Per Petterson

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.

Wow! What a Night!

On Wednesday, September 26, Sherman Alexie appeared on the stage at the Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul as featured writer for the Talking Volumes program. What a terrific evening--probably one of the BEST performances of any living writer that I have attended. The man is a master showman, a real comedian in his own right. The place was packed and laughter ruled the evening. In the past I've seen him elsewhere (Macalester College) but he was in rare form last night and surpassed any other performance of his that I had witnessed!! If you haven't seen his movie, Smoke Signals, or have read any of his books and poetry, I highly recommend this talented writer. Read a bit more about him and his work in this Wiki article.

Staff of Life

TODAY IN MINNESOTA HISTORY: 1992-The Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial is dedicated in St. Paul (MNHS Website).

Drumming Up Business

Well, this certainly is a different marketing ploy. Perhaps it's more effective than expensive advertisements. I admire ingenuity!

Time Marches On!

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?

Armstrong-Quinlan House

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.
(St. Paul Pioneer Press, September 21, 2007).

Summit Avenue Door

I had to pull this out of the archives since I have been sick since last Friday. Unable to shake it, I decided I'd go see a doctor tomorrow since my sore throat and coughing keeps me awake at night. I'm also posting this early so I can go to bed. As soon as I feel better, I'll post some more photos!! LATER: I still don't feel better but I'd rather post and comment than lie in bed coughing. I didn't like the photo I originally posted because it was slightly askew and tilted. Tried to straighten it today, and I think it's an improvement.

Stillwater Bridge

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.

Collector's item

I had always wanted to buy this particular kind of car, but never did!

TODAY IN MINNESOTA HISTORY: 1991 Duluth is dusted by 2.5 inches of snow, the largest and earliest September snowstorm in the city’s history. (Mn Historical Society)

Growing season

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?!

THIS DAY IN MINNESOTA HISTORY: 1863-The first snowfall of the season is the earliest ever recorded in the Twin Cities. (Mn Historical Society) AND 1961 The Minnesota Vikings football team plays its first game, beating the Chicago Bears 37-13 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

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.

Different Camera-Different Light

On three occasions, I have taken photos of this Santa Fe style fireplace in the Bread and Chocolate Café on Grand Avenue. The bottom two were taken by my old Sony Mavica and which were posted on this blog earlier. But the top photo was taken with a flash with my 1-year-old Canon Powershot S31S. Which one do you like the best?
September 14, 2007
December 15, 2006
July 24, 2006

During a Drought--Wasting water?

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.

Another Bench

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.

Alexander Ramsey Historical House

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."

9/11

9/11 used to be a wonderful day in my life because it is the anniversary of my birth. In our house we have birthday weeks to celebrate our special days. After the infamous 9/11 event, it was difficult to celebrate as we had previously because of the sorrow we carried around with us as we recalled the lives that were lost that day and also because of the violence affecting people throughout the world. Ultimately, however, we decided,to concentrate on the positive and celebrate my birthday as we normally had, but not forgetting all the innocent people world-wide who have suffered injustices. My birthday now has a special significance that encompasses the globe. Following are photos of our family celebration last Sunday.
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.

Our Friend, St. Francis of Assisi

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.

New Beginnings

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!

Enter

An elegant entrance to an historic home in St. Paul.

Tenacity

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!