Love isn't easy. . .

It can be really hard to get it right.
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Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

January thaw inspires spontaneity

Kathleen was just sliding a big pot roast into the oven late this sunny afternoon when the thought hit her: This is an awful lot of roast beef for two people.
There's been a nice change in the weather, we finally had melting today, it got warm enough to wash layers of salt and dirt off our absolutely filthy car. Kathleen was feeling particularly good with her sinus infection finally lifting today and she felt like celebrating. So she put a roast in and peeled some potatoes. God bless.
Over on Kell Avenue where Mom stays, they had a break in their cabin fever as well. Around noon, the two residents and their willing caregivers jumped (well, two of them were actually gently transferred) into Jill's car and off they went bombing around Bloomington, dropping in at Walmart and McDonald's for no particular reason, other than to prove that they're not shut-ins.

Meanwhile, back on Abbey Point, Kathleen impulsively picked up the telephone to see if we could find some pleasant company to share the beef. We found two takers at the newspaper office: Perennial good-timers Laurie and Hai. They shared our roast beef and steamed carrots and some laughs and topped it off with a round of sundaes and a really nice visit and some talk about joining a business tour to Cuba.
We get another warm day tomorrow. We may take the opportunity to try out the new community dog park. Birdie unplugged. We'll see how that goes.
Just think. Only four more months of winter left.

Mom's Greatest Hits

Mom's "My Heart Ever Faithful" YouTube video continues to get hits, she's at almost 15,000 now. Today Joan Troyer listened to it and added a special comment, which was automatically forwarded here:

Joan Troyer has made a comment on My Heart Ever Faithful

Your Mom was a very fine musician! I love her beauty of tone and phrasing! Thank you for sharing this. You should be very proud! Excellent singing! Unhurried. I think Bach would have liked it -------------------------------- Don't know who Joan is, but she sounds very nice. You can view Mom's video yourself by going to the column on the right and clicking it. Mom, at age 92, still sings, you know. Friday she sang "Happy Birthday" to Curt on his 82nd birthday. He's the husband of her Kell Avenue housemate. Her melody was well-received by all the party-goers before the candles went out. So there.

 Mid-century Cannon Falls product Brad Lundell (The Lunds) offered a few wry comments last night while examining a framed print treasured by his host, Shel Anderson. "The Boys" and their wives had been invited to Shel's house to view the Packer/Vikings conflict in high definition; the dreary contest left ample time for amusing diversions, not the least of which was this vintage photograph of Shel and his older brother, Randy, believed to be ages seven and eleven a the time, all prepped and shined for their big sister's confirmation in Moorhead.

Shel and Kristie, our hosts for last night's final Vikings game.

Tea time

The man just said we're looking at historic low temperatures soon. Really. He did. We'll be looking for more fun things to do indoors. Like the puzzle we got for Christmas.

Forced progress. . .

We gave Hai Dang an Amaryllis bulb for Christmas, told him to put his Asian green thumb to work. He's forcing the potted bulb in his Prior Lake basement and has dutifully phoned in the progress so far. 

It's going to be a gorgeous red blossom soon. We'll report on it, you decide.

Put down the washboard and banjo me this. . .

They're pretend sharks and crocodiles for the kiddies this morning.

Brother Dan treated us to breakfast this morning at his Midtown Global Market. A group straight out of "O Brother Where Art Thou" was picking and grinning in the food court for some kind of children's hour, so what could we do, we joined in. We sang along to stuff like "You Are My Sunshine", "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and other very uncool stuff that became really cool and fun in the hands of these stompin Family Singers. Turns out, we had stumbled into some accomplished talent in an unlikely venue.
"The Roe Family Singers are a Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly band from the Mississippi-headwaters community of Kirkwood Hollow, Minn. Led by wife and husband duo Kim Roe (Best Female Vocalist, City Pages/Village Voice) and Quillan Roe (Accident Clearinghouse), the band blends characteristic old-time sound with rock and roll urgency and influence."
Yee ha!
Joined by as many as seven musicians, and featuring banjo, autoharp, guitar, and washboard, the band and family of fans have been regularly filling Minneapolis’ 331 Club every Monday night since 2005.

They were named the World's Best at the 30th annual jug band contest, an event we somehow missed, but no matter, we heard 'em today for free over hash browns and toast.
How many verses to "Wabash Cannonball" do you know? We finished our ham and cheese omelets, but it was the thumping and singing that powered us through snowy, snarled Lake Street traffic as we went about our mid-day errands.
Ya HOOO!

Photos from Katie's cellphone.

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

This is Double A's Big Day! Happy Birthday to our sweet nephew.

Oh No! Not Again!

We started the new year out with another kitchen disaster, accidentally chewing up the plunger in the Vita-Mix again. You're supposed to just stick the dang plunger through the little opening in the lid to tamp down the veggies and frozen fruits. The collar guard prevents it from going in too far. But in a careless moment the entire lid can be mistakenly removed instead, the plunger absentmindedly inserted, and quick work is made of the plastic tip by the powerful whirling blades. The sickening sound of plastic losing out to cold steel results, followed by a groan, assorted expletives, and the dumping of an entire breakfast for two into the wastebasket. Kathleen made this bone-head move about six months ago and it was all documented for you here. Today she gleefully recorded Stan's identical blunder and didn't listen to a single excuse, as he took his turn wearing the dunce cap.
Happy New Year!
Six months ago the Vita-Mix people cheerfully sent us a replacement plunger at no charge. We shall now test their patience.