Loose Ends
Susan Nienow hails from the Midwest but has been a dedicated Southerner since she moved to Richmond in 1971 with her other half. She has been writing for the Chesterfield Observer since 1995 and started her column when the Observer was a monthly paper. Gardening is another passion and she and her other half have been volunteering as master gardeners in Chesterfield since 2004.
Gearing up to get on the move
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | June 22, 2022
Getting ready for a three- to four-week trip is a daunting job. My neighbors and friends have made one part easy by volunteering to look after our cat, Bella, and...
Uninvited guests
LOOSE ENDS BY SUSAN NIENOW | June 15, 2022
I have a new pet. It’s only ¾ inch long and it’s green. I haven’t named it yet – it’s a baby praying mantis. We first met when it walked...
Time will tell
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | June 8, 2022
I love the word procrastination. It sounds like it should be in a song. If I was at all musical … . I am good at a few things –...
Distractions or decisions
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | June 1, 2022
I need 15 more rainy days! Maybe I could make do with 10 or 11 if I really concentrate. I have to move on from saving my old clothes in...
A paper trail with mystery
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | May 25, 2022
At the top of my very small notepad is the following: “SW 16” – too cryptic for me to have a clue what it means. And on another notepad is:...
A time to talk to the peonies
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | May 11, 2022
This is Wednesday – or technically Thursday, as it is very late in the evening. Bella is sleeping on the screened porch not 15 feet away, and the frogs are...
Green and growing days
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | May 4, 2022
I still have to think about what day it is, but I am getting busier and feel that life out there is closer to normal than it has been since...
Lessons learned in spring
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | April 27, 2022
Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer so what am I supposed to wear? Today was about 60 degrees but in the 30s this morning, so I wore winter attire. Tomorrow...
A faceplant and new plants
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | April 20, 2022
My week started on Saturday with a splat, and this is the reason I don’t have a new pair of shoes. I missed the curb as my other half and...
Cultivating with care
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | April 13, 2022
Gardening woes. I look at the weather, and there are three days coming up with warm temperatures and no rain. Two of them are filled with appointments and events. It’s...
The battles big and small
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | April 6, 2022
I am battling daily life and winning most days. Today was a win. What are the battles? My other half fixed the flat tire on my car. We drove out...
This is what the cat says
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | March 30, 2022
Do you ever have days when you wake up and wonder what day it is? Well, this week I didn’t even do that. I managed to get to two appointments...
A twice-told tale about down time
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | March 23, 2022
For the first time that I remember, the cat marched across my keyboard, and like the snap of a finger, my column was gone. I pushed every key on the...
Bella’s first springtime
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | March 16, 2022
This is Bella’s first spring. She’s almost a year old now and is still really curious about everything new as long as it doesn’t come with loud noises. She loves...
The power of ‘maybe’
Loose Ends by Susan Nienow | March 9, 2022
Best intentions, willpower, resolutions – there is at least a column of synonyms or words with similar meaning in my 1995 thesaurus. None of this applies to me. Occasionally, I...
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