Category Archives: Uncategorized

First Flowers

Posted on June 14, 2019 by susanmsink@gmail.com

June has become my favorite month. It used to be October, but really, how can you beat June in the garden and on the prairie? Especially after an extra-long, extra-cold winter, to have fresh greens, asparagus, and radishes to eat … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

What Does Recurrence Mean?

Posted on January 11, 2019 by susanmsink@gmail.com

After announcing that I was returning to treatment, I heard from a number of family and friends who were struggling with how to respond. Several people said they felt selfish for feeling optimistic or like they were unduly minimizing my … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

First Eggs

Posted on September 4, 2017 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I’ve been really having a time of it with my chickens. I am really starting to resent them. They are just not laying eggs. I put in two nice brooder boxes for them, and every time I filled them with … Continue reading →

Posted in the Farm, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on First Eggs

Prairie Tour

Posted on July 26, 2017 by susanmsink@gmail.com

  Every day I wake up and realize I am living in one of those Jacquie Lawson animated cards. My aunt sends them to me periodically and I always watch them all the way to the end, never skip ahead … Continue reading →

Posted in prairie, St. Joseph, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Newest Immigrants

Posted on May 20, 2017 by susanmsink@gmail.com

  This was the final week of the school year in the local ESL program where I’ve been tutoring. We started in March as outreach to Somali women who have moved to our town. The six women who have participated are … Continue reading →

Posted in poetry, St. Joseph, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Raised Beds (Greenhouse Edition)

Posted on February 13, 2017 by susanmsink@gmail.com

I’m home! And Steve has been busy while I’ve been away. In addition to cleaning out his parents’ house, he was putting the finishing touches on the greenhouse– including installing the major exhaust fan and small fans, installing the heater … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, food, garden, recipe, the Farm, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Raised Beds (Greenhouse Edition)

Bird Trouble

Posted on November 4, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

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

Prairie Road

Posted on July 26, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Today marks eight years since I moved to the farm– my wedding day to Steve and the beautiful, dare I say perfect, reception we had in front of my sister- and brother-in-law’s house. Back then, there was corn on 17 … Continue reading →

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

Good Girls

Posted on April 12, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

Remember the Billy Joel song “Only the Good Die Young?” I thought that song was a total scandal. How could he say what I somewhere deep thought was true– what scared me most? But it wasn’t there because of Catholicism. I … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, poetry, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Gifts from Vegas

Posted on March 15, 2016 by susanmsink@gmail.com

One of the more surreal aspects of recent history is the fact that I first experienced the chest congestion that led to the diagnosis while out in Las Vegas. I spent 12 days out there in the desert, first in … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments