<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Callen Kropp, Author]]></title><description><![CDATA[Callen Kropp is an author of children's books.  She is that grandmother out on the interstate who shouldn't be referred to as "grandma." Find out why.]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:58:45 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.callenkropp.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[A beautiful woman's last wish]]></title><description><![CDATA[How would it feel to wake up in the stillness of 3AM to find your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes frozen in...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/a-beautiful-woman-s-last-wish</link><guid isPermaLink="false">679bb156947d4e8b9b67cb1a</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jan 2025 17:12:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_3832c93b7bab4ef99620d0be5df78b31~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[No, it's NOT all about the Benjamins!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I t began as a fundraiser. An effort by a couple dozen people to help a family who is stricken with grief after losing a patriarch and...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/no-it-s-not-all-about-the-benjamins</link><guid isPermaLink="false">675fa27527406be9b1cef539</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Dec 2024 03:51:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_a938e7e5a3414044a9bac7aa06fbefa5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moms, you deserve Christmas, too!  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mom's deserve a place in every Christmas story - and not just as the workhorse.  ]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/moms-you-deserve-christmas-too</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6744164890c1ab21920ac58e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:37:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_4ec0b211375041d594d62e0de6a90f21~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[And the winner is...]]></title><description><![CDATA[So!  As promised, today we are going to reveal the WINNER of our "Toys Have Feeling, Too!", the original canvas by Illustrator Emily Hagen...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/and-the-winner-is</link><guid isPermaLink="false">674c90a4d536db5bba83db14</guid><pubDate>Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:39:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_9088a075e49340408cea86a7667e3a4f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_610,h_674,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Saving your life from Black Friday]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are used to hearing about Black Friday crazy — the middle-of-the-night long lines that broke into brawls when big box stores opened...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/surviving-black-friday-not-for-sissies</link><guid isPermaLink="false">674a122d06eabf8ca1559112</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:13:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_3bc86c42c7e74555b57ec5b755d0c97b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Almost 9.2 million beds, and what for?]]></title><description><![CDATA[We have a friend fighting for his life in a nearby Intensive Care Unit.  I cannot believe what he and his family members are going...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/healing-saving-and-changing-lives-how-do-they-do-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6745114cab2e23aa572f83f6</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:38:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_881f7a5e5fe045908bc250917f3dfea4~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[For a better chance of lifelong success, all you have to do is give your kids a million]]></title><description><![CDATA[I didn’t go to kindergarten.  Back in the 1800s (and also in the 1960s!), public kindergarten wasn’t a thing in North Dakota.  Thank...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/are-you-part-of-the-50-percent-depriving-your-child-of-a-million-words</link><guid isPermaLink="false">673b7480de2b8aac0757476e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:23:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_7bfb79c98eb146b2a1f1ca062d0ea1e7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Move over, Pony Express, for the Packhorses!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think we are all familiar with the book mobile — basically a library on wheels.  But how many of us ever heard of a library on a...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/move-over-pony-express-for-the-packhorses</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6735822831756b3948e286c7</guid><pubDate>Thu, 14 Nov 2024 04:56:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_c3ca3e6f5cc447b789e3ca445ecbe090~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_450,h_547,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Meet him while he's still local! ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As the November Spotlight Author of the Moorhead Friends Writing Group, I feel it is high time I post a little about the group.  It began...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/meet-him-while-he-s-still-local</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6732cd1831756b3948d94449</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Nov 2024 04:08:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_9cb5d93490c74abea60124b7f708786e~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[For Veteran's Day:  Do More Than Wave a Flag!]]></title><description><![CDATA[For Veteran’s Day:  do more than wave a flag It’s a day off of work and school for many—Veteran’s Day.  While a streak of patriotism is...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/for-veteran-s-day-do-more-than-wave-a-flag</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67322d2331756b3948d736fa</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:23:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_85293c97262444c0971497207d9b1c50~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Don't call me grandma--unless you qualify]]></title><description><![CDATA[I used to think that entering old age was like shifting down a gravel truck.  You’d be roaring down a smooth asphalt road, when all of a...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/don-t-call-me-grandma-unless-you-qualify</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6731210954e82ebfc6d7dd0f</guid><pubDate>Sun, 10 Nov 2024 21:09:44 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Election reflection: turn it around]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have often wondered what life is like for a middle-aged woman who aborted as a youngster.  Does she scan crowds looking for the face of...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/_blog</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672bfd6ba77b027388b58ab4</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:12:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_ff7f47b238ee401fa69da4ca31d6d96f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_720,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heads Up!  Your clocks are WRONG! ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As we pulled up to the church—what?  Something was missing.  Those other families.  Their cars. The priest.  The sister.  ]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/heads-up-your-clocks-are-wrong</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6727ef996308391e76978cb5</guid><pubDate>Sun, 03 Nov 2024 21:53:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_700528e10c7c4075a306c8cc69450cca~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_778,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Let the Season Begin! Happy Holidays!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think it was by design. That summer in North Dakota waited until November 1 to depart is unusual, to say the least. To go to football...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/let-the-season-begin-happy-holidays</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67263c778aa18c055ae33f6e</guid><pubDate>Sat, 02 Nov 2024 14:59:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_3775fd88b0464edf99773854ec5e9ecf~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Happy Isaac Houdini Day!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I want to dress as an ox for Halloween.  Most people say I wouldn’t have to do anything different!  I'm not so sure that’s a compliment...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/happy-isaac-houdini-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">671bacf393a53ae42f1a0ecf</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:02:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_cb44b00260bf46da9edcee6b21f56a19~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_430,h_635,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[No bologna—I am resurrecting this blog!  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[My, it’s been awhile.  My new resolution on this, National Bologna Day (yes, that’s a thing!), is to awaken this blog from its inertia....]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/no-bologna-i-am-resurrecting-this-blog</link><guid isPermaLink="false">671afa89eadec1dcc1fa10a3</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Oct 2024 03:10:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_e181f969b9734f27a4c1bba73127f113~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[  Who wants to be the Easter Bunny?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I grew up thinking I wouldn’t want to be an Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy.  The latter, because who wants to look at wayward teeth put...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/who-wants-to-be-the-easter-bunny</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65dd59253691bc79c2142390</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 04:44:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_921290a093ad416d8af9e3add60124e0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_209,h_234,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reading and trying not to scare the children]]></title><description><![CDATA[This Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10:30 AM, Illustrator Emily Hagen and I will be signing books at The Story Nook (next to Babb’s Coffee) in...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/reading-and-trying-not-to-scare-the-children</link><guid isPermaLink="false">656eb5a805e8a38bc9a233f1</guid><pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 2023 06:04:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_e4b99fa8fed549eeb3adc1b225e0a72a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_783,h_427,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Happy Birthday, Ozzy!  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[A moment or two ago, I received notice that the fourth Ozzy Ox book, Ozzy Ox Stands Against Socks,  went live on Amazon.  Ironic, isn’t...]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/happy-birthday-ozzy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6556e286a919bcb78a2a2099</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Nov 2023 04:29:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_c1e45345958a4390906813e6b862ebf0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_360,h_368,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ozzy Ox: Toy Trauma To the Point!]]></title><description><![CDATA[In Toy Trauma, Ozzy trips over his toys and finds his injury doesn't compare to the pain he caused MomOx and the toys he left vulnerable.
]]></description><link>https://www.callenkropp.com/post/ozzy-ox-toy-trauma-5-star-review</link><guid isPermaLink="false">654928082d09c9900775eb0c</guid><pubDate>Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:25:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0522b6_f74827a3059d40edafe1c9f3a9582c18~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_504,h_505,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Callen Kropp</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>