All posts by reneeinnd

2026, gardening, home, Uncategorized

Garden Update

21 Comments

This was our first veggie garden in our new home and our first attempt using raised beds. I am happy to report that things are working out well. We had no weeds and no garden pests.

Our raised beds are 3 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 6 feet long. We planted tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and chard. The chard has been a real success. It is a white chard variety.

To date I have froze 7 lbs of leaves and made a Provencal chard and zucchini tart. The leaves will be used in an Italian pie of greens from The Splendid Table. The chard shares its space with basil.

I bought more pint jars last weekend for more pesto.

The eggplants have done well. We made Eggplant Parmigiano and also roasted and froze several eggplants for use in soup and curry. The leaves are enormous. The eggplants share a space with roma tomatoes and serrano peppers, King of the North red bell peppers, and an Italian frying pepper.

We planted Cherokee Purple, German Johnson, and Roma tomatoes in the third bed . They are doing well,

We tied up and trimmed them after I took their picture. I expect we will have a load of ripe tomatoes in about a month.

We plan to get two or three more raised beds next year. There wasn’t enough room for spinach, and I think we could swing a butternut squash bed as well. I am also happy to report that the pie plant (aka rhubarb) has taken nicely to its new digs.

How is your garden growing? What would you do with too many eggplants and hot peppers? Is it pie plant or rhubarb in your family?

2026, animals, Music, Uncategorized

Catbird

33 Comments

We had a lovely time over the July 4th weekend in a Airb and b near La Crosse, WI. Our place was pretty remote and up at the top of some tree covered hills. We had a huge deck overlooking the forest.

One evening I was on the deck and I heard some very harsh meowing coming from the woods. It sounded like a cat in distress. I was just about to head into the woods when I remembered our grandson telling us that there were catbirds in the woods nearby, as the bird song app on his parents’ phone had identified their call. What a lousy trick for that bird to play on me!

Further research on catbirds revealed that they are really good at mimicking other birds and do so quite frequently. They like to sing when well hidden in bushes and trees, unlike other song birds that prefer to sing in the open in tree tops. Much easier to fool people that way. Their well developed vocal chords allow them to make two sounds at the same time. They are described as brave and nosy, and as liking to be around people. Sitting in the catbird seat means you are in an advantageous position and have the upper hand.

I don’t think we had catbirds in western ND. They like being where there are lots of trees. It has been really nice hearing all the different bird calls here in MN. If I were a bird I would want to be a catbird. Think how much fun it would be to mimic catalog and other birds and sing multiple notes at the same time. There is something to be said be said, though, about the nightingale.

What are your favorite bird songs or songs about birds? What kind of a bird would you want to be?

2026, animals, Travel, Uncategorized

What A Mess!

17 Comments

I read with rather horrified amusement about a traffic problem in Fargo that occurred on July 11th. The incident took place on I-94 on the border between Fargo and West Fargo on a very busy section of the highway. The exits on that stretch of the highway lead to major retail areas and the big Sanford Hospital.

As in many communities there is a lot of construction this summer happening in Fargo. The eastbound lanes on I-94 were reduced to one lane for construction. The police and highway patrol got calls around 2:30 pm that there was a complete blockage of the one eastbound lane by debris that had fallen out of a truck.

A trucker had apparently braked suddenly for slowing traffic not realizing that the rear door to the trailer he was hauling had opened. Approximately 15 well aged bison carcasses slid out of the trailer onto the highway. The trucker seemingly didn’t know what had happened and continued driving east. He wasn’t identified until 7 hours later. It is thought he was heading to a rendering plant in Long Prairie. The available news is unclear whether he was fined for the incident.

The West Fargo Fire Department, State Troopers, and Highway Department workers all cleaned up the mess and sanitized the roadway. I can’t imagine how awful that must have been, or what they did with the debris. I just hope it wasn’t too hot out.

What is the biggest mess you have ever had to clean up?

2026, animals, home, Nature, Uncategorized

Fireflies

30 Comments

About a month ago we had quite a bit of rain and the humidity stayed quite high into the evening. I was delighted to see small lights flit here and there all over the yard, and realized they were fireflies. We also saw them in the woods near our rental a couple of weeks ago near La Crosse. Grandson was entranced. There aren’t many fireflies in Brookings, SD.

It seems fireflies like heat and humidity, and we never had them in ND or in Winnipeg since it is so much drier there. There were tons of them the year we lived in Southern Indiana. We were pretty close to the Kentucky border. It was really hot and humid. The fireflies are my favorite memories from Indiana. Husband did his predoctoral internship there. We moved to Indiana after several years in Winnipeg. It was a pretty awful place after living in Canada. At that time Indiana was considered the most politically corrupt US state. It was very socially conservative. I was glad when our year there was up.

I can’t imagine there weren’t fireflies here in Luverne when I was growing up, but I really have no memory of them. Neither does Boommate. It was great to see them the other night. They seem magical.

Got fireflies? What are the best and worst places you have lived?

2026, Family, Health, Kids, Uncategorized

Going Viral

30 Comments

Last weekend we vacationed in La Crosse, WI with our son and his family. It was a lovely time. We have wonderful memories, like seeing our 11 month old granddaughter have her first ice cream. She thought it was pretty wonderful. We also took away a nasty upper respiratory virus that Granddaughter brought from her daycare. Son, Dil, and Grandson all were ill by Sunday evening. Husband seems to have avoided it. I got it on Monday. By yesterday I was running a low grade fever, had lost my voice, and was coughing my head off.

I don’t get sick very often, but I must give the impression I don’t take care of myself when I do get sick. because I have never felt so bossed around as I felt this week. Husband insisted he drive me to the doctor after he and Boommate made sure I made an appointment. Boommate ordered my out of the kitchen when I was just trying to straighten up, and they both made me set up a nest for myself on the sofa. The dogs even got in on my care by lying on top of me so I couldn’t get up. Then Boommate started to work on a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup that takes hours to simmer. I feel very loved.

It has been ages since I had a summer cold. The doctor told me that the symptoms would be the worst on the fourth to sixth day. There was very little she could give me aside from something for my cough. I don’t like going viral this way.

What sort of a patient are you? Any good “first” stories?

2026, Gatherings, Uncategorized, Words

Ladies And Germs

69 Comments

I posted last week about some annoying words carved into rocks by our water feature (Live and Life). Well, I ran into another annoying, albeit amusing, word at church Sunday.

Husband was the worship assistant Sunday and his job was to read the lessons and the announcements for the week. The announcements are written by the church secretary, who is a woman. Husband did a lovely job, but one word in the announcements set my teeth on edge.

Our pastor is divorced and is getting remarried sometime this summer to a Methodist minister from Sioux Falls. The congregation is quite happy for her. Husband had to announce that all the “Ladies” were invited to a shower for the pastor next week in the fellowship hall in the basement. Isn’t that nice?

Ladies? Ladies? Why not congregation women? Give me a break. Does that mean that church “gentleman ” can’t attend? What constitutes a “lady” these days? What if you are not feeling particularly ladylike? Does that mean you can’t go to the shower? I asked a friend from my Dorcas circle, and she laughed and said I could attend the shower no matter how unladylike I felt.

Ever seen a production of Church Basement Ladies? What words are annoying you these days?

2026, Food, Uncategorized, Weather

Hot Weather Food

51 Comments

Well, if the NWS is correct, we will be having some scorching hot days this week. I am thankful for the inch of rain we received 4:00 am yesterday, so we can stay indoors and not worry about watering the garden beds. I am also thankful we have air conditioning.

Our fridge is stocked with quite a few salads, including homemade coleslaw, an Iranian tomato and cucumber salad, tzatziki chickpea salad, and potato salad. I have never been a huge fan of salads, but I like these. I also made bison borscht over the weekend that can be eaten hot or cold. I will eat mine hot. I can’t abide cold soup. I prefer my food steaming.

Boommate is extremely sensitive to food temperature, and refuses to eat anything warmer than lukewarm much of the time. She even drinks her coffee cool. She won’t touch hot food on hot days. We lived quite amicably, though, with the microwave and the refrigerator helping us dine together. We both love ice-cream, of course! We will dine together happily on salads and soup this week, and will continue to welcome any rain we may get.

What are your favorite hot weather foods? How do you stay cool during heatwaves? Ever eaten bison?

2026, gardening, home, Nature, Uncategorized

Water Feature

37 Comments

The previous owners of our home spent a lot of money on landscaping in the backyard. I have never had such a fancy backyard. We added the fence. There is a fire pit:

We also have lots of brick paved areas with rock-filled beds for plants:

Those are some of the largest hostas I have ever seen. We never had hostas before. The rest of the plants are lower maintenance shrubs, Stella d’oro lillies, and succulents. They didn’t even have rhubarb!

I think they went a little over the top with the water feature, however. It is a bubbling brook powered by an electric pump submerged in a deep vat at the bottom of the brook. It is plugged into an electric outlet by the fence. The pump has to be removed every fall so it won’t freeze up over the winter. It is not easy to remove or reinstall.

The birds love the brook. It has to be refilled every other day or so or the pump starts to make groaning noises. I plan to turn over the stones with the words carved in them, as I think those are a silly affectation and they annoy me.

The dogs love to plunge in the brook at the top and slide down to the bottom. I would never put such a thing in a yard, and I absolutely hate all the rocks in the flower beds as they make weeding and replanting a lot more work than they need to be. I plan to put in roses and hydrangeas and spring bulbs next year, but we need to clear a lot of rocks from every side of the house before that happens.

If you had to have a water feature in your yard, what kind would you get? What words would you have carved in flat stones in your yard?

2026, Family, Music, Uncategorized

Pulling Strings

26 Comments

Many years ago Husband’s dad and stepmother gave him a mountain dulcimer. You can see it in the header photo. He played it on rare occasions, but it mainly sat in its case. He spent more time on his cello and guitar.

Since retiring, Husband has been playing all his string instruments more often. In addition to getting the dogs groomed in Sioux Falls on Tuesday we also picked up the dulcimer, which had been restrung. We would have taken it to my cousin in St Peter who is a luthier, but he is retired now.

I think the first song on a dulcimer I remember hearing was one by Joni Mitchell. I love this song.

Husband ‘s dulcimer never sounded like Joni’s when he tried to play it, I think because he didn’t know how to tune it or maybe the strings just weren’t installed properly. The mountain dulcimer is an odd instrument. I know it is used quite a bit in traditional Appalachian music, and is descended from the zither. I am so glad he got it restrung, since the luthier tuned it properly for the first time. As I strum it I can tell it sounds right.

I am getting closer and closer to sitting down at our piano and practicing things on my own as well as the accompaniments for some of Husband’s cello pieces. I can’t let him be the only instrumentalist in the family. There are some simple Bartok pieces I have my eye on. What else is retirement for if not to play music!

What musical instrument would you want to learn now? What instruments did you play as a kid? Favorite Joni Mitchell songs or other dulcimer songs?

2026, animals, History, home, pets, Stories, Uncategorized

All Fluffed Up

38 Comments

Today we brought our pups to Brandon. SD to be groomed. Our Cesky Terriers have a very specific hair cut, leaving them with a shaved back, tail, head, and ears, with a fluffy beard, eyebrows, chest, and ballerina skirt on their front and sides

Their longer fur is very curly and prone to matting. Last night I noticed lots of mats on Mitzi’s legs, so I grabbed my bottle of corn starch and the grooming comb I got from the breeder. The cornstarch really helps with detangling. I was able to get most of the mats out, so I hope today’s grooming won’t be so traumatic for her. She was so good and patient during my combing. The only problem with squirting the dog with cornstarch is that you can’t let them get wet afterwards.

My first haircuts were by Kay Aanenson, a rather flamboyantly gay barber on Luverne’s main street. I don’t remember this, but I was told that I cried the whole time, and Kay just stuffed chewing gum in my mouth to keep me quiet. Kay was a noted dancer of the Charleston, worked as a dancer on Atlantic cruise ships in the 1920’s and 1930’s, and wore very gaudy, colorful suits to our Lutheran church. He came to church every Sunday until he passed. I remember those suits.

I really need to brush out our dogs on a more regular basis. Mitzi loves to plunge in the water feature in our backyard, and I think that leads to more matting. I need to invest in more cornstarch.

Where was your first haircut? Have you had dogs who needed grooming? What is your favorite production of Anything Goes?