we have been home from france for two months. for the most part, i am avoiding the world, especially the daily news. i have felt burned out by the election and its aftermath to be sure, but more so by the ubiquitous american tendency to hustle and overwork. a northern, anglo-saxon urge that has always been a part of me, but that i was able to shed, temporarily, among our sane, latin, mediterranean neighbors over the last several months of last year. like this elderberry, i feel ready to come out of my period of dormancy. but like this elderberry, the fruits of my re-emergence may contain a low level of toxicity.

red elderberry bud

saint paul, minnesota