Going Live

We hear a lot these days about online "community" and how it's great for people to discuss issues online. You would think as a blogger that I would be right on board, but I have found that online forums have strong limitations. Perhaps this is because our blog only has approximately 10 readers and we're related to half of them, but I have found our blog to merely be a supplement to our real community. My in-laws check regularly to see pics of the boys, but also visit whenever they can. My friends bring up posts when we bump into each other and tell me how we were right on or way off base, but it's the face-to-face conversation we really treasure. When I'm thrown a curve-ball I might blog about it, but first I go to our live community. I guess I just want people to treasure those live communities. Say hello to your neighbors, invite friends for dinner, take some cookies to someone having a rough time. Those are the connections that will keep us going.

Manhappiness

I finally met Dale of Making Manhattan Better fame. We didn't chat very long, but my old feelings of Manhattan defensiveness were stirred up again. Even if I agree with most of what he says, I just can't stop loving this town. I love the trees arching over the street. I love that I meet someone I know every time I leave my house. I love the St. Patrick's Day parade, Juneteenth, the Riley County Fair, and Arts in the Park. I love the parks, Konza Prairie, the zoo, and Pillsbury Crossing. We have a few good eating establishments, enough for people who are able to eat out as seldom as we are. I love that Manhattan is a small town where you can see an opera.

I won't say that my beloved mini-city is without faults. We are a bit behind on living the green lifestyle. There also seems to be a tension between the liberals and conservatives (perhaps a touch of town/gown issues) that blows up into a large conflict fairly regularly. We also seem to have more options for eating meat than one person could ever explore thoroughly.

I think it's also difficult to find your niche in Manhattan. We're used to being the town of the revolving door, so it's hard for us to warm up to new people. Most of them will be moving on soon, anyway. We need to open up a little.

But I'm willing to accept the bad with the good. We've thought several times about moving to different places, but always think of some way that we just couldn't live without Manhappiness.

To Garden or Not To Garden...

Or would that be "... To Not Garden"? (inside joke)















It's springtime again and my thoughts drift towards........gardening. Joe helped me move the compost pile today to a sunnier location and away from the swingset. Now it's in the garden instead of in a shady, back corner. I had planned on expanding my garden this year now that it seems time is on my side (yes it is) - at least more than the past few years. Originally, the expanded area was to include vegetables. That is, beyond the two tomato plants I had last summer. Come to find out, we are eligible for a home remodeling grant and because of some of the work I'll be transplanting a few flowers & shrubs into the garden instead of vegetables. Let's see...new windows & gutters, fresh paint, rebuilt front porch....or.....a few vegetables. Sorry, but I'll squeeze in the veggies where I can while making plans for next year. There's always plenty to do outside even without a lot of vegetables. I've been thinking that the backyard needs a witch hazel. Preferably one of the February-blooming varieties. Until next year, I'll be gardening at home when & where I can and when I can't then vicariously with my growing list of gardening books and far-flung websites.

Elements in time is sponsoring a growing challenge and participants must grow one additional type of fruit or vegetable than you did last year, and grow it from seed. If you didn't grow anything then you start with one vegetable. They also have many interesting links for you to review in your spare time.

Kitchen Gardener's International. Another site where you can find out that there's more to read on the web than you have time for. If you've read In Defense of Food then you might like this 9 1/2 minute clip of Michael Pollan I found on KGI. If you haven't read In Defense of Food, you might want to.

Happy gardening

Twenty-two sevenths

It's March 14 - enjoy a bit of pi.

I did 22, how about you?

I just read this and, realizing upcoming change of decades, said to Rhonna - I'll be lucky if I can do ten. Ten were easier than I thought, but I began to slow down quite rapidly soon after. Now, as I type this, my arms have a slight quiver to them. However, the real test will come tomorrow when I'll have to pick up Isaac - and still be able to carry him. I've been jogging three mornings in a row - jogging in the loosest sense of the word - and it's a good thing I'm not tomorrow because I at least need to be able to use two of my appendages. Don't worry mom, it's nothing serious; just sore muscles.

It's over!

I survived the GRE! I don't have my scores for the essays, but the math and verbal were high enough. Thank God that's over!

Spring has Sprung