Lisa P Writes

I haven’t been very motivated to write my blog lately. It’s not that I haven’t been doing interesting things lately. Like last Sunday I went on an urban forage walk (www.spontaneousvegetation.net) in which I learned about wild plants that you can eat . . . and they’ll help with headaches, colds, allergies, depression, etc – no prescription needed! I’m a natural girl, so this was fascinating to me. I won’t even go into how much the drug companies drive me crazy with the cost and treatment, not to mention the addiction to these drugs (see Michael Jackson). I thought I’d have to go to the forest or jungle to find these plants, but no, they WERE the ones growing in my backyard that I mistook for weeds. I now have a new vision for my garden. Hopefully one in which the bunnies will share with me (they’re eating my garden right now). Sy actually caught a little bunny in the yard and started running with it until Stacy grabbed her and made her drop the cute little thing. Pheww!

Anyway, sometimes I’d rather make up stuff so I’ve created a new category called Coffee Break Fiction. Short stories that you can read while on your coffee break at work. Hope you enjoy it!

Last Friday night, we took dad to see a comedian for father’s day. I had no idea who Danny Bhoy was and my expectations did not rise above the height of a monkey. But he delivered! It was fun fun fun! I found the Irish comment hilarious because I know an Irish guy and when he says words, they sometimes come out like sound effects. This video is not from the show we saw but it was similar.

She might look like a witch in the photo with my dad and I, but looks are deceiving. Grandma Agnes passed away quietly in her sleep in February. Luckily, she was healthy and took care of herself up until she entered the nursing home last November. This weekend, the family is getting together to bury her ashes in Cottonwood, MN by my grandfather (her first husband). She was always goofy and had a sense of humor. My mom said that she wanted to be cremated – she didn’t want to ride in the hearse all the way from Moorhead, MN to Cottonwood because she got car sick!

I’m grateful that I got to see her last November. While on our visit, she had to show us her Halloween costume. Kids were invited to the Halloween Party at the nursing home and grandma told us of a little girl that had squealed, “Look, a witch!” when she noticed her. She was tickled, thinking about the kids.

A few years ago I had my grandma fill out a book about her life. This tickled her, too, because her brother and her second husband both had books on their lives. Turns out, she’s led an interesting life.

Click here to download the Grandma Agnes book.

Check it out – Stacy filmed Ray Bradbury’s commencement speech at Columbia College at couple of weeks ago. He is inspiring and has led a very interesting life . . . and encourages everyone to do the same!

I’m very excited – Ingrid asked me to sing at her wedding! In Puerto Rico! Well, I’ll be singing backup with her sister as Ingrid sings the lead. Pheww, I’d rather sing backup.

Last Saturday, I went to my dad’s choir concert – Lutheran Choir of Chicago. It was fun to watch them sing the peppier songs and especially in harmonizing a cappella. That’s my specialty – harmonizing! I’ve always had a talent for singing. It started with the lead role in the junior high musical. I can’t remember the name of it but I do remember singing a song about becoming thirteen and going on to fourteen . . . la la la. I’d cringe if I saw it. I don’t think it was very good and I say that I have a natural talent for singing but not the training, so there was no passion or umpf behind it. And I didn’t have the confidence. I’m sure that I hit the notes but it probably came out a little squeaky. My music teacher continually tried to get me to sing after that, but I refused, turning to the trumpet instead. I wasn’t all that great with that either . . . because I didn’t practice. But it was fun to be involved with music even though our band teacher was a lunatic and would throw the baton, sweaty towel, the music stand or anything in the way of his anger when we wouldn’t listen . . .