all that's past is prologue...

Over the past week, we have been luck enough to go out to three outstanding meals (yes, we're trying to lean into empty nest). 1. Forepaugh's Forepaugh's was celebrating 50 years in business with a menu throwback to 1976, and we managed to get a coveted reservation on Tuesday night after my board meeting. That meant that we could get a whisky smash, a brandy alexander, oysters rockefeller, roast chicken, and bread pudding ... all for $20.79. For reference, a single cocktail in the bar is usually $20. It was busy as heck, and they were out of some of the food. But our service was absolutely outstanding, and we had a lot of fun. Forepaugh's has a lot of great memories for me. Will we be back again soon? Maybe! 2. Saffron I was able to get another coveted reservation, at the newly (re)opened Saffron, for Patrick's birthday on Thursday! We knew it was going to be a perfect night when we walked into the beautiful space and immediately saw our friends Kate and Kyle, who w...

I'm watching, from halfway across the country, Beatrix make new friends at college. I'm cheering her on as she gets to know them, and goes on adventures, and gets a concussion from being accidentally knocked in the back of the head with a lunch tray, and sits out on the North Lawn at night talking to them as the skunks wander through the brush. I'm loving her tell us about how her friends from school are doing in their new campuses, and what her circus friends are up to. It feels like an on-demand version of the Girl Scouts song about making new friends and keeping the old. One of my best friends from high school, Heather, was just here for her high school reunion. I went with her to the all-school part of the reunion on Friday night; she spent the night and we stayed up until 1am talking and picked up the conversation for several more hours over coffee yesterday morning. Spending time with her was FANTASTIC, remembering the friendship we had but also picking up where we ar...

This week we've been lucky enough to see two great performances! Monday night we went to Bull in a China Shop by Fortune's Fool Productions . It ticked so many boxes in advance for us: great company, exciting new work, set at a historical women's college, at a lovely little space (The Hive in Saint Paul), and FREE tickets (thanks to an MRAC grant). And we left even more impressed, because the performances were great and we really enjoyed ourselves. (I mean, we did come out and have to deal with a parenting-from-halfway-across-the-country situation, but that has nothing to do with the show.) Three more performances by the time you read this and very limited tickets remain — do yourself a favor and reserve some now ! Then, while you have your browser open, go over to Wonderlust Theater's webpage and get some tickets for A Star Full of Skies , which opened tonight. Trust me, you don't want to miss this one! I spent much of the day at the City of Minneapolis Arts and ...

As well as doing more work, finishing some house projects, and spending more quality time with Patrick, I have wanted to create more. So, when we were up at the cabin and visited Vintage Village, I spent literally a few cents to buy some gourds from Jerry. The other day I washed them, sanded them down, and varnished them. (this is the project in process, never mind the mess in back) I mean, as projects go it was pretty basic, though I did also varnish to protect my rattan mushroom for my "Catmint and Confetti" garden at Summit. I'm not thrilled with the plate they are displayed on, and think I might find another bowl.  Still, I'm proud of the project and happy I did it, and think they look pretty good. I'm excited for more creativity to come. If I'm going to have to empty nest, I might as well get something out of it.

Patrick has been working hard all day putting things away up in the garage attic. So, since he was using the especially janky stairs a lot anyway, we decided to finally take on a project we had wanted to do for ages, and hang our plethora of old yard signs up there. (This was a project I was going to do on my own, but I'm glad Patrick stayed up to help. I get twitchy with staple guns). Front view: Clearly the place of honor: I'm really happy with this relatively simple project!

I first knew Bain from the Children's Theater in the 1980s. We all know that "CTC in the 1980s" is its own deep statement, and I'm not going to go into it here. I was CTC-adjacent, but never attended the school, so my story is different. But that all is to say that I knew Bain as a performer and instructor when I was a teenager — and that looking back now all of those relationships were so very much more complicated than they seemed at the time. He opened the Jungle in a small storefront on Lake Street when I was at Jeune Lune, and I saw many adventurous productions in that little space that was akin to watching a production whilst crammed onto a 21A bus. I remember him cutting through the ceiling of the space (into his apartment above) to create an exit from the stage, many mesmerizing productions including a Waiting for Godot that I believe starred Michael Sommers and Kevin Kling and spoils me for any other production ever, and a generally robust mix of classic and...

 Rain (send some to Minnesota): Dinner at Randy and Diane's, with great company to boot: Chicken Salad Chicks: Beer and fish fry in Madison: Day drinking with friends once back:

It was my sophomore year of high school when I realized that my mother and I had very different plans for post-high-school plans. I went to St. Paul Academy, so was thinking of small private colleges. My mom had basically just assumed I would go to the U of M, because that's what you do.  It wasn't until several arguments ("Why am I even GOING to a prep school then?!"), and my mom attending a conference hosted at Princeton, that we came to agreement. I have to say that after that my mother worked really hard to make sure I could go to the college I wanted to, and when my big fat package (complete with financial aid) arrived for Tufts, she made sure I could go. She also made me understand, though, that I had to have a work study job, and earn tuition over the summer, and apply for scholarships. I don't know if she missed me as badly as I already miss Beatrix, and clearly I can't ask. I do know that, maybe because of that history, it was important to me that Bea...

Yesterday, after a few meetings and such, we embarked on an end-of-Minnesota double-header — the Fair and a Saints game! Beatrix was with us for the Fair but ended up bagging out on the Saints to pack, which was likely wise. I've never seen it so crowded on opening day, which is usually kind of chill! But we did get there when there was still free lip stuff left, and saw the stunt dog show. Beatrix likes showing off pull-ups to military recruiters like it's NBD: And she won a prize for a research paper she submitted: She and Patrick did a Pronto Pup vs. Corn Dog taste-off (winner = corn dog): After something like 18,200 steps, we ended the day with some Sweet Martha's: Then off to a Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation event at the Saints: The seats were great: The perfect place to catch the moon before the eclipse: We left early because the saints were losing badly to the Mudhens (final score 9-3) and there's a lot to do  to pack for college. But it was a great summer...

Like Patrick, I am finding myself utterly crushed by the passing of Dolly Parton . And then I think about the fact that my love for her music has come mainly from my yoga teacher, Viv's love for her and how she has shared that with us. We're a crew of Dolly lovers. And my yoga class is about to change a lot, as the beloved brewery that hosts us has sold and is closing after this weekend. So there's another change. We're in the process of moving from the summer house back to the winter house. It's highly privileged to say that's a stressor, but it is adding a measure of chaos. Last year when we moved back we had Ximena with us, but this year the house will seem very empty, very soon. Speaking of that, after some dorm placement drama and the craziness that is Sarah Lawrence registration (the students attend short zooms to learn about each potential class and see if they are a fit for it and the class is a fit for them, then they register — sort of like mini job i...

For the past couple of years, Beatrix has worked at the Rennaissance Festival, so we have not really gotten to go there as a family. She's gotten up early, slung chocolate all day (mmmm, that booth's wares are SOOOOO good), come home, and done it again.  Our other memories of the Festival come from when she was very young, and obsessed with fairies, and all the magic. So it was all kinds of magic that our friends Liz and Huxley graciously gave up one of their last free days before Huxley heads off to MIT to come with us today (and thanks to Lloyd and Rosy for the tickets!) We got to see not just one but TWO Danger Committee shows, plus Gabs the Fool, the Wacky Chickens, jousting, and parts of other shows. We got to see capybaras! We shopped a little, and had some treats (more chocolate! carrot fries! cheese curds! mead samples). We walked around and people-watched. It was amazing. Most of all, we had a beautiful, wonderful day together before these two extraordinary kids head o...