Authors and Such

I recently reread (listened) The Great Gatsby, as we all know wrote by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This led my thoughts to Saint Paul and my former community. Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul where his family lived in this property in the Hill District, which starts on the bluffs of the Mississippi River and continues for a few miles west.

This is on the eastern end, I lived closer to the western end. James J. Hill had a "home" right on Summit Avenue, on the bluff looking down to the city. Hill was a robber baron of the railroad form. 

Fitzgerald moved to this townhouse on Summit with his wife, Zelda, in the 1920s, where he wrote Gatsby, The plaque in front indicates which was their home.

Another Minnesotan was Sinclair Lewis, not T.S Lewis, brain  fog.  He was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota, which is North Central, I think. I went there often enough for a horse show, so I really should know for sure. This was his home on Summit, not too far west of the Fitzgerald row house. This home was somewhere along the way given the name of The Lemon Meringue House. 

 

Summit Avenue is several miles long and it and the blocks to the south and north is a historic district. The governor's mansion is on Summit, kitty-corner to my former house, one block north on Portland Avenue. 

A brief tour of my hometown and the area where I lived for thirteen years. As I have aged I find I miss it every-once-in- awhile.

My former home.

Image taken from Zillow.

** Added as an afterthought

       James J. Hill Mansion**

I Think I Am Back

I took a short blog vacation to concentrate on the many things needing doing that weren't getting done. I succeeded to a certain degree. I got a little painting done and some weed pulling. There is still plenty of both to do, hopeful I am up to the task. We had two days of steady rain which kept me inside, so----

I made bread.

Sandwich rolls.

There was also a rhubarb clafouti which did not photograph well.

Mark found nirvana when he saw meatballs in the sauce. He is easy to please.

Matthew was here this morning to dig up some honeysuckle. He has landscaped much of their yard with plants he finds here. He said he would have paid $60 each at Bachman's for the three he brought home. Yes, he surely would have. We have an abundance of dogwood, honeysuckle, elderberry and fast growing red cedar, all of which he has used at his home. I'm happy to have been of assistance.

This is Gatto's reaction to the morning activity.

 

Hey all. I found a burst of motivation and won’t be online for a couple of days. Once I sit down to the blogs I don’t seem to get up. Letting you because my past absences have been worrisome to a few. 

Happy Dance

Finally

Rain started about 6:00 pm yesterday and has continued through the night and into this morning. Rain is forecast through tomorrow. Hallelujah.

 

Portrait of Granny With Cat

Beware of man using phone camera.

He is sneaky

About four days ago we were 90F. Yesterday it reached 55F and it will be in that range today. Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, the heat is on. The sun is shining, so that is a positive. Actually, not be 90 degrees is a positive.

On another note...my son, the fine dining chef, is onto a career change. After 30 years in a professional kitchen, he'd had enough. A lifelong friend of his suggested he look into being a paramedic, which is what this friend did four years ago. He likes it, they are paid well and have benefits. The first step is EMT. He passed the final exam on Friday and quit his job. I think we can assume he was ready for a change and I also think he will be good at the job. If he finds the work suits him he will go onto paramedic training. I'm proud of his ability to make such a drastic change at this stage of his life. Life in a professional kitchen is all stress, all the time, and he needed out. He's taking his Yorkie up to northern Minnesota for some camping and hiking today, something I think he needs.

So, while I'm the granny living with too many cats, my only child is moving forward. Good on him.

Don't Mess With Frieda

The hallway monitor.

The rain passed us by yesterday. Bah and humbug. My weather app says it will rain today, but that's what it said yesterday. We have wind up to forty miles an hour, so that's a yikes. I went to PT yesterday and feel I am getting back on track. She has helped me a lot. I plan to start getting on track, as in getting things done. Yes, I will moniter my tendency to overdo. Truly.

 

Dog's Life ( Don't I Wish!)

My beloved Howard knew how to enjoy life.

He was a unique character. I know they all are, but this guy had an exclamation point after his name. He left this life in 2017 and I still miss him. I was blessed to have three bassets in my life. They are living, breathing cartoons.

This will be our last abnormally hot day for the month. I think. Rain is coming in tomorrow and it will be welcome. After that I hope to be able to get my remaining flower beds in some sort of shape. Time passes too quickly.

I don't know what I will do today. I know what I should do, but I don't know if I will do what I should do. I have been listening to a book that has grabbed my attention. This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter. She has an appropriate last name for a murder mystery writer. I do enjoy a good who-done-it. This one is good.

May we all be like Howard and enjoy the moment.

 

The Small Things

Aren't they pretty!

It's me again. I hope all you mothers had a lovely day yesterday. It was hot here, 90F. Too hot for May. Too hot for me at any time of the year. I had a quiet day, which was fine. Later in the week we will cool down and I can return to garden maintenance, with more restraint this time. Wild violets are blooming all over the place. I wish they were in flower all summer, but the plant itself is pretty and is a great ground cover.

It's laundry day. I'm listening to the sound of the washer sloshing the water about and a cat munching on kibble. Not a bad way to start a day. Of course, there is coffee.

Howdy

I'm feeling much better today. I was good yesterday and did the exercises I was given to help bring my back to where it was before the ouch happened. We have sunshine and mild weather today so I'm going to take the opportunity and mow the yard. Tomorrow will be the same, which is good, as mowing is a two day project. I think I will leave the weeding to the master weeder, Mark. He thinks that's a good plan and I agree. He's spent three days cutting down saplings and he's still not finished. This whole area would turn into a forest in about three years time if allowed. The speed at which they are seeding and growing, I'm not certain it won't happen anyway. One small pasture has grown a forest of beautiful flowering trees. Who knows where they came from. I planted wild flowers in there years ago when I thought I would try keeping bees. I was finally convinced I had too much on my plate already and it would be, well, insanity to add something more. 

 

A couple of days ago I made ice cream, chocolate chip and walnuts. Note to self....chocolate chips freeze into little rocks, don't do again. Other than that, it's good. I had another dinner based on leftovers last evening, ham. I don't make casseroles often, so it's always a tossup as to how it will turn out. It needed something to brighten the flavor, maybe some heat, like red pepper flakes. 

That's about it. Enjoy the day. Practice moderation. Or not, if you are Val!

Good Morning

I actually have a few things to relay. Sunday afternoon I decided to weed one of the flower beds. It seemed like a good idea, I could be outside and I would be productive. I did most of the 2 1/2 hours by bending because with my tight back it is the most comfortable position for me. Fast forward to Monday. Ouch! The old gluteus and corresponding back thigh muscles were on high alert. I was in some serious pain. Yesterday, Tuesday, still painful but more manageable. I went to PT in the morning, told her my tale of woe. She kindly told me it won't be the last time I forget I'm not what I used to be. In the wise words of the venerable Bette Davis "getting old ain't for sissies". 

On the way back from PT we picked up lunch. I made ice cream later and then had a couple hour visit via phone with a friend who will soon be moving back to the Twin Cities. Somehow, I felt busy all day. When ones' world is narrow the smallest of things fill the space.

The day ended with making dinner, doing a few games of solitaire on my phone and going to bed. Life ambles on.

 

Every day is Caturday

So proclaims Empress Frieda

We are suddenly going to be warm here in unpredictable Minnesota. Summer temperatures forecast into the third week of the month. The heat has been on all this time and now, viola, summer! Enjoy the day, one and all.

Que Sera Sera

 

Yesterday was another of "those" days for me. More rain is forecast today, we do need it. The grass has suddenly become green and long in places. The fauna and flora desperately needed moisture.

My mind is roiling with the hits it takes daily, even with limited exposure to news. I am at a loss as to how there can be anyone supporting the unconstitutional and unlawful acts of the power players in our country. My mind is blown and not in a good way. 

Anyway, I will have plenty to do outside once the rain ends and it dries a bit. I'll do as much as my uncooperative back will allow. Until then, I continue to putter, cook and listen to books.