Dana Burland

Heyyyy, big news! I’ve got a garden fence! My fam visited this past weekend and went right to work helping me build a bomb garden fence. Honestly, we’re amateur builders at best; and honestly, this fence is pro level. And it’s needed because a week after I cleared the garden out I found a bunny den. UGH. Anyway. I went with wood 4x4s (which we concreted into place) and chicken wire. We also chicken wired the edge of the deck that serves as a garden wall. And we made a gate! A perfect gate! There was only one casualty in the form of a severed internet wire, but clearly as I post this we’re back in business with that. Man am I impressed with our efforts. Inside these chicken wire walls you’ll find my snap peas planted, chives in full force and a “raised bed” bucket where I’m giving carrots another go after last year’s failed attempt. All the way inside (the house) I have cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes from seed sprouting nicely and newly planted watermelon, broccoli and ...

This is something I want to remember: going downtown, for the first time in over a year, to get my COVID vaccinations. I got both my shots at the DeVos Place Convention Center. I’ve been there with the masses (packed like sardines, can you believe?!) for ArtPrize; been in various huge convention rooms for things like the Food, Beer and Wine Festival and the West Michigan Home and Garden Show and have seen performances there, seated shoulder to shoulder with others. And now I can add I’ve been in this 162K square foot building, snaked in a long line, remaining 6ft away from anyone, with thousands, for my vaccinations. It felt weird to be downtown and weirder to be flocking in the same doors with the exact people I’ve been actively avoiding. Right when you come in you get a temperature check and shepherded into a line. I was pleasantly surprised at both my appointments that the line is nicely spaced out and never stops moving. There are plenty of volunteers to greet you and point y...

Did I put way too much effort into a simple 2-household Easter egg hunt gathering? Yeah, of course I did. We had our old neighbors over for a family Easter egg hunt and brunch. I made this spinach egg breakfast casserole that gets a bunch of thumbs up any time I make it, this new-to-me lemon blueberry bread (cough, cake) and this homemade ranch dip . I’m not even an insane ranch person, but I’d smear that dip on like night cream. I filled up a bunch of eggs with candy and my neighbor filled up a bunch more with stickers and little toys. I also bought 4 JUMBO eggs (one for each kid) with some dollar store type trinkets. The boys got a real hoot out of wandering the yard and hunting for eggs. The big boys were so kind, alerting each other when they found eggs to even out each others’ baskets. The little boys weren’t entirely sure what was going on, but seemed to understand pick up/clean up. When I was growing up our neighbors did an Easter egg hunt throughout 3-4 neighbor’s back...