monday...no, tuesday

Forgot what day it was there for a minute. The weekend went fast and it took wild horses to get me out the door this morning.

On Monday, we took our annual road trip with the Hynes-McGraws. Here are Betty and I with a be-shorted and sun-glassed bear at the Bear's Den in Elysian. We look so scared, not because of the bear, but because of the bad food. They should change their grease, man. And maybe buy some fresh lettuce.

Here we are in front of the White Front Saloon in Montgomery which turned out to be the highlight of our trip. What a spanking clean and friendly place. They even had free hot dogs and the bartender made a special trip over to tell us to help ourselves. I'd had enough hog parts and sodium for the day so I passed, but Tom said they were good. Someone in that place is a sports fan because they had more memorabilia than you could shake a stick at. It was such a nice place that we agreed it would be worth a trip back there and not by way of the Bear's Den.

I made a new vegetable today. Swiss chard got rave reviews on the message board but I didn't think it would be something I would make again. It's sort of labor intensive for a leafy green thing. Little stick pieces of ginger, minced garlic, and all those green leafy things. Maybe they should have been smaller because they were bitter and icky tasting. I'll have to do a little culinary research. If you have experience with Swiss chard, leave a comment.

I took my bike out for the maiden voyage of 2010. I didn't ride it much last summer because once they started ripping into our streets right after the 4th of July it was every man for himself on the mean streets of St. Peter. It was frightening enough to be in a vehicle. I wasn't going out there with all my limbs exposed. It was pleasant riding around the neighborhood. Saw a couple people I hadn't seen all winter, saw a couple new dogs, saw a couple old easy chairs that had been left out in the storm today. Those babies are water-logged, let me tell you. That bike is a nice little cruising machine.

We had two inches of pounding rain today. I mean it looked like the inside of a car wash.

I'm trying to revise my exercise regimen so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night and go to bed at dinner time. I think a lot of people have very active lives after I have gone to sleep. I'll see how that goes. Next week, I might go to yoga on Tuesday nights. I think the evenings are more crowded and loud than in the early mornings at the Pulse. And you know how I am about stimulation. I don't like it.

I have a 40th class reunion in August. It's amazing, really, that I graduated from high school 40 years ago. It sure doesn't seem like that long ago in some ways. In other ways it seems like a galaxy far far away...you know how that goes. It's funny that you feel like such a dork when you're 16 and you grow into sort of a decent person and you think everyone will remember the dork you were but they don't. I only know that because I don't really remember the other dorks. Haha!

The other day, Regis and I went to HyVee to buy groceries. In front of the store, they had a rack of planters. The sign on the rack said this:

oval planters

rect planters

For some reason, this tickled me greatly. I suppose I could explain it more here but it would just sound stupid and it probably is. I read the sign out loud...oral planters and rectal planters...and laughed and laughed. Some days a guy has to make his own fun. Like I said, it was stupid.

I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. What happens is that it intrigues me for about five chapters, then I get bored and move on to something else. Consequently, I have many unfinished books. That would be ok, but it is getting irksome because I keep trying to go back and finish them. Maybe it isn't worth it. These authors should stick to magazine articles. I can finish those.

There you go. Happy June 1st.

the rest of the story

I searched for two days for my calendar. I had almost given up when I walked to the patio this morning and there it was on the lawn chair. I must have thrown it down in my haste to get to the housewarming party Thursday night. It spent two nights on the lawn chair and was right under the hinder of the baby bird in my previous post. So, I'm sure you can imagine. You know how much baby birds eat? Well, they pretty much poop all day. Cleaning that calendar up will be a project.

morning visitor

When I opened the front door this morning, this fat baby was sitting on the back of the lawn chair. He looked a little grumpy...probably waiting for mama to bring breakfast. I went out the back door so I didn't disturb him. I love his baby feathers sticking out on his head...they make him look kind of punk.

i don't think i ever name a blog post tuesday

So, this is a first.

We went to Mankato after school so I could get a hair cut. Patrick was a hoot as usual. He told me with great excitement that the Legendary Stardust Cowboy and the Fleshtones were coming to Mankato. Exclamation point. I said honey you missed it they were here Friday so that should be past tense as in they came to Mankato. He was seriously disappointed that he missed them. Ah, well. I told the stories.

Regis and I visited a new restaurant, the Plaza Garibaldi on Commerce Drive. I didn't like it as much I like Mazatlan but the food was good and the service was prompt and friendly. What the hell. That's about all you can ask. The skies were black when we came out so we made a beeline for home.

About halfway home on 169 there was a near pile-up of abut six cars when a white van veered to the left sending the rest of the cars behind it, one of them ours, it into tail spins. Turns out it was a muskrat carrying a baby across the highway that caused the panic. God bless that guy. I know it's a terribly dangerous thing to do but a man with an instinct to protect a mama and a baby, even a muskrat, has to be a nice guy.

We just watched some NOVA program about aliens and now we're watching a program about a megavolcano. These are not by bag, let me tell you. I don't even watch the news and haven't since OJ Simpson killed his wife. I realized then that the media was manipulative and pretty much drew your attention until the next catastrophe came along to get your attention. It colors the way you see the world and who needs that shit. I asked Regis if these disasters were in the future or the past. I can only say ARRGHHHG.

I woke up at 2:30 last night. When I tried to read myself back to sleep, my kindle battery was dead. Just one more thing on the list of why I don't like that device. I went back to sleep if you can call it that about 3 but woke up again at 4:00. It was a very short night and tomorrow should be Friday.

I wonder how many times a week PBS programs use the word cataclysm. Jesus.

I became fascinated a year ago with the Spanish idea of tapas. I started looking at small plates and tiny utensils and recipes for what they call small bites. After our experience at the Red Sky Lounge Friday, I started shopping again. Today in the mail, I got 16 small forks and a set of 4 small knives. I'm expecting a package with six appetizer plates. I think I sense a party in the making.

Well, the rest of this week ought to go fast. Holy hell will this year never end and that's not a question it's a damn declaration.

how did it get to be Monday so fast?

Hey, it's Bob Dylan's birthday today. They're having an All-Bob day on Shufflefunction...and they're waxing poetic about the Legendary Stardust Cowboy concert Friday night. They say it's a show that will go down in history. Maybe.

We had a nice weekend, a good mix of busy and lazy, but I swear those two days go by a lot faster than than two days during the week.

Saturday night we went downtown to hear a band that we'd been wanting to hear. Oh, man. We're either too old to appreciate that kind of music or they're just plain bad and trying to cover it up by being loud. We had to leave to find a quiet place where we could cower in the dark with our hands over our ears.

Last night we went down to Patrick's to put the finishing touches on a bus tour we're planning to the local vineyards. It sounds like it's going to be a fun day.

So far, we have no plans for the holiday weekend coming up. I told Regis I would take it easy as I'm usually the social director. He likes a little down time but he's a good sport about going wherever I want to go.

Going to the Pulse. Be back later...

My shoulders have recovered pretty well so I can do some work on them again. It's almost the one-year anniversary of my membership at the Pulse. It's been quite a ride, this getting healthier and stronger.

I know I say this a lot, but I could really use another day without work. My garden is suffering. I need to take care of some weeds, get some more mulch down, plant some things in pots, and get some tomatoes. Dang. It seems like this happens every year...I don't want to garden when it's cold and then all of a sudden it's hot.

Happy birthday to my friend Jill on Saturday.

an adventure to remember

Regis, Vickie, and I went to the Red Sky lounge at 6:00 to get a good table and have a bite to eat. The food was delicious and we had a lot of time to laugh and tell stories because the Legendary Stardust Cowboy didn't get to the stage until 9:30. We were about out of gas by that time. As soon as he started, people piled into the area in front of the stage so we almost had to stand on our bar stools to see him. Here are some pictures.

At one point, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy took off his shirt and whipped it around the stage. I think hence the name of his music genre, psychobilly. Well, the shirt, the lyrics, the shouting, and probably a lot of other things I am not musically sophisticated enough to recognize, I guess. We didn't see the whole show as the crowd, the loud music, and the late hours were starting to affect us in a negative way. We wandered back to the quiet streets of St. Peter to end the evening. It was a damn hoot.

waking up at the crack of dawn

For some reason, I have been waking up at the crack of dawn again. I'm talking 3:00 a.m. some days. It makes for a long day and I feel like I need a nap about 8. This is why people retire, I bet. I made coffee and I'm waiting to go to the Pulse. I'm glad, at least, that it's Friday.

We're going to the Red Sky Lounge tonight to see the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. I have to admit that our interest is, in part, the crowd. We want to know who the hell would go some place to listen to music like this. This dude invented the music genre called psychobilly. Hmmmm. Psychobilly. Well, you never know. You just never know. We figure it will be a happening and we like to be in on those.

I'm trying to reorganize my electronic life. I have too many devices and way too much paper and it is unmanageable. I'm investigating an iPad but I don't want that unless it can function as a phone, too. I don't figure I'm gaining much if I just have another thing to tote around. It would be helpful if my work computer and my home computer could be integrated but we apparently can't manage that in a technical way either.

I published this, then looked back and realized I had posted Peter's picture with the news about Regis and his dean's list. What the. Well, here is the picture anyway. It's a nice one.

Regis finished his semester at SCC and made the Dean's list again. I think they call it the Presdient's list there as they don't have deans. Or maybe they have deans but they don't keep the list. I don't know; it's early. That means, if he can cruise that linux (whatever that is) course in the fall, he'll get to wear a gold ribbon with his medallion at graduation. I like that. I'm already planning the celebration.

We have a busy weekend planned, beginning with tonight's festivities. I'll post about things as they transpire. One more five day week and then we're looking at the end of the school year. Hurray! Happy Friday!

Wednesday holy hell where is this week going?

Regis and I motored off to Rochester on Monday night. My annual appointments at Mayo were Tuesday and we decided to make it a vacation of our favorite variety...close to home and short. We were gone about 28 hours door to door. We had lunch at the Canadian Honker on Tuesday and when we came out, there it was, the icon from our youth: the Wienermobile. Amazing.

We had a wonderful time. When we got to Rochester and pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, I knew something was wrong. We wanted to stay at the same place we stayed last summer but this was a beaten down Comfort Inn. I looked over the hill and there it was, the very new Hampton Inn. We went down there and got a room, then called and canceled the reservation we didn't want.

Cousin Steve and daughter Catie picked us up shortly after and we went to the Redwood Room for dinner. What a fun place. Regis wants to move to Rochester just to hang out at that restaurant. We had a glass of wine and a wonderful pizza in a dark and mysterious bar. What else could you ask for in a night spot?

My appointments went well. I love the doctor who takes care of me at Mayo as he is a nutrition specialist. He's very personable and answers all my weird questions. He was pleased with my progress and we parted ways. I'll go back next year for another update visit.

We had all the kids over for dinner tonight. I had to work all day so Regis did the grocery buying and the house preparation and the cooking. Have you noticed that things sort of go to hell when you have little kids involved? They are hungry earlier than you plan on dinner being done and they and their stuff are under-foot, the little dears. They stumble toward the grill and everyone goes crazy. They take headers into the garden. Ah, well. It was great fun and we're glad they're gone.

How is it that tomorrow is only Thursday? I had a day off this week, for God's sake. Time to call the TRA consultants. I want to be the Avon lady in New Sweden.

Norwegian Independence Day and cussing

Tomorrow is Norwegian Independence Day, or Syttende Mai. In its honor, I am only going to cuss in Norwegian for the day. I remember, as a child, quizzing my mom about how to swear in Norwegian and she passed on a few nuggets. If you're sensitive about swearing, don't watch the youtube video below. I don't know why anyone would be, however. When I studied linguistics in college, I had a professor (Harry Foster)who used to rant about how swear words were just words and a good dictionary should contain them. It was a way to tell a good dictionary from a mediocre one, he said. I don't cuss at school board meetings or in church, but a good F bomb can be like a balm some days. It's not good to have crap in your head and a good cuss will help scare away those skeletons. So, here you go. Happy Norwegian Independence Day tomorrow. Lutefisk and lefse!

sunday morning and graduation

I thought I had posted about Peter's graduation but I didn't. I get mixed up about which social media I am engaged in, apparently. I know I posted the photo on Facebook.

Graduation was very nice. I was happy that Peter agreed to participate and I think even he enjoyed it. It's uplifting to hear all those people talk about a guy's wonderful accomplishment in graduating from college. I started weeping when I saw Peter's name in the program and wept through the processional. It was very, very sweet.

Regis and I are having coffee at the dining table, which in our house, is in the living room. I don't care so much for the traditional arrangement of furniture and if I could I would move the bed in here, too. What I like is the big window. We usually sit in the dining room which is where the love seat and easy chair are, but we want to watch the birds.

We made a trip to Pet Expo yesterday and stocked up on bird food. Word is spreading around the neighborhood among the birds..bountiful feast at our house...safflower seeds, sunflower seeds, peanut parts, grape jelly. We've had a female cardinal, lots of finches, and a few robins, so far. We're waiting for grosbeaks and orioles. The juvenile delinquents of the bird world, grackles, are being pigs and making a mess.

We cooked steak and salmon on the grill last night. The new spices from Penzey's were great as a rub on the steaks. I cut sweet potatoes into little chunks and tossed them in some olive oil with salt and pepper. Regis grilled them in a saute pan and they were delicious. Roasted vegetables are so much better than plain old boiled or baked vegetables. Cauliflower is one of our favorites.

 I'm looking over the garden and thinking about what to keep and what to discard. I've had Joe Pye weed for years and loved it, but I think I want it out of there now. My garden isn't big enough for these huge plants. If anybody reading this wants it, let me know. It would look great along a fence or on the back of the yard. It needs to be moved quickly, though, or it will get too big. It's probably five to six feet tall by mid-summer and the monarch butterflies love it.

I'd like to put more hostas in my garden. We have so much shade now and I love the variegated leaves of some varieties.

There is a squirrel digging furiously under the apple tree. He has three holes started and he's up to his shoulders in one. He must have buried a nut there last fall and can't remember where it is. Must be a frustrating way to get one's food. Of course, he spends a little time in my bird feeders and that's not much work for him.

Regis and I are heading to Rochester tomorrow for my annual check-up at Mayo. We decided to make it a little vacation so we're going down after school and staying in a motel. We'll meet Steve and Sherry at the Redwood Room for dinner and spend Tuesday morning lazing around before my appointments. 

There's an oriole hovering in the yard, trying to get to the feeder. The robins are territorial and nobody wants to fight with the grackles.

Another photo from graduation night. Tiffany brought Elliot to graduation and he wasn't exactly happy to be there. What do babies care about stuff like that? It was nice to have them both there, though.

I'm going to stop writing now and get up and do some things. I'd like to spend some time on the patio in the warm part of the afternoon. 

Happy Sunday!

new cooking adventures

Regis bought banana peppers today instead of min-sweet peppers but we have a plan for the banana peppers now. These little beauties are stuffed with a mixture of cheese and chorizo sausage. Here's the recipe:

Grilled Stuffed Peppers
18 plump, short peppers to fit the roasting rack as best as possible
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T white wine vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 T chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

• Cut tops from peppers and hollow out interiors removing membranes and seeds.
• In a small bowl, whisk together minced garlic and vinegar, slowly add olive oil while whisking, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place hollowed peppers in a glass bowl and pour marinade over them and refrigerate for two hours; to evenly distribute. 
• Stir peppers and marinade twice during the two hours.
• In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove one pepper at a time from marinade and let excess oil drip back into bowl; fill each pepper using a butter knife; start by placing a small amount of stuffing all the way at the bottom of the hollowed space and then continue adding until the filling reaches the top.
• Place filled peppers in the roasting rack and replace reserved tops on the peppers.
• Grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes; turn rack; check for doneness after another eight minutes. Peppers should be blistered and softened and the filling should be oozing and melty.

On another food note, the chicken was so delicious that I licked my fingers. A lot. I licked my fingers a lot. I will make that recipe again and a bonus: it was so easy. If you're sodium sensitive, it might not be the best for your health, but for the rest of us...yummmm.


This is the kind of weather that drives people into little dark bars with juke boxes that play old time country music.


Congratulations to Kris and Gus on their new grandbaby Sadie Kristine.


Get well to Mom's friend Ione. I finally got her card in the mail today.


Happy birthday to Betty back on April 25. 


Congratulations to my teacher friends who are retiring. I'm jealous.


See? Every day is something to celebrate.

Regis is watching some nasty history channel thing about WWII. As if the current news isn't bad enough, we have to review the bad shit that happened in the past? The only way I can tolerate it is to pretend that it's fiction which I wouldn't read anyway since it's about war.


I have a really bad sarcastic streak today. I'm not even going to burden anyone with it because I know...I know...that most people take the things I'm sarcastic about much more seriously than I do. I should start a blog and not give anyone the url. Hahahaha. There's an idea for you.


If a guy just keeps writing, it's amazing the crap that eventually comes out. And I mean crap.


Last year, I planted cilantro (not much of a segue there, eh?) but it died mid-summer. I think it was too cold. This summer isn't looking so good for cilantro either but I'm going to plant some anyway. We love it in Mexican cooking but the stuff you buy in the store is sort of pitiful looking and doesn't last long.


When the kids were over on Sunday, they were talking about and sharing their newest technology. I still don't really get apps but Bob had his thing read a paragraph of my blog in several different accents. We liked the British man best. Weird.


Ok. Really, I am stopping now.

cold and rainy but an overall sweet day

I made a roasted chicken for dinner. When I looked back at the recipe, I saw it was called Mon Poulet Roti. Isn't that a nice name for chicken?

We had a glass of Morgan Creek's Redtail Ridge with it. Such a nice red wine for a cold day and it brought back nice memories of our trips to the vineyard.

I ordered Ted Kooser's new book called Lights on a Ground of Darkness and it came in the mail today. It isn't poetry but his family stories. I'm anxious to read it.

Peter brought his graduation gown in to be ironed. His reception and ceremony are tomorrow night. He's being such a good sport about going to all of it.

Off to pick up the left-overs and dirty dishes. More later...or tomorrow.

my writing took a hit last week

The Herald chopped three paragraphs off my guest column but they started the hack job right in the middle of a sentence. I finally contacted the editor and asked if they could run a correction. He apologized and said they would. I've shamelessly carried copies around for a couple weeks since it first ran but that was getting old.

I took a short nap after work today. It's so cold and dark and gloomy outside that I couldn't help myself. If you aren't a napper, you don't know the pleasure of crawling into bed when it's still light outside to read for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep. I think I could have slept all night.

The city came and picked up our excess sticks and garden waste today. I had quite a pile out there on Saturday and by gosh, yesterday, it disappeared. Every single stick. Like aliens had vacuumed them up from the mother ship. What the hell.

We had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. The off-spring showed up about 2:30 and stayed until about 8:30, with lots of laughing and story telling in the middle. Regis made great ribs although Ella pronounced them a little too spicy. We had lots of roasted vegetables and Italian country bread. Holy cow, those kids love that bread. I think they'd eat it for dessert. Regis was distracted by the grilling and didn't take any pictures.

Today and tomorrow I'm participating in an audit of our special education files. It is mind-numbing work looking for dates and phrases and little piddly-ass details. It's not the kind of work in which a person like me should engage. MDE used to send teams of experts around to do this but since they have no money, they make people like me do it. I'm not overly concerned about my inadequacy though as we were monitored five years ago and have yet to receive the report. I figure I'll be long gone before this one ever hits the desk. Does this indicate a bad attitude or a realistic view of the world?

I'm reading the book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. It's really a good book but I have to read it carefully so I can remember things because there are a lot of details and you know how I am with that. See paragraph above in case you've forgotten. I think this could get to be like the time I read Oranges and bored my friends and family for years with information about oranges.

Regis is trying to decide if he wants to see Iron Man II tomorrow night with me. He wants to see it but I have a negative reputation when it comes to action movies. He thinks that it might be like Saving Private Ryan and I'll spend the first third of the movie under the seat sobbing. I don't think it could be quite that bad. He tends to exaggerate. I'm willing to go because he's a good sport about going to things with me but I can sense his hesitation.

I saw some really bad writing today. One teacher (???) had written: Jennifer is not sure about the future like what does she want to do after high school? What the hell. Assault on the eyes.

sunday morning

I woke up at 4:30 this morning and decided to get up and start the day. It's 32 degrees outside this morning so I'm glad I brought in the blooms from the fern-leaf peony. I had some coffee and a piece of toast with peanut butter, then spent some time writing. If I could find a way to make money doing this.

I've been puttering around the kitchen since I got up. I have a couple big loaves of bread in the oven, a trifle chilling in the refrigerator, and the vegetables cut up for roasting. Regis has the rub on the ribs. I think we're set.

My favorite part of serving dinner is deciding on the serving dishes. I have all my big plates and platters piled up on the counter and I'll sort through them as the day goes on. I have a couple interesting dishes to use for the pico and the guacamole. I wish I had a big salad bowl. I see a shopping trip in my future. Just what I need...more dishes.

Too bad it's so dang cold out this morning. It would be nice to sit on the patio and smell the grill smoke. You'd have to wrap up in one of the snuggy things to survive out there today. Accuweather says it's 43 degrees right now which is winter weather. I have to work at the community center tomorrow and it's always cold in there. Better get out the winter clothes.

I seem to be done working for the day.

ah, saturday

We're having a lovely weekend. We made a trip by the watering hole last night and talked to lots of people. Nice way to start a weekend. We're trying to organize a trip in late June to the two vineyards in the area and maybe an end-of-day trip to Cambria to the burger joint. There's a big green bus that might be available and Al just got his license so he needs the practice.

Yesterday, we went to Ella's last day of pre-school program. Here are a few pictures:

Ella and her best pal.

Ella and her mom.

Performing girls!

Tomorrow, the off-spring and their families are coming for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day. Amber and Emily both have to work which seems unfair. If there are ribs left at the end of the feast, we'll send some home for them. I'm making roasted red potatoes, roasted cauliflower (our current favorite), and a triple berry trifle. Regis is making his famous ribs at Ella's request.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom. I've published this poem for her before, but I think it's a good one for the day.

What She Taught Me

by Teresa

For Mom

She taught me knitting, sewing, Teeny Tiny,

and reading every night before you go

to bed. She taught me how to make things for

people you love. She taught me how to make

stuffing by letting the butter and chopped onions sit

on the stovetop overnight. She taught me how to

make spaghetti from scratch

and that leftovers make a good meal and that pets,

even messy ones who come through the screen door

during thunderstorms, are part of the family.

She taught me that it’s more important to bake

fresh cookies or to read a book than

have a clean house. She taught me that having piles

of books around your house is decorating and that wearing

a flannel nightgown until noon doesn’t mean you’re

lazy. She taught me that you invite people over

if you’re lonely. She taught me how to always

believe you can fix it yourself and to keep on learning

and that when you go on vacation you should

stay with relatives. She taught me that cookbooks make good

reading and if you don’t have what it calls

for, you use something else. She taught me that hunting

down a good deal and taking a long nap in the afternoon is

the only exercise you ever really need in life.

When my dad died, her husband of more than fifty years, she

taught me that you cry but you go on. You go on living. You keep

the ashes in the window sill, you tell stories about the memories

and you laugh and you cry. But you keep on living.

Hmmm. This isn't looking quite right when I try to go from html edit back to compose. I'm going to keep going and hope for the best.

I went to the coop to buy berries for the trifle. It was pretty quiet there this afternoon which is nice since I have a low tolerance for crowds. I like to buy organic berries but they're more expensive. I like to buy meat there, too, especially since seeing Food, Inc. Don't watch that movie if you don't want to change the way you eat.

I picked up sticks from the birch tree this morning. It was so cold I had to come in before I was done but holy crap, there are a lot of sticks. I think this tree sheds some sticks every spring but with the high winds of the last week, they all came down at once. The city will come around this week and pick up any yard waste that you've piled up along the curb so we don't have to pack them in the trunk and haul them to the compost site.

I had a couple copies of my guest column in my purse last night so when the guys on geezer's row at Patrick's said they had read it but missed the last three paragraphs, ta da...I could supply them. Regis thinks I'm shameless and I probably am.

Just an observation on robins. When I was driving to the Pulse this morning, I noticed that they run back and forth on their tiny legs to cross the street. What's up with that? Wouldn't it be safer and faster to fly? I wonder if the eggs they're making are weighing them down because they don's seem to run so much later in the summer. I googled this but had no luck coming up with an answer.

A man joined us at our table last night and before he even said hello or took off his jacket, he launched into a joke. Then another joke. Then another joke. What the hell. I have a low tolerance for jokes. I can enjoy one now and then, but I think there just could be more to social intercourse than constant Little Johnny jokes. Arrghghghg. I had to get up and scope out another place to sit. Anybody else feel like this or am I the crazy one?

I have a new recipe for a thin crust pizza I'm trying out tonight.

Update on the menu for this evening. Decided to go with fresh pico de gallo and a guacamole dip instead of pizza. Might bake some nachos, too. We should have some company for this meal.

rainy thursday

We had a grand time last night. We went to the Donahower House for a Firefly Theater performance. Our neighbor Mike brings in comedians from around the country and last night we saw Paul Strickland. Very funny guy who is more storyteller than one-line comic. When I complimented him on three exquisite lines in one of his stories, he actually went upstairs and brought back his "script" of the show so I could find them.

Patrick's served wine and margaritas and tacos. I sat in an antique chair that looked like a throne. The minutes I spotted it, I knew it was mine. We met so many nice people during the evening...a woman who helped me with our medical insurance dilemma, a young man who details cars, and a wood floor guy who wants Regis to help with his website. It was a bonanza, I tell you.

We stopped at Patrick's on the way home because there was a nice bus parked in front and I had the notion it might be Willie Nelson's bus. It was not Willie Nelson, but a busload of drunken nursing students who are graduating. They were cutting a rug, believe me.

Because we were gone on Cinco de Mayo, I made a Mexican dip tonight for dinner. The men at the table pronounced it delicious and devoured most of it. I like it when my cooking is appreciated.

There's a poetry slam tonight that I would really like to attend but I've been gone two nights in a row and I think that's my limit.

I worked hard today helping teachers fight their way through the blizzard of paperwork required to provide special education. It's a good thing we get rich doing this because otherwise these nice people would find another way to make a living.

It's been cold this week and I've had to dig out the sweaters again. Three layers today. Man, some sun would be nice.

Happy Friday tomorrow! But WTF is up with the 45 degrees?????

a case for celebrating

Regis and I left the house about 2:00 yesterday and made a road trip west. We made our way (no thanks to the GPS) to Morgan Creek where they were celebrating the start of the wine season. Even though it was cool and windy, by the time we got into the ravine and sat in the shelter of the main building, it was beautiful and we enjoyed the setting. Ben Marti played some accordion, there was a fire in the pit, we had some good wine with friends, and we had some laughs. All good for the senses.

Note re: the pictures. They were giving away the straw hats with a purchase. Good thing they didn't award a hat for each glass of wine. Ha!

Next stop was the Grand Kabaret in New Ulm. Lovely place with some bad music. It might have been good jazz but it wasn't my style and resonated more like elevator music which starts to feel like a pin in the eye after a while. Note that this might be my unsophisticated taste in music and have nothing to do with the actual quality of the music. The food was great. Regis and Ron had morel mushroom soup and we ordered a cheese plate, a bowl of olives, and a German plate with cheese sausage. It was a perfect meal.

Next stop was George's Fine Steaks and Spirits in New Ulm. We had spirits but will go back for a fine steak in the future. It was a friendly place. We met George and sat by Bob at the bar who told us about the merits of New Ulm.

At the end of the night, we agreed that we feel lucky that we don't feel compelled to get up on a beautiful, sunny May 1st Saturday and start weed whacking or washing windows. There is not enough time in life to enjoy a holiday like yesterday. We're making plans already to repeat this trip. It was a feast from start to finish.

random moments

Regis went shopping for groceries this morning as he does most Monday mornings. When he got home, he sent this message:

The Secretary General of the United Nations just called. They did a quick webcam survey of our refrigerated food stocks and has concluded that:

1. We have enough food to feed an entire Vietnamese village for 3 weeks.
2.  In the event of Nuclear war and we were cut off we would have enough stuff to live comfortable for 16 weeks; 4 if Peter is here.
3.  The Saint Peter food shelf could supply the needy for 90 days.

All-in-all somewhat disturbing in a family where the kid is only around sporadically, the wife doesn't eat, and the old man is trying to lose weight.  

We had pizza from the Cheese Shoppe in LeSueur last night. Tiffany, Elliot, and I drove over there yesterday afternoon. Elliot had his first experience with an automatic door and he was fascinated. He must have gone in and out a hundred times while we waited for the pizza to be constructed.

Here he is making his funny squinty-eyed face. I laugh when he does it so consequently, every time I point the camera at him, he does it. Babies are so predictable. And so cute.

Am I the only one on the planet who is frequently overwhelmed with things I have left undone? Birthdays I have missed? Sympathy cards I should have sent? Friends I should have called?

I felt great all day because for the first time in weeks, my shoulders don't hurt. I worked out with Rachel this morning and she took it easy on my upper body but showed me some stretching exercises. Oh man. Right away they felt better. When I ran, I heard a click click click like someone finally pushed them into the right spots. What a relief.

Hey, that Cheese Shoppe has a wide array of great cheese but also lots of interesting snack things like chipotle sweet potato crackers. It's worth a trip over there especially if you have out-of-town company. Schmidt's Meat Market in one direction and the Cheese Shoppe in the other.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect chicken nugget since Patrick's had what they called boneless wings last fall. I loved them because they were nice chunks of white meat with a very light breading. Then they stopped carrying them. I've tried and tried to make something like it and finally stumbled onto a recipe that works...parmesan chicken nuggets. The chunks of breast meat are rolled in egg, dipped in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and drizzled with butter. They're roasted at 450 for 15 minutes. Delicious.

I'm ready to go to bed and it's only 7:15. I hate going to bed when it's light out although I do it frequently in the summer. Last night I went to bed at 7 but I did make it through the Creative Nonfiction journal before I conked out and went to sleep.

Mom's friend Ione had surgery a week ago, then developed a very scary pulmonary embolism. She was helicoptered to Sioux Falls on Sunday. I called mom today and Ione is out of ICU and doing much better. So glad to hear it.

Bad week on Minnesota roads for teenagers, too. I don't watch the news and this is why. You always hear stuff you wish you hadn't heard. Tell your kids not to drink and drive, not to text and drive, not to fool around and drive. Sad and scary and tragic for their families.

Well, there you go. My thoughts for the day. On to another week...the last one of April.

ode to spring

Regis took these beautiful pictures of our apple tree yesterday. It seems early for them to be blooming, and the lilacs are not far behind, but we love it. We sat on the patio the other night and soaked in the view. The redbud tree is read to burst into bloom, too.

We looked back at pictures we took of these trees when they were first planted, right after the tornado. They were only six feet tall and very spindly. Now they give good shade and gorgeous flowers.

The piece I posted the other day about exercise and the marathon will be published as the guest column in our local paper next week. The editor was very complimentary of my writing and said not to change a word. My husband, on the other hand, had some suggestions. Ha! Now I have to submit a mug shot.

We have a quiet weekend planned. It's raining hard here right now so that will preclude any outdoor work. I'm glad for that. I don't understand why the minute the weather gets nice, people rush outside and grab their rakes and hoes. Can't we just enjoy a few days before we go to work? I should move to a warmer climate where the pace is slower.

We're probably in the minority but we haven't mowed our grass yet, we haven't raked the grass, and we haven't planted anything. We have done these things: sat and watched the trees bloom, meandered around the yard to see what's growing, watched the chickadees and finches at the feeders.

There are a lot of things I don't do: laundry (Regis does it), car maintenance (Regis does it), buy groceries (Regis does it), clean my house (Jan does it), paint (Don Foster does it). I have parties, I cook, I plan meals, I keep us organized. There you go. I'm lucky to have the husband I have.

I'm taking care of Betty's cat, Bonita, today. She is not a friendly cat, at least to me, so I'll just go up and leave some food for her. She may not even come out while I'm there. I used to like cats, and I like Marie's cat Nick when I go to get my taxes done, but other cats I know are kind of creepy. They always look like they're up to something.

My cousin Deb recently visited our friend Maura in Florida. This is a picture she took of Maura's house, called Dragonfly Cottage. Isn't is the cutest thing you've ever seen? I love the pink picket fence. I wish people here were more imaginative about their colors. Sometimes you'll see a house with bright colors but it's sort of frowned upon. We tend more toward the taupe end of the color spectrum. Ella would love a house like this so Bob and Emily, I think you should consider some new siding.

I got an early Mother's Day present, an iPod nano. It's the red one. Regis ordered it from Apple and it was delivered from China in less than 30 hours. Amazing. It's a teensy little thing but has 16 gigs of memory, a video camera, and a pedometer. Also amazing. I copied my entire iTunes library (including a hundred podcasts) into it and have lots of room left. How many words in this paragraph were not even in the language ten years ago?

I hear thunder...and birds singing.

I told Regis I would take him out for dinner tonight to celebrate the almost end of his semester. He's been chained to his desk for a week as he finishes his big projects. I'll have him write a guest post when he's done, describing what he did, because I don't know. Something about networks and firewalls and pings. I think. Not sure where we'll go. I think Mazatlan won in the straw poll we did last night which means we have to go reasonably early or it will be crazy busy. Mexican seafood...my favorite.

I won't go into too many medical details here but I went to see my doctor yesterday. I've had sore joints and muscles since I had strep throat and yesterday a friend of mine suggested I might have reactive arthritis. That is the danger of the internet. Someone suggests a disease that only 30 out of 10,000 people get, you read the symptoms, and you are convinced you have it. I've had the same doctor for ten years so when I ask if she wants to hear my diagnosis, she laughs and says, "Of course." She doesn't think I do have it and she thinks my symptoms will eventually go away. A conservative course of treatment. I like that.

I'm going to exercise this morning, then pick up the house a bit, take out recycling, go through the week's mail, do the dishes, sort through my clothes, and take a nap. There you go. Happy Saturday and happy spring!

thoughts about exercise and the Boston Marathon

I was at work on Monday, the day of the Boston Marathon, but I was distracted, for the first time in my life, by an athletic event.

Rachel More, my trainer, and Kristie Boyer, a fellow teacher, were running in the marathon. I knew this was going to mean something to me because I admire them both, and the group they run with, so much. When I come in the door of the Pulse on frosty January mornings, they are often going out the door to run outside. They return an hour later, frost covered, to drink water, stretch, and share stories.

I don’t know what the stories are about as I have always felt outside the circle of athletes. I grew up in the 50s and 60s when the chances for women to be active were few. I belonged to the Girl’s Athletic Association that met once a month and played games like deck tennis and ping pong. There were no girl’s sports in my schools. I played outside with my brothers but I never felt like real athletic pursuits were for me.

I have exercised for very brief periods of time in my life but never long and never very strenuously. It was something I did in an attempt to lose weight. Exercise never had any value on its own.

In the past two years, starting when I was 57 years old, I started to exercise. I began with swimming every morning at 5 a.m. in a local hotel’s pool where it was dark, quiet, and warm. I didn’t do any extreme swimming but paddled back and forth across the pool for an hour. It almost killed me when I started but I kept at it until April when I started to feel like I needed something else. Something harder and faster.

I signed up for a year’s membership at the Pulse and for weekly personal training sessions with Rachel. At first my goals were things like trying to walk on the treadmill without having a death grip on the side rails. I was uncoordinated and very slow. Walking on the treadmill at 3.5 miles per hour for ten minutes was difficult. I was lifting three and five pound weights.

Gradually, I got better at things. I could walk for 30 then 45 minutes, no hands! I walked in the 5K Halloween Fun Run and even ran a little. I walked in the Jingle Bell Jam in December and felt that surge of competition; I didn’t want people passing me so I would run until I got ahead enough that they couldn’t.

In February, I ran for three miles and decided that I wanted to train and register for a 5K every month of the summer starting in May. Now, I can lift eight and ten pounds weights easily. I can walk not only three, but four or five miles without being winded. I feel fit and strong and healthy. Today, I’m wearing a t-shirt I earned for jumping rope for seven minutes after I ran for thirty minutes. I’m still not all that interested in competition but I like knowing what my body can do.

I’ve wondered how this all adds up to my emotional fascination with the Boston Marathon. I almost cried when I said good-bye and wished Rachel and Kristie luck. All morning on Monday, I watched their progress and sent my husband emails where I pasted the results for each kilometer from the Boston Athletic Association’s website. Ask my friends, but believe me: I have talked about the Boston Marathon a lot in the last few weeks.

I wish I could think of a way to thank them; for being such wonderful role models to so many young women and a few old ones like me; for being such an inspiration by their commitment to running; for pointing out the possibilities to those of us who spent too many years not taking care of ourselves. What they’ve done is amazing and I want them to know that I think so.

what happens to this kind of joy in our lives?

it should be saturday every day

It's been such a nice day. I got up early and went out to the garden to start cleaning up. Regis did a good job a year ago and I put a lot of mulch down last summer so it was easy today. I didn't rake out all the leaves, thinking they can compost and help the soil. I picked up three huge bags of sticks and dead stuff and pulled a few of the early weeds.

Regis took this picture of me working since I so seldom do. Haha. What a comedian.

There are a dozen tulip bulbs and one lone flower.

The bottom picture is a fern leaf peony that I've had for years. It came from Mom's garden. It didn't bloom for a long time and I've moved it three times trying to find a place it liked better. Three years ago, we had one flower, then last year we had three. This year there are six buds so if the rabbits don't get it, we'll have gorgeous peonies in a few weeks.

We picked Ella up and went to hear Lehto and Wright in Mankato. It was interesting (and ironic) hearing them sing Handsome Johnny in the Morson Ario with the big wall mural of the flag raising at Iwo Jima behind them. It's a powerful song and always gives me goosebumps.

We went to Papageorge for dinner. Regis had Greek shrimp and I had sea scallops. Like where else would they come from? The food there is delicious. Ella had chicken strips and signed her menu. She said it was her contract and she had to take it home.

I had to publish this post and close Firefox to discover why a commercial for Walmart sheets kept playing some very annoying music. It was a damn pop-up window from hell.

Regis showed me an iPod today that you can wear on your arm and if you have the right Nike shoes, they will transmit mileage information to your iPod. It also has a video camera, an FM radio, and a 16 GB hard drive that will hold 4,000 songs. If they could only figure out how to integrate my laptop, my kindle, my cell phone, and my iPod. That is a gadget I would buy.

We're watching To Catch a Thief, the Alfred Hitchcock movie with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. I know Cary Grant was considered hot in his day but he looks sort of long in the tooth for the young women with whom he is paired. He looks like an aging pervert. Hahahaaha. I don't really get it because I'm not paying attention. I don't multi-task very well when it comes to movies.

Here's another little weird piece of technology. Rachel, my trainer at the Pulse, is running in the Boston Marathon. I don't really know why, but it makes me emotional to talk about it with her. I got weepy when I said good-bye and wished her luck on Friday. I was able to send a text to someone (???) and was registered for updates on her progress to be sent to my cell phone.

The fastest woman in the Boston Marathon will finish in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I cannot imagine it. It would take me three days and two motels. Seriously. Running 13 miles an hour? One time I ran three miles. Most days I can run 11 mph for a minute or two. It's beyond my comprehension. This year there will be 26,000 runners and a record 11,316 women runners!

Well, that's enough for today.

runnin' through jello

I didn't sleep well last night. Had a busy day at work with lots of things on the list of things to do. They were all running through my mind all night like little ants. I woke up a lot and tossed and turned when I wasn't awake. The alarm went off at 4 and I slammed it off and rolled over to go back to sleep. All day, I felt muddy and bleary eyed.

We went down to Patrick's for a glass of wine because Regis had to do a project for school that had something to do with a firewall and pings and some green chart of the router. I think that's how it went anyway. That didn't take long so we came home, ate some enchilada casserole out of the freezer and watched a Crosby Stills and Nash concert from Netflix. What a night.

I could hardly keep my eyes open but managed somehow. CSN looked a little rough by the 1990s...mullets and beer bellies and really bad fashion. It was the 90s but really.

I know this is whining but my back and shoulders have been very sore since I had strep throat. I've been going to the chiropractor for muscle stimulation, manipulation, and other mysterious things. I felt much better today but I'm nervous about going back to my workouts. Monday I could hardly lift my arms to get dressed. That's a bit of a handicap.

My garden is a mess. The compulsive neighbors have cleaned everything up in their yards and that only makes mine look worse. Holy crap. The city isn't even picking up yard waste until mid-May, what is the bloomin' rush?

I read in the paper that the St. Cloud superintendent resigned. He's 49 years old and must have had experience. I don't know if there is more to the story but the paper said he was worn down by the politics in education. Sad. Our governor wants to put unlicensed people in classrooms to teach when you can't cut hair or give a manicure without a license. I've been ranting about this for days and I'm tired. I can understand the guy getting worn down by this silly shit. Really.

Happy Birthday to Peter!

Happy 23rd Birthday to Peter!

spring weekend

Yesterday we went down to Reg and Amber's house to help plant the tree we gave them for a housewarming gift. It's a Minnesota river birch like the one we have in our yard. It's a beautiful tree and should give them some shade in not too many years. It was Amber's birthday so they cooked some burgers on the grill once the tree was in the ground.

The sun felt great in the afternoon so I sat on the patio for a while. I almost slept but the mail carrier delivered the junk mail just as I closed my eyes. Yeah, it would hurt a lot to give up Saturday delivery.

We made a new recipe for chicken bites last night. They were kind of messy to make but tasty. I ate mine with Tabasco since I've had a hankering for wings. Patrick's doesn't have the boneless wings on the menu regularly although I'm thinking maybe I could convince them to keep a bag in the back of the freezer for me. They're lightly breaded and that's what I like...not all the dough. Regis made a nice balsamic vinaigrette for the salad we had with the chicken. Delicious.

I have cookbooks piled around me again today. We're making the transition from winter food to summer food so some meals require grilling. I bought a couple vegetable grilling cookbooks since we bought a share of the Living Land Farm. Tonight we're making scallops on the grill and a small steak.

Peter will be 23 on Tuesday so we're taking him out for dinner. He wanted to go to Red Lobster but yuck. Fast food fish. I might try to change his mind.

The birds are back to our feeder. Yesterday I saw gold finches all over the tube feeder. They're still sort of dirty yellow but it's nice to see them back. We have had a small flock of red-winged blackbirds in our yard the last few years. They must be on their way through to somewhere else because they don't stay long. They have a call that sounds like a cell phone ring. There are also lots of robins and mourning doves.

 Today, I'll put out the grape jelly hoping we can attract some orioles. Last year, they were fussy about jelly. Mom says her orioles will eat anything but maybe our neighbor uses a better quality jelly, giving our birds options. Why eat jelly from the dollar store when you can eat Welch's?

hey look at this

These leaves popped out on our tree in the front yard on Monday. Regis was so kind to go out with the camera and document it for me and I was so lazy that it took me until today to post the photo. So nice to see green leaves after six months.

I went to yogalates this morning and my butt is dragging tonight. Yogalates is designed to strengthen both the mind and the body through the combination of poses and exercises. I liked it because it helped me work on flexibility, strength, and balance. The room was dark and the music wasn't tool loud...and no sudden movements. My legs and arms are stinkin' tired tonight, though.

Tomorrow, I go back to the chiropractor. She's a young woman and very stout and strong. She digs her fingers into my back muscles and it's heaven. Like a massage.

Having a little trouble with the thought train tonight. It's been a long week...well, two days...at work.

Last night we watched the blue-ray version of Up on our big television. I am sure now that I could never watch a movie if Regis wasn't home. It took a minimum of three remote controls and more settings than I could count. When I was a kid we had to walk all the way to the tv to change the channel. Hahaahah. I didn't make that up but it's funny.

A weekend with no plans coming up and can't wait. I'm going to sit on the patio, read my book, take a nap, and watch the garden. It's not doing much yet but every time I walk around and bend over real close, I see things poking up through the leaves. Ah, spring.

ham

The ham was delicious.

not much left

The bread is gone. There is a little bit of a ten pound ham left and some of the berry trifle dessert. The rest of the food has been parsed out in tiny bags to the guests who didn't leave until 7:30. Amazing party. We ate at 1:00, sat and gabbed and giggled, ate again, gabbed some more, ate some more, the kids took naps, and we made one final round-up on the food...and it was over. Wow.

another holiday

I got up early this morning to get my bread in the oven. It suffered a little from the cool temperature in the house overnight but it came back to life and it's just beautiful. I love making that bread. It's called Italian country bread and it takes a couple days to make it because you start with a sponge, then let it rise overnight. It makes a gorgeous loaf. I'll post a picture later.

I'm drinking coffee out of Aunt Vi's little tea cup this morning. It has lilies of the valley on it so I thought it was appropriate for Easter.

I made a trifle with four kinds of fresh berries. It's probably a little bit of a risk because I used a nice creamy yogurt instead of that chemical laden pudding which is always popular. It also isn't chocolate. We'll see how it goes over. I tried to whip some cream to put on top but the dang stuff just wouldn't stiffen up. Wonder what's up with that. It's really pretty, too.

More later...more pictures...more stories...more more more.

Happy Easter!

more spring

I went to the garden center today. Just as I drove down the street, a big ass wind came up and blew dirt all over the place and brought in a ton of hard rain. It wasn't a good day to shop the outside plants but I had a good time looking at the indoor plants...that will eventually go outside. I love that place and think, if it weren't for the mice, I could live there.

I woke up at 3:30 this morning so it's been a nice long day and I feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of a vacation day. I went to the Pulse early and did my fast 30 minute run/walk. I'm just getting back on the horse after suffering with strep for a week so that's all I did. Tomorrow I'll add weights and then I should be back to business as usual by Monday.

Regis and did our errands early. We were out of the HyVee before it was light this morning, then went to Perkins for a little breakfast. I remembered a few things I wanted at Target...a strainer since Ella used the old one I had as a hair brush last weekend. It was time to replace it anyway so it was no big loss. I bought some spring candles, a few pieces of summer clothing, and some pot holders. It's amazing what a guy needs when he sees it at Target.

That's a viola in the picture. It was my free seasonal gift for having a softball coupon. I wanted to buy pansies but with the rain and wind, I decided there were better days ahead for that.

I think the Howard Fritsch Memorial Rosemary tree can go outside soon. There are daffodils blooming in the garden today. I love spring.

I bought an Easter egg coloring kit. I tried to interest Regis, then Peter, in helping me color eggs to no avail. I like to color eggs but I'm a purist...no mixing colors. This is from years of coloring eggs with four brothers who dipped their eggs in one color after another until they were all brown. I looked up the directions for boiling eggs online (I know...) and the safety precautions almost turn you off to doing it. Holy crap. I think we left ours on the table for a week when I was a kid. Didn't we, Mom? Maybe Ella can come and decorate eggs with her Nana.

officially spring

It's officially spring when you have a glass of wine on the patio. I came home Thursday and Regis had set up the table and chairs and chilled a bottle of wine. Here I am...first sip of the season. It was a gorgeous day but not as warm as they (whoever they are) predicted. Yesterday was even better but we were out and about instead of sitting on the patio. They (again) say rain for today and the weekend will be cooler. The flowers will appreciate that.

I made some last minute changes to my Easter menu. No matter how many kids beg for it, I can't bring myself to make a salad that calls for Mountain Dew. Tiffany said it looks like phlegm which also didn't help my feelings for it. So, now we're making Paula Deen's cranberry and pineapple salad. Also subbed green beans with bacon for asparagus. I think that will go over better.

On my way to the Pulse to work out. Then to the grocery store and Target although I can't remember what I wanted to go to Target for anymore.

More later, no doubt.