Author Archives: susanmsink@gmail.com

Extended Season

My goal with the garden has been to eat out of the garden a little longer each year. This year, I kept a record of the dinners and ingredients from the garden, starting with April 30. On that date we … Continue reading

Posted in garden, recipe, the Farm | Comments Off on Extended Season

Lincoln-Douglas Debate Discovery

When you grow up in Illinois, you grow up with a great awareness and appreciation for Abraham Lincoln. The license plates proclaim your state as the “Land of Lincoln” and the penny just feels like it came right out of … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Lincoln-Douglas Debate Discovery

Self-Publishing part 2, the publicity edition

Today is a big day at my house. My book, Habits, a collection of 100-word stories about nuns, is receiving major publicity this weekend. The article written by Frank Lee for the  St. Cloud Times that appeared last weekend was picked … Continue reading

Posted in Benedictine monastery, poetry, reviews, writing | Comments Off on Self-Publishing part 2, the publicity edition

Playing the Building by David Byrne

Saturday we celebrated the start of the holiday season with a cultural outing to Minneapolis. We started at our usual breakfast place, Moose and Sadie’s, whcih always makes me feel like I’m in Chicago. Great cornmeal pancake with rhubarb sauce … Continue reading

Posted in art, reviews | Comments Off on Playing the Building by David Byrne

A Hundred Words for Ice

Ice is important to our winter life. Snow is unpredictable, but ice is a certainty. Still, not all ice is equal. The pond could freeze on Sunday night, when the 10-degree 25-mph winds blow all night long. Then on Monday, … Continue reading

Posted in St. Joseph, the Farm, Uncategorized | Comments Off on A Hundred Words for Ice

Thanksgiving, Cars and America

Last month my Honda Civic Hybrid died and after 10 years, it was time to buy a new car. Having moved to a part-time job, I was no longer in the same “bracket” for buying. I had hoped the next … Continue reading

Posted in politics, St. Joseph | Comments Off on Thanksgiving, Cars and America

Election Day

2008 was the first year I voted in St. Joseph (I blogged this after the election). I went to the firehouse in the morning, because I like to wear my sticker all day, and it was crowded. My name wasn’t … Continue reading

Posted in politics, St. Joseph, the Farm | Comments Off on Election Day

One Hour

The question for today, the first day of Daylight Savings Time, is “How will you use your extra hour?” I woke up somewhat more refreshed than usual, looked out the window at the garden, and wondered. I used my extra … Continue reading

Posted in garden, St. Joseph, the Farm | Comments Off on One Hour

Searching for Sugar Man and finding Jim Croce

Probably one of the most important early music memories I have is of Jim Croce’s death. In 1973, just as his career was taking off, he died in a plane crash in Louisiana. I was nine years old, and my father … Continue reading

Posted in art, poetry, reviews | Comments Off on Searching for Sugar Man and finding Jim Croce

Scratch

Steve’s daughter Catherine and her boyfriend Homer are visiting from New York and now waiting out Hurricane Sandy. Homer’s mother Marjorie is the one who let us tag along on her weekly market shopping in New York in March. Homer bakes … Continue reading

Posted in garden, recipe, St. Joseph | Comments Off on Scratch