You CAN Go Home Again

Yay! The Minneapolis skyline! Minneapolis is a beautiful city, full of beautiful city.  We were lucky enough to spend a long weekend there earlier this month. While there, we attended a small, informal class reunion in my hometown of Delano.

This is my friend, Vicki.  We were high school classmates, and while we were not really close friends, we met again on facebook, and planned an impromptu class reunion.  How could two such young-looking friends be having their 40th class reunion???

Another good friend, Bob.  Our last names both started with "H", and we had our lockers together for all 4 years in high school.  We were also both in band, took lots of the same classes, and I recruited him to be Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music.  One of my proudest achievements!

Here I am with Stephanie, who I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with! She is as beautiful inside as out.  It just makes me sad, because we live so far from these great people. It would be so great to get together with them more often.

I pretty much knew who would be at the reunion, from the responses on our facebook page.  It was a complete surprise to see Rob walk into the room!  He is a pilot for American, and lives in Miami.  It was pure chance that he was in Delano that day, and that he also ran into Bob, who told him about the event.  Rob was a very good friend in school - it was really a highlight to get to see Rob.

Main Street, Delano - looks like a scene from an old movie or something, so cute and quaint.  The Crow River runs right through town, just to the left in this  picture.

Couldn't have a visit to Delano without checking out the old family homestead.  Nice to see it well cared for, a nice garden in the back, and the owner has a little day care business.  

Minnesota Love

I LOVE Minnesota! But I'm sure there are those of you who wonder WHY ON EARTH anyone would want to live "up north", where it gets cold and snows a lot? and the winters are long? and the lakes actually freeze over and people drive their cars on them??? Well, I'll tell you - it's because Minnesota is beautiful, and Minnesotans are even more beautiful. There is a saying "Minnesota nice", describing the folks up there, and it's true!

I found this shot online, but I do remember deep snowdrifts this deep! I've got a picture somewhere of my grandma shoveling snow that she had to toss over her head! And we've also got a picture of Maggie as a puppy - around 1997 - standing on top of a snow pile that's at least 6 feet tall. Feeling the love yet?

How about now? This lovely picture is of Lake of the Isles, one of the dozen or so lakes that are located within the city limits of Minneapolis. Yes, this is IN the city. I shared a house on Lake of the Isles with 3 girlfriends one summer during my college years, and this was pretty much the view from our front door. You could just walk across the street and get on a nice walking path, and walk all the way around the lake. So relaxing on a hot summer day! (yes, it gets hot up there!) We even had an awesome porch swing on the front porch, how Norman Rockwell is that?

Love it now?

How about this gorgeous shot? This shows the stunning fall color around Lake Minnetonka, a huge network of lakes that is between Minneapolis and my home town of Delano. Doesn't this just take your breath away? My mom and dad used to love to take a drive to "look at the fall color", and they didn't have to go far to see beautiful scenery.

Here's something else to love about Minnesota - the good old U of M! The University of Minnesota, my alma mater, is located right in Minneapolis, just across the Mississippi River from downtown. College kids sprawled across the grass was a common sight in the spring and fall - same as most campuses!

I can't believe I found this picture! This is the house where I grew up, shown in a listing from when it was sold just a few years ago. Lots of good memories there! And look in the background, you can see the school I attended, kindergarten through 6th grade. Looks like a happy house, doesn't it?

Minnesota, Hail to Thee!

Minnesota Trip

Hannah and I got to take a really fun trip to Minnesota this past August. This is a great shot, which tells a little story about Minneapolis. In the foreground are rental bicycles, and in the background is the new Guthrie Theatre (where we attended "A Streetcar Named Desire"), and also some old flour mills in the distance. I love Minneapolis!

This is the front of the Lerouxs house. They have lovely gardens and window boxes, shown here overflowing with light pink double impatiens. On the left are some gorgeous white hydrangeas, I think they are called snow cone or something like that. The Lerouxs are a couple we have known for many years, such a great couple and very dear friends.

This is Michele Leroux and me, somehow this is the only picture we took while on our visit there! We always leave there smiling, and with lots of good memories. Thanks Michele and Philippe!