coffee cups

I have a coffee cup wardrobe. Regis says it's a coffee cup collection but since I choose the cup I want to drink from depending on mood, time of day, and beverage...I think wardrobe fits.

This is one of Grandma Elsie's fancy teacups. I have it at work for the times I want something delicate for my coffee. I am not a tea drinker. I like the idea of tea but I am not, or maybe I have not, been fond of tea.

This aubergine cup is big and heavy and just right for a meeting-size cup of coffee. I use this one sometimes when I have protein mixed into my coffee. Or is I need to warm my hands.

This is a little Dansk coffee cup that I got on sale at Swedish Kontur. I love the dishes there but they are a little expensive for me so I watch for them on the sale table. This set cost five dollars. I love the size of it and it's my most-often used cup at work.

This is a little coffee cupboard I found at Pier One years ago. I love it and it's where my coffee cups rest at work. This is a Halloween coffee cup as I am also fond of holiday coffee cups. I have quite a few for Halloween and get them out about the first of October and use them all month.

This is my travel mug. I talked about it once to Regis...the old-fashioned travel mug with the no-spill top and the sticky bottom so it would sit on the dash. From the days before cars had multiple cup holders and there were all those nasty plastic and metal travel mugs. He found this for me on eBay. I don't usually travel with coffee in a mug, but if I need to, this is what I use.

This is another tiny Dansk cup. I bet it holds a half cup of coffee. It's for after lunch when I just want a small cup as a dessert. You don't chug coffee from this thing. You are mindful of your coffee in a cup this size.

Regis gave me this set one year for Christmas. It came from Swedish Kontur, too, although I bet he didn't wait for it to go on sale! It came with a beautiful cereal bowl. I love the colors...deep blue, turquoise, and red. I didn't get a very good picture of the owls on it so here's a link if you want to see more.

This was one of my favorites over the winter. It's handmade and I bought it at Charme la Vie here in town. It's only about three inches across the top but it's deep. It's a great hand warmer! I would drop it into my lunch bag or purse and take it to work or to meetings with me.

Joanne gave me this one. I like the attached spoon and use this when I add things to my coffee like dark chocolate or cream. It's a nice size cup for weekend mornings.

So, there's the coffee cup wardrobe. Or at least some of it.

At our last party, I told a friend of mine to pick out the wine glass she wanted. She responded with this: It doesn't matter. Oh, yes it does, I said. And so she picked one.

It's 4:20 on Friday morning. It's been a long week for many reasons. 

We left Tuesday after school for Rochester as I had my annual check-up with the nutrition specialist on Wednesday. We had a quiet dinner at Michael's and went to bed early. We aren't much for late nights usually.

Thursday, I had to get up early (not a problem) and go to have my blood drawn. Regis and I went to Caribou where we had trouble finding the coffee menu. Does that tell you something?

I love the Mayo area...always so busy and interesting. After the blood thing, I got a little breakfast to go at the clinic cafeteria when I was done. 12 hours of fasting is not for me.

We visited our new favorite grocery store, Trader Joe's, and TJ Maxx. Had lunch at Zzest. Were on the drive home by 2:00. It was a good day.

So, here we go into the weekend. No plans. Nice.

sunday in pictures

Regis took this picture of a rose-breasted grosbeak in our apple tree yesterday. Isn't he beautiful?

This is Fred. He spent the winter in the garage and is glad to be out in the sunshine again.

 The goldfinches have been crazy lately. Sometimes there are as many as 15 on the feeders and the ground. Are the males the ones to feed the babies? We see way more males than females.

The woodpeckers love the peanut balls!

Another goldfinch on the redbud tree. The flowers come out before the leaves.

I bought three flats of flowers and herbs today. I am very random about flower planting as I never have a plan and even if I think of what I might buy, I'm too vulnerable to the splash of color or the scent of lavender to remain firm. I came home with lots of herbs and lots of coleus. I love the dark, rich colors. Fred says that's more fun and he's probably right.

Regis and I cleaned up the patio and yard today. I picked up sticks for a long time and looked the garden over. the pots are ready to plant but Karl said wait a few more days. Tonight might be 35 and that's hard on new plants.

We're cooking steaks on the grill for dinner. The rub smells wonderful. Also made a big salad with baby spinach, greens, red onions, and blue cheese.

It's going to be a busy week. I have to attend a Board meeting tomorrow night (after a meeting-packed day), Tuesday we leave for Rochester, and Wednesday I have my annual appointment. They do blood work at the crack of dawn and then I wait until late afternoon to see the doctor. In between, we'll hit TJ Maxx and Trader Joe's. Fun day.

I got the whole shebang of the party mess cleaned up so unlike me. I usually let that stuff sit around for days and sometimes for weeks. I am a waddlesome sloth at heart.

We're having an enjoyable end to the weekend. Steak and salmon on the grill, Buddy and Julie Miller on the CD player, bright sun coming in the west windows, and a glass of wine. And a bouquet of these beautiful gerbera daisies on the table.

Regis graduates

The pictures are in the wrong order...but you get the idea. Some of you are probably sick of getting the idea because this is the third time you've seen these! I have an album on Picassa, I posted them here on the blog, and they're on Facebook. Ha! It was a great event and so nice that all the kids made the effort to attend and recognize Regis.

what a week

It’s been quite a week. I wasn’t going to write about some of it but it seems I’m stuck. My life is an open book and you can’t skip chapters.

On Wednesday, my district held its annual Staff Recognition event. I usually go because as I’ve gotten older, I appreciate the importance of marking milestones, my own and everyone else’s milestones. I get weepy quite often so I was concerned that I would collapse in a pile of tears when it was my turn to give the retirement speech.

I started working on it in January because that’s how I roll. I write, I revise, I ponder, I revise. It had to feel right. The speech went through many transformations over the months. Even Wednesday as I practiced it in my office, I made changes. I wanted the tone to be just right.

Here it is.

I have to tell you I’m not very good at ad libbing so even the parts of this that seem spontaneous, are not. Like this one.

Thank you, Joanne for saying all those nice things about me.

See, I have it written down right here!

I read once that the aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.

In the last year, I did a lot of things that I hadn’t ever done before…or at least for a long time. I made snow angels, I danced to a reggae band, I ran in a half-marathon, I bought a long curly red wig and wore it out for dinner one night. Not in St. Peter.

One bitterly cold morning this spring, I ran in a 5K race. I came in first in my age group which is quite a feat.

Being the only person in my age group, 50-59, did not diminish the significance of my accomplishment as I am a person who spent most of her life as what Bill Bryson calls a waddlesome sloth.

I think this proves a couple of things…one, that you are never too old to learn something new and two…that you do not have to become faster; you only have to become older.

In December, I bought a book called How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, described as a book of retirement wisdom you won’t get from a financial advisor.

Regis and I have never been very good at financial planning but that won’t keep us from having a good time as we grow older. We are really good at fun and it’s our philosophy that fun should receive more consideration by all of us than it typically gets when we’re making career and life decisions.

I had a paragraph in here about all my jobs over the years but I deleted it at the last minute. It made my speech sound like a bad obituary.

Let me just say that all of these positions have been full of challenges and rewards. I have much in my career, as in my life, for which to be thankful.

So, there you go. As my dad said, it’s been a good run but now I’m off to do other things. Thank you and good-bye.

You can watch it here. Love that technology.

And of course, I cried.

What you don’t see in this clip is Alex, our two-year old grandson who had happy feet. He danced like a madman right in front of the podium during the first part of my speech. It was a hoot. I wish I had pointed at him and said, “I feel like doing that!”

Toward the end, Dr. Olson gave the first ever Distinguished Service Award. I was on the committee that came up with this idea and at every meeting he would ask Nancy if there had been any nominations. She always responded, “We can’t talk about that here.” I just assumed I didn’t have the right security clearance to know. Ha!

As he started talking about the person who would get this award, I heard coordinator. Well, that’s me, I thought. I have had the title of coordinator for lots of different things. So, I got that lovely award. When I went up to accept it, people stood up and clapped. I got a standing ovation! I was overcome and only said I was touched and honored.

We gathered up a few friends and went to the bar to celebrate. There was much laughter. My friend, Gayle, told someone I had received the Extinguished Service Award. I love that!

When we got home, we sat on the patio and enjoyed the lovely evening. This is Regis with my award. He said he would walk in front of me shouting, “All rise!” Nice, I said, but not necessary. Ha! He knows I like attention.

Yesterday, I went to Ella’s graduation from Discovery Days pre-school. The caps are made from paper bowls, construction paper, and have a yarn tassel. So cute!

Today, we are attending Regis’ graduation from South Central College. He was an honor student and I am so proud of him. He was worried that, being an old coot, that he wouldn’t have the brain power to do college. I guess he was wrong.

Some of our off-spring are attending the ceremony and, the part Regis doesn’t know, a celebratory dinner after graduation. We have much for which to be thankful.

accumulating junk

It seems to be a constant battle to keep the piles of junk cleared away in my life. It's the same in my office as it is at home so I really can't blame anyone else. I am too inclined to bring stuff in and set it down. Right now, where I am sitting, there are three piles within arm's reach: a pile of River Rock stuff, a pile of Mother's Day cards and TRA stuff, a pile of coupons and graduation stuff. None of it can be thrown away and I guess most of it could be stowed somewhere else but I'm not sure where. I know, or hope, that this is a universal problem.

I see in the weather forecast that it's to be in the high 70s today and the high, get this, 80s tomorrow. So, we shut the furnace off today and turn the AC on tomorrow. What the hell. Of course, with this rapidly rising temps comes the threat of severe weather which I loathe. It's not so bad if I'm at home and the basement is easily accessible but I hate being out and about with black clouds looming.

We saw a brown thrasher in the back yard yesterday. All the years we have lived here, we haven't seen one even though they frequent dense shrubs and that's what our neighbor has on our back fence.

Regis took the picture through the screen so it's a little distorted. He's about the size of a robin. It's been great bird watching weather at the wildlife reserve here on our street.

Tomorrow is the staff recognition event at school. It's a lovely thing and so touching every year to see people I have worked with retire. Tomorrow it will be me. I weep all the time at these things and I am afraid that I will be a blubbering mess when I have to get up to receive my bell. I'm hoping to practice enough that I won't but there are no guarantees. It could happen. I am a frequent weeper and this could be trouble.

Regis graduates from South Central on Friday. Yesterday, he brought home his gown, his honor's medal, and his cap with the tassel. I was reading the directions for where to march and where to stand and how to move the tassel and, you guessed it, I started to cry. This could be a tough week.

I'm really not too interested in working today and would much rather sit here clicking away on the keyboard and drinking coffee. Really.

I just learned that the new/used/donated shelves of books at River Rock will be my domain. I can decide if we lend books (probably not), give away used books, sell used books, or sell new books. Or some combination of all of those. This just gets better and better. Books and coffee and good food. They will pay me to hang around this place and I can hardly believe it.

Several years ago, I read an article in the Tribune about a woman who started a book and coffee shop after retirement. It talked about the plants, the cat sleeping in the window, the friendly customers, and the smell of books and coffee. I was so moved, I sent her an email and told her how much I envied her job. And look, here I am about to enter into this amazing venture.

moron day on the highway

So, I'm driving down Jefferson Avenue after school and some dude in a ratty-ass car pulls out in front of me without even slowing down at the stop sign. When he gets to the next intersection, he sees somebody he apparently knows because he hangs out the window waving and then makes a big old U-turn right in the middle of the street. I am driving down Washington Avenue veeerrry carefully because it is clearly Moron Day on the Highway when here comes this old guy driving in the parking lane like it's four-lane highway. He goes for about 8 blocks like this...through the Washington Grace intersection and right on down to Broadway.This is a city street, dude! I felt lucky to get home without incident.

I spent a brief period of time in productivity after I got home of which I am quite proud since my first inclination was a nap. I swept the kitchen floor, picked up all the coffee cups, hung up my clothes, and put away the random stuff that gets strewn about by the folks who come into our house when we're not here. Damn them.

I write a lot of good stuff in my head during the day but it never gets to cyber-paper because, well, frankly, I forget. I guess if I just sat in front of my computer waiting for the Muse, I would never have any of these interesting experiences...as you read about in the first two paragraphs.

Our yard needs to be mowed and the sticks need to picked up AGAIN. It's as bad as dirty dishes and laundry. Maybe I'll call that kid who raked for us. He could use the work.

I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning and I'm getting a little light-headed because of it. I might be back later.

thunder and lightning

I was at the Pulse this morning when the downpour started, then the hail started. All of this with spectacular lightning. It was a glorious morning.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I heard from, or saw, all the children and grandchildren. I received some beautiful cards with very sweet messages. Regis took me out for dinner and I had prawns and salmon and a caprese salad. We came home to sit on the patio in the sun.

It was a good bird weekend, too. These are the birds I saw: Baltimore oriole, cardinal, rose-breasted grosbeak, gold finches and house fiches by the score, downy woodpeckers, and of course, robins.

I listened to The Moth podcasts while I walked this weekend. Some of them are so powerful, I weep. I heard one the other day, It was the Best of Times, from an episode called When Worlds Collide. It's an amazing story.

There are a lot of superlatives in this post. I must have had a good weekend.

As they say on The Moth, make it a story-worthy week.

evening

Regis and I went on a small adventure yesterday. We went to the Cedar's Grille about 5 and had a cheese plate and a glass of wine on our way to the Bothy. On a whim, we stopped at Pappageorge to see the Kentucky Derby crowd. Oh, my, it was raucous in there. There were a couple of ladies at the bar in great hats.

Dean McGraw performed at the Bothy last night and he is one of our favorites. He talked a lot about his recent cancer and the treatment and how his friends from all over the country cared for him. He's a sweet man. His music is amazing and moving. He had us singing in the end, I'm a Believer and Like a Rolling Stone, which always leaves me feeling like my soul has been washed and hung out to dry in the warm sun. It was a wonderful evening.

I'm not sure I have told this story here before (if I did, it was years ago and I've forgotten) but do you see that tan suitcase under the speaker? My Grandma Elsie gave that to me for a high school graduation present. I had it for 30 years, then donated it to the regional treatment center thrift shop. One night at the Bothy, I looked at it and knew it was mine. I asked Bill where he got it and he said...you know the rest. I checked out the tags and I was certain. How weird is that?

I have a loose plan for the day. If it were warmer, I would be in the garden but it's not so I won't. I don't believe in torturing myself by going out too early in the cold and wet. Gardening should be enjoyable so I'll wait. Yesterday was beautiful but I felt like just sitting which is what I did. You are probably starting to see my dilemma.

Regis is taking me out for dinner later this afternoon. In one of the books I was reading on the patio yesterday, the author asked why people feel it's necessary to go other places when there is so much to discover and do right here. It's how we feel. We meet interesting people and enjoy wonderful food and music. Why go anywhere else?

In the meantime, I'll gather up the laundry, do the dishes, make an omelet, and putter around in my stuff. We're having a party to celebrate the graduation of the Patriarch next Saturday. Come on over for some nibbles and noshing on the patio.

announcing: a new blog!

I'm not abandoning this blog, I have decided to start a new blog to document and archive all my learning for the coffee and bistro business. The name of it is Seed of the Coffee Tree and you can find it here.

I have two posts there already so check it out. I'm planning to have lots of links and lists so it will be a way to access that information from anywhere.

I had a lovely day. I spent the afternoon on the patio under a big sun hat in my coffee apron. Here I am.

And here is my pile of books.

I have been on the patio a lot this weekend. Here I am last night. Too bad I'm not working instead of sitting. The neighbors are working like little ants and here I sit.

Regis made me a steak and cheese omelet for breakfast. It was beautiful and delicious. I love the little square plates with the turned up corners.

Alex came over for a short visit today. He is usually reluctant to be here alone but today, we promised a juice box and fruit snacks. He was happy to sit and watch the birds until his daddy came back.

Making a new blog is interesting. So many things I have forgotten how to do and so many things have been added to the gadgets. It's fun.

a tribute to my mom

Being a mother is hard work for a lifetime. I didn't know that when I was growing up and my mom was always there to take care of me and worry about me. I know it now that I have children and grand children. I read once that having a child is like making the decision to let your heart walk around outside of your body. It's true.

I bet we drove her nuts when we were all little and running around the house and yard like ants. I remember my brothers shooting BB guns into the box of laundry soap in the basement. I remember folding cloth diapers with Mom...mountains of them when my two youngest brothers were babies. I remember sitting in the kitchen when the neighbor ladies came for coffee. 

Mostly, I remember that she was always there. But when you're a kid you take that for granted. You don't realize all the work and worry that comes with being a mother. 

My mom is a hoot. Once, she wore a gorilla mask to bed and when my dad crawled in and got settled, she uncovered her head and looked over at him. All he said was, "Good night, Shirley." I think he expected that kind of thing from her.

She knows how to have fun and she enjoys life. When we visit, we always go out for dinner, have a glass of wine, laugh a lot. There is no talking about your colon health with my mom. We talk about books and movies and flowers and her computer.

My mom is a brave woman. When we were all finally in school, she got a job as an aide at the elementary school. She liked the job but the little kids would get her to stand on her head during recess. She tells me about things she wants done and always ends with, "I think I could do that."

My mom is a wise woman. She knows that even with all the sorrow and trouble and worry in the world, tomorrow is a new day and there is probably a thrift store we haven't been to yet or a nice restaurant we want to try. Life is short and you want to enjoy it.

I wrote this poem about all the things I've learned from her a couple years ago. I think I published it here before but in honor of my mom on Mother's Day, here it is again.

What She Taught Me

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.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom. She's the best and I love her.

Friday in pictures

Regis came home a week or so ago and said his company was having a Cinco de Mayo party. I start thinking of costumes but not wanting to go overboard, I decide on this pretty flower wreath with streamers for my hair. Deb at Mary's Flowers made it for me.

I wore it in the afternoon and my friends clucked over it, thinking it was interesting and fun. At the party, not one person mentioned it leading me to believe that they think I just go around with flowers in my hair. Ah, well. There are worse things.

I was the only one in any kind of clothing indicative of a holiday. I should have known.

We met the party folks at a restaurant in Lower North Mankato. (Not our favorite Mazatlan and thanks to the commenter for the suggestion to make this distinction.) I'm not going to go on and on about the bad dining experience, but I could, believe me, and if you see me live in the next week I probably will. You would think this place opened at noon yesterday...for the first time. And that none of the help had ever worked in a restaurant before...and wouldn't a Mexican restaurant expect a crowd on Cinco de Mayo? Two cardinal sins of restaurant service for me...dirty glasses everywhere and the wrong size napkins at the bar.

It was a strange evening on many levels.

It's the first morning all winter I haven't turned on the little fireplace. I wonder if cold weather could be past us for good. The forecast for today looks lovely with mostly sun and almost 70 degrees. I think I'll take my bike for a ride tomorrow.

We order spices from Penzey's. This is our summer order: paprika and chilis and peppers.

The book collecting for my new job begins.

I love this bumper sticker!

The daffodils have been blooming for three weeks and they still look great!

More daffodils.

The bunny is now surrounded by chives instead of being covered with snow. He's happier. And his little friend with the umbrella is keeping him company.

Wine is not a beverage, it's a way of life. Ha!

Happy weekend!

grilled flank steak with peppers and onions

We made grilled flank steak with peppers and onions last night for dinner. It was cool and breezy on the patio but still nice. Lots of neighbors out and about, too. We miss our sidewalk friends during the winter months when we only see them through the window!

Our next door neighbor has removed the base of his wrap-around front porch. The roof of the porch is being held up by big pieces of wood. Frankly, I wouldn't walk under there if it were me.

He tells us that his house has sunk one inch on the southwest corner so he's going to jack it up and repair it. I cannot even get my head around this kind of project. (I can't get around to painting my tiny bathroom.) I ask if he read about this on the internet or if he just knows. He just knows, he says.

This is the difference between ants and grasshoppers. He is busy jacking up the corner of his house and we're having a glass of wine on the patio. We laugh because if our house were uneven, we would shrug and say hmmmmm and go right back to sitting. We might look it up on the internet, but we would not be motivated to do a project of this magnitude.

It's Cinco de Mayo and we're going to a party for the costume company in Mankato tonight. I asked my cousin who has traveled a lot, about the Mexican blouse I am trying to find. She said they don't wear those in Mexico and it would be like wearing a pilgrim costume to Thanksgiving. Well, not really, I think. Everybody here thinks that's what they wear in Mexico and that's the point. She says I should travel more. Sigh. Maybe I should just spend more time on the internets. www.mexico.com

If I didn't already have a powerful aversion to the news, this latest nasty business would do it. Pictures? Video? Seriously? People would look at that? We are uncivilized.

I better get going to the Pulse.

sweet weekends

We have such sweet weekends and this one was sweeter than most.

I don't even know what it is, really. It's not like we are completely hedonistic or that we jump out of bed on Saturday morning and go through a list of things to do. We kind of go minute by minute with loose plans and lots of options.

I got a few things done. I put away the Easter stuff, organized the spices, put an order in to Penzey's, paid bills, and picked up the sticks in the yard. I tidied up the house. I ran in the 5K Saturday. Regis did the laundry. That's enough.

We also had some good times. Dinner at Olives and a drink at the Cedar's Grille on our way home. A beautiful Mexican omelet for breakfast yesterday. Lots of sitting and reading and listening to music. That's the way to have a weekend.

I'm ready for the week to start. I am going to the Pulse this morning to work out with Rachel. I have two meetings today which isn't so bad. After school, I'm going to River Rock to meet the staff and I'm excited about that. I'm anxious to start learning about this new direction in my life.

The rest of the week looks very quiet...no running from place to place. A couple weeks ago, I went three places a day for a week. By Friday, I didn't know whether I was coming or going.

Starting to think about the events of the next few months:

• Dean McGraw at the Bothy next weekend.
• Regis graduates May 13th from SCC.
• Bluesfest June 10 and 11
• My retirement 
• Regis' birthday
• 4th of July

That's enough for now.

Happy Monday!