Category Archives: St. Joseph

Fieldstone

Posted on May 25, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

A recent visitor from the UK asked if this part of the country was “the prairie” and if there were any very large farms around. She had heard of these corn and wheat farms that stretched from horizon to horizon … Continue reading →

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Birds!

Posted on May 22, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I was hoping to sleep until 7:15 a.m. today, but the pheasant outside my window had another idea. It sounded like he was standing on my balcony and every minute or two he’d let out a tremendous squawk followed by … Continue reading →

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The Mushroom Farm

Posted on April 25, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

In 1985, two years before Steve purchased our 80 acres from the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, Kevin Doyle, who was a classmate of Steve’s at St. John’s University, purchased the monks’ old hog farm in Collegeville. These … Continue reading →

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Moroccan Camel Stew

Posted on April 21, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

A week ago, when I went into St. Cloud Meat and Grocery, one of several Somali grocery stores in town, to buy some rice, there were a couple guys in the back of the store chopping meat. I asked what … Continue reading →

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Preparations

Posted on March 30, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I love hosting Easter at our house. Steve has hosted lots of family gatherings in this house, and it’s only taken me five years to relax and realize that there is an order to this and everything will work. I … Continue reading →

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Sister Ruth

Posted on March 5, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

My friend Ruth Nierengarten, OSB, died on Sunday night at the age of 87. Although her health was delicate and she had been living in assisted living (St. Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud) for the last two years, this was … Continue reading →

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Flax

Posted on March 1, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Last year, some folks at the college planted a field of flax with the intention of using the fiber to make paper. The paper hasn’t been made yet, but the artist in residence mentioned to me that they were looking for text … Continue reading →

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The New Old Rockabilly

Posted on January 20, 2013 by susanmsink@gmail.com

When I lived in Long Beach, California in the early 2000s, I was determined to walk to as many services as possible. When it was time for a haircut, I stopped in at a little bungalow on Redondo Avenue run by two … Continue reading →

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Christmas Activity

Posted on December 28, 2012 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I have so far avoided hosting Christmas Day for the whole family– the count on Christmas Day is 35, and it’s a time when we have an extra 4-6 people at the house already, Steve’s daughters and sundry partners/boyfriends. I … Continue reading →

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Snow

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

We were giddy with happiness to receive a foot of snow last Sunday. After a long, long time with absolutely no precipitation, just a few mists in October, and last winter when we had no snow until April, this restored our faith … Continue reading →

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