Robyn Braemer Writes

The neighborhood kids are all outside playing since school is closed because of the COVID virus. This weekend was pretty crazy. For some reason mostly boys live in this apartment complex. Or at least it's the boys outside playing most of the time. I don't know if a week off school is getting to the boys or it's something else but they were sure rougher than normal lately. They were scolded by an angry man about throwing rocks at his apartment. I had to yell at one boy to stop repeatedly kicking the generic mail box door where the bigger packages go. There was a lot of yelling. One of the boys had a plastic horn. Oh..my...God!! That was annoying. It sounded like a tuba being played right outside the balcony window. The dynamics of the courtyard in this apartment complex means that all the noise is funneled up to the apartments. This includes people's conversations as well as the annoying hoo hoo hoo of a plastic horn. So today two tween girls entered the dynamic. T...

I try to stay out of political discussions and it becomes more and more difficult with our current leader. Leader. That's an interesting word actually. Normally it would be the word one would use to describe the president of the U.S. I am not sure if it applies right now. I am quite baffled about his agenda. It does not seem to be in the best interests of the U.S. It appears to be more about the best interests for himself. I am a proud American. I thought America was awesome before and had never lost it's awesomeness. I feel like a certain irony is playing out, like everything that man said and implied to get elected and once he was elected have been the opposites. Make America Great Again is swirling down the toilet bowl as he caters and bows to the leader of Russia after treating the Queen of England like an afterthought. I'll bet we never see him walking in front of Putin like he doesn't matter. Saying that he will take Putin's word over our own Informati...

It's funny how we complicate things in our life. There was a thunderstorm today and the topic turned to lightning strikes. Lightning wants to find the shortest path to the ground, so that's why you are a standing target if you are standing outside and lightning decides that you are the fastest route to the ground. Everyone knows that, right? The discussion triggered someone's memory of being electrocuted during a thunderstorm but they switched to electricity instead of lightning. It was my fault for mentioning that cars are grounded with their rubber tires but the car can still be struck by lightning so if that happens don't touch anything in the car. They had seen some old television show many years ago that stayed with them, about people being trapped in a car by a live wire that had fallen during a storm and went on to talk about how difficult it was to get the people out of the car with that live wire threatening their lives. She described all the compli...

There are still pockets of wild horses roaming the wilds of the U.S.A. I have the strongest desire to see them. More than see them, I want to embrace them in their environment, drink in their beauty as they traverse the rugged scrub. The stallions challenge each other to determine who gets to own the herd. Mating rights. Yes, it's all about mating rights. I follow a FB page that posts the most amazing photos, videos, and news about an area's wild horses in Colorado. North Dakota and Idaho also have herds of wild horses but this is the page I stumbled upon and watch avidly. I don't even know if other FB pages exist for those other regions. Look at this lovely photograph by Nadya Rider. She is an amazing photograph and contributes to their FB page often. There are a lot of paints at this area. Crazy Horse and her foal. When I look at these images of these majestic animals I have the strongest desire to visit the area. Nay, I have the strongest desire to live there...

I have been in Texas for a few months now. I liked the warm weather in February and March but it's still warm and getting warmer as we head into summer. I knew that moving to a big city would be a severe change in my lifestyle, having grown up in rural Minnesota. It's even more traumatic than I expected. Just so many people. It's like every day is the week before Christmas at the mall back home, a place I always avoided during the holiday season because of the crowds of people. I have been having the urge to move north again, though not back where I was. There are several members of my family with itchy feet but I tend to stick to the familiar. You get comfortable and the days slip away without notice until years have gone by before you lift your head and look around, then go back to what you were doing again. That's a good thing. As I shift restlessly and dream of different pastures, I realize what is important to me. What makes us comfortable means it's whe...

This is how I picture Prince Harrald of the Venairald Cycle series. He's straight-laced, bound by honor, and a bit too proper by far but he's also loyal, responsible, and committed. He has some tough decisions coming up in the third book after some details about his princess come to light. What  dilemma he faces! Do what his heart says or do what his duty says?

The expression "Winter is coming" was the motto for Minnesota long before everyone else became familiar with the saying from Game of Thrones. In the land of fire and ice (aka Minnesota) winter is an extreme season. The cold can suck the breath right out of your lungs while it freezes your nostrils shut and crystals of ice form along your eyelashes. Winter accessories are not optional. Hats, scarves, and gloves are a necessity on the coldest  days of the season. Minnesotans also coined the phrase "as long as you dress for the season it's not too bad." Not too bad. Minnesotans also use a lot of understatement. I moved to Texas a few months ago, as already noted. A cousin (who had not grown up in Minnesota with me) asked how I was dealing with the Texas heat. Since it's only May summer has not arrived in Texas, of course, so I was a bit puzzled as the temperatures have been pleasant in the mid 80's and a few days in the 90's. Very nice. Ah, she ...