Author Archives: Molly

Gardening Surprises

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Gardening is not my thing. I like perennials that come up and grow reliably. Annuals are almost always impatiens, prized for their constant and brilliant color throughout the summer with no effort on my part.

The whole idea behind the landscaping for our new home was to be natural and maintenance free. We have “highway mix” grasses that are not meant to be mowed, which give way to woods around three sides of the house. We strayed a bit when it came to the front approach, however, where friends with marvelous gardening skills designed and planted perennials and bushes to line the walkway.

I have to admit to gathering interest in the various plantings, and recently had an uncharacteristic surge of industrious gardening activity. Seeking to fill in the barren wall alongside the garage, and spying an expanding patch of Lilies of the Valley in our woods, I decided to try my hand at transplanting. Getting up close and personal with the plants, I discovered hidden treasure. Trillium! I surprised myself by coming up with the name, but a Google search and Wikipedia confirmed my identification. Something in my memory registered “do not pick” and I thought I had found a rare flower. Although my research revealed that they are protected in a number of states, the reason is that picking the blossoms inflicts lasting damage on the plants, and it takes years for them to recover. Regardless, I delicately avoided disturbing my new find, and plundered my lilies from a safe distance.

We’ll see if the lillies take root and multiply. But even if not, I’ve been rewarded for my efforts. And just maybe I will buy those wild flower seeds I’ve been thinking of introducing In front of the large rocks outside our dining room windows.

 

Wedding Ice Cream

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I love ice cream.  Fortunately, I married someone who feels the same way.  We share mugs of ice cream late in the evening, and it’s amazing what we can cram into those vessels.

Yesterday was our 29th wedding anniversary.  We had a picnic, went for a walk, and – of course – completed the evening with a trip to our favorite ice cream shop.

It was a fitting celebration, as we did the same thing 29 years ago.  In between the wedding ceremony and the reception, we made a slight detour – to the Dairy Queen.  It was the old style DQ, where we ordered from the window outside.  The servers were so surprised and enamored with the situation that our ice cream cones were on the house!  We arrived at the reception with our treats, linked arms and licked our cones.

Our daughter was married a few years ago.  Guess where the stretch limo carrying the entire wedding party stopped en route to the reception?  DQ.  It must run in the family.

Minneapolis – Most Bikeable City

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As part of the commentary on yesterday’s National Bike to Work Day, I heard a report on NPR announcing that Minneapolis came out #1 in a new ranking of the Most Bikeable Cities.  Curious to learn more, I went on to find out about the method behind the scoring process.  I discovered that it was developed by Walk Score, which describes itself as “the only site that makes it easy for apartment renters and homebuyers to find neighborhoods where they can drive less and live more.”  They launched Bike Score just this week, and currently report details on on the top 10 most bikeable cities in the US, and the 10 largest cities in Canada.  The primary factors in computing the score are the availability of bike infrastructure (lanes and trails), the hilliness of the area, amenities and road connectivity, and the number of bike commuters, then weighted by population density.

As it happened, I had planned a bike route through the Minneapolis area this morning to meet a friend for coffee at the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins.  That location is a magnet for cyclists, as it is situated at the juncture of three urban bike trails.  So I decided to do a bit of exploring myself on my return route.  I had never cycled into Minneapolis proper on the Cedar Lake Commuter Trail, and I was amazed at the extensive trail system with numerous spurs into local neighborhoods and how it drew me right across town in the safety of a secluded bike lane.  First I found myself cycling right alongside the base of Target Field, under the superstructure of the stands. Continuing along, I made it all the way to the Mississippi River – back to my old stomping grounds from my lunch-time running days.  From there, access to the West River Parkway and miles of additional bike trails beckoned.  What a delightful surprise – I can’t wait to plan another ride there and beyond.

My limited experiment quickly confirmed the results of the Bike Score, and gave me pride in this metro area for developing such bike-friendly routes.  Bike Score deliberately publishes its criteria, to encourage other cities to invest in these elements to make their environment more attractive to cyclists.  I’m all for it!  I hope other cities in the Northland are checking it out.

What’s your idea of Camping?

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To my mom, it was “a picnic with tents.”  She was not a fan, but being a good sport she was willing to go along with it.  When my high school friend and I planned a camping trip with our two families, however, she landed in the hospital with a mastectomy instead.  We told her that was going a bit too far to get out of camping.

To my kids, it was “taking a break from the cabin.”  Kind of embarrassing really.  When we bought our cabin, I was thrilled but mourned the inevitable loss of camping trips.  So my husband fulfilled his promise of keeping it alive by taking the family camping just 10 miles away from the cabin.  Walking through the campground, we felt a bit sheepish when our kids proudly announced to other rustic campers, “we’re here from our cabin!”

On a real family camping trip in the Black Hills, it was “more toast please, Mom.”  A rainy morning meant the cooks got wet, but a roomy old canvas tent allowed the kids to play and have breakfast in the dry interior.  It didn’t curb their appetites any, as their hunger for toast seemed insatiable.

On a Boundary Waters canoe trip with friends, it meant sharing dreams.  We were land-bound by thunderstorms and tent-bound by the rain.  Much of the day was spent reading and snoozing, until a voice emanated from the other tent.  “Here’s an assignment for you.  Name 10 vacations you would like to take.”  We whiled away much of the afternoon exchanging fantasies of adventures and destinations.  We’ve even done some of them since.

To my friend, Mary, the mere thought was horrifying.  “What, no hairdryers or make-up?”  The idea of going without for days on end was unfathomable.  But we love her anyway.

Camping seems to mean something different with each outing.  No matter what the circumstances are, it promises plenty of memories.  And with the passage of time, they almost always become good memories.

Cycling Milestones

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I’m trying to ratchet up my cycling miles.  If we’re going to do 70 miles a day for the first 5 days of the Trans-Superior Cycling Tour, I need to keep upping my longest distance.  To date, my max has been 40 miles.  I’ve had my sights set on 50, and decided today was the day.  Beautiful sunny day, no wind, and temps in the high 60’s – perfect!  It was a glorious day to be out cycling, and although I started to feel the curse of the saddle after about 30 miles, and found myself choosing easier gears after 40 miles, overall it was a great ride!  Sort of like marathon training – after while, you are on auto-pilot, and the miles melt away behind you.

The other reason for the push was that we have registered for the Tour de Pepin, a cycling tour around Lake Pepin on June 2.  We intended to do the 50 mile ride, thinking it would be fun to take the paddlewheeler back to the start.  But the best ferry times fill up quickly (lesson learned!), so we defaulted to doing the full 72 mile ride.  Being the overachiever I am, I harbored secret desires to do the full ride anyway, so I’m not too disappointed.

I’ll worry about putting consecutive days of long rides together later. And adding more hill work.  I think I have plenty to keep me challenged until the final test in mid-August.

In Memory of Mom

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This Mothers’ Day has a new twist for me. It’s my first without my own mother. For the first time I will not be seeking out just the right card and gift for Mom on Mothers’ Day. I won’t be stopping by her house to give her a hug and stay for a visit. Even though Alzheimer’s stole Mom’s memory over time, it was still important to mark the day and look for some way to brighten her life. She was still my mom. And she will always be my role model.

Mom was my best cheerleader. There was nothing she thought I couldn’t do. When I took up running, she was the one to let me know that Grandma’s Marathon was starting up a half-marathon. Of course she knew I could do it. No question. And she was there on the course year after year for the full marathons that followed. Two years ago was the first time she missed, and I found it hard to breath as I passed “her” corner.

Mom was there at all my concerts, my recitals, the talent shows. No matter what the event, she was there. When I had kids, she came for their plays, their concerts, their graduations.

Mom taught me to sew like a pro. We matched plaids so well you couldn’t tell there was a seam. When I asked her to make a dress for my daughter’s American Girl Doll (named Molly, of course!), she bought the pattern and made every single outfit! When it came time to prune my closets in preparation for moving, I admit to squirreling away a few treasures that she made for me. I may never again wear the lace-inserted blouse she made, but it was too special to let go.

I wrote to Mom every week. She loved reading my letters. And when she could no longer read them, her caregivers read them to her. Mom always encouraged me in my writing. It’s because of her that I started up this blog – to pursue writing and see where it can take me.

Happy Mothers’ Day, Mom. I miss you.

Up North at the Cabin

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Like all good Minnesota families, we have a cabin Up North.  Ours is a true cabin.  It’s meant for three seasons, but we use it all four.  It has running water, pumped directly from the lake, but with the benefit of a hot water heater for showers and washing dishes.  Drinking water comes in a large jug we bring from home.  Heat emanates from the fireplace, or wood stove – sometimes both.  Appliances are limited to stove and refrigerator.  No TV, no phone.  And limited cell coverage.  I hope it stays that way.

Two bedrooms and main room/kitchen make for cozy space.  Carving a bunkhouse out of the front of the shed when the kids became teenagers was a timely idea – they could make as much noise and stay up as late as they wanted, and we didn’t mind.  Add a sauna, and that’s it.  Simple is best. That’s what cabin life is all about.

Naturally, being in Minnesota, our cabin is on a lake.  There is nothing better than waking up on a summer morning, pulling back the curtain and peering out at a glorious sunrise.  Hearing the loons call is added glory.  Ours is a spring-fed lake, deep and cold.  No matter how warm the summer, swimming is always “refreshing.”  The guys love fishing, the girls prefer hanging out on the dock.  Night times mean playing games or reading books.  Sometimes a bonfire or late-night sauna and jump in the lake.

There is no better place for family time.  We bought the cabin not long after our youngest was born, and we have the best memories from time spent there.  We have a journal recording each visit and photo albums full of pictures.  And plenty of stories to tell.

Tomorrow we head up there to open it up for another summer – let cabin season begin!

The Gift of Time

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Mothers’ Day is still nearly a week away, but I already have my Mothers’ Day presents – time with each of my children.  It was just coincidence that it happened this way, but it was a lovely confluence of events.  At this point in my life, there is nothing more meaningful than spending time with people and creating memories.   And I just stored up a week’s worth of the best of both.

It started with my middle son, Carl.  Despite having moved to DC and started a new job, the arrival of a new niece was reason enough for him to make a special trip home.  So a week ago, he inhabited our extra bedroom once again, and we spent a weekend hanging out as a family and doing some of our favorite activities together – enjoying a meal, going out for coffee after church, playing cards and of course cuddling the new arrival and playing with 2 year old Ben.  It was a low key and relaxing weekend, with time enough to talk and just be.

Immediately afterwards, my daughter, Karen, and I spent three days together in Duluth.  We took advantage of her being home on maternity leave for some special time together, along with the grand-kids.  Just tending to the kids took most of our time – how quickly one forgets just how all consuming that can be!  But it was joyful time with the freedom from other tasks on our plates, with plenty of opportunity to talk and share.  The weather even obliged by gifting us with a beautiful day to sit at the water’s edge at Brighton Beach and throw the endless supply of rocks into the lake.

My next visit required a bit of travel.  Armed with audio books and podcasts, I made the drive out to Indiana for Moms’ Weekend with my youngest son, Erik, at Rose-Hulman.  Even though I knew we’d be back in less than three weeks for graduation, I wanted this last Mom’s time with him.  He got up early to share the decadent B&B breakfasts with me, we went for a long bike ride and rewarded ourselves at Dairy Queen, and he demonstrated the robot he programmed for his Senior Design project.  Walks in the park and seeing the college production of Phantom of the Opera rounded out our weekend.

It is such a blessing to have adult children with whom it is such a pleasure to spend time.  I am a very lucky Mom.

Graduation Travel Tradition

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It started with my husband.  During his senior year of college, he spent a week in Antigua with his parents.  Not with his brothers, just him and his parents.  It made a big impression on him, and he felt it was a special time shared with his parents before he left school and started his first job.  At his suggestion we decided to replicate it.

Even when they were young, we told our children about this plan.  When they graduated from college, we would take them – not their siblings – on a trip, to a destination of their choosing.  Over the years, it became my favorite dinner time probe.  Where do you think you will go for your graduation trip?

Our first trip was to Jamaica.  Our daughter, Karen, wanted a beach vacation, and a place to relax and soak up the sun after a hectic senior year.  We found a wonderful small resort, Catcha Falling Star, perched on the cliffs south of Negril.  We loved our round air-cooled cottage, jumping into the deep blue waters off the rocks, reading by the waterside, and sampling the local fare for dinner.  It was a week of pure relaxation and slow pace.  It was on that trip that Karen shared with us the depth of her love for her now-husband.  Truly a special time!

The next trip took us to Alaska.  Our son, Carl, was looking for adventure and wilderness.  Traveling around the southern portion of the state our favorite venue was Bowman’s Bear Creek Lodge on the Kenai Peninsula.  From there we experienced sea kayaking in Resurrection Bay, fishing for salmon, hiking on glaciers, and enjoyed the best weather of the trip.  The rustic log cabins at Bowman’s and delicious dinner savored on the porch were the perfect complement to our outdoor experience.  We especially relished that week with Carl, as soon afterwards he left for a year’s study abroad as part of his master’s degree program in International Relations.

And now the third and final trip.  Erik will graduate this spring and has selected Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies for his trip.  Hiking and mountains were the key ingredients for him.  The tickets are purchased, lodging reservations in the making, and anticipation is growing.  Now all he has to do is get his diploma.

That will be the end for this generation.  Will they continue the tradition?