Articles written by Mary Honrud
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Visitors and Rhubarb
This past week a gardening club, led by Mary Christianson, came to visit me, to view my yard and garden. They, like me, love to see what others have done to beautify their outdoor space. We're always...
Largesse from the Garden
Last week my column was entitled "Life Giving Rain" by the Courier, which is a very accurate title. Unfortunately, it's brought life not only to my desired plantings, but also to all the myriad of...
Life-Bringing Rain
We’ve had some measurable rain lately, and so I’m avoiding (ignoring?) the garden for now. It’s still chilly with a damp wind. I know it’s muddy, and I really don’t feel the need to get taller by packing the gumbo onto the bottoms of my...
Battling Pesky Pests and Rhubarb Yummies
Those cute little bunnies I like watching have discovered my garden. Apparently the new leaves on green beans are delicious. After I discovered several sections of bare stems sticking up, reseeding with a packet of older seeds happened. I’ve...
Pesky Pests Plant Themselves in the Garden
Naturally, as soon as our window air conditioners were installed, Mother Nature decided if I wanted to be cooler, she'd oblige. My husband, the weather geek, being an early riser, told me it had...
Cooking and Cleaning
First things first: I’d taken a wheatberry salad to the Memorial Day program in Opheim. The American Legion Auxiliary, of which I’m a (not very active) member provides the meal after the program. A couple of the other (more active) members...
Still Busy
Because of Memorial Day weekend, the newspaper deadline was moved up. This is being written last Friday (I’ve become a time-traveler). Seems like I just wrote a column and here it’s time for another. In spite of the cold wind and cool...
Busy, Busy, Busy
On this sunny Monday morning, after the cool weather and rain over the weekend, I'm planning to get outside. I have lots to accomplish before the next round of rains commence. Rain is in the...
Spring Is Here?
Finally, it is starting to feel like spring is here, and my loving husband sees the possibility of more snow in the forecast, and tells me about it! Talk about being a ray of sunshine. Sometimes he’s just not. I really hope that’s a forecast...
Apologies and Rotten Weather
I guess apologies are in order. In my column a few weeks back, I talked about the possibility of late snow and frost up here. Did I bring on this snowstorm/blizzard watch that was issued a couple of...
Cleaning Up
We’ve already enjoyed a day of summer this spring. It usually happens here, where the seasons don’t play by the rules. It was a beautiful day, causing dreams of flip flops and shorts. I used it to start clearing off my flowerbeds. I try to leave...
Challenged Again
While I have managed to get the downed tree branches and twigs picked up off my lawn, I haven’t yet ordered any garden seeds. I’m sure the constant winds we’re getting will have me gathering more twigs and limbs before I have to think about...
An End to Procrastination, Maybe?
Now that most of my snow reserves are gone, I'm getting more serious about gardening and yard work. I'll admit my powers of procrastination have not lost any strength at all, and so, no seeds for...
Spring?
While it is starting to seem like spring in North Middle of Nowhere, there’s still plenty of winter hanging about. I’m sure I could get to my garden space now. I’d only have to high step...
Another Week, Another Few Recipes
Another week has gone by without me cracking open a single seed catalog. We have had a few sunny afternoons, but the mornings have mostly been foggy. There's an old saw (adage? old wife's tale? farmer...
Still Influenced by the Whole Life Challenge
Since we've "sprung ahead" to save daylight for after-work recreation, can we please spring ahead into actual spring? We had some lovely ice fog last night, along with a dusting of fresh snow...
Now What?
The Whole Life Challenge, New Year's edition, has officially ended. I was released from their food restrictions last Saturday March 2, so Friday was my last day. I failed miserably that day. We'd brav...
Cold, Challenge, Consuming Compliant Treats
We’re all still living in a deep freeze, aren’t we? I’d love to be able to go for long hikes outside rather than getting my exercise on the treadmill. The dangerously low temps as well as the...
Still Enjoying the Challenge
I’m sorry I missed getting a column in the paper last week, but I was away visiting our youngest daughter in Illinois. She’s also a cross fit enthusiast, and friends with a nutritionist. Therefore, she’s very strong on portion sizes, and...
Surviving and Thriving
I have survived my first week plus of this Whole Life Challenge. I am feeling better about my health and my stamina. Those two miles on the treadmill are being accomplished in slightly less time, partly because I’m walking faster and not feeling...
Trying to Get Healthier
While in Florida our daughter talked several times about a Whole Life Challenge she and her husband had done shortly before (and during) their trip to Israel. She was signed up for the next one and talked me into signing up also. The challenge...
It's Good to Be Home
We are home again with no immediate plans to return to Florida. It’s really nice to be sleeping in our own bed again. The air bed we slept on was good for two weeks, but wasn’t so great the third...
Gloating Bites Back
So my gloating about being in “sunny” Florida is rebounding on me, biting me in the backside, as well it should. It’s been very rainy the past couple of days, with areal flood warnings as well as a tornado watch. While we haven’t been...
Not Sorry This Time
We are heading off to Florida to have Christmas with our middle daughter and her family. This time Dennis is with me, having had his shoulder repair surgery and then receiving the doctor’s okay to travel. I’m sure we’ll have nicer weather...
Snow and Soup
Some of you might cluck your tongues at me, but I’ve already opened and used two of my this year’s Christmas presents. The snowblower arrived Thursday night, and was assembled by noon on Friday, and in use before dark. I’d have used it as soon...
