Weekly Photo Challenge: BIG


The Weekly Photo Challenge asked that we write about what "Big" means to us. I chose one of my sister's dogs, Jai. He lives at  The Funny Farm  and is a rescued Great Pyrenees PUPPY (14 months, 120 lbs).  Jai is short for Ginormous, White, Slobbering Dog. Think puppy brain in a pony-sized body....He digs... Continue Reading →

Killer Asparagus


There was this great idea I saw on Facebook...Cut eyes in toilet paper rolls and put a glow stick inside. Then hide them in the bushes for Halloween. I love the idea, but in northern MN, we have wind, rain, long nights, and usually snow this time of year. It took a couple of weeks... Continue Reading →

Pajari, Spelled Just Like How It Sounds


Pajari: (Finnish, meaning smithy) pronounced PIE-ree in the USA, BYE-a-rrrree (I think-but since I can't roll my rrrrrr's, it's kind of a moot point) in Finland. Also means we know how to pronounce SAUNA. SOW-nuh. Damn it. A big thank-you to Don Simonson of http://www.cookmn.com for the great pics of Cook's 1952 phone book 🙂


This is what my morning looked like... I love container gardening for several reasons, but keeping containers watered can kick my butt. I have RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) so most days I can't lift heavy watering cans or drag hoses around.  Also, some container gardens need to be watered daily, depending on the weather. There are... Continue Reading →

I Have Worms


I first heard about composting with worms from my daughter, whose science teacher had  a worm bin in her classroom. Said daughter started cleaning our refrigerator to feed the worms for extra credit. The more I read about composting with worms (vermiculture) , the more intrigued I became. Mrs. Bidle (who also taught my sister... Continue Reading →

The Sister in the Basement


"There's ANOTHER one??" my 10 year-old son asked. His eyes got bigger and his jaw dropped. I admit, it took me a few seconds to catch up. "Another what?" "Another sister." "What are you talking about? I have one sister; you have two." "What about the one in the basement??" He was worried now. I... Continue Reading →

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