Sophie's Story

   Yesterday we spent an enjoyable evening with our friends Ellen and Mac. We had dinner at their home and then attended a play performed by students at a nearby high school.    I noticed as we drove to the high school is that is was connected to a middle school and both buildings were pretty large. This was to be expected as we are in the Twin Cities area. There are a lot of people here and naturally a lot of kids.    The last time that I had been in a traditional high school was over 30 years ago when I attended one. I don't count going to the high schools of my younger stepdaughters. They went to a performing arts high school. The minute I stepped through the door I could see that things were very different.    The first thing I noticed on the inside was a large screen that had a welcome message crawling across it. It was like one of those electronic board you see in restaurants and sometimes in front of churches. The inside seemed clean and felt new. The school had been bu

   I have discovered another pet peeve. (Like I need more of those.) The newest addition to my collection is people that seem that can't stick to one personality.    A few months ago, some drama in the office caused one of my coworkers to abruptly quit. She had been quarreling with another coworker ever since the second person had been hired. They put on a good act, but there were always litle spits and spats between them. The clinic owner and manager had both tried various things to get these two to work together in peace. Nothing seemed to work for more than a few days.   Then the big blow up occurred. One of them walked out and Lynn was left. Since we were in the final stages of getting things done before could start taking patients, it was crunch time. Lynn,Sari (another coworker) and I huddled together. The three of us divided the tasks to be done between us. We made a good working group and I sent out and email telling Lynn and Sari so. That lasted about two days.   Then

   It's official. A few weeks ago when I had my hair done, I asked my amazing stylist if my hair was now all white. She confirmed that it is. I now have to face the question that I've been putting off for several years. Is it time to stop colouring it?    I'm very torn on this subject. I like the colour of my hair. I'm finally at a point in my life where I can look into the mirror and sometimes be pleased with what I see. (This is a big change from not being able to look in the mirror because what  see there literally makes me feel sick.) I enjoy going to the salon. It's one of the few indulgences I have now.    On the other hand, it's not cheap. Thanks to my long list of strange allergies, I'm allergic to most hair dyes. That means there is only one salon where I can get my hair coloured without wanting to scratch the skin off my scalp. Their dyes are plant based and I'm not allergic to them. The money I spend having my hair coloured when our budget

   Summer is almost over. Fall is approaching. I'm feeling the urge to take a day trip to Cumberland. Cumberland is the small,very small town where my mother was raised and where I spent some time when I lived with my grandparents. It's home for me, more so than the place where I was actually raised and went to school.    Most of the people I know in Cumberland are gone. They have either moved to a larger city or are buried in the church graveyard. The house I lived in with my grandparents has collapsed as have all the other farm buildings. Trees have been planted over the fields where the crops used to grow. It doesn't look the same.    Still ,I want to go back there. I need to pay my respects to my cousin, Joyce. Joyce died about three years ago from an aggressive and painful form of cancer. My mother and Joyce's brother helped to care for her in her last days as her husband was dead and her sons could not be bothered.    I'm estranged from my mother and mos

   After a rather tough week at work, C and I were ready for some fun. We decided to spend the afternoon at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. We really should not have. The house is a mess. Laundry is piling up. We need to grocery shop and then prepare meals for the week. Our to-do lists are both pretty long.    The housework can wait. The grocery shopping can be done later. Weather this good is not going to last. It was in the middle 60's cloudy and still. It was the perfect day to go to the Arboretum and get some fresh air. There are still plenty of plants in bloom. C packed his camera. Cloudy days are good for photography.    We went to the farmer's market first. We needed some vegetables and C wanted to get some sweet corn. He is something of a connoisseur of corn. Now is the peak time for sweet corn in Minnesota. He has his favorite grower. We get a dozen ears every week. We eat some of it,give away some of it and cut the rest of it off the cob and freeze. It's re