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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.
Seeing these animals, it almost makes me want to own a sheep farm...Almost, but do I want to work that hard?!
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!!
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!
Next to the garden I showed you yesterday lies the Garden of Faith with this stained glass panel as its centerpiece.
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.
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)
HISTORY: 
The Friends of the Minneapolis Library has a series of free lectures at the Central downtown library, given by contemporary writers. On Thursday, September 27 I listened to Norweigan novelist, Per Petterson, whose book_out stealing horses_ I had just finished reading. Petterson is a quiet man who held the attention of the large crowd that was gathered in the Pohlad Auditorium...a bit less rolicking than the performance I watched the night before though! (See my September 27th post) Petterson's book is an interesting read, one that I recommend.
TODAY IN MINNESOTA HISTORY: 1992-The Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in St. Paul (MNHS Website).
Well, this certainly is a different marketing ploy. Perhaps it's more effective than expensive advertisements. I admire ingenuity!
This is a collage of scenes that have been duplicated in countries around the globe this fall. Educational programs are important stepping stones for future citizens, and it often begins here. Oh, how I wish that the excitement and pleasure that is obvious at this level would follow students throughout their lives. From personal experience in a classroom with much older students, I know that that level of curiosity, imagination, and motivation too often falls by the wayside.. I wonder why? What's your opinion?
The headline in a recent article in a local newspaper said, "Vestige of downtown's stately past on the block: Condo developers give up on historic Armstrong-Quinlan House; auction October 4." This house was in its glory during the 1880's. In 2001 the city spent $2.4 million moving this majestic building from downtown's Cleveland Circle to its current home in the Irvine Park neighborhood. An Herculean task! The city hoped to recoup the money from sale of condos. Priced as high as $850,000 per unit, the four-condo house attracted no takers. Despite dropping the prices, the building still stands vacant.
Stillwater, Mn, situated on the St. Croix River, is a picturesque former lumber town that is filled with lovely old homes, restaurants, antique shops and various other stores that are filled with boaters and tourists, especially in the idyllic summer months. Because of the recent tragic collapse of the 35W bridge in Minneapolis, a spotlight has been shown on other bridges throughout the country. The Stillwater bridge spans the St. Croix, connecting cities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A new bridge has been on the drawing board for years, but several lawsuits have been filed opposing a new structure because of its historical significance and environmental issues on the river. The bridge has a 2.8 safety score on a 100 point scale, and if I lived in Stillwater, I don't think that I would use it!! For more information, check this Wiki article for the whole scoop.
When I saw this photo on Steve Buser's blog I decided to add a photo of my son Karl's huge ferns that grew and grew in the backyard this summer. In addition, I also have two of my own that grew and grew. Now, where will I put them in the house for the winter?! 
Yesterday morning it was too chilly to take pictures at the Farmers' Market so I loaded all my purchases (Maple syrup, eggs, lamb chops, apples, red and green peppers, tomatoes, and apple cider plain and sugared donuts) into the White Wizard and stopped at the car wash on my way home.
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If it had been a hot summer day, I probably would have done more than just take a photo. The city worker manning the hydrant was posing for my snap of him when a wild-eyed driver sped past through the huge water puddle in the street. Throughly drenched from head to toe to camera, I left without a close-up of the worker.
St. Kate's College campus abuts my backyard which had a lovely vista until the school tore down the many tall, old trees and put in a soccer field instead. I am one of the disgruntled homeowners who still mourns the loss of songbirds and various other animals that used to populate our little "forest." I do, however, still enjoy the lovely campus, and I occasionally walk my dog there, enjoying the landscape. There are several benches scattered around, such as this one that has the entrance gate and two buildings painted on it.
The Minnesota Hitorical Society descibes the house this way: "Make a call on Anna Ramsey, wife of the first territorial governor, at St. Paul's Ramsey House. Guides dressed as her servants may even surprise you with a tour of the Victorian home and some fresh cookies. Enjoy a glimpse into family and servant life in the 1870s. One of the nation's best preserved Victorian-era homes, the Ramsey House features carved walnut woodwork, marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers and many original furnishings. Pick up Victorian-era souvenirs in the Carriage House gift shop."
Five-year-old Olivia's cake that she baked for me.
I guess I needed help to blow out candles on two cakes. If I had had all the candles marking my years, it would have looked like a blowtorch instead.
Last Friday I had to take Sadie, our parrot, to the vet because she was obviously ill and had not eaten in four days. Leaving her there to be anesthesized, x-rayed, weighed, and examined, I noted sculptures, statues, and flowers on the lawn. I switched to my blogger mode when I returned to pay a HUGE bill and collect the bird. I'm not sure if she is recovering on schedule, but we have our fingers crossed. To see healthy Sadie, click here.
If one is lucky, after great sorrow comes great joy. Joannne and Peter each lost a spouse after a very long successful marriage. This fine couple now have found one another and have decided to begin another relationship--in Joanne's words, "another chance at life and love." Today Joanne sent me this photo and announced their engagement. Celebrate new beginnings!
In an earlier post I showed you just the roots of this tree, but I thought the complete view would demonstrate how tenacious nature can be! If only I had such staying power when life gets a little difficult!
I recently posted a photo of a young female musician. The group of girls with her sang and played violins. When they sang Spanish songs, their violins rested at their feet. We missed the music Mass at their parish church last Sunday because we had house guests (grandkids!) but we'll go next week-end.
While sitting in the end zone at a recent Vikings football game, I was startled to see how sitting behind the hanging flag changes the point of view. Seemed odd to me to see the flag hanging in reverse from the ceiling of the metrodome--because of where we were sitting. Since today is our country's Labor Day, the flag is, nonetheless, an appropriate symbol. .jpg)
The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Dallas Cowboys at the Minneapolis Metrodome last Thursday night. I haven't gone to a professional football game in a stadium for years because watching on television really allows better visual images of the plays. My grandson, Dominique, is enthralled with sports and through a summer program sponsored by the Vikings, he got 4 complimentary tickets to this game. He invited a friend and his grandparents to join him. People watching was magnificent and was almost as good as the game.
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Not the fault of the theme, but I haven't felt very inspired about this particular subject. I did, however, find this attractive lamp on the Lake Street bridge, which spans the Mississippi River and connects the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
