Author Archives: susanmsink@gmail.com

The Tree

During these months and months of treatment, people have said a lot of things to me about my positive attitude. They’ve called me inspiring and said that if they were in my place they would most certainly feel sorry for … Continue reading

Posted in art, cancer, prairie | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Limping to the Finish Line

I feel the need to post something to get that owl off my front page, but it is tough. I had a hard weekend with the effects of the chemotherapy. I had to drag myself out of bed for five … Continue reading

Posted in cancer, the Farm | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Bird Trouble

We’ve had some bird trouble lately. I suppose it is to be expected out here in the country. Today’s bird trouble is very sad and tragic, because it involves a wild bird. Not just any wild bird, the most majestic and special of them … Continue reading

Posted in poetry, prairie, the Farm, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ethiopian Food in St. Cloud

One of the benefits of new immigrant groups in an area is the arrival of good new cuisines. Steve and I have made an effort to find Somalian food in St. Cloud, eating at two small restaurants, and a few … Continue reading

Posted in food, reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Heartbreak Road

This is what heartbreak looks like. In the past ten days they’ve come in with backhoes and skid loaders and driven right through a huge chunk of the seventeen acres. It’s the beginning of building the road, a process that won’t really … Continue reading

Posted in prairie, the Farm | Tagged | 1 Comment

Greenhouse Days

There is no act more hopeful than buying seeds. I am a seed junkie, and cannot help myself. So when the ads for “end-of-season sale seeds” started coming into my inbox, I spent a lot of time reading the descriptions … Continue reading

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Finally, a Crime Podcast Done Right

I’ve been more than ambivalent about the recent trend in crime-exploring podcasts that throw doubt on the results of the criminal justice system. It’s not even so much that I doubt their editing and production process led us to the … Continue reading

Posted in Minnesota history, reviews, St. Joseph, the Farm | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chicken Chili

Taking advantage of this steroid day, when I have energy before the poisons in my system take hold, I made a big pot of chili. I made this once before, a couple weeks ago, when I learned Rancho Gordo had … Continue reading

Posted in food, recipe | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Good News

Good news. I didn’t think the day I went back to chemotherapy would be a good day, but it really was. I had a PET scan, the first post-surgery, on Wednesday. Also checked my blood again and the CA-125 marker … Continue reading

Posted in cancer | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Poplars

A big source of discussion around here this year has been the rows of poplar trees that line our driveway. They are big and shaggy but have been a really nice feature of the property. They give the driveway a stately … Continue reading

Posted in cancer, prairie, the Farm | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments