Chickens: the creator of eggs, nature’s alarm clocks, and delicious Sunday afternoon dinners. Not that I would dare to consume any of my beloveds at the farm. I would, however, shame a few of them, which has become quite the trend on Instagram.
Read moreProcrastination Links 07.29.19
The warm weather continues here in Wisconsin. I hope you find a few moments of air conditioned peace. During your next lemonade break, check out my favorite links from around the web.
Read moreGarden Furniture Passed Down or Stolen
This week’s post is a little sloppy because the weather is fine so I am required to report for weed duty. They are unstoppable, the bindweed, the lamb’s quarter, the farter’s button, overrunning every inch of our idyllic little farm like the oligarch tourists swarming over Lake Como.
Read moreProcrastination Links 07.15.19
It’s going to be a hot one in Wisconsin this week. Perfect for taking a dip in a lake. I hope you are staying cool wherever you may be. If you need a little break this week, check out my favorite links from around the web…
Read moreGetting to Know Our Chickens
Lots of people in the Milwaukee area know our farm well. It was a thriving business and a popular destination for over forty years. When folks learn that we are the new owners, the first question they ask is, “What about the chickens?”
The chickens are staying. As of Monday, we are in charge of their welfare. All thirty-nine of them. Scott and his staff are done renting and we are keepers of the coop.
Read moreProcrastination Links 07.08.19
I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. If you need a little break as you head into the week ahead, check out my favorite procrastination links from around the web…
Read more15 Favorite ONLINE Antiques
I’ve written about how to shop an estate sale before, guaranteeing that you will net high quality furniture, art, and household items at bargain basement prices. I don’t understand why, when I attend an estate sale, it’s not like Back Friday. Perhaps people don’t have the time. Perhaps there is the stigma of buying something used something once owned by a person who now might be dead.
Or maybe people are intimidated by the rules. My husband being one. Here’s a funny story:
Read moreProcrastination Links 07.01.19
July is officially here and we will be taking full possession of the farm! I’m looking forward to sharing posts about the gardens, chickens, and antique glass house in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you need a little break check out my favorite links from around the web this week…
Read moreProcrastination Links 06.24.19
I am off to a writing workshop at the University of Iowa this week. And after that we will be taking full possession of the farm! I’m looking forward to all of the projects and gardening that await us! If you need a little break this week, check out my favorite procrastination links from around the web…
Read moreBonnet House: Come for the Monkeys, Stay for the Art
In its heyday, the mangroves at Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, sheltered a barrel of wild monkeys who so loved their mistress, Evelyn Bartlett, that they seemed to know exactly when she was en route from Massachusetts. By the time she arrived for the winter season, they were gathered in the branches overhanging the porch, awaiting the toast points with strawberry jam that Evelyn fed them.
It seems outrageous, calling to mind Mrs. Thurston Howell III, doesn’t it? But such are the privileges of the very very wealthy. And what good fortune that Evelyn Bartlett (whose maiden name was indeed Fortune) did not sell her valuable property to Fort Lauderdale developers, that instead she donated all 35 acres to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
Read moreProcrastination Links 06.17.19
The farm has been keeping me busy these days, especially the never-ending weeding! But I couldn’t love the gardens more. If you need a break this week, check out my favorite procrastination links from around the web…
Read moreA Handy Man to Have Around
English is not his mother tongue but that doesn’t stop my dad from going through the fine print on contracts. “Part and labor for one year,” he reads aloud to me.
I correct him. “Parts,” I say.
“Do parts include silly putty?” he asks me.
“What are you talking about?”
He had noticed a leak coming from the new air conditioner. The front panel is attached via round bolts threaded through oval holes. Which explains the minute threads of cooled air escaping past his outstretched hand. He calls the HVAC guy and tells him to bring his silly putty.
Read moreProcrastination Links 06.03.19
I am off to a writing workshop at The Clearing in Door County, Wisconsin this week. I’m looking forward to some time focused entirely on writing. If you need a little break this week, check out my favorite procrastination links from around the web…
Read moreBig Little Lies and Max
It’s back! Season Two of that wonderful whodunit/howdunit/whydunit Big Little Lies, executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, will air on HBO beginning Sunday, June 9th.
Longtime blog readers will remember my erudite young friend Max who hated La La Land. Our disagreement made for a good blog post. Max has strong opinions and backs them up. Also, he’s a classy debater. And he is currently working in L.A. as a producer. So I like turning to him for an insider’s perspective. What follows is our chat about Season One. It took place two years ago. I jotted it down. (Yes, I often write down the clever things you people say to me.)
Read moreProcrastination Links 05.27.19
As we remember those who have served our country, I hope you have a day filled with sunshine, picnics, and time spent with family and friends. If you need a little break as you head into the week ahead, check out my favorite links from around the web…
Read moreBook Review: The Baltimore Book of the Dead
I don’t mind thinking about death. I am not repelled by its possibility. (There’s a joke.) My fear of it has dissipated as my children have grown and I have become so contented in life. Also, I’d much rather beat my husband across that meridian.
Now that I’m well into my fifties and traversing the shadowed side of the mountain, what lies below in the valley seems interesting. My sense of adventure is aroused. When I draw my last and my body begins the process of turning out the lights, then might I learn what is next. Ah! The chance to discover the big fat unanswerable question — how is that not very very thrilling!
Read moreProcrastination Links 05.20.19
I spent a wonderful weekend in Washington D.C., one of my favorite cities, visiting one of my sons and seeing Monticello for the first time. Now that I’m home, I’m looking forward to the warm weather coming to Wisconsin later this week. If you need a little break this week, check out my favorite procrastination links from around the web…
Read moreProcrastination Links 05.13.19
I hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating all of the special mothers in your life. Spring has finally arrived in Wisconsin and we are enjoying a beautiful sun-filled day. If you need a little break this week, check out my favorite links from around the web…
Read moreOur Plans for the Farm: A Short List
I’m going to share a bunch of ideas we’ve discussed for this farm. In case you’re new here, we purchased a farm that is currently a perennial plant nursery and a gift shop. We did not purchased the actual business, though, so we have been considering all manner of proposals. This has been fun, especially for someone like me who is a squirrel and scampers after anything shiny.
Read moreProcrastination Links 05.06.19
Please join me at Past Basket on Thursday, May 23rd, 7pm for a workshop on paint color. I will be teaming up with Past Basket owner Linda McFadden to help you learn how to tame the process of selecting paint. Click here to learn more about the event and RSVP. Until then, check out my favorite links from around the web this week…
Read more