This collection of short stories leaves you laughing your head off one minute, then crying tears of memory the next. You’ll get a kick out of the way Boots taught school to her sisters and neighbor children, their escapades as kids growing up on the North Dakota prairie, the way their bicycle was stolen by “Sparkies”, and the intriguing tale of Boots’ toenail. You’ll feel a daughter’s pain when first her father then her mother dies. And you’ll share her terror with fire, earthquake, and railroad tragedy. Oh yes, Boots grew up, found her husband Jack, and moved to Montana where she became one of the nation’s first women telegraphers and station masters with the Northern Pacific Railroad. You will also discover essays and recollections of some of the interesting characters Boots has met over her lifetime. But the essence of her stories lies in tales of her family today, husband Jack, their two sons, and two daughters. This book is a memory of a strong and varied life that began on that North Dakota prairie.