New Year's Eve

Faded ribbons hold tight to brittle wreaths.

The wind whips bitter cold emptiness

throughout the vast spray of headstones.

Stark granite catches the last glow of light

as day slips into night.

A dusting of snow refuses to settle down amongst the markers,

Skittering lightly across the frozen surface.

It spins a torrent twist toward the blackened sky

before battering into the polished rock

and dropping.

Shadows deepen,

Night darkens to black.

Names blur upon the rigid stone.

Frozen in time.

Forgotten by life.

City lights glisten through snow draped pines.

Laughter floats in upon the brisk ice wind.

The old year fades to new,

Time leaps forward everywhere

but here.

Old and New

My computer is back online. The past few days have been filled with many thoughts I have wanted to write down in this blog with no means to do so. Now, while I sort through the murky haze, I will leave this post. I am sure it will change as my thoughts clear and my fingers once again become accustomed to the keyboard. Meanwhile, I hope you are enjoying the Holiday season. Christmas Eve is just ten days away.

Just breathe by Mary

I know I mentioned a while back that I would return after the 21st of November. Currently I am buried knee deep in wrapping paper, Christmas ornaments and chaos. This, however, is not the reason for my delayed return. Somehow in a few weeks my world has made 180 degree turn, and I am still trying to regain my balance. (Dizzy humor for those aware I am in physical therapy to keep from falling over. All of you, now!)

The past couple of years it has felt like we were living in amongst gigantic domino tiles crashing around us, and they continue to do so. Though I am not quite ready to share our latest set back with the world, I will say the family is still doing well. In the mean time, I will take my advice from the Dove chocolate wrapper and 'Just breathe'.

I plaque sits beside my desk:
Hope ~~ sometimes all we have.

Hope Floats

Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad,
but it's the middle that counts the most.
Try to remember that when you find
yourself at a new beginning.
Just give hope a chance to float up.

And it will, too...

Rewind~~First Day of School~~2010

This is always my least favorite day of the year. The kids go back to school and all the crazy schedules start up again. The only other day of the year, that even comes close to this day, is the day after Christmas vacation, because then you have the death of the holiday in addition to the end of vacation. I have a small list of songs on Itunes guaranteed to increase my already down mood.

The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel

A Little Green by Joni Mitchell

Fire and Rain by James Taylor

Slipping Through My Fingers on the Mamma Mia Soundtrack

Accident

7-year-old Girl with Head Injury Airlifted from Blaine Accident

A 7-year-old girl was airlifted from the scene of a traffic accident in Blaine after suffering a head injury.

Blaine police say the girl was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

According to Blaine police, the accident happened just after 5 p.m. when a 2003 Hyundai Accent driven by a 43-year-old male from Ham Lake was crossing Highway 65 on eastbound on 133rd Lane NE and was struck by a northbound 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier.

The girl was unconscious when witnesses arrived on the scene, police say. She regained consciousness by the time paramedics arrived.


The driver of the Cavalier was transported by ambulance to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

From Greg~~43 year old was in a silver escort, airlifted his 7 year old daughter to hcmc. News reported her with non-life threatening injuries. I was north bound on hwy 65 at 133 Ave, guess they shut 65 down for the helicopter to drop in,... was taken away in ambulance after calling 911. chest hurts, lost some more hair and my prescription sun glasses with airbag deployment. Don't think it knocked any sense into me, Scalp still burns where either my glasses or the steering wheel airbag cover abraised my head. Neck and head hurt but manageable with ibuprofen. Need to talk to Blaine police as I'm listed as an unknown driver in the report. Also need to contact insurance and find out where my car is. luckily it only hurts when I laugh or move. 9-15

North West Company Fur Post

"Step into the recreated world of 1804, where you can stop at the Ojibwe encampment and learn how the seasonal living of the Ojibwe changed when Europeans arrived. Meet a fur trade clerk who explains the system of barter that moved beaver fur from the hands of Indian hunters onto the heads of fashionable Europeans."

Respect

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/respect

re·spect

   [ri-spekt] Show IPA

noun

1.

a particular, detail, or point (usually preceded by in ): to differ in some respect.

2.

relation or reference: inquiries with respect to a route.

3.

esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: I have great respect for her judgment.

4.

deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment: respect for a suspect's right to counsel; to show respect for the flag; respect for the elderly.

5.

the condition of being esteemed or honored: to be held in respect.

Rodeo Time!

34th Annual Isanti Firefighters Rodeo

Isanti Lions

Well, it's bulls and blood
It's dust and mud
It's the roar of a Sunday crowd
It's the white in his knuckles
The gold in the buckle
He'll win the next go 'round
It's boots and chaps
It's cowboy hats
It's spurs and latigo
It's the ropes and the reins
And the joy and the pain
And they call the thing rodeo. Garth Brooks

Stone Arch Festival of the Arts

Stone Arch Festival

Tatanka Killer

Jeffers Petroglyphs
It was a hot summer day. Not a cloud in the sky, and the wind was blowing up a red dust filled haze across the open prairie. You could taste the grit being blown into your face. The family had not eaten in hours. We'd tracked the long hunt path past the petroglyphs, around the fields of prairie grasses and wildflowers back to the watering hole. It seemed hopeless. When scanning the the northern horizon from within the man made shelter we spotted our prey. Not more then 100 yards from the back door of the trading post, standing there in the prairie was the lone buffalo. I stalked my way into the fenced in channel which protected onlookers from the charge should it come. To my wandering eyes I located an atlatl and the projectiles at the end of my journey. I load up my first quarrel and set it flying, the 30 mile wind pulled it hard to the left and it dropeed behind my target giving it no warning of my intent. I quickly loaded a second and thanks to the nearsightedness of the beast he did not see the projectile clear him and land in the field beyond. I loaded up my third quarrel and took careful aim and just grazed the buffalo's back. He stood there in shock and that is when my fourth projectile flew threw the air and pierced his heart. A perfect throw, unmatched in the previous couple weeks of many attempts by others. And that my friends is how you earn the coveted piece of parchment naming you a buffalo hunter out at the Jeffers Petrogrlyphs.

Saints Game ~~ Revisited

Saint Paul Saints Baseball

We spent an evening celebrating Kevin's graduation from the University of Minnesota with a night out at the Saints Game.

It began with a tailgating meal of chicken and hotdogs in the parking lot. Followed by Kevin and Alex competing on the ballfield in a race for fame and glory and fabulous prizes. They won, of course!

Then, after many snack, peanuts, popcorn, cookies and more, we watched the Saints play. Thankfully, the sunset and watching became easier from our right field seats.

As the game continued, the Lincoln catchers (and pitchers) began warming up directly in front of our seats. Bwo~~~~op! They became our main entertainment for the middle of the game. Fun times.

The later innings were filled up with an extended visit with Mudonna. Finally, we all trampled out onto the Saints field after the game to have our photo taken under the scoreboard with Kevin's announcement on it. All in all, it was an enjoyable time. Unfortunately, over the years, I am now 0-5 in Saints games. Maybe next time, I will see them win!

Jeffers Petroglyphs

Way down south in Jeffers, many years ago, indians got together, carved on all the stone!

The Jeffers Petroglyphs are located in Jeffers MN. What are Petroglyphs you might ask? Well Petroglyphs are carvings of things like turtles, snakes, and hands. Most of the carvings are hard to see. So they have a guide out there to help you see them.

It was a nice day to be out there because they were doing some special hunting things that normally don't do. It is about a ½ a mile walk just to get out to the Petroglyphs. Plus another ¾ of a mile if you go thought the prairie to get back to the main building. Back to the hunting thing what you get is an atlatl which is basically an arrow. Then you get a wooden block thing that you attach that you atlatl to. Then you throw!

On the Banks of Plum Creek

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
Walnut Grove, MN

http://www.walnutgrove.org/index.html

"Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs." Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Today, in a world filled with stories of vampires and wizards and entire amusement parks dedicated to such notions, it is difficult to imagine a time when kids were enthralled with stories of normal family life, filled with school time, dinners and evening songs by the fire.

Laura Ingalls Wilder inspired a generation of female readers. She told them it was alright to despise cooking and cleaning, that not everything worked out as planned, and that she could be an equal in her relationship with her husband. Considering the time period she was writing in, these truly were revolutionary notions to be passing on to the youth of America. Compare that to the fawning, I'll follow you anywhere because you are a handsome (vampire) man, message, of Twilight, and it is hard to believe we haven't stepped back a couple of generations in the messages our books are sending to teenage girls.

Unfortunately, the Little House books have fallen out of favor with young readers, today. This did not lessen my excitement at visiting the museum in Walnut Grove, MN where Laura spent part of her childhood. Having lived in Minnesota for my entire life, I don't know why it never occurred to me to drive out to the small town before now. To stand in the very location where her dugout home was located, was thrilling. Just looking out at Plum Creek, and imagining the Ingalls family stood in my very footsteps, was an awe inspiring sensation.

Nine different buildings make up the Museum, including a replica of the dugout house. Inside the sod building, it is hard to imagine five people spending an entire Minnesota winter locked inside the tiny dirt walls. The location of the actual dugout location is a mile and a half north of the museum. Our schedule did not allow us to go during the Wilder Pageant. But this year, they have a couple of celebrities from the television series. We will have to check back next year.

Death by Chex Mix

Remember when it was okay to buy a cart full of cereal just to make snacks. Ah, in honor of the good old days...

Corn Chex® cereal half box

Rice Chex® cereal half box

Wheat Chex® cereal third box

Cheerios® quarter to third box

mixed nuts ~~ only for Christmas

pretzels sticks quarter bag

12 tablespoons butter or margarine or 1 ½ sticks

6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons seasoned salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon onion powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

Melt liquidy salty stuff together in sauce pan. Pour over mixed cereals in large turkey pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Package in airtight container once cool. Hide from children or begin again.

Fort Snelling!

Fort Snelling!

What an interesting place to go. First of all they have these tools they used back in the olden days. Like the medicine they used to treat the sick. Did you know they had laughing gas, and Novocain but not much. It was so expensive that not that many people used it. So they were wide awake when they had there tooth pulled out. OW! the most interesting thing I thought was when they fired off the canon. First they explained how they were going to fire it off. Then they explained when they would fire it off back in the olden days. They wouldn't fire it off until the enemy was at the wall and then.........BOOM! The people that were acting there were so good I thought I had gone back in time. Take it from me you peeps really want to go there some time in the near future. :)

Designer Ideas at a Five and Dime Price

Living History

Mill City Museum Mill City Museum is located on the historic Mississippi Riverfront. Mill City Museum was the largest flour mill back in the day. It was the competition of Pillsbury’s mill, you know the fat dough man. Whilst we were visiting the mill, it had not been run in 50 years. This mill is not the real mill, because it burnt down in 1991. Not sure why it burnt down. They rebuilt it in the late 1990’s; in the year 2003 they opened the mill as a historical museum.

The FLOUR TOWER! Not like the Tower of Terror, this tower helps to show the history of the museum. When we stepped out of this tower we were brought into the mill. Then we met up with a tour guide who showed us how the mill worked back in the day.

Since it was a really windy and cold day, when we went out side and we encountered snow. Snow in the middle of May! Right out side of the mill there is a farmers market. That day at the farmers market there was a band called the “Brass Messengers” playing.

This was a fun day trip for every member of the family. We built puzzles, saw the sights, and learned new interesting things about the mill and its history. All in all it was a fun filled day at the mill.

~Daisy Goose

Back to the Beginning

*Original first Blog Post
A year ago, just after the death of Grampa Doc, we decided we needed something to help the family move on. We purchased a yearlong Membership in the Minnesota Historical Society and spent the summer touring historical site around central Minnesota. Because this blog is starting at what might be considered the halfway point in our journey, I will be backtracking on our previous adventures, as time goes on.

To be fair, I have already decided to include many of the other interesting places we encounter across Minnesota, not just Historical Sites. This last year have been quite a learning experience. I have learned more about the state in twelve months, than I have learned in the entirety of my life living here. There is no need to put an actual number on how long that might be!

So, welcome to the state of Minnesota, as seen through our eyes. All the parks and plazas, festivals and races. We have already seen a couple of zoos, walked several bridges, climbed a lighthouse and scraped a deer hide. And, we have only just begun.