Waiting for the Mail

I’m waiting for the mail. Not hovering waiting. Writing and acutely aware that the mail could arrive any minute (some people get their mail at a regular time; ours is usually sometime in the afternoon, but occasionally early morning). I’m not waiting for any particular reason; it’s not that I’m expecting a package or an important document. I am looking forward to the new stamp catalog (I’m running low on postcard stamps and also want the dragons, John Lennon, and Art of Magic stamps—the post office is putting out some really fun stamps these days). But that’s not why I’m waiting for the mail.

You never know what the mail will bring: a magazine, a catalog you love to peruse (hello Syracuse Cultural Workers, Sur la Table), a newsletter with some good news. And then there are the calendars, address labels, notepads, and occasionally even gift wrap from nonprofits hoping to lure you in (note: sometimes it works). The peak of mail happiness is the personal mail: a postcard, greeting card, letter, and occasionally even a package. Happy dance!

I’ve enjoyed getting the mail for as long as I remember. In our small town, that meant going to the post office. I loved walking with my dad to get the mail. I was honored and delighted to be entrusted with the responsibility (and the key!) of getting the mail on my own when I was in 3^rd grade. The mail was never meant for me, but getting the mail was fun and special. One of my first significant responsibilities.

In college I totally lucked out and got a summer job working at the campus post office. I’ve had a lot of good jobs in my life, but that was one of my favorites: I learned so much about the ins and outs and rules of the postal system, developed an appreciation for postage stamps, and got to interact with faculty on a much more level playing field (I was the expert in this arena, a nice turning of the tables) and thus more personally, and they weren’t nearly as scary as I had thought. I loved every aspect of the job, from sorting the mail (before we opened) to selling and ordering stamps, and figuring out postage for various package types (useful knowledge to this very day). Happy summers.

And now the mail is delivered right to our house. In summer, when the door to the front porch is open, I can hear the solid thunk as the pile hits the floor on a good mail day. Sometimes I finish the sentence I’m reading before I go retrieve it.

The mail has arrived! Today’s haul:

• A card from a friend (who I met working at the college post office job mentioned above)
• A postcard from a different friend confirming a lunch date in October
• The Conservation Minnesota newsletter
• Electric bill
• A mailing from my health care provider about an upcoming board election

Not a bad day, and not one piece of junk mail!

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Backyard Report: Hops 1, Rabbits 8

I finished harvesting the hops today. A small crop this year, possibly due to rabbits (all of a sudden several vines died, and I wondered if a rabbit had chewed through the bottoms) or possibly to neglect.

Neglect? Yes. Unintended, but In May, I got a case of eczema on my hands. It didn’t get better and then it got infected and I missed the entire planting season. An unplanned experiment: I basically did nothing in the backyard this summer. No weeding, pruning, mowing, deadheading, or harvesting (excepting one catnip harvest).

I have felt guilty all summer. My backyard looks like weeds and shrubs run amok (which it is). But here is what I experienced:

More monarchs than I’ve seen in any year before. Possibly because I had a lot more milkweed. I’ve been trying to get more milkweed in my yard for several years, and this year I had a bumper crop (some even in the front yard!). I love the milkweed because of monarchs, but also because it reminds me of being a kid, finding milkweed pods in late summer and pulling them apart and blowing out the seeds. I still enjoy doing it—every bit as fun as blowing the fluff off dandelions—and your neighbors don’t mind so much with milkweed.

My lack of care didn’t hurt the cactus at all. They had a mighty bloom, and continue to spread. I also continue to spread them, as they encroach on the sidewalk (they are prolific!): Cut off the pad at the joint, take it to a different part of the gravel side-garden bordering the south side of the house, scrape away the stones, set down the pad, pour a few teaspoons of water over it (or not), and forget it forevermore (except to check on it and look at it frequently, which helps ignored plants grow).

The rabbits have been quite fun to watch this summer, and in July there were several babies. After a week away in early August, on our return, I noted only one of the young rabbits left nosing around the yard, and so it has remained. Until tonight, when something startled the backyard denizens: First, the young rabbit shoots out from under the dogwoods, heading east. Seconds later a smaller rabbit follows its path. Two little rabbits! And I consider myself such a good observer of nature….

And speaking of the dogwoods, they have become hugely overgrown and are taking up nearly a quarter of the backyard. But I think by no coincidence, I also added five new birds to my yard list: ovenbird (be still my heart!), Swainson’s thrush, gray-cheeked thrush, Connecticut warbler, and eastern wood pewee. All sighted in, under, or around the overgrown unsightly dogwoods.

Saving the best for last: A few weeks ago I was writing at the table in the kitchen, and I glanced out the window (this was early evening), and just winding around the corner of the flower bed, a—what are you?? My mind scrambled, searching. Big (not squirrel or rabbit) with a snout like a pig! What?? And it was white (not all white, but whiteish).

This is an animal I have never seen before, and I am seeing it here, right in my back yard in Minneapolis. I could only think it might be an opossum, even though in my mind they were brown and much much smaller.

It moseyed around the flower bed. after which I moseyed to google, to find out I had indeed had an opossum wend its way through my untended yard. This, to me, is the royal flush of urban wildlife.

Maybe won’t clean up my backyard so much come spring after all.

Postcard Project 2018

At the beginning of the year, I started a new postcard project. (Reprise: My first postcard project was the haiku project, which is ongoing; last year, I wrote a weekly postcard to our state Senate leader and then added on a high-ranking committee member. The year before that, I sent a weekly postcard to President Obama.)

You never know what to expect from postcard projects. Best not to have expectations, I suppose. I had no expectations from the haiku project except personal satisfaction and meeting a goal (of writing a haiku every day). I’ve gotten much satisfaction, and discipline, structure, and a vast postcard collection to boot.

The political postcard projects brought me mixed satisfaction. The weekly Obama card was going great until I got stuck on a TPP track and couldn’t get off it. I was boring even myself and so I stopped the project. I did hear back from the White House at least twice, though (in that generic we feel your pain way), when I was onto a broader range of things.

The 2017 project with the Minnesota Senate leader started out okay; I thought I was connecting (I Do try to send interesting postcards and not mean ones—funny sometimes, but more often simply local). I heard back a couple times (or maybe only once). But after a few months I wondered if they weren’t going right into the trash. So at the end of 2017, I shifted my political energies in other directions, and decided to bring the postcard project closer to home.

I asked my niece if she might be interested in receiving a weekly postcard. I received an enthusiastic yes, and my new postcard adventure began.

For those who might wonder why the niece, it’s because she of everyone in the family sends me the most mail. Never misses a birthday, sends the thank-you through the snail mail. She seemed the natural choice. We see each other several times a year, at family get-togethers, but not often, and I thought this might be a different kind of way to give her some insights into my life and share some fun postcards.

I have to say, the results have been beyond gratifying. It is unbelievably super fun!

First off, within the first few weeks, she emailed me saying how much she and her husband enjoy sitting and reading the postcards together (!!) and the husband especially wants to know where do I get all these postcards that so reflect what I’m writing in the text? Such a level of interest! Be still my heart!

And I kept writing and writing, and now my “weekly” postcard total to my niece is over 50 (for 2018). I had made it clear from the start that no response was expected. But she did respond, usually via email, and the responses started to get longer. And then we went off on a long snail mail/email exchange (I switched to cards at this point over postcards) discussing things like déjà vu, reincarnation, quantum physics, and the intersection of science and religion.

Is that cool or what?

We’ve also been encouraging each other to write, mostly in the essay/memoir arena. Turns out I suggest my niece write about having a grandfather, father, and brother who are morticians, while she suggests to me writing about growing up in a funeral home. At this confluence, she mentioned a collaboration. Not sure if she’s kidding around, but it sure would be fun to give it a try. I’ve always thought there might be an audience for a story about growing up in a funeral home (note—it was mostly fun). Another point of view from another generation—well, even I want to hear that one.

Total speculation.

What’s not speculation: This postcard project with my niece has been a smashing success, and we’re starting to get to know each other personally (outside our family function roles). I never even remotely expected such a positive outcome from a bunch of postcards. The advantage of no expectations!

Take a chance. Pick a relative you don’t know well. A friend you’ve sort of lost touch with or want to be closer to. Or a politician. Start a postcard project. Be honest. Be funny. Pour out your heart. And do it again the next week, and the next, and do it for a year. Don’t do it for what it will give to your friend or relative. Do it for yourself. Connecting and communicating—it’s kind of an art.

And you never know—you might be surprised at how much fun you have.

Reading Themes Update: July, August, September

Gate, Dolphins, Stitches, Museum, Crosstalk, Irresistible, Oubliette, Kaleidoscope. What do all these books have in common? I read them for the July reading theme of one-word titles—5 were poetry, 2 nonfiction, 1 fiction.

My favorite of the bunch was Stitches, by Anne Lamott. She always kicks me in the pants and gives me a wake-up call or two. Irresistible (The Rise of Addictive Technology), by Adam Alter was a close runner-up. A bit more focused on video games and gaming than I’m interested in, I still pulled a few things out of it and it’s well-referenced (rare).

August’s theme is music. Here are the books I’ve read or have in progress:

• The Singer’s Gun, Emily St. John Mandel
• Hallelujah Anyway, Anne Lamott
• Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz, Edward B. Burger & Michael Starbird
• The Singing, C.K. Williams
• Salute—to Singing, Aygi Gennady
• Coming Late to Rachmaninoff, Richard Terrill
• Lullaby for One Fist, Andrea Werblin

It’s a fun theme that got thrown off a bit by travel at the beginning of the month. Only 8 more days in August, with all these potential musical experiences awaiting me: a trumpet, chime, orchestra, cantata, sonata, ballad, Dvorak, even Grace Notes and Blues Lessons. (I also have Whistling in the Dark, but I thought that might be stretching music a bit much.)

The upcoming theme (September) is animals. This could be a wild ride. Just in poetry I have dog, horse, lion, tiger, snake, butterfly, bee, maggot, slug, box elder bug, Hoodlum Birds, kingfisher, cardinal, and Phoenix. Also fauna and animals (3).

While poetry has a fun span in the animal kingdom, there are also several fiction and nonfiction books that have jumped to the top of my August reading pile:

• Come, Thou Tortoise, Jessica Grant (2011)*
• Mr. Fox, Helen Oyeyemi (2012)
• The Guest Cat, Takashi Hiraide (2015)
• A Little Yellow Dog, Walter Mosley (not marked)
• Scratching the Woodchuck, David Kline (2010)
• Black Elk Speaks, John Neihardt (1989)
• Animal, Mineral, Radical, B.K. Loren (2013)

*Note: Dates in parentheses above are the dates I purchased the book, not dates of publication. Occasionally I forget to mark a book. See comments below.

The monthly reading theme is a fun way to play with books (and if you happen to be one of those people who have many bookcases filled with books patiently waiting to be read, it’s a way to look at those forgotten books in a new way). I’d already picked the books to highlight here before I took this unintended side road of talking up the fun sides of the reading theme.

The most recent book was purchased 3 years ago. Not bad. In the old days, I mostly read what I had just bought, and if you buy more than you can read (which I did then on a regular basis, and thank god because it’s my retirement reading library), the “old” books pile up pretty quickly. I’m finally starting to make a dent in that backlog.

It has been a hot and humid summer here in Minnesota. Cool weather is on the way, and I am looking forward to it.

Happy reading!

June to July: Reading Themes

June has been a great month for reading. I read three green books (The Green House, The Great Green Okayness, and Now the Green Blade Rises). I’ve also read several green things, including trees, a meadow, nettles, leaves, and perhaps Appalachia.

Poetry has captured a lot of my attention in June—already I’ve finished six poetry books. The standouts so far: The Green House, by Joyce Sutphen (a favorite poet); Now the Green Blade Rises, by Elizabeth Spires (how have I not discovered her before now?); and Listening to the Leaves Form, by James Grabill. I may yet finish another book of poetry this month, possibly two. We have a couple of hot days ahead of us, and what better than to sit under the ceiling fan and read poetry?

Other books I have in progress: Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. These two nonfiction books are both beautiful reads that I don’t want to rush, and I think I will stretch them out over the summer. Also, unrelated to any theme, I am reading the third book in N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy, The Kingdom of Gods. Early days yet, but I think I am going to like this third book best.

I’m already excited about July’s theme: one-word titles. I only have two books in my fiction pile, but they are both over 500 pages, and I’m really excited about both of them:

• Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Crosstalk, by Connie Willis

To be sure, I do have more one-word fiction titles. But I am content with these two long books that I am quite looking forward to.

Nonfiction is a different story. So much to choose from, I hardly know where to start. A sampling (I am going to include subtitles, even though it detracts from the oneness of the theme, to give you a better idea of what the book is about):

• Irresistible (The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked), by Adam Alter
• Janesville (An American Story), by Amy Goldstein
• Mnemonic (A Book of Trees), by Theresa Kishkan
• Stitches (A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair), by Anne Lamott
• Oneness (Great Principles Shared by All Religions), by Jeffrey Moses
• Limber (Essays), by Angela Pelster
• Domesticity (A Gastronomic Interpretation of Love), by Bob Shaccohis

Poetry is a banquet. And since it is so rich, and I am in such a poetry place, I’ll include several that particularly appeal:

• Gate, by Ilze Klavina Mueller
• Dolphins, by Stephen Spender
• Oubliette, by Peter Richards
• Swithering, by Robin Robertson
• Shiner, by Maggie Nelson
• Carousel, by George Murray
• Heredities, by J. Michael Martinez
• Curios, by Judith Taylor
• Meteorology, by Alpay Ulku
• Kaleidoscope, by Sweta Srivastava Vikram
• Barter, Monica Youn

Every one of these books appeals to me, and I have only gone through half of my poetry! (I have decided to stop looking, as I already have more than I’m sure I will read.)

I am not particularly fond of hot weather. However, it does seem to lead me to sit back and read more poetry. The perfect thing for a hot summer day. All it lacks is iced tea.

Happy Summer, Happy Reading!

Escapist Summer Reading

Last night a friend texted me, asking for some book titles for escapist summer reading, and if there were any I might lend. He cited the current news and politics, and sees hope swirling down the drain.

I asked for a bit of time to think on it. Think I did (and also scanned some bookshelves), and here is the list I came up with. It would be a different list for a different friend, but nonetheless, this is not a bad start for some escapist summer reading. Here is my emailed response, with just a few edits for privacy (I did think of deleting all the borrowing/lending notes, but thought that it might lead to an interesting comment or two on the lending and sharing of books).

Dear George,

Since you’re looking for escapist, I started with fiction, and specifically fantasy which I know you enjoy. Here are my suggestions:

(Note: All links are to Amazon, not because I like Amazon, but because you can usually click on the book and see what it looks like inside, which is a feature I really like, along with skimming the reviews.)

The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde. This is probably my #1 escapist fantasy recommendation. They are set in the literary world, Thursday Next is the main character (a literary detective) and the books (there are several more) are a romp. You are welcome to borrow this (if I can find it—it isn’t where I thought it was).

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N.K. Jemisin. This is new (to me) and first in a trilogy. I have all three books (I finished the second one recently) but have not yet started the third. You are welcome to borrow the first if the series appeals to you. I can’t overly vouch for it because I haven’t finished it yet, but it has won several fantasy awards and she is a rising star.

The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman. This is a YA, but it is quite brilliant and second only to Lord of the Rings, my favorite fantasy trilogy. I have this and you are welcome to borrow it. This is also highly escapist and it might actually vie with The Eyre Affair as my #1 recommend.

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness. I read this several years ago when it first came out in paperback and absolutely loved it. But I didn’t want to buy the sequel in hardcover, and by the time it came out in paperback I lost track of it. But then I found book 2 and recently book 3 in the dollar bin, so I am interested in getting back to it. Yes, another trilogy. Obviously, I can’t vouch for the entire trilogy, but I loved the first book, which you are welcome to borrow.

Other Fiction:

Still Life, by Louise Penny. This is my favorite mystery series. It is wonderful, engaging, thoughtful, has an engaging cast of characters (including two artists, a cranky poet, a bookstore owner, and a gay couple who run a B&B), and perhaps best of all, it’s set in Canada, so it’s especially escapist. You may have read this already (but the cover of my book is different and looks like this).

The Sun Is Also a Star, by Nicole Yoon. This is the best book I have read in years. And it’s YA. But it packs a major punch and I totally loved it. I also read it in one day (even though it’s nearly 400 pages), so it would not be a book that would get you through much of the summer, but I just can’t say enough positive things about this book. Unfortunately, I cannot loan it to you because I borrowed it from the library.

And while I started with fiction, nonfiction can also be escapist (or, in some cases, soothing), and I know you read a lot of nonfiction. Here are some recommendations:

Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This is a book I am currently reading (subtitled “Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants) and it is beautiful. A lot of native stories, a lot of wisdom, a lot about nature, and some about history. I am only to about page 50 but am learning so much! The writing transports you into another world, and it’s starting to make me look at the world a little differently. More reverently. The author is both a Native American and a scientist, and it’s also a book about having your feet in two worlds. You can’t borrow this because I’m currently reading it (at a snail’s pace, because I like to read it in tiny segments). I would call this a highly spiritual book, but not in any sort of Christian sense of the word.

Grace (Eventually), by Anne Lamott. Anne Lamott is one of my favorite spiritual writers. Christian, yes, but also progressive and kind of cranky. I have learned quite a bit from her. Her short books are good, too. I’ve read two of them but passed both of them on because they just seemed they needed to be shared. I have not been at all impressed with her fiction, and she also has some books about being a mother that I haven’t read. But her spiritual writing is spot on (for me). I have two more of her books on my to-read shelf that I’m planning to read in the next few months. She is very good for these times.

The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. What, trees? This is another book I am currently reading and I am LOVING it. It is wild! Did you know trees communicate? By smell, and by roots touching, and by electromagnetic energy (conveyed through fungus!). This book is a total escape into a different and fascinating world. And sorry this is also unavailable as it is in my current reading pile.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly. This is the book on which the movie was based. Quite different (not so humorous, more factual, more science, and a broader swath of characters) but equally interesting to the movie, which I loved. If you loved the movie, I think you will really like this book. If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it (available at the library). I am pretty sure I still have my copy of this if you want to borrow it (the book, not the movie).

And these two because I think they might appeal to your interest in art and artists:

Hold Still, by Sally Mann. This is a memoir that I haven’t read yet, but just look inside the book at the link, and you’ll see why I think it might be captivating. You can’t borrow this because I haven’t read it yet and I don’t lend out books I haven’t read because I’m selfish that way. The moment it has left the house I want to read it.

Just Kids, by Patti Smith. This is a memoir of Patti Smith’s relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe (much at the Chelsea Hotel). I’m not sure if you’re into this era or not, but I thought I’d include these last two kind of as wild cards. You can’t borrow this because it’s on someone else’s reading pile. It will be available somewhere down the road, but probably not before the next (presidential) election.

Whew! Hope you find something in here that appeals.

Happy Reading!

Liz

May-June Book Themes

May has gotten away from me, as it often does. So much going on, what with spring and all. For most of May I’m either outside or looking outside unless it’s raining or nighttime. You just never know when an ovenbird might show up in your yard. (It’s been back twice since. Maybe it will nest!)

Back to books. The May theme is architectural elements. So far I have read a staircase, a kingdom (perhaps a stretch), medicine chest, bridge, and fountain. In process are a picture window, stairway, and corridor. May is not one of my stronger reading months. I just don’t care so much about books. The birds are migrating, the catnip is coming up, the cactus is singing. I may still love books, but I can’t seem to focus on them.

June gets a little more down to earth. Still plenty to see and discover, but a bit more time for books as well. The theme for June is “green.” This includes any book with the word “green” in the title, and also green things (e.g., grass, trees, plants, parks, leaves, salads, envy).

I’ve not yet done a scouring of the shelves. Even so, I’ve likely found more than I can read. So far for fiction:

• Arlington Park, Rachel Cusk
• Sunset Park, Paul Auster
• The Dud Avocado, Elaine Dundy
• Tallgrass, Sandra Dallas
• Murder on Sagebrush Lane, Patricia Smith Wood
• The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

For nonfiction:

• Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer
• Memory of Trees: A Daughter’s Story of a Family Farm, Gayla Marty
• The Green Boat, Mary Pipher
• Claiming Earth as Common Ground, Andrea Cohen-Kiener (a bit iffy on direct theme fit, but the greenest book of them all, and I really want to read it, subtitled: “The ecological crisis through the lens of faith.”)

Poetry often adds fun variations on the theme:

• Goodbye to the Orchard, Steven Cramer
• Green Soldiers, John Bensko
• Nettles, Betty Adcock
• Flower Wreath Hill, Kenneth Rexroth
• Now the Green Blade Rises, Elizabeth Spires
• You Speak to Me in Trees, Elana Wolff
• The Long Meadow, Vijay Seshadri

With luck I will read five or six of these. You just never know what you’ll be in the mood for. And I’ll probably find half as many again before June even starts!

Happy reading to you, and happy summer as well!