Author Archives: susanmsink@gmail.com

Signs of the (Political) Season

Posted on September 17, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

In 2000, I participated in a faculty exchange with a technical college instructor from the Netherlands. She visited me in Joliet, Illinois, and I’ll never forget her reaction to our political campaigning. Now this was Bush v. Gore and it was … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, St. Joseph, the Farm | Comments Off on Signs of the (Political) Season

House of Sticks

Posted on September 14, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Sculptor Patrick Dougherty says, “From childhood we already know everything we need to know about sticks.” We have a large vocabulary about what to do with sticks and how to make things out of them. We pick them up, make … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Benedictine monastery | Comments Off on House of Sticks

Mid-September Garden

Posted on September 13, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Several people in my neighborhood have put their gardens to bed. One has even tilled her large plot and mulched it. You can almost feel the way her energy just kind of flagged given this season of drought and heat and she said … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, the Farm | Comments Off on Mid-September Garden

Stickwork, part 2

Posted on September 11, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

This is week two of three of the sculpture project at Saint John’s University. I went back on Friday and helped with the second step of the project, which was the stripping of the saplings. Three days of gathering willow … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Benedictine monastery, St. Joseph | Comments Off on Stickwork, part 2

Stickwork

Posted on September 5, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

One of the highlights of our trip in March to New York was a walk through the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, where we came across a large-scale sculpture made of twigs. I like this kind of nature-based art in the style … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Benedictine monastery, St. Joseph | 2 Comments

Best Potato Salad Ever

Posted on September 3, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

My sister-in-law hosted an end-of-summer family gathering today to mark the end of summer, and EVERYONE came. Except for one sibling, all the brothers and sisters, their spouses, and all the young children were in attendance. We got to hear … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, recipe | Comments Off on Best Potato Salad Ever

Wisconsin Dells

Posted on September 1, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I joined my brother, sister-in-law and niece this past week for two days at the Wisconsin Dells. I knew it would be fun, but feared it might be chaotic and obnoxious. There’s something about American vacationers that has always put me … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Comments Off on Wisconsin Dells

Damp Sand

Posted on August 24, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Today in the garden, I was thinking about the future. Back in the mid-to-late-20th Century, the future looked mechanical. Food would come in powders or capsules, dispensed by machine. The vision was of a more manufactured, less natural world where the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

My Mother’s Salad

Posted on August 22, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

My mother has always loved salad. I was impressed early by her willingness to stand at the sink and prepare all the fresh vegetables she put into them. At dinner, it was a challenge to pick around the things I … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, recipe, St. Joseph | Comments Off on My Mother’s Salad

Potato Surprise

Posted on August 18, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Like so much this season in the garden, the potato harvest has been disappointing. I didn’t get many reds and even fewer Yukon Golds, so I put all my hope into the La Ratte fingerlings, which are the potatoes I … Continue reading →

Posted in garden, the Farm | Comments Off on Potato Surprise