Author Archives: susanmsink@gmail.com

First Frost Kitchen

The garden season this year has played out consistently. There has been a lot of growth, a fair amount of disease, and meager harvests. Only the poblano peppers (a plant I bought, didn’t start from seed) produced enough small peppers … Continue reading

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Elena Ferrante Revealed

In one of my early care packages, my friend Paula sent me all four of “the Neapolitan novels” by Elena Ferrante. The thousands of pages and sprawling story of a friendship between two women was both a wonderful goal and … Continue reading

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Hope

My sister has been staying with me the past ten days as I recover from surgery (three weeks ago). It’s been a really great time of visiting and she has leant her strength where I don’t have it. She has … Continue reading

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Waves

By any measure, my healing and recovery and just plain old stamina through these cancer treatments has been great. Above average. Stunning even. These past two weeks since the surgery have been quiet, monitoring my body and kind of keeping … Continue reading

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Pathology

This week we waited for the pathology report to come in from the tissue that was removed and sampled during surgery.  I wasn’t worried. In fact, I was more focused on healing from the surgery. The pathology report wouldn’t affect … Continue reading

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Hospital Recovery, Part 1: nuts and bolts

Hello from the other side of surgery. All went well. The surgeon described it as the “best case scenario,” both when she opened me up and went exploring for cancer and also in terms of the surgery itself. I came … Continue reading

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Anxiety Dreams

Tomorrow afternoon we leave for the hotel near the hospital. I have waited for the surgery for an extra three weeks beyond what I was willing to wait– one more thing more or less out of my control. I know … Continue reading

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Blemished

I am still in the state where everything is about cancer. It’s like people say that you don’t remember hearing anything about x, y, z (usually a disease) until you or a loved one gets it. Then suddenly every news story … Continue reading

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Miss Sharon Jones

Yesterday, Steve and I went on a date to Minneapolis. Our favorite dates go like this: Mass at the Basilica, brunch at Moose and Sadie’s, play at the Guthrie or movie at the Lagoon or Edina theater. Because the film … Continue reading

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August

It has been a beautiful August. Just like June and July. The prairie behind our house was burned very late in the season, so it is behind– or it is just different than the other prairie. The river of blue … Continue reading

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