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Grief cleaning. Prayers don't set the table. The next dog...
I messed up my neck this last weekend. Mick went home to visit his mother and help with her garden. She wanted to clean it up after the last of the summer blooms finally died away, and she wanted him to build her a small retaining wall. Right before he left, it occurred to me that it was the first time I'd ever been truly alone. Even the years ( Read more... ) -
Urban foraging.
When I was little, my Aunt Cleda made crabapple jelly. It is a delicate, pale pink color with a bright, tart flavor. She collected fruit off the ornamental trees in the parking lot of the Target near her. No one picked the fruit - if she hadn't made jelly with it, it would fall and rot after the birds ate their fill ( Read more... ) -
Mourning an old friend.
Last week, Rodburn was acting funny. He found all new hiding spots around the house, and all were on hard surfaces. Usually, he is a cat who craves his comfort - he seeks footstools and molded desk chairs. Instead, he kept sleeping under the coffee table and in corners. I took him to the vet Saturday morning and got the bad news - his kidneys ( Read more... ) -
The Moth. Norm's Club 21. Camping out.
What a strange night Tuesday night...
Mick & I met at the house to drive together to The Moth Story Slam. Are you familiar with the radio show or the podcast? There are also story slams at different cities around the country. They set a theme for the night - last night was "Trust" - and you put your name in a hat for a chance to tell a story. ( Read more... ) -
Bok bok deferred. Staggering home from happy hour.
I chickened out on killing chickens this weekend. My friend has 7 meat chickens she needs to go on & process, but she has been really sick with her gall bladder lately so she can’t do it herself. I’d asked about Mick & me killing and processing two - she said if we’d do the work we could just have them. Almost as soon as I asked her, I regretted ( Read more... ) -
Roll top desk.
My grandparents used to have a furniture refinishing business. They'd pick up pieces at auction, strip and refinish them, then sell them. If they liked a piece particularly well, they might keep it for a while before selling it and passing it along. As a result, my family is flooded with antique furniture - not heirloom pieces but old all the ( Read more... ) -
Dog dreams, feline worries.
Terrible dreams two nights ago. I returned to an apartment where was staying and found it had been burglarized. I was looking for my dog, and as I moved through the apartment I could find someone else’s dogs locked in different rooms. I’d free the dog, then walk it back to the entrance of the apartment. It kept getting larger & larger, it ( Read more... ) -
Power outage.
There was a storm in Louisville last Wednesday. The wind whipped up quickly and took down old trees and power lines across town. It flooded areas and left debris everywhere. Relatively speaking, it wasn’t a very bad storm, but it was destructive all the same. Driving home from work, I saw my neighbor Larry sitting on his porch, soaked to the ( Read more... ) -
Garden newbie. Angling for the blue ribbon.
This is a learning year with my garden. I have elevated cedar beds - the top of the garden bed is about four feet high and makes it easier on the back. I planned them that way to keep the dog out of the soft dirt beds. Now that Merlot is gone, it really isn't as much an issue, but it also serves to keep moles, groundhogs and rabbits out. I don ( Read more... ) -
More Merlot.
I still tease her about her weight â call her Tons Oâ Fun as she staggers around the house. I still make her sit for her bowl, and I get her to do tricks when she doesnât seem too tired. I got fresh batteries for her laser pointer â she used to try and attack it like a kitten. Now, she has about 30 â 45 seconds of playing in her before ( Read more... )