I have all kinds of fruit trees and plants in my yard. Pears, apples, a peach tree, grape vines, mulberry (if that is something you consider a fruit and not yard litter), some black raspberries, and one or two strawberries. I even have a plum tree or two, but they never produce fruit and are…
Category: My family related blogs
If You Wish To Make an Apple Pie…
If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. — Carl Sagan I went to the farmers market today. I had a few things on my list. In particular I was hoping to find a grower that had padron peppers, a small green pepper that you toss lightly…
Getting Started On My Other Summer Project
The Garden! Wow, has it been cold. Like 15-20° colder than our usual April temperatures. But still, this has not stopped us from garden planning. Hannah and I did get peas in the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day, and they are finally up. The curly leaf parsley has overwintered for its second year in a…
Seder Light
Last night we had Passover seder. Although I was raised a Catholic, my husband is an Ashkenazi Jew, and we have made a seder every year that we have been together. Last night we sat 16 at the table. It was cozy, without a doubt, but festive. Three times last night tears came to me,…
Bienvenidos a Madrid!
We left Chicago on Saturday, and as far as our bodies are concerned it is still Saturday night/Sunday morning. We have rented an apartment in the Salamanca barrio, just blocks from the Retiro and our friends Pamela and Tom. The Apartment is lovely in a 1950’s meets a bit of IKEA way, and all of…
Before the World Was Searchable
“Before there was Google, there was Joan’s vertical file.” This is still my favorite thing that I read in the many condolence cards after my mother’s death. It is so true. My mother had a vertical file to be envied. So much hard work was represented in that collection of clippings and images that it…
Sparta and the Quik Trip
I am home earlier than intended. A blizzard was predicted (and it appeared, right on schedule) for parts of eastern SD and all across southern Minnesota for today, the main travel day for most of us. Reliable weather watchers recommended an early departure, so I changed my ticket to an early flight yesterday, and my…
Mom
My mother died early this morning. As my sister describes it, it’s been like walking off a cliff. Mom was with us over Christmas. She had a great Christmas, helping make cookies, eating penuche fudge, seeing her grandchildren. We had no idea that this was what the new year would bring. Here is what I…
Snow, as benediction
It snowed on Saturday. I woke to the quiet that snow provides, sounds that are normal parts of a Saturday morning are muffled by the blanket of wet snow. And it was perfect snowball snow. But the snowballs would have to wait. My eighth graders had to take the Explore test, a pre-pre ACT that…
Untangled
I’m trying to unpack this metaphor. We had another amazing Thanksgiving with 28 at the tables (three – all in the dining room) on Thursday and 25 at my sister’s on Friday. I have the most amazing extended family that a woman could ask for. On Sunday my uncle’s flight back to South Dakota was…
Mandolines and Mandolins
Sunday we celebrated what I would argue was the last day of summery fall. The threatened rain held off and the day was golden, crisp and cool. I went to the garden to dump the kitchen compost bucket and realized that it had been a while since I had been out there. The second planting…
Living on the Lip of Insanity 