Hruska Family Website
by Donna Hruska Tablecloths have always been a problem in our house. Because we must eat in the dining room, we like to have an attractive cloth on the table; yet with six children and many spills, fabric cloths are impractical. Plastic, on the other hand, seemed to go to pieces in no time, and …
When twins Jeffrey and Jennifer investigate the mysterious nightly messes in their garage, they discover that their "ghost" is actually a clever family of raccoons who have learned to open the garage door.
In this heartfelt tribute to educators, Donna Hruska celebrates a new generation of teachers who have transformed schools through their genuine care and love for students, arguing that their compassionate approach is bridging generational gaps and inspiring social consciousness in young people.
Donna offers practical advice for grandparents on how to turn potentially exhausting visits with grandchildren into enjoyable experiences through advance planning, age-appropriate activities, and keeping the children busy rather than trying to keep up with them.
Writing in the early 1970s, Donna encourages young women to "stretch their dreams" beyond traditional gender roles, highlighting pioneering women in fields like medicine, business, and government while providing practical advice for career preparation.
Donna shares how her family transformed Halloween from a budget-busting holiday into a creative treasure hunt by saving and repurposing costumes in a magical "costume box" that turned discarded outfits into everything from saint's robes to Babylonian nobleman garments.
In this delightfully funny essay, Donna Hruska catalogs the hard-won wisdom gained from helping her children with school projects, from science fairs to Cub Scouts, revealing the universal truths of parental homework assistance like "Mothers' Law" and the eternal scarcity of band-aids when you need them most.
A tongue-in-cheek 'medical warning' about the highly contagious 'Windhooker Fever' (kite-flying mania) that strikes children each spring, complete with mock symptoms, treatment recommendations, and parental survival tips.
When five-year-old Susan threatens to run away after a fight with her sister, her mother realizes that sometimes a packed suitcase is really just a plea for reassurance and special attention.
In this counterintuitive essay, Donna argues that anxiety, rather than being simply avoided, can be transformed from a paralyzing force into a powerful source of energy and motivation when properly understood and channeled.
