by | April 10, 2013 · 9:20 pm

Wither, winter! Whither spring?

This week has not behaved like a typical April spring week and warrants a little word play with homonyms. On Tuesday, I took delight seeing the snow gone from my front yard and had a small patch remaining in the shady section of the back yard. Last night’s rain changed over to sleet and then snow, but the long thunder peals lasted through the first hour of snow. Two inches of heavy, sloppy slush coated everything. Last year, we had a stretch of ten days where we set or tied eight record highs; this year, we have not had eight days of at or above normal temperatures since the equinox.

The Twin Cities is under a Winter Storm Warning until Friday morning. Earlier in the week, there were indications of an 18″ snowfall potential. That has mercifully reduced to 5″-10″ and I am hoping that the forecasters are overestimating again for the sake of inflating ratings.

Weather is humbling. Humans take pride in technological advances that improve natural processes because natural processes have a high level of uncertainty. Attempts at managing weather have been futile at best and disastrous at worst. There are some things still beyond our control, and weather is towards the top of the list. It would be wonderful to prevent hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and floods but prediction tools still need much refinement first.

Life is full of uncertainty. We are all familiar with the adage “Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!” I am uncertain how much snow I will get or whether I will lose power. The snowblower and generator are full of fuel and ready for use. I can hibernate for a couple of days until the snow stops and the roads clear.

I hope that winter finally withers away and we don’t have to ask where is spring. Take time to give your loved ones a meaningful hug and let them know you love them. It’s like eating your dessert first. Be careful with snow removal and commuting if it’s applicable!

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by | April 6, 2013 · 9:18 pm

“There is a garden, verdant, beautiful…”

Well, maybe not today, but spring is continuing to make inroads at wresting control of the seasons from winter. The title of the post is the first line of a poem by Reyvrex Questor Reyes titled “Love Sonnet 58 There is a garden, verdant, beautiful“. Lucy would have liked the poem.

Several days of above freezing temperatures and several nights of light fog have devoured about five inches of snow cover in my back yard. The calendar says April but the weather behaves like March. While the yard is not verdant yet, its color is showing a green tinge in the brown. The front yard has a couple of snow piles created by the snowblower. After pulling back the leaves that had piled up in the gardens last fall, I was happy to see daffodils and squills poking through. Some areas of the yard remain frozen solid and other areas have thawed to about two inches down. Yesterday’s snowfall was a reminder that the weather in Minnesota s unpredictable. My yard looked like it had a bad case of dandruff and it melted later in the evening.

I have mentioned a couple of times that Lucy enjoyed poetry. She had a “Nothing Book” in her nightstand where she had transcribed poems that she liked. Julie gave Lucy the “Nothing Book” on Lucy’s 22nd birthday in 1980. The first poem Lucy had jotted in there was a haiku from the James Bond story “You Only Live Twice” by Ian Fleming:

You only live twice…
When you are born, and
When you look death in the face

We both enjoyed baseball, a game played on a verdant ball field. It is a game that spans three seasons and we would enjoy it on the radio while we worked in the gardens or were out for a walk. A. Bartlett Giamatti, a professor from Yale who later became the Commissioner of Baseball, had a quote in “The Green Fields of the Mind” which sums baseball up nicely:

“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.”

We went to some games at the Metrodome and wished we could be outdoors…except for one game when a severe thunderstorm roared through. Watching the Teflon roof bounce and seeing the flashes of lightning through the fabric made for an interesting evening, but we stayed dry. I was fortunate enough to see some Twins games at the old Metropolitan Stadium, now the site of the Mall of America. Lucy wanted to see a game at Target Field and to attend a St. Paul Saints game at Midway Stadium, and I plan to do both during this baseball season. Let me know if any of you would be interested in joining me.

I hope the weather where you are at is acting more seasonal than it is here. Give your loved ones a meaningful hug, try to get out and enjoy nature, and “root, root, root for the home team”.

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Filed under gardening, literature, philosophy, rebuilding, weather

by | March 30, 2013 · 10:09 pm

Easter 2013

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday for most Christians. The weather is finally shaking off the winter blues with a spate of near normal temperatures. Today’s high of 55°F was actually above the normal high of 50°F for this date. The morning started out clammy and dreary, but the sun and gentle breeze pushed the fog and haze away. It was also the first day of enjoying the three season porch for more than a few moments. Several inches of snow cover vanished today and the furnace has made nary a sound since early this morning. The ice pack in the back yard has rivulets and chasms carved out by snow melt working its way to the drainage pond at the end of the cul-de-sac. People were outside tinkering with lawnmowers and weed trimmers anticipating lawns turning green. Spring is staking its claim.

Bird activity increased when the sun broke through. Three pair of cardinals plus a couple of males looking for mates spent most of today scouting nesting locations and drinking from the bird bath. An inquisitive black-capped chickadee spent several minutes clinging to one of the porch door screens peering in. I have heard robins for several weeks but have not seen one yet. No signs of the snow birds (juncos) that were common at the start of the month. One sure sign of spring is seeing a turkey vulture gliding on the thermals near the Minnesota River. Even the “bird brains” have figured out spring is near.

I think I have some squills poking though near the garage. That garden has western exposure and seems to thaw the fastest. The lilacs have fat leaf buds at the ready, waiting for another couple of days of sun and warmth. Flower buds are getting larger on the forsythia. It usually blooms by mid-April, so it is right on schedule. Easter is the time for plants to resurrect from the dead and for hibernating creatures to awaken. The sidewalks are somewhat treacherous. Snow melt runs down the sidewalks and will freeze in shady areas. Lubricating a low friction icy surface with water guarantees causing unexpected equilibrium shifts, which can result in a painful and wet fall.

I know a few of you will be traveling this weekend; I am going to John’s house tomorrow. Mom and Dad are scheduled to be there. The weather in southwestern Minnesota might be a bit tricky tonight with a threat of freezing rain and snow. I wish a happy birthday to Diane tomorrow.

Take a few minutes to give your loved ones a meaningful hug and let them know you love them. Enjoy your day tomorrow!

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by | March 19, 2013 · 10:05 pm

Coaxing out Spring

We are having a mild winter in the Twin Cities thus far. The snow cover held off until November which helps make the season seem shorter. Unlike the winter of 2010-2011, there have been no protracted cold spells or a seasonal record-setting snow.

I am ready for Spring’s calendar arrive tomorrow, but like many others in this region, Spring’s timidness this year puzzles me. It reminds me of a cat that is afraid of visitors and streaks across the room to find a hiding place. After several hours and some coaxing, the cat finally appears and finds a new lap to nap on while getting a belly rub.

Last year spoiled everyone in my area. We had a stretch of ten days that recorded or tied record highs in eight of them. Yesterday’s high temperature of 29°F was 50°F colder than last year’s record high of 79°F. The latest weather quirk has been threats of blizzards or heavy snow on Sunday night. This week was no exception, and there are rumors that next Sunday night may bring in near-blizzard conditions to southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa. Take solace in the fact that weather forecasters have been predicting snowfall amounts higher than what actually falls. Perhaps that trend will also continue. There is still 6″ of snow cover here. Easter egg hunts in snowdrifts might be expected next weekend.

My forsythia cutting started dropping flowers last Wednesday. I think it bloomed for over two weeks. To help break up the monotony of snow and grit, I bought a small orchid. Orchids are not expensive and even if I am unsuccessful at rejuvenating it after it goes dormant, I can get another.

The snow blanket is also keeping me from getting the gardens ready for spring. I have my dahlias started in plastic coffee cans to try extending the bloom season. The gladiolus and Asian lily bulbs destroyed by chipmunks and squirrels last year have replacements at the ready. The local garden centers do not have tulip bulbs yet. I’m going to try a Gloriosa lily variety this year that Lucy liked. I purchased all the usual annual seeds and they are waiting to go into seed starter containers: scarlet flax, borage, bluebonnet, sunflower and morning glory. This year’s seed experiments will include cypress vine and castor bean. Both plants are critter-proof because they are bitter and have emetic and laxative properties. This could lead to some “clean up in aisle one” moments. I have a fenced-in back yard and there are no children in the neighborhood under age 12.

I am hoping for a decent growing season this year. Lucy enjoyed gardening. I think the reason she enjoyed it so much was looking at the colors and life, and watching the birds and butterflies visit. We figured out how to optimize our gardening effort, which gave us more time to enjoy the result. Like last year, there will be twice as much gardening work for me. Unlike last year, Lucy is not here to encourage me. I’ll get it done though. Of course, if anyone wants to help, I’d appreciate it.

Give your loved ones a meaningful hug and let them know you love them. Try to smile today. If you’ll excuse me, I have to find a way to coax Spring out from behind the dryer.

This year's orchid

This year’s orchid

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by | March 12, 2013 · 8:03 pm

The comforts of home

What do you consider “home”? Is it the house you grew up in? Is it the first place you lived in after moving out on your own? Is it the house you bought with your spouse? I know some of you moved often during your childhood. Others of you spent time in one or more foster homes before adulthood. Still others are renters and quite satisfied with not worrying about maintenance.

When we were younger, we could not wait until we could start our new adventure. What we didn’t know then is that adventure culminates in finding our new “home” and building new memories. I think we go through a restless period akin to Goldilocks sampling the porridge, chairs, and beds in the Three Bears’ home. We may not know what we are looking for, but we know when we find it.

Home is the place where you made the most memories, where you felt safe, grounded, and surrounded by love. Even as adults, many of us consider “home” as the place we grew up, not the place in which we currently reside. Home is where the heart is. I consider two places as “home”: my primary home is the house Lucy and I bought and my other home is the house my parents now live.

One difficult transition we can face as adults is the sale of our childhood home. Lucy’s siblings found a buyer for their parent’s home and it has been bittersweet for them. The transition is a loss and reminds us that time marches forward even if we may not like the tempo. What was once familiar and comforting has changed. Someday I will be unable to maintain my home, which will probably require me to move into a senior’s center. I will have my memories of home to help me make that transition just as memories of my time with Lucy help me transition to a life without her. In both cases, one can hope the new owners will start building memories of “home” there and have love and joy fill the rooms.

Thomas Wolfe wrote a novel called “You Can’t Go Home Again” with the main point being:

You can’t go back home to your family, back home to your childhood … back home to a young man’s dreams of glory and of fame … back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time – back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.”

I submit that Mr. Wolfe was wrong. “Home” may have a number of physical changes besides a new owner; in fact, the structure could no longer exist. The memories remain even if the abode does not. Our memories are powerful and can change our perceptions. In “Paradise Lost”, John Milton wrote:

The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.

The mind’s power is what helps us cope with the myriad of changes modern life sends our way. We cherish those memories of home, each one a thread woven into our life’s fabric. We use that fabric to shelter us from the unpleasantness that sometimes arises in life. As such, we never lose “home” unless we want it to go away. It will always be with us because it is part of us, providing us with peace, comfort, and smiles. You can go home again. Please keep Steve, Suzy, and Julie in your thoughts as they make this transition.

Yesterday was “National Napping Day” in areas that switched to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday. I hope that those of you who actively participated did not do so while driving. Other whimsical days this week include “National Pi Day” on Thursday and “National Quilting Day” on Saturday. Holiday Insights lists more if these interest or amuse you.

Tomorrow marks eleven months since Lucy passed away. Please think of her tomorrow. Thank you for keeping Lucy in your heart.

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