Musings from my driveway, my home and my heart
It’s been a relief for me to take the ferry every summer to Mackinac Island in northern Michigan, where cars have been banned since 1898. No traffic jams, no exhaust and no noise, just an estimated 10,000 bikes, along with pedestrians, horses and horse-drawn carts and taxis. The downside: Distracted “driving” and road rage now... Continue Reading →
My grandmother outlived five of her doctors and died just 15 months shy of her 100th birthday. I took her to many of her appointments and would watch with amusement when the docs would invariably ask her about her diet. They were seeking sage advice on how to live a long and healthy life, mentally... Continue Reading →
When parents in my rural Michigan town want to raise money for the local school system, they don’t hold a traditional bake sale or car wash. Instead, they unlock the barns and outbuildings, and haul out their special vehicles for an under-the-radar August car show that’s our modest version of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance... Continue Reading →
Google the phrase “fun to drive” and you get 114 million results. The phrase is a cliché in many test drives, although some reviewers take pains to explain exactly what they mean by it. Some say it can be boiled down to a single statistic: 0-60 miles per hour acceleration. “You want to smoke the... Continue Reading →
My mother paid me an unusual compliment shortly after my honeymoon. “You’re the first bride in our family who wasn’t drunk at the wedding,” she said, referring to my large extended Polish family and the dozens of Detroit and Hamtramck ceremonies we had attended through the years. Well, that drinking comment about other brides may... Continue Reading →
It annoys me when automakers and car reviewers pigeonhole vehicles, suggesting they’re aimed at Baby Boomers or Millennials or some other monolithic group. Case in point: the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid, an all-new gasoline-electric compact hatchback that takes aim at the Toyota Prius. More than one reviewer has called the Ioniq a good choice for... Continue Reading →
My neighborhood is becoming a Mecca for car spy photographers and curious consumers. Trips to the local Dairy Queen, party store and post office invariably end up with the sighting of future vehicles swathed in black-and-white plastic camo and undergoing real-world testing. On Saturday morning, my husband and I were headed out for a bike... Continue Reading →
My neighborhood had a certain Lord of the Flies quality in the months that preceded the 1967 Detroit riot. Many of us were the children of cops, firemen and Detroit factory workers. Like the boys in the William Golding novel, we were governing ourselves with disastrous results — including the death of one boy. Looking... Continue Reading →
I’m often jumping in and out of test vehicles with my sister-in-law Jean Jennings, a longtime automotive writer and editor. So when she showed up at my house one afternoon last week, it was only natural for us to get behind the wheel of the redesigned 2017 Mazda CX-5 compact SUV and go somewhere. (Hint:... Continue Reading →
I’ve done my share to kill traditional forms of media such as newspapers, periodicals and books — which is ironic, considering I’ve been a professional writer for all of my adult life. Like many people, I no longer subscribe to the local papers and get most of my news online. No wonder the newspaper industry... Continue Reading →
Anita's Way 