HOPE YOU ARE WELL AND SAFE
Phil and I sincerely hope you are doing well and staying ahead of the Covid-19. We are both well and have no symptoms. Thank God.
We just returned from 3 days on the North Eastern Shore of Minnesota. As we drove along the shore of Lake Superior, the Fall color of our deciduous trees became more brilliant as we put miles behind us. The beautiful yellow, orange and red colors peeked through the dark green of the pines. The trees are getting ready to “hibernate” through our cold and snowy Minnesota winter. Everything is slightly damp and starting to decay yet the colors are rich and textured. Some of you who receive this Blog know the winter weather in Minnesota, but those of you reading this who live in areas of warmer weather do not have the opportunity to see the beauty of the countryside at this time of year. Maybe you have seen pictures of it on a calendar. The crunch of fallen leaves under foot is a signal that soon the trees that are deciduous will be bare……until Spring.
A mass of all those vibrant colors signal that there are significant weather changes ahead. The Sugar Maple Tree leaves and the Sumac bushes turn a brilliant red color while the Birch and Aspen leaves become orange and golden yellow. It could not be more beautiful.
(My son, Mike, took these photos on his trip up into NE MN last week.)
Lutsen Lodge on Lake Superior
Our 3-night stay was at the oldest resort in Minnesota….the Lutsen Lodge established in 1885 by a young Swedish immigrant, Charles Axel Nelson. He named it Lutsen. Those who came fished, hunted and trapped for survival. Today the Lodge is the site of weddings, retreats, reunions and family gatherings.
Our room looked out over a beach on Lake Superior. A beautiful view indeed. The windows opened and it was nice to hear the lapping of waves on the shore. The rooms are somewhat primitive with low light, a small radiator for heat, and very few tv stations (but who cared about that). The king bed was very comfortable and the linens were nice. Sleeping was great!
Lake Superior is the largest of the 5 Great Lakes. It is the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, and the third largest freshwater lake by volume (2900 cu miles). It is shared by Ontario, Canada to the North, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to the South, and Minnesota to the West.
The Ojibwee name for the lake is gichi-gami, which means “great sea.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow spelled it wrong (Gitche Gumee) in his “Song of Hiawatha,’ as did Gordon Lightfoot when he wrote “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
THE 5 GREAT LAKES
You can help your kids, and maybe even you, remember the names of the 5 Great Lakes with the word….homes. H is for Lake Huron, O is for Lake Ontario, M is for Lake Michigan, E is for Lake Erie and S is for Lake Superior.
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO LOVE AMERICA
It is so important that our children learn that America is a wonderful country filed with historical and amazing events. The vision our founding fathers had for this country and signed into The Bill of Rights and The Constitution is remarkable. Our children deserve to know the true facts about America.
President Trump will soon sign the “1776 Commission for Patriotic Education.” This Commission will encourage our educators to teach your children about the miracle of American history and make plans to honor the 250th anniversary of our founding in 2026.”
PUT THE KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL
Why are teachers not essential? Our heroes who are Doctors and Nurses are working to keep us healthy, Cashiers are in the grocery stores, Bus Drivers are driving, Airplanes are flying, Dentists are working, Liquor Stores are open, Barbers and Beauticians are cutting our hair – SO WHY ARE TEACHERS NOT ESSENTIAL? I SAY………PUT THE KIDS & THEIR TEACHERS BACK IN SCHOOL WHERE THEY WILL LEARN BOTH FROM BOOKS AND SOCIALLY FROM EACH OTHER. THESE ARE NECESSARY IN THE LIVES OF OUR KIDS.
It is well known that keeping kids out of school and insisting on virtual classes will harm the inner city and poor children most.
My Three Beautiful Great Grandsons
Etsy.com
MazanneArtistry
…from a woman’s soul… through a woman’s eyes,….by a woman’s hands……
I welcome you to visit my Etsy.com Shops. There are 4 of them and you can take a look by searching on Etsy.com for MazanneArtistry (no space between the words). There will soon be a 5th Shop with some of my watercolor art. Would love your comments.
Each of my greeting cards, handled bag for kids and the gift tags are designed and created by me.
Green Grass
On CBS News Sunday Morning, they talked about green grass lawns. According to this program, there are 40 million acres of green lawns in the U.S. and we pay $40 billion (that’s a “b”) to maintain them each year. In Chicago they profiled a couple who live on the 24th Floor of a building that has a green lawn. The woman who lives there says they even have dandelions way up there and she wonders how the seeds got up that high. (I wonder too!) After World War II ordinary Americans (that’s you and me) began improving their homes and planting grass.
You might guess it has been a banner year for the Scott lawn company. Their sales have been up 24%. One man (don’t recall where he lives), but he makes his green lawn special every 4th of July. He mowes stripes and inserts grass bunches of grass to look like the stars into his lawn. The result is the American Flag in green.
WE ARE THE ODD COUPLE
Phil and I agree we are mostly The Odd Couple. You will probably remember Jack Klugman and Tony Randall in the TV series from 1970-1975. Klugman was Oscar Madison, the messy sports writer and Randall was Felix Unger, the fussy photographer. They were New Yorkers separated from their wives , who despite their differences, lived together (on tv). The episodes were so funny then and the re-runs are still hilarious. Klugman and Randall were best friends off the set.
In “real life,” Klugman loved to gamble, even owned a horse who raced in the Preakness and another race….and won. He developed throat cancer and died at 90. Randall died at 84. Klugman said the only stupid thing he did in life was to start smoking. Of his friend, Tony Randall, Jack Klugman said “A world without Tony is a world I don’t recognize.”
Phil and I have been watching some of the episodes and find them entertaining. Neil Simon produced the series and the comedy scripts were unique. So now Phil and I have decided we are Felix and Oscar. Can you guess who is who?
So Felix and Oscar are we!
Never will we forget the summer of 2020 when we all wore masks to prevent the Coronavirus – COVID-19.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE AMERICANS
Never has our America been in such turmoil and at such a “crossroads.” Phil and I love America, our Constitution and our Flag.
NUTRITIOUS RED POTATOES
I do know red potatoes are healthier than Russets or white potatoes. What makes them healthier is the red skin contains anthocyanins, which is associated with being rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Antioxidants make red spuds more nutritious and helps to lower your risk of cancer. They are also a good source of Vitamin B6, are fat, sodium and cholesterol free and an excellent source of potassium….even more than a banana. They make awesome mashed potatoes, great in soups, salads, roasted or boiled. Leave those thin, red skins on…….In a Minnesota Fall, newly dug red potatoes cannot be better when fried in avocado oil, combined with chopped onions and eaten with eggs. bacon and toast. This farmgirl breakfast brings back many memories of growing up on the farm. Avocado oil is wonderful for frying and I know we did not have that on the farm. What I remember was bacon fat, and that was probably not the best health-wise, but sure made fried potatoes taste good. Everything in moderation, right?
Near our home in Golden Valley, we have a wonderful park and pond. It is where I walk and check out the ducks and turtles that enjoy the water. I also check on the wildflowers and weeds that grow there. The Park has let patches grow naturally so it is a very enjoyable place to walk.
The other day I took photos of it all with my phone. It is absolutely lovely as you will see in these pictures.
Mary Flannery O’Connor says….”It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised, but the mosquito is swatted!”
19TH CENTURY VERSE USED IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
KIND HEARTS ARE THE GARDEN, KIND THOUGHTS ARE THE ROOTS, KIND WORDS ARE THE BLOSSOMS AND KIND DEEDS ARE THE FRUITS.
https://www./boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-becomes-international-dark-sky-sanctuary.
Click on the link above and see why Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was selected as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. It is because of its dark skies, starry nights and astonishing northern lights. It is one of only 13 sights in the world with this designation. Of course, many countries who are in the southern hemisphere do not see the astonishing northern lights. If you have ever seen them, you would be amazed at the brilliant colors of reds, purples, yellows, greens and blues streaming across the dark sky. The BWCAW is a place where some of my family and I go as often as possible to get away from civilization and tent camp, fish, often swim, build bonfires, cook over an open fire, enjoy the sounds and sights of nature and relax.
It is amazing PEACE.
Wild Blueberries
f you like the small wild blueberries, you will love Wyman’s Wild Blueberries. These are like the ones I picked when young in Northern Minnesota. You can buy them frozen and roll out as many as you like. These bags are 3# and I know you will love the pie you make.
Carrots from my little garden. I dug them the other day, put some in a vegetable and beef broth soup with a little barley – and we ate the rest. The carrots are all gone now.
Sending you good wishes, good health, good times, good friends, and all good things to come. And don’t forget to….
VOTE
Anne & Phil
Phil and I wish you all things good. Don’t forget to VOTE
Fondly, Anne