Deborah Stafford Tukua is the author of the children's book, Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway from A to Z, eight nonfiction books, a contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, a writer for the Farmers' Almanac since 2003, and is currently writing middle-grade historical fiction. She lives in the Tennessee countryside, along the banks of Holly Creek with her husband, Lowell. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, and a veteran homeschooling mom. Tukua is an avid member of Word Weavers International. When she's not writing or researching- decorating, bird watching, taking nature walks, visiting sites along the Natchez Trace, and reading to her grandchildren top the list of her favorite activities. You can sign up to get updates about her writing life here.
Deborah Stafford Tukua is the author of the children's book, Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway from A to Z, eight nonfiction books, a contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, a writer for the Farmers' Almanac since 2003, and is currently writing middle-grade historical fiction. She lives in the Tennessee countryside, along the banks of Holly Creek with her husband, Lowell. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, and a veteran...
Luna, the beautiful, large moth is soft, light green in color with intriguing round spots on its wings that resemble eyes or moons to scare predators away. Luna means moon. This moth is aptly named as it flies beneath the moon at night. Their long, tapered tails twist slightly at the ends.
It is a rare and spectacular occurrence to see a live Luna moth. I typically see one each summer. I saw one yesterday in our rock garden. Here’s a nature journal entry I wrote fifteen plus years ago about my...
Your lawn and garden can be beautiful and beneficial, providing sources of nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. Beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder. Living in the countryside, our idea of a perfect, beautiful lawn is one that supports and nourishes the plants, animals, and people. We enjoy living in a healthy environment and admiring the wildflowers that appear in the meadow.
Bees are buzzing around the abundant show of wildflowers in our landscape this spring. Dandelions,...
Easter Cactus is a vibrant, springtime star, with lovely star-shaped flowers. The Easter Cactus also known as Spring Cactus blooms from March until May. Its flowers open at sunrise and close at sunset. Even though the Easter Cactus isn’t as popular as the holiday favorite, Easter Lily, it’s a beauty, and easy to grow indoors with adequate light. Available in an array of brilliant orange, violet, fuchsia, white, or red blooming varieties, the potted Easter Cactus adds early bursts of spring...
David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, TN is one of my favorite parks. I’m doing a frontier, happy dance at the park entrance, thrilled to announce that my Natchez Trace...
"My Grandmama is My Grandmama," is a story I wrote about the exciting day two of our grandchildren were officially adopted by our son and his wife. The true account is featured...
The second half of December was quiet, and productive. While recuperating from surgery, I made use of my “still” time, writing a children’s story I started a few years ago. The...
