Opinion

Innocence is a gift. It’s fleeting. Innocence is more than the absence of knowledge; it is a kind of purity of the soul. And perhaps nowhere is that purity more obvious than in a child’s voice.

How can these weeks fly by so fast? Stop. I have to many things to do and can’t fit it all in. I know. Priorities. But I find it difficult to cut anything out of my busy life.

A weekend of celebration of Mother’s Day often includes a celebration of my birthday that sometimes happens to fall on Mother’s Day itself. That means my lucky kids get out of having to be very kind to their mother on two separate days sometimes. Because this years birthday fell on the day after Mother’s Day, my son celebrated both in one, showing up at my house to tell me I needed to go outside and see what my gift was because it was in the trunk of his car.

In a field of wildflowers, amidst a pleasant breeze, ROB PEREZ finds PERSEPHONE, Queen of the Underworld, seated beneath a blooming crabapple tree, sipping pomegranate juice.

As Steve Martin famously said, “Some people have a way with words. Others… no have way.” I fancy myself in the first camp. I’m kind of a word guy. I love the way words look. I love the way words sound. I love the way words land. I love when you put words together and the combination is like a perfect martini. It elevates, invigorates, and you shouldn’t need that many to get where you’re going.

With finally sunny warm days, we’re starting to see the leaves appear on the trees, flowers beginning to bloom, and the sound of lawn mowers breaking up the regular routine of sounds in the neighborhood. While I do enjoy the winters, I’m so glad to see more signs of summer.

And another beautiful week is ahead. If only we can keep that dreadful wind machine turned off. I attended a double header baseball game on Friday evening, and the wind made it miserable. I thought I had enough layers on to keep me warm. Wrong again. 3 layers including a winter jacket plus a blanket was not enough. So. Reconfigure the blanket. Fold it differently. Drape it another way. Warm up one part of the body and chill out another. And no hot coffee at the concession stand.

Another wonderful week in beautiful rural Minnesota. I have only received drizzles of rain, but every drop is precious. My rain gauge hasn’t had enough moisture in it to read. It will come. The farmers are busy digging and planting and waiting for fertilizer spreaders. Of course, the entire county seems to be ready for fertilizer at the same time. Who has the fastest phone line? I know patience wears thin, but everybody will get their share in due time, I guess.