RIP

BOO!

Pompeii

I haven't seen the exhibit yet, but since I took this photo perhaps I should go!

Morning Moon

Morning Moon on Kellogg Blvd. in downtown St. Paul with the Central Library edged on the right.

Homeboy??

A VERY unusual car sticker!! ADDED LATER: It's my understanding that a "homeboy" is a male member of a youth gang OR a male friend from your neighborhood.

That's alotta pies!

I found this display in the entrance to my neighborhood supermarket. I'm finding all kinds of interesting details about my environment since I've started blogging; for example, I never realized how many, many pumpkins are used for displays around Halloween and Thanksgiving. It's a great autumnal decoration, but do we really need all of them?!

Gemini Goes to Kindergarten

Gemini, an 11-year-old remarkably patient dog, went with the author of his many pubished stories to my grand-daughter's kindergarten class on Thursday, October 25. Because of privacy issues, I posted no photos of the childen's faces on my ExtraExtra blog. Too bad...because their expressions and obvious love of animals was wonderful to see. Check the other photos to see the owner and Gemini in action. If you want to see Gemini's website, click here.

Experimenting with Blue

Tacky?

I couldn't help noticing this yard as I drove by. My taste is a bit different: "less is more!" But, I guess if it makes them happy, it's okay by me, especially since it's not my yard.

St Paul's name

From the St. Paul Wikipaedia site: "By the early 1820s the area had become important as a trading center, a destination for settlers heading west, and was known as Pig's Eye Landing. In 1837, a treaty between Henry Schoolcraft and about 200 Dakota Indians displaced the natives from the site. In 1841 Father Galtier established the Saint Paul Catholic Church and the name of the settlement was formally changed to Saint Paul in honor of the newly constructed church and Father Galtier's favorite saint."

To find out more background on the Pig's Eye Landing name. click here. We even have a brand of beer with an interesting label called "Pig's Eye". Although it's not as colourful, personally I prefer the name Father Galtier selected!

Good-bye Summer Harvest

Although the pumpkins, squash, gourds, and Indian corn are delightful in their own right, I dislike the end of the summer harvest season. Soon our downtown market will limit the days that it is open, getting ready for the cold season. The season I prefer is quite obvious; what time of year do you like the best?

SteppingStone Theatre

ADDENDUM: I called the theatre to get information regarding the statue because some of you asked about its origin. COMPAS (Community Arts Programs) is a non-profit organization that offers many progams, one of which includes an artist who works in the summer. They donated the statue to SteppingStone; other than that there is no special significance, or so I've been told.

HISTORY
SteppingStone Theatre for Youth Development was founded in 1987 with two artist-in-residence programs at inner-city St. Paul schools that gave students a chance to have a participatory theatre experience. SteppingStone Theatre’s focus has been on reaching out to children and youth who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in theatre and providing them with an expanding range of educational theatre experiences.

Today, this focus is pursued through the Mainstage, Education, and Outreach Programs. In the past 9 years, led by Artistic Director Richard Hitchler, the theatre has served over 500,000 children, youth, schools and families through their six mainstage shows each year, in-school residencies, theatre classes for youth, and Community Education classes.
New Home
Construction on the former Grace Community Church, located at Victoria Street in St. Paul next to William Mitchell College of Law, began February 2, 2007. SteppingStone Theatre plans to move into its new home in late 2007, to open The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! December 1.

The renovation plans include improvement of the exterior; conversion of the sanctuary into a 430-seat theatre with a proscenium-style stage equipped with modern lighting and sound capabilities; installation of an elevator for accessibility to all areas of the building; and construction of classrooms, dressing rooms and administrative offices on the lower level.

Ummm Good

For those of you just rolling out of bed today, try one of these!

Signs of Fall

This is not a very inspired photo, but since it's been raining here for days (or so it seems) I need some colour. I like fall, but because it's a precursor to winter, I'm not always enamoured of it. Yet this photo reminds me of all that is pleasant about the season: little urchins begging at Halloween, delicioius squash and pumpkin pie, and finally Thanksgiving--one of my favorite holidays.

Priceless Chair and Priceless Story

I snapped this photo on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at the entrance of the Chinese exhibit; take a good look at this priceless chair, valued at approximately $600,000. It has a priceless story attached to it, which occurred in June, 2000.

From an AP press report:
A museum visitor looking for a place to rest his feet
picked an expensive place to sit.

The man failed to heed a do-not-touch sign Sunday at
the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and sat down on a
16th-century Ming Dynasty chair, breaking its
horseshoe-shaped back in three places.

Officials said the chair, worth six figures, can be
repaired.

"We were very fortunate the chair backing broke on old
break lines," said Evan Maurer, museum director. "It's
been broken before."

The chair will be sent to the restorer in London who
previously worked on it.

No charges will be filed against the visitor, whose
name was not released.

"It was a terrible mistake, and he felt terrible about
it," Maurer said.
==========
My comment? STUPID MAN!!

Sunburst-The Answer

I thought that this quiz was going to be far more difficult. I guess that I gave too many hints in the commentary. Strangetastes from St. Louis, Missouri, clever little devil, found the answer on the MIA website and wins the postcard. The beautiful chandelier by Dale Chihuly can be found in the foyer of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. When it was being constructed, piece-by-piece, my then-preschool grandson and I sat off-and-on in the mezzanine for two days watching the worker bees putting each piece in its alloted place. Illuminated by neon lights in the interior, here is how the the museum describes it:

"Since the 1960s, Dale Chihuly has pushed the limits of glass in all directions -- including color, scale, and display -- to form organic, sculptural environments. Chihuly studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Rhode Island School of Design, where he experimented with glass, neon gas, steel, and Plexiglas. In 1968 a Fulbright scholarship allowed him to study at Venini Fabrica. There, he absorbed the ancient Venetian method of teamwork, in which glass masters work with assistants to produce a collaborative work. Chihuly brought the method back to RISD, and in the early 1980s, back to his home state of Washington. He centers his glassmaking and teaching activity in Seattle at his studio, The Boathouse, and the Pilchuck Glass School. Since loosing an eye in a car accident in 1976, Chihuly now serves as designer and director of his collaborative works, no longer blowing glass himself. Sunburst is made up of more than 1,000 individual pieces of glass and 100 feet of neon tubing. It weights more than 3,000 lbs." (MIA Website)

Postcard Quiz #2

This oughta stump you! The first one who correctly answers all three question wins an outstanding postcard which I will send to you from ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, USA: 1) What is this object and its function, 2)Name the artist (this should be easy for some of you--Twin City bloggers NOT eligible, and 3) Where is it located? The photo is an enlarged small section of the object. You'll see the whole thing after all three parts are correctly answered.

Great Marketing System

On Sunday mornings DH and I sneak over to a fantastic bakery in Minneapolis, the Rustica, on the corner of 46th Street and Bryant Avenue. As we left today we ran into Mark Vickerman, a realtor at Maple Lane Realty who gives away pumpkins each year to patrons of the bakery and coffee shop. We got two beauties for our grandkids. What a marvelous marketing system for his business. So, if any of you "out there" are in the market for a new residence or if you are moving to the Twin Cities, visit Mark's website at www.maplelanerealty.com.

St Paul Art Crawl

Twice a year, in spring and in fall, approximately 20-30 downtown studios and lofts open their doors over a three day week-end. A trolley wends its way from block to block and building to building. Street vendors supply food that supplements the goodies many artists offer to those who stop to see their work, and many musicians entertain in the halls or studios. Spending a few hours looking at photographs, fine arts of many genres, and artistic clothing is a visual feast.

Angel #2

Earlier this year I posted this photo of an angel. At the time I thought I'd use angels as a theme, and if I find more, I'll add them to the blog. This angel is in Calvary Cemetery on Front Avenue in St. Paul.

Don't Fence Me In

Seeing these animals, it almost makes me want to own a sheep farm...Almost, but do I want to work that hard?!

"Little Lamb" by Wm Blake

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Without a Clever Title

"Little lamb who made thee..."

Postcard Quiz #1

We haven't had a postcard quiz for a long time now. Because y'all are so smart, I'm going to ask that you be SPECIFIC. The first one who can correctly and specifically identify what this child is doing will receive a fantastic postcard from St. Paul, Minnesota USA!!

Sheep Farm

Doesn't this look idyllic? Granddaughter and I drove to a friend's small sheep farm yesterday, which was a glorious sun-drenched Saturday afternoon. After several happy hours there, upon leaving 5-year-old Olivia decided that when she grows up she is going to be a farmer in the morning and a veterinarian in the afternoon. That sounds idyllic, too!

Garden of Faith

Next to the garden I showed you yesterday lies the Garden of Faith with this stained glass panel as its centerpiece.

Garden of Love

Because Minneapolis and St. Paul are considered Twin Cities, I think that on rare occasions it is appropriate for me to visit "that other city." Lakewood Cemetery is a large, beautifully landscaped cemetery in which many Minnesota notables are interred. In addition to the typical gravestones and vaults, small gardens are found around the cemetery. This large stained glass panel is the centerpiece in The Garden of Love.

Free Burma-October 4, 2007

I've joined an international movement to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. Instead of our regular posts, bloggers worldwide are posting FREE BURMA messages on October 4 as a show of solidarity. FREE BURMA! (See http://www.free-burma.org for more information)

Iraq

More of these headstones are now appearing in the military cemetery at Fort Snelling. 24 years old! I'd like to live in a world without war!

September 11, 2001

Birth: May 29, 1963
Minneapolis
Hennepin County
Minnesota, USA
Death: Sep. 11, 2001
Shanksville
Somerset County
Pennsylvania, USA

United Flight 93 Passenger, Hero. A former high school quarterback, he was an alumnus of the University of Minnesota. He was the senior vice president and chief operating officer of Thoratec Corporation, a medical research company. He and his wife Deena, married in April, 1992, were the parents of three girls. On September 11, 2001, he was flying home from a business meeting when terrorists took control of the plane, presumably with the intent of crashing it into a target in Washington, D.C. Burnett used his cell phone to call his wife four times. During their conversations he told her of the happenings on board the plane and she told him of the attacks on the World Trade Center. His last call to his wife ended with Burnett saying, “We’re going to do something. I’ve got to go.” (Fort Snelling National Cemetery site)

Fort Snelling National Cemetery

A gravesite either being ready for a ceremony or just having finished one.
HISTORY:
"Fort Snelling was a frontier fort first established in 1805. Its original purpose was to keep the peace on the western frontier. During the American Civil War it served as a recruitment area for Minnesota volunteers. The cemetery itself was not officially established until 1870.

In 1937, the citizens of St. Paul, petitioned Congress to construct a National Cemetery in the area, and in 1939 the new plot was dedicated, and the remains from the original post cemetery were transferred to it. In 1960, the Fort Snelling Air Force Station transferred 146 acres to the cemetery, and another 177 acres were acquired in 1961, expanding the cemetery to its current size." (Wiki)

I have wanted to use cemeteries as a theme for sometime now; during this coming week, I'll post more photos that I took for the OCTOBER THEME DAY and to satisfy my wish to explore more gravesites.

CURRENTLY THERE ARE 101 DAILY BLOGGERS REGISTERED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS OCTOBER THEME DAY. Visit them and leave a comment! Because of time differences, some may be posting later than others, but remember to go back to visit. Here they are!!
St. Louis (MO), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Hyde, UK - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Toulouse, France - Arradon, France - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Joplin (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Seattle (WA), USA - Baziège, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Anderson (SC), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Nashville (TN), USA - Tenerife, Spain - Manila, Philippines - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Jacksonville (FL), USA - River Falls (WI), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Lubbock (TX), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Moscow, Russia - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Minneapolis (MN), USA - New Orleans (LA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Toruń, Poland - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - London, England - Paderborn, Germany - The Hague, Netherlands - Selma (AL), USA - Sunderland, UK - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Stavanger, Norway - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Forks (WA), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand - Montpellier, France - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Evry, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - New York City (NY), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cypress (TX), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Zurich, Switzerland - Budapest, Hungary - Paris, France - Saigon, Vietnam - Grenoble, France - Zurich, Switzerland - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Toronto (ON), Canada