I was a born a week after the moon landing in 1969. Somehow, in family storytelling and conversation—and later, in my education—I came to understand that my birthday was special. That I myself was…well, special…simply for having been born during such a historic week. In school, we watched a reel of the iconic footage of […]
Gardening & Writing
Our garden is behind schedule this year. An uncooperative Minnesota spring combined with health issues conspired against us. We just managed to get the seedlings we’ve been growing in the laundry room planted this past weekend—they were starting to look a titch anemic under their artificial lights. It was an all-hands-to-work sort of weekend to […]
A Cello Enthusiast Goes To A Cello Master Class
A cellist-friend invited me to a cello master class last weekend. The invitation made me laugh. “Won’t I be a bit conspicuous as a non-cellist at a cello master class?” I asked. She assured me I would not be. And I wasn’t. There was an entire audience there and I’d like to think you could […]
Gram’s Garlic Bread
“…spaghetti pie meant Gram’s garlic bread, which was the best thing this side–and probably the other side–of the Mississippi. Crispy crust, soft and squishy in the middle, lots of butter, and garlic you could still smell in the house the next day.” (Giant Pumpkin Suite, pg. 60) It was high school homecoming this past […]
In Progress….
On one of my regular walking paths, the grassy boulevard has been replaced by planted prairie. I am all for these prairie restoration efforts. I know that prairie patches will do more than simply make for a more interesting walk for me—they bring in pollinators and critters, filter water and prevent erosion etc. Prairie places […]
A Tea Party!
I attended a wonderful tea party this past weekend—complete with hats and gloves, fun games, interesting women, a little poetry, and an astounding array of delicious food—decadent quiche, little sandwiches, salads, scones and treats. The works, I tell ya! (I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of the food!) There was also iced tea and […]
Ode to the Arboretum
When the writing is going badly…and sometimes when it is going well…I pack up notebooks and pens and printed drafts and head to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It’s a bit of a drive from my house and so I always feel like I should spend hours and hours there once I arrive. This is […]
Haiku Postcards
When our son went off to college a few years ago, I panicked in the parking lot. We said our goodbyes, I tried not to cry but failed, he put his giant man-child arms around me to comfort me…and then he walked one direction and we went the other. It reminded me of […]
My Favorite Bookstore
I’ve Never Visited
I’m not sure how I learned about Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee. Probably I was looking up something about author Ann Patchett, who is one of the owners of the bookstore. I have loved her books for years. And I adore her bookstore. Even though I’ve never been there. Something about it immediately tickled my […]
YaYa & YoYo
I had lunch today—in the middle of a Minnesota snowstorm—with Dori Weinstein, one of my Writing Friends. It was an excellent way to spend part of a very snowy afternoon. We managed to tackle the subjects of marketing, discipline in a writer’s life, event planning, picture books, novel writing, and series writing…as well as eat […]
