all that's past is prologue...

It was a busy weekend, but I still found time to get a couple of projects done at Summit that had been bothering me for a long time! For as long as I can remember, the garage trim at Summit has been in really bad shape. I mean a *long* time, like it looked this bad while my mother has still alive: So, using some special pains called "Endure" that promises to make a super-strong protective film and last basically forever, I finally painted the trim: I also added a little raspberry/blackberry patch along the side (thanks to Jennifer for the raspberries and an online listing for the blackberry bush, which has been on my wish-list forever.) Alley garden awards, here I come!  Meanwhile, our neighbors trimmed their spreading birch, which suddenly made our yard feel much bigger for some reason: Maybe the biggest win of the weekend, however, was inside, where Patrick fixed the broken shower door. Bathtastic!

I come from Fair-blood. Several of my past relatives were board members or other officials, and my mom first left me, at 10 days old, in the care of others to go out on her annual pilgrimage to pronto pups and mini donuts. Heck, I remember when you could only drink beer in the approved beer gardens! Patrick and I have many great Fair memories as well, from our first time together (when it rained before we could get any Sweet Martha's cookies), to taking Beatrix as a baby and having her be enthralled with the horses even then, to going with his Fair-loving dad (which made such an impression that to this day Beatrix claims "But we ALWAYS go with Grandpa Kenny!" when in truth we only went the one time.) Usually we go in the morning, then go get some work done, then go back at night. But this year we only had this afternoon available, so it's what we did, going from 1-9:30. Our usual park-and-rides were full, but my awesome cousin, who lives nearby, is generous with h...

The Internet Cat Video Festival was tonight, and awhile back I convinced Patrick that we should go to celebrate my birthday. Then I convinced Beatrix that the whole event was being held just for me…. So there we were at the new Saints stadium with 13,000 of our closest friends. We got there as the doors opened and it was a blast — cold beer (served by B's kindergarten teacher), people in costumes, giveaways, Barb Abney dj-ing, people-watching, really everything you could ask for. The night got away from us somewhat when Beatrix and Patrick went to stand in the World's Slowest Face Painting Line. They got back just as the lights were going down for the main event — the videos! I heard the curator on MPR today and he had some really good advice. Keep it short and to the point, keep people involved, end it at the high point…he should have listened to his own advice. As befits cat videos, some were hilarious. Some were very touching. And the whole reel was only ...

August is always a crazy month. Along with the waning down of summer, AND my birthday, it's always a month with a ridiculous amount of shows to see thanks to the Fringe and other events. Last night we went to see 1001 Nights at Circus Juventas . Yes, I work for the circus and I am their biggest fangirl. Yes, Beatrix has been taking classes since she was two and was totally enthralled by the whole thing. Yes, Patrick is volunteer rigging for the show. But don't take our word and involvement for it. See it for yourself — there are just a few tickets left! This is the deal. The CJ shows are always amazing. They are visually stunning, with gorgeous music — but the main draw is always the incredible acts that the dedicated youth performers perform. But I especially loved this show for how it combined all those elements. I'm lucky to be able to work with these people, but you don't need that kind of luck to get involved. You should just see the show, trust me! When we c...

My friend Julio's blog post on his backyard movie nights. We have been the beneficiary of many of these, and they are wonderful events! http://www.twincities.com/entertainment/ci_28561975/backyard-movie-nights-more-entertaining-with-the-right-gadgets