What’s New
Already?
How can my early clematis be blooming already? Sure we’ve had an early spring, but last week was cold again and slowed things down. The peonies put on the brakes, the irises held still, the spirea went into sleep mode for several days, but the clematis? It started...
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Because time always seems to be short and the stack of books on my bedside table is tall, I very rarely read a book slowly. But by the time the first chapter of Olive Kitteredge came to an end, I resolved to take a long time reading it. Maybe you’ve heard about...
The Ruhbarb Report
Life has been worrisome lately, at least in the rhubarb department. Last year, the little bed we planted six springs ago was a wonder to behold. We had waited five years before harvesting more than a few stalks, to let the plants become established. By 2009, they were...
Shrimp Scampi
With Hiram’s half-marathon coming up and me wanting to fit into a suit purchased in November for Anne’s July wedding, we’re trying to eat extra-healthy this month. The secret is to choose meals bursting with flavor. Somehow, when I do that, the tongue manages to fool...
Absolutely No Privacy
The temperatures turned chilly last weekend. Frost coated the grass Sunday morning, but the cold weather didn’t slow down the critters in our yard. Instead, the bracing air seemed to whip them into a frenzy, and our normally quiet yard was as busy as the pub district...
Makign Room for Mother’s Day
With two kids getting married, two nieces graduating, a new book to write, and Hiram training for a half-marathon, spring’s been busy. So busy, in fact, it was hard to squeeze Mother’s Day into the mix. But it managed to settle comfortably into the small amount of...