school library and wanted to read three books, which were placed on a shelf for 5th grade readers.  The school librarian would not allow her to check out any book, which was not on the 3rd grade shelf. The librarian’s rationale was that Dawn would have no books  to read when she got to 5th grade. 

Later in the hour, Dawn grabbed the three books from the 5th grade shelf and shoved them up under the front of her t-shirt.  Busted! The librarian saw her and gave her after-school detention, which meant Bo and I also had after-school detention, as I was her transportation back to the ranch that night.

That is the moment when I first stared to think about banning books. Who does it? Why? And, what is a 3rd-grade reading level? Who decides?

Another experience came when Bo was in 5th or 6th grade and went from reading about motor bikes to reading Stephen King novels. I remember a fleeting thought that Bo might not understand a King novel, and I am sure he didn’t, but he was captivated.

As a classroom teacher and professor, I have heard so many unsolicited examples of books being banned in various places.

WinkWorld Readers, I look forward to hearing your experiences with banned books.

*All names are fictional, but the people are very real, and they are very real friends of mine from different chapters of my long life.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

I realize that I previously wrote that I would not mention Parkinson’s again in WinkWorld, but your many positive responses made me reconsider. The bottom line is that I am so much better than even 4 months ago, and I  credit that to a balance of meds and my daily exercises, which are  reposted at the end of this blog post.

So, now I am in a boxing class, much to my amazement.  This is not the type of boxing where I hit someone, or  someone hits me.  This is all about strength and balance in the Wellness Center in the medical facility.  A few photos follow.

I like that pix, as you can see that I actually hit the boxing bag.

This heavy bag is easier to hit, but it barely moves when I hit it.  Wink says I should “hit it like I mean it.”

We often have to get down on our tummies and get back up in very specific ways–while they time us. Please note my new red boxing gloves.

But the emphasis is always on our balance.  Here I am trying hard to stand on water without falling against that cupboard behind me.

This photo is just for your entertainment. Those gray things I am supposed to stand on are filled with water.  It is a lot like trying to maintain your balance on water-filled big balloons.

Over and out for now.

Your friend,

Slugger

The exercises which I use on all posted below from a previous WinkWorld.

Slide and Glide (or, Loud and Proud)