Tag: Microposts 2023

Our Playhouse

Dwight worked on his second LEGO gingerbread house, a model of the family’s first North Dakota farmhouse (replaced by a house purchased through the Sears Roebuck mail-order catalog). Meanwhile I trained my LEGO gantry crane to locate and move bricks. Tonight we stream Barbie.

Never Give Up

First day of my new weekly ELL (English Language Learning) gig with adult learners. Three classes, great attitudes and determination, spiffiest facilities yet.

Confirmation Selfie

I caught his attention by saying we needed a selfie to prove we were in church this Sunday morning. Of course it was a special occasion: our youngest nephew’s Confirmation at Faith Lutheran in Forest Lake, Minnesota.

Towards the North Sea

Much of our route today followed St. Cuthbert’s Way, a trail named after the 7th-century monk, bishop, and hermit who is revered as the patron saint of Northumberland. We’re standing in front of a cave where legend says his coffin was temporarily hidden from Danish raiders in the 9th century.

Plants Without Roots

I played with LEGO while Dwight worked on the apartment garden. It’s a lot of work to keep all the plants happy. He recently acquired some new epiphytes, Tillandsia (rootless air plants). Here, the automated misting system is providing them with the moisture they need to thrive.

Staring at a Bridge

Diagonal elements can be problematic in LEGO, so I’ve set myself the challenge of building a LEGO Technic model that includes a strong, minimal horizontal structure incorporating diagonal trusses. Today, on my cycle ride, I studied a 140-year-old bridge, looking for inspiration.

Normal Times

At the end of my walk, grade school kids had arrived on a yellow bus to play in the park, a sight we were denied during the height of the pandemic. Teachers were calling to them to collect their brown bag lunches. Later, I expect they were going to a classroom at the nearby Guthrie.