The Blog: Spellbound by our own imperfect lives...

Here's the garden from the patio angle. We watered everything today but rain would be better. That's my favorite plant on the left in the back...the veronica longifolia. God only knows how I have remembered that for the years I've had the plant. I'll take another picture when it blooms. This is the gazing globe Regis gave me for Christmas a few years ago. Those are the Georges peeking out from behind. Regis asked again today if I was going to plant something in the Georges. Nope. I like them empty. It's a statement. Pictures from the patio. This is one of the perennial grasses we planted. And the turtle hose guide. I love the name...hose guide. Like a spiritual thing. It's been a good year for pansies. I swear I've never gotten anything to grow in this pot before. There are tiny things that live in the little house at the base of the geranium. Maybe an ant colony or a swarm of gnats. Can you see the moon? Regis was disappointed in this shot but what is he af...

I don't want to stir Regis by making noise in the kitchen yet. He's lucky he can sleep later. My eyes pop open about 5 and that's it for sleeping. Here's my plan for the day: Ride my bike before it rains. Done Water the flowers and the garden. Done. Do the dishes from last night. Done. Sit in a lawn chair. Done many times. Get ready for Monday. Sort of done. Not too ambitious.

Big Disclaimer: This is not us in front of the Paramount Theater! It's a picture from the internet! Regis and I motored to Austin (MN) last night to see Richie Havens at the Paramount Theater. The last time we went to the Paramount, Austin's downtown was mostly strip clubs into which we would not venture. We know this because we printed a list of the restaurants downtown and they had normal names like Parrot Bay or some such, but eeeuww, I wasn't stepping foot into them and I'm not famous for high standards when it comes to bars or eating establishments. We ended up in a Mexican restaurant that served delicious food so that was our destination last night. Alas, when we came down Main Street, we saw a burned out shell of a building where the restaurant used to be. But there seemed to be a few other places to choose from and none of them featured pole dancers. We ate at El Mariachi and it was very good. Rolando was friendly and helpful and said he remembered Richie Havens...

Our robins are big enough now to stick their beaks out of the nest and cry for worms. We only have two in our crop but they're lusty little buggers and growing fast. There are two adults feeding them and they swoop over to the bird feeder to load up their own bellies on seed and grape jelly, then back to the worm hunt. There are a couple of thug grackles lurking out there and once in a while I have to run out and chase them off. I suppose this is assuming too much control over things which are beyond my control. Nature is hard. My bike had to go into the shop to get its wheel fixed. Of course, now that it's gone, I really want to ride it. Isn't that the way? My gnat bites look like measles. Those little bastards are relentless. You don't feel them bite but later you have this ugly outbreak. Regis is watching some natural disaster epidemic catastrophe movie. I don't get the attraction myself, preferring to ignore bad news and imminent threats. I don't watch the n...

I know it wasn't really his birthday today but since I missed his real birthday, I recognized it today by listening to the soundtrack from I'm Not There and all three discs of Tell Tale Signs . How can it be so cloudy and not produce a drop of rain? We have baby grass sprouting and it's a pain in the butt to keep it wet. Not so much today but in the warm wind of the weekend. I think I'll need another blanket on the bed tonight. My friend, Jill, landed in the hospital again this past weekend. She likes that phrase "landed in the hospital" and has a great mental image to go along with it. Get over that dang rashy stuff, Jill! Stop landing in the hospital. I forgot to call the pharmacy today about my ambien and the bottle says no more refills. Ugh. How could I let that happen? The pharmacy is faxing the doctor who will twitter me that I need to come in for an appointment to make sure I'm not an ambien addict. Ha! Just kidding about the twitter part. Yeah, I...

Tom was right. Bob Dylan's birthday was yesterday. I have it on my calendar for tomorrow because KMSU is celebrating it tomorrow. Dang. Here are some ideas for celebrating, from eHow: Write a birthday card addressed to Robert Zimmerman, Bob Dylan's original birth name. Play a little harmonica in tribute to the man who made a name with this unique instrument. Break out your CD collection and play Bob's first hit original album from beginning to end. "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" was released in 1963 and was his first step on the path to international fame. Bust out your dusty tambourine and make some noise in celebration of one of Mr. Dylan's most famous ditties, "Mr. Tambourine Man." Rent the films, "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid", "Don't Look Back" and "The Last Waltz". Buy a cake with the inscription Happy Birthday Bob Dylan. Amaze your friends. Silly, I suppose. The last one was my idea.

I had my coffee on the patio this morning and got the happy notion to spread the remaining 25 bags of mulch. Once that was done, I decided to plant the two dozen impatiens under the apple tree. Here's another slide show of my garden. You can see that I have an affinity for yard art. I think the George Bush flower pots (empty for a reason) have been published here before. The gnats have been atrocious this weekend. They leave big bloody spots on your scalp where they bite and die. It's gross. This afternoon we went on a road trip with Tom and Betty. We intended to go to Lexington, where we've enjoyed a dinner the last few Memorial Days. Today there was a sign on the door that the kitchen was closed. They said the cook got sick of the whole mess and abandoned the ship. So, down the road we went. We passed a joint in Heidelberg but it looked more bar than restaurant so we went on to New Prague to eat at the Fishtale Grill. What a nice menu. We had some deep fried green beans w...

Regis took this picture of our flag-lined Minnesota Avenue with the Nicollet County Courthouse in the background. I love it.

I've been up since 6. I paid bills, looked through recipes to plan a menu for the next few weeks, organized my food records, and made a grocery list. Since my surgery, I haven't spent much time in the kitchen and it shows. Today I am reclaiming my turf, cleaning up the counters, and figuring out what goes on in there. It was raining when we woke up so that means we can get some inside jobs done. Regis has the smoker going and the pork butt and beef brisket ready to go. This is an all day job so he's hoping the rain ends. I have a puny piece of tilapia that will take about 2 minutes to grill. I have 35 bags of mulch piled up under the tree. When Glen looked at it, he said we're going to need more. Peter worked last night but I told him when he gets up, he can help me spread it out. It's hard on the back...a job that needs youth. We've been busy all day. Here is the evidence...

Regis and I raced over to Mankato after work to buy mulch for the garden at Menard's. We bought 35 bags of cedar bark that should cover 35 X 12 square feet. Whatever that would be. Oh, yes, the calculator. 437 square feet. That should do it. I had to buy some impatiens for under the apple tree and some ajuga for along the steps. Going to garden centers this time of year is like visiting a crack house. I finished moving my office from one area of the building to another today, thanks to a couple of hard-working students. Later, a different student came to the door of the new office, leaned against the door and said he loved what I had done with the decor, that it had nice feng shui. Hard to keep a straight face. Not much new here, I guess.

I went back to the MC today to see the dietitian and my surgeon. The dietitian is very subdued (and only groused at me one time about a piece of turkey) but my surgeon says I'm a rockstar ! I've lost 30 pounds since my surgery and everything checks out just fine. He said I can pull out the one tiny thread from a stitch that's left and I won't unravel. I thanked him for his fine work and said he gets the credit for my success. He didn't deny that but said it's also because I follow the rules. Maybe that's true. I'll go back in July for bloodwork to check for everything under the sun and a visit to all of the players again. I wish we had taken the camera as the tulips around the Doctors Mayo in the plaza were stunning. When we go back this summer, I want Regis to take a picture of me sitting by the good doctors. Anybody have a good gnat repellant? Mom says to try Listerine or a dryer sheet in your pocket, I used to use vanilla when I lived in Iowa, and Re...

I was at a meeting today and my skirt started to irritate my waist. I stood up a little and gave the back of it a tug. My butt apparently used to hold a skirt up better than it did today because it slid right over my hinder and I had to act fast to capture it (the skirt) and reverse the damage. I was mortified, everyone acted like they hadn't seen a thing, and we went on with the serious matters of discussion. I have spent the rest of the day relaxing my vision to see what appears peripherally and what the chances are that this hideous act was not observed by my colleagues. Not much of a chance, I'll say. If you were at any meetings with me today and don't know what I'm talking about, all I'll say is whew. Regis and I went for a bike ride after dinner. I was pedaling along, enjoying a leisurely ride (what do you expect from a person with a wicker basket on the front with a red and white tea towel draped artistically over the edge...this is not a speed racer) but R...

I take a shower and do my hair every day, except for rare occasions. One day the end of December, I went swimming in the morning and didn't do my hair. Regis had his spell that night and had to take a ride in the ambulance...and I had to ride along in my striped pajama pants and god awful hair. Today was the second time in recent memory I didn't do my hair. I had worked in the garden all day and finally took a bath and washed my hair about 6 o'clock. No product, no hair dryer...just au natural. About 6:30, I look out the front door for the pizza delivery guy and there's my neighbor with a young woman who is writhing around on the grass in pain. I went out to see if they needed medical help and before it was over, we had a cop, an ambulance, and three neighbors standing on our boulevard...and me in a flannel nightgown, purple robe, and slippers. Holy crap. Bad hair is dangerous.

Regis and I took Ella and motored to Shakopee to meet Tiffany, Eric, and Elliot for a mid-afternoon lunch. We went to Ruby Tuesday, close to the horse track, and the food was very good, the service was good, there were no televisions (hurray), and a pleasant time was had by all. Ella was delighted to see Tiffany and her baby. The rest of the pictures are in the slide show.

A busy day at work. Almost got my office moved. I need advice on where to put the furniture, though. This is not the Oval Office so it shouldn't be that hard. Went to a plant sale after stopping for a beer. 320 plants sold in 15 minutes so we didn't get any since we arrived about 5:18. I'm glad I missed that circus. Larry gave us a tour of his garden and it's gorgeous. Tulips that look like a Monet painting. We're watching I'm Not There but I can hardly keep my eyes open. I woke up before my alarm went off this morning. That would be about 4 a.m. Ella is going with us to Ruby Tuesdays in Shakopee tomorrow. When she came to play Tuesday she told me she wanted to see Tiffany and her baby. So sweet. I'm anxious to get in my garden. It needs to dry out a little before the weeds get hold. The couple years, I tore a lot of stuff out so there are lots of empty places. I think I wrote about that before. Happy birthday, Jane! Feel better soon, Jill! Welcome home Eth...

My Name Mark Strand Once when the lawn was a golden green and the marbled moonlit trees rose like fresh memorials in the scented air, and the whole countryside pulsed with the chirr and murmur of insects, I lay in the grass, feeling the great distances open above me, and wondered what I would become and where I would find myself, and though I barely existed, I felt for an instant that the vast star-clustered sky was mine, and I heard my name as if for the first time, heard it the way one hears the wind or the rain, but faint and far off as though it belonged not to me but to the silence from which it had come and to which it would go.

The weather is gorgeous tonight and we had to go to Mankato so I could get a haircut. We managed, however, to miss the bi-weekly lawn mowing in a diagonal pattern next door. We were in time for the edge trimming and the blowing of clippings into the street . I went to see Patrick, my favorite hair-do guy. He's a hoot and usually massages my head which almost puts me to sleep. Patrick is a true hair artist and I appreciate that. May 26th is Bob Dylan's birthday but I don't know which one. Which birthday that is...I know which Bob Dylan it is. KMSU is celebrating by having Bob Dylan's music all day. We're expecting the Netflix movies I'm Not There and No Direction Home in the next week. Maybe I'll get a cake for Bob's birthday. We're meeting Tiffany and Eric and Baby Elliot in Shakopee on Saturday. I can't wait to see him...it's been a month and Tiffany says he has changed a lot. It's hard to keep up with those babies when they grow so...

Bob posted this picture of Ella and Alex. I love it.

Ella gave Popop directions for picture taking. She calls him Popoprazzi. Don't you love her gold shoes? We read lots of books and played with the tea pot and measuring cups. She's coming back Tuesday after school to see us. This is the little table and chair I bought in Mankato yesterday. I couldn't resist it...I thought it would be perfect on the new patio and it is. Here she is chasing around the tree with Uncle. I think they were playing hide and seek and her dad snuck back into the house for some peace and quiet. We didn't get any pictures of Alex this time but he was a good baby and was content to eat and sleep. Even though it was too cold to sit on the patio, Regis hauled the grill out for the first barbecue of the season. We just made hot dogs and burgers. He bought himself a little smoker attachment for it and wants to try that this week. I made an enchilada casserole with chicken and tofu for myself...and now have left-overs for 45 meals. Nobody else was intere...

Mom said she had trouble viewing the youtube video below of Billy Collins reading his poem, The Lanyard. Here it is in text. It always makes me cry. The Lanyard - Billy Collins The other day I was ricocheting slowly off the blue walls of this room, moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano, from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor, when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard. No cookie nibbled by a French novelist could send one into the past more suddenly— a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp by a deep Adirondack lake learning how to braid long thin plastic strips into a lanyard, a gift for my mother. I had never seen anyone use a lanyard or wear one, if that’s what you did with them, but that did not keep me from crossing strand over strand again and again until I had made a boxy red and white lanyard for my mother. She gave me life and milk from her breasts, and I gave her a lanyard. She nurse...

I woke up at my usual 4:30 a.m. this morning. I tried to go back to sleep but the light was coming through my eyelids and I couldn't make it happen. The curtains were closed so that probably isn't possible but I had to get up. I had a half a piece of toast and a soft boiled egg. It was quite a feast. I tried to remember the morning of my surgery. This has been like giving birth...I feel connected to the people who cared for me when I was so vulnerable and parts of it have disappeared in some kind of haze. This is what was interesting: I registered after waiting in a long line, I waited, I was escorted to a room where the essentials were taken care of, I walked to the pre-surgery area, I was wheeled into a large bright and cold room with a lot of very young looking people. I woke up five hours later. There's a big gap in the middle. It was raining very hard when we went to bed last night but we woke to a bright clear morning. It's windy and cold, though, for mid-May. Reg...

A patio is no big news by comparison to the birth of twin baby boys so I have to post pictures of both. These are Charlie and Angie's twins, Ethan and Owen, with their proud Grandpa Larry. Jill hasn't been lucky enough to be there yet to hold them but she's relieved and happy that they are together and soon will be on their way home. Look how tiny they are in Larry's arms. Hard to believe in a year they will fill his lap! Here's the new patio completed. Regis broke out a few lawn chairs today and we had the maiden voyage of patio sitting. The weather is perfect for the patio, only a few bugs, a nice breeze, and warm sun. Jill stopped for a few minutes to trade presents: tapas plates in the shape of vegetables, a book about grandmas, diapers, and a bathtub. Guess who got what. We love presents. Regis is in mourning over the rumors of a merger between Yuengling and Miller/Coors. He loves Yuengling, tolerates Miller, but disdains Coors as bunny pee beer. Coors was c...

I don't know why I haven't written much lately. Eating and drinking take a lot of my time and I haven't figured out how to do two things at one time. I think I write better when I'm bitchy about something; it's no fun to write about silver saddles and Sunday parades. And I always felt like a glass of wine loosened my tongue. That little habit is over for a while and my liver thanks me. The patio should be done my tomorrow. It's really beautiful and Karl can consider himself an artist. He's coming tomorrow to fill in with dirt around the edges and to sweep in the last of the sand. If the weather is nice this weekend, we should be able to break it out in style. Regis can smoke the Sadam Hussein cigar and I'll have a bottle of Perrier to toast the Howard Fritsch Memorial Patio. The crab apple tree is starting to bloom and so is the fern leaf peony. Regis will take pictures tomorrow, I'm sure. He keeps asking me when I'm going to get in the garden an...

We went to Elvira's funeral this morning. It was a nice gathering and a good send-off for her. The music was especially nice. Regis bought an electric leaf blowing/sucking implement. He tried it out today but I can't say I was too impressed. You have to rake the leaves out of the plants or shrubs before you suck them up. It does mulch them into a bag so they're not so bulky. Now he and the neighbor can have a blow off. Our neighbor has mowed his lawn three times already this spring. I don't think our grass is even vertical yet. Like us, it wakes up slowly in the spring. I watched the Kentucky Derby. I must say that it's a sport I enjoy. Most of the event is before and after the race human interest kinds of things and the actual race only lasts 2 minutes. I made myself a pan-seared tuna steak for dinner with roasted asparagus. One little tuna steak made six meals but that's ok. It will make nice lunches. It's good to be done with pureed food (of which I have ...