Loved Today--Cursed in One year???? By Jodie

This little beauty was born yesterday or last night. This morning, I glanced out the window and saw it stand for the first time. When fawns are born, they have no scent so the doe leaves to recuperate and the fawn is protected because predators can't smell it. The doe will probably be back tonight to be with it and then they'll stay together. I think our little "grandbaby" is gorgeous today and I will enjoy watching it grow and frolic this summer, but I'll probably curse it next year when it is grown and starts eating my flowers!

Note: I was not close to it--just using a good telephoto lens. It ignored me completely as it did my husband as he washed the outside windows on the house today.

There's a mallard's nest up on our hill with 15 eggs in it. My husband keeps wanting me to go to check it out with my camera. The problem is, hen mallards will chase me. I am not fool! (or am I?--check again!).

Memorial Day, 2006

We will never forget their sacrifices!

This Week's Shopper News

The fishing contest will be big news every week. The walleye this week was over 5 pounds and the northern was almost 10 pounds. Both were caught in a lake about 5 miles away. Congratulations to the winners!

Graduation is on June first. There is a two-page ad congratulating and listing all of the seniors along with the program for the commencement exercises (Will that be jumping jacks or what?). A tradition is the Congradance following graduation (from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.). This is a celebration for the graduating seniors and for the other students to help celebrate in a positive and chemical-free environment. This has always been a very positive event and they are looking for volunteers to help chaperone, decorate, etc.

There are MANY graduation open house announcements this week. It is a real tradition for families to have graduation parties around this time to honor the graduates. It is good for the catering business, the card business, the floral business and the decorating business (this gives mom a chance to get new carpeting, draperies and painting/wallpaper!). We'd better stock up on graduation cards and crisp ten- or twenty-dollar bills!

The beach in one of our towns will not be available this summer for general swimming because they were unable to find lifeguards. That is a very unfortunate development. Perhaps seeing the announcement will get parents to give their lifeguarding teens a little prodding to apply for some summer work.

There is a big softball tourney coming up on June 9-11. It is in memory of Tee' brother (also Laurie's brother-in-law) who died of cancer in January. The proceeds from this volunteer event will go to two of Jim's favorite events--the Fourth of July (fireworks) and the Music Festival. There is a Swiss Steak Dinner on that Friday night followed by music by a local dee jay. The tourney will be on Saturday and Sunday at the local park. We are looking forward to a big turn-out for this event.

While I'm on the subject of Jim--many people in town will miss him. He came from the Cities for the entire summer and stayed at his brother's house. He was very active in community and church activities and events during the summer and came downtown for coffee every morning. He was quite the picker of wild blueberries. Many people who were recipients of gifts of these berries will especially miss him as will the many very elderly widows whom he helped by doing little chores for them and washing the windows in their houses (all voluntary!).

There's a 3-person golf scramble next Saturday. Folks need to sign up soon as it is open only to the first 18 teams that register.

There are many recreation programs being set up so that we can keep the local youngsters busy: Pony league baseball, T-Ball, Girls Softball, Arts and Crafts and Golf. Lots to do and lots of fun! The churches are also starting to list some of their day camps.

The Relay For Life is coming up soon and many of the teams have ads for various fundraisers. The event will be here before we know it! We've gone from raising $10,000 the first year to almost $66,000 last year!

I do not see the ad looking for manure this week. Either they found it or just gave up!
There are many ads, however, for items for sale--looks as if many folks have cleaned out their basements or garages. Perhaps once they got their boats out, they noticed some unneeded items!

At the theatre this week: "Over the Hedge" and "The DaVinci Code." Good choices!

That's all for now, folks! Until next week . . .

End of the Road #2

Polka Pal Don will be back on Saturday, June 2, for his five hours of polkas and waltzes on WELY radio. We did not know that he would be gone for 3 Saturdays. We apologize, but we hope that you enjoyed the music if you checked it out.

Check out the link for "End of the Road Radio" on the right and listen to the streaming audio. Perhaps you'll hear the Walkie Talkies mentioned at some point. 'Phone in a request if you would like. Enjoy Polka Pal Don. As he says, "It's a time to let down your hair! That is, if you have any hair to let down!"

A laundry Day Dilemma

It's a difficult decision: Monday is usually laundry day--Yes, it still is for some of us! However, when there is a Monday holiday, what should we do?

Most of us still like to put our clothes out on the line rather than in the dryer since we love that ozone smell (Some start hanging them out so early in the spring that the clothes freeze on the line--now that is some heavy-duty ozone!). Do we put them out on Sunday? What will our church neighbors think of that? Do we put them out on Memorial Day on Monday? Is that unpatriotic? Should we do them on Sunday or Monday and use the dryer? Yuck! Of course, with all the pollen in the air, perhaps we should do them in the dryer instead of outside. Will we then feel guilty? We have many things to ponder and worry about . . .

Another tough decision for the WT's in our small part of the world!!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

We have had several beautiful days this week--highs near 80 degrees and a couple of mild nights.

Do we dare plant our annuals at this point? Most of us have purchased them already. Some of us have planted them and cover them at night. Some of us have them in our garages overnight and put them out in our driveways during the day to "harden" them. If we guess wrong and plant them, we will be covering them nightly for awhile. There are some that think we should not plant outdoors until after the first full moon of June--but most of us can't wait. Sometimes it helps out the local greenhouse if we plant too early--then we have to buy the same things twice!

Is it safe to put the boxes out at the cemetery yet? The cemetery crew has been busy--the city crew has been cutting the grass. The volunteers have planted grass on new graves. Today the city crews were trimming around the stones. A drive past indicates that some folks are taking the chance and putting their pots out (no plastic flowers allowed). The floral shop will be putting out the planters on Friday so they are all set for Memorial Day. It is a great service that they provide: for a certain cost, they plant them, put them out at the gravesites, bill us, and then pick up the planters in the fall (painting them in the winter). The cemetery crew--all volunteer--works hard all summer to keep them all watered and looking good. We are so lucky to be living where we do! We WILL be ready for Memorial Day and all the services on Monday.

Such is life in the northland!

Another Birthday

Today we celebrated Anna's birthday with a luncheon at a local resort.

The birthday girl. She is the one that usually harmonizes so we did not do justice to the birthday song!
L-R: Dorothy, Anna, Tee, Lorraine and Pat.
L-R: Sharon, Helen S., Jodie (back), Lil and Jo.

Front: Sharon and Jodie.

Back: Lil, Jo, Dorothy, Lorraine, Tee (hiding), Helen S., Pat and Anna.

Shopper--Out of Luck

Sorry--the Shopper reporter was on vacation (is it still "vacation" if one is retired??), so there has been no news for two weeks.

Very short summary of our news:

Memorial Day is a big deal in our area. On Monday, May 29, there will be the Formation of the Color Guard and the raising of the flag at the American Legion Club. Then the group goes to several of the surrounding cemeteries for the services to honor those who have served our country. Of course, there will be lunch following the services at the Legion.

The music department has its Spring Concert on Thursday, May 25th, at 7:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium. We have some very talented students in the 6th grade and the junior high bands. We must go to see these youngsters!

There is a Finnish American Summer Festival in a community near here on June 3rd. That should draw many folks. Of course, there will be a Finnish meal served from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

There is going to be an all-city picnic coming up for all five communities. The committee is looking for volunteers.

There are several graduation photos congratulating some of the grads and announcing parties for these grads.

When we had our Centennial a couple of years ago, there was a special Pioneer Monument put up at the Community Center. Memorial bricks with individual and/or family names were placed on the walkways. There is an ad indicating that if we place our orders by June 1 the bricks will be in place for the Fourth of July celebrations.

The Fishing Contest is in full swing. Looks as if the winning walleye was 7 pounds. The winner did not indicate which lake he caught it in! Looks as if the Opener must have been pretty good.

It appears that the person who was looking for rotted cow and chicken manure still has not found it because the ad is still in print! Very interesting.

Looks as if The DaVinci Code is playing at the theatre. There will probably be lines for this one!

Sorry this is so brief, but the laundry and ironing are calling (Yes, some of us still iron!). Until next weekend . . .

Shopper News

A follow-up from last week: The big 100th celebration at the local bank was a real hit. Two WT's each won $100 bonds in the drawings. Congratulations to Helen S. and Elsie. Does that mean they have to buy coffee for all of us? No--we can just bask in their glory!

The bank gave $1,000 to the Northern Lights Music Festival (their third year of support for this event). There is a photo of the bank president presenting the check to Laurie's husband. Don't forget to check out our link on the right for the festival which will be held June 28th through July 16th. There will be ten concerts and they are free of charge. These concerts are phenomenal and folks should try to make it up to our area to enjoy them!

Two big holidays are coming up. One is "legit" and the other is unique to Minnesota:

First of all, Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, May 14th. There are several ads for that celebration. The floral shop has a big ad: "Say Thanks fo your Mom." There are floral arrangements and gift certificates available for the big day. "The Ben" (Ben Franklin) has some gift ideas plus Hallmark cards.

The local restaurants have buffets, brunches, lunches, and dinners. The A&W has a free sundae for Moms.

The other "holiday" is the Fishing Opener and there are several ads for that also. The sporting goods store has its Summer Fishing contest. We can weigh in our catch each week and prizes will be awarded for the largest fish in several categories. Prizes are then given by various local businesses. The grocery stores have some specials for the fishermen and fisherwomen. We can "hook" a bargain at the local liquor store and we hope the fisher folks wait to imbibe until they are off the lake . Most of the ads wish all the anglers the best of luck!

On Saturday, May 13th, Laurie's niece Bobbi Jo, is being feted at a party. Hers is a wonderful success story: When the mines laid off everyone and closed down, there were many people who needed to find different options. Bobbi Jo had been waitressing at the WT "Club House," when she started thinking about going to college. We encouraged her and now, 6 years later, she has completed her Master's Degree and is a Speech-Language Pathologist. We are all thrilled for her and have enjoyed wathcing her blossom throughout this endeavor! Congratulations, Bobbi Jo!

The First Annual Jazz Concert takes place at the school next Sunday, May 14th, at 2:00 p.m. We are encouraged to "Jazz up" our lives and attend and enjoy the concert. Many of us will do just that.

The Bike Rodeo is coming up this Friday, May 12th, at the park (rain or shine), sponsored by the local PTO and area businesses and organizations. There will be bike safety information, bike inspection, prizes (the Lion's Club is giving away a new bicycle!), and, of course, refreshments! Sounds like a great community event.

There's a Smelt/Fish Fry at a nearby community center sponsored by their Volunteer Fire Department. That's a little different than the usual spaghetti feeds, so it will probably be well-attended. This year Lake Superior produced quite a few smelt.

The local communities are trying to organize an all-city picnic and there is an organizational meeting for that on Wednesday, May 10th.

Saturday, May 13th, is the annual USPS Letter Carrier Food Drive. Can't tell if it is for all three communities or just the one. We'll have to check on that.

There are some meetings set up to plan class reunions. Most of the reunions happen around the Fourth of July when most folks come "home." Speaking of the Fourth, they are still looking for donations for the celebration. This week they have an "Honor Roll"--those who have made donations to the event. This is a smart move as most people like to get their names on such a list!

Someone is selling an electric sauna stove with rocks for $250. Most purists prefer a wood stove, but this sounds interesting. Someone else is still looking for that rotted cow or chicken manure, no dirt/straw, please. Hope they find it soon since we are all starting to get our gardens ready.

"R.V." is playing at the theatre and "M:I:3" starts on Thursday.

Have a wonderful week. Get out and enjoy the spring weather. We can almost hear the grass growing these days--for sure, we can hear folks muttering already about having to mow! We don't dare plant our flowers yet as there will probably be several frosty nights--probably well into June!

Apologies

Sorry--Just found out that Polka Pal Don was not on WELY today so there were no requests. However, the music was just as lively. Try again next week to tune in to hear Polka Pal Don and to hear the requests. Enjoy!

The End of the Road!

People sometimes wonder what on earth we find to do to keep busy in our small towns. We keep very busy, as the readers of our 'Blog know. There is a small town near us that is very unique that we would like to share with our faithful readers:

Ely, Minnesota, is about 40 miles from where we all live. It is the "gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW)," and the home of the International Wolf Center and the Dorothy Molter Museum (the famous Root Beer Lady). U.S. Highway 169 goes right through Ely and ends about 10 miles north--the end of the road! The WT's have spent time geocaching in the area, Emily and her husband have a home there, and we all love to attend concerts, eat out and enjoy the annual Blueberry Festival in late July.

One of the most fun things about Ely is the radio station--WELY, "End of the Road Radio." Most of us are lucky enough to be able to pick up the station on our radios (94.5 on our FM dials), especially on Saturday mornings when we listen to five big hours of polkas, waltzes, and requests and dedications. Polka Pal Don keeps us entertained for the full five hours. He mostly plays ethnic (eastern European) polkas, but this past Saturday he played two interesting polkas--"Don't Get Your Shorts in a Bunch" as well as "Grab Your Balls We're Going Bowling." People from all over the country call in or email their requests and many dedicate songs to couples who are celebrating anniversaries or to the memory of those who are no longer with us or to folks who are celebrating birthdays. All in all, it is an enjoyable morning for many listeners. Some who are new to this area cannot understand our fascination and love of this kind of music.

The station reminds us of the radio station in the old television program, "Northern Exposure." There is Trader Craig who is on every weekday morning at 9:00. It is WELY's own mini-version of eBay for those without computers. One can find many things of interest to buy or sell. Birding with Bill is on at 7:00 p.m. on Sundays (unless there is a Minnesota Twins game!).

Another unique part of the station is the Emergency and Personal Messages program. It is broadcast at noon and at 5:00 p.m. It serves the purpose of getting messages to folks who live or are camping in remote areas without the benefit of cell 'phone towers. The messages are often short, informing parents that the kids have arrived home safely or that they are going to be late or that Aunt Sally has picked enough blueberries to make a pie! There might be birthday and anniversary wishes also.

Charles Kuralt did a piece on Ely once for CBS and ended up vacationing there for many years afterwards. In fact, he even owned WELY at one time. They still run some ads/promos that he did. In one of them, he says, "You never know what you're going to hear next. In fact, we don't even know what we're going to say next!"

The station is now owned by the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and there are many Native American programs on throughout the week and some very interesting music.

We invite you to click on the link for "End of the Road Radio" on the right. You can listen to streaming audio on your computers. Tune in on Saturday mornings to listen to Polka Pal Don and think about the WT's that might be listening. As Polka Pal Don says, "It's a time to let your hair down--that is, if you have any hair to let down!" Perhaps you might end up 'phoning in a request for a song . . .

Busy Week for the Walkie Talkies

Some weeks are quiet and others are very busy in terms of news for the WT's.

On Monday, we celebrated Helen J's 86th birthday. Our tradition is to buy the birthday "girl" a muffin or roll as part of the celebration. As it turns out, that person generally cuts it into small pieces and we all share (kind of like the loaves and fishes!). Joan always creates a personalized card on her computer and we all look forward to what she will come up with next.

Helen said she wants to live long enough to see the Democrats win the next election. Jodie, our resident Republican, suggested that might be the best reason for everyone to vote Republican!

The above photo is from one year ago at the Relay For Life Rally that the WT's hosted. Helen was one of the speakers telling us about her experiences fighting cancer. That year we all put Relay tattoos on our faces.

Lorraine is back once again. She and her husband were off to Great Lakes Naval Base for the graduation of their grandson. Davin grew up in Duluth and used to watch the ships come in to the Lake Superior harbor. He recognized all of the shapes of the ships. He was a Sea Cadet in Duluth and it seemed that he was destined to join the U.S. Navy. His goal is to be a Navy S.E.A.L. We wish him well and congratulate the proud family on Davin's accomplishments.

On Tuesday the group is going to lunch with Lil who moved about 15 miles from here. She seems to be enjoying her new apartment. Another WT, Jo, also lives there so, at least, Lil knows someone there. When we plan WT outings, we always include those who have moved.

Irene has been at coffee a couple of times. She is recuperating just fine from her foot surgery. In fact, she and her husband were out dancing on Saturday night!! We are a hardy bunch!

Back from the Outback by Joan

As Jodie reported, I am back from Australia and did indeed have a wonderful trip. We started out in Melbourne (Aussies say 'Melbin') where the Commonwealth Games were wrapping up. Needless, to say the town was busy, busy. We noted some of our neighbors to the north (otherwise known as Canadians) having a pretty good time at our hotel. Melbourne is a lovely city with lots of parks and a trolley you can ride around the center of town to get you to all of the tourist spots.

From Melbourne we flew to Alice Springs to begin our Outback experience. There we learned about the School of the Air, Flying Doctors, and the early telegraph communication system which headquartered in Alice Springs. While there we also went ballooning over the outback at sunrise. After ballooning we had breakfast in the outback.

From there it was on to Uluru or Ayres Rock. We viewed it at sunset while we sipped champagne and then again at sunrise. Some rode camels to view it at sunrise, but I opted for the bus!




Ready to go!

Breakfast of Mimosas, chicken legs, quiche and fruit.
















Our group at Uluru getting ready to view the sunset while sipping champagne. Does champagne seem to be a theme here??









The sunset at Uluru was gorgeous.

The Latest From The Shopper

We've been waiting to see what the local bank was going to do to celebrate their "Century of Service." Now we know--the 100th Anniversary Celebration is coming up this Wednesday, May 3. They'll have free coffee and cookies all day, a live radio broadcast from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. along with free hot dogs and pop. They're going to have some drawings: Adults can register to win a 20" television, a 9" portable DVD player, two Savings bonds, and a Radio/CD player. The kids can register to win a girls' bike and a boys' bike. There is also an Anniversary Jar filled with coins. Everyone will have the opportunity to guess the dollar amount of the coins and the winner will receive the jar and the money! We think there will be many folks downtown that day (besides, it is Social Security day for many of the local seniors, so the third of the month is always a busy day at the bank!). The local mayor has issued a proclamation honoring the bank on that day. The bank will definitely be the place where things are happening that day!!

OMIGOSH! Our social studies teacher from the 50's and 60's is turning eighty! There is an Open House to "toast and roast" him on May 13th. Should be a grand time for everyone!

The Kindergarten Round-Up is Thursday, May 11. Have to round up those kids and then get the parents on a tour and to an informational meeting.

The local HRA has some lots for sale at very affordable prices! Now that the school referendum has passed, we are looking for more new families to move to the community. According to the school superintendent, many families have indicated that they will move here now that the school situation is in place. Sounds as if this is a good time for the HRA to advertise for these lots in a "beautiful wooded setting."

The Methodists have their Rummage, White Elephant and Bake Sale on May 5 and 6. Might have to check it out to see these white elephants. They must come from the North Pole or something!

The local Volunteer Fire Department is now taking applications. As our local population ages, we need to find some younger folks to volunteer to help out. Hopefully, they will find enough people for these positions as we have wonderful volunteers in our small communities. They spend hours getting training to provide these services and do many other things in the communities to make them a good place to live and to raise a family!

There are several ads for the local Clean-up days in our fair cities. We'll all have to get involved in "spiffing" up everything! The local governments help out by offering to pick up a lot of junk for nothing--try that in a big city!

Someone wants to buy some rotted cow or chicken manure with no dirt or straw in it. He/she is willing to load it and haul it away. That's always good for the gardens. Hope he/she finds it.

The local hospital and nursing home had its annual luncheon for its volunteers. Each year it is held at the local Baptist church and there are hundreds of volunteers in attendance. The Activities Director has a note of thanks in which she says, "Sometimes while waiting for big impressive miracles, we miss the magical moments that occur daily when one person connects with another." There is a VERY active volunteer group--many of whom have been volunteering for years and years and for many hours each week (in fact, many of the volunteers are older than the Elders in the nursing home!).

The Optical Shop at the hospital has re-opened and is ready for business. They are offering a good discount on frames through May.

A BIG holiday is coming up in less than two weeks--the Fishing Opener! It ranks right up there with Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July, and, of course, the Deer season Opener! There are several ads in the paper for some specials coming up. Next week there will be many ads for that plus Mother's Day. Unfortunately, in Minnesota, the Opener and Mother's Day always fall in the same weekend. Of course, mothers sometimes get bigger gifts because of the "guilt factor."

"R.V." is playing at the theatre and "Mission Impossible 3" starts on May 5. We do get the movies as soon as they come out--pretty great for our small town!

Until next week . . .

Full Strength--or As Close to it As Possible

We are almost at full strength again:

Joan is back from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand and Emily is back from England. Both had wonderful times.
Irene was at coffee today. She is recovering from her foot surgery and will be back walking with the group soon.
Mary, of course, is in and out. She is getting ready for taping a program for "Sewing with Nancy." She is trying to come up with a June Cleaver outfit for the taping so that she can wear one of her aprons. She was going to stop at the Lutheran rummage sale today to see if she could find something.
Elsie and Naomi are home but we assume they were working at the church rummage and bake sale.
Lorraine is the only one that is out of town--more about that next week!
Jodie is in and out also, now that the cabin season is starting. She leaves for Seattle on May 8th.

In Praise of Praise

About twelve years ago, I was driving to our business. When I passed a certain house, I stopped when I saw a woman and a young boy shoveling their driveway because I had recognized the boy as a customer of ours. I walked up to the woman and said, "I'd like to tell you about your son." She immediately bristled and stood as if she expected the worst. I quickly explained that her son often came to our business and I just wanted her to know how polite he was and how much I enjoyed his visits and his business. I told her that something in the family was definitely happening the right way. She was so pleased that I had stopped to tell her. She indicated that sometimes parents don't know how much of what they say is actually getting learned by children. Needless to say, she was beaming as she walked back to her son who had continued to shovel the driveway.

Fast forward to Easter, 2006: I parked our van by a lake where our church was having an Easter sunrise service. A woman and an older woman emerged from the car next to ours. I reached out my hand and introduced myself. She said, "I know you. You're the lady that stopped one day several years ago and told me how polite my son was." She went on to say that every time he saw me after that--for tweve years!--he told her, "That's the lady that stopped and talked to you about me." She said that it made such an impression on both of them. He is now enrolled in the law enforcement program at a local community college and is doing really well. She said he has continued to be a good kid and they are very proud of him.

Let that be a lesson to all of us--give praise where it is due. Sometimes we do not hesitate to complain about someone or something but don't take the time to give positive feedback!

'Blog to Shopper Writer, "Come in, Please!"

The spring in Minnesota marks the time when owners open their cabins. Since your Shopper writer is among that clan, this report on the local news is a little late. During the summer, she is also at the cabin many times when The Shopper arrives. Hang in there, however, as the news in our small town can generally wait for a couple of days--not much will change! By the way, the weather is lovely, the ice is out on all the lakes, the daffodils are blooming, and the leaves are starting to bud out! It doesn't get much better than that!

On to The Shopper news:

The towns are having their Spring Clean-up--time to make the cities shine! Some days, we can leave grass, leaves and brush curbside and it'll all be picked up (no animal waste, please) and on other days scrap metal, appliances (remove doors from refrigerators) and tires will be picked up. We are proud of our cities and we want them to look inviting since we get many visitors during the summer.

Girls (no, not "old" birds like the WT's) are encouraged to "Be a Queen." The winner, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, is crowned around the Fourth of July, wins a $500 scholarship plus other cash prizes. This is a good thing!

One of the Lutheran churches is looking for organ donations. No, not the musical type, but the ones inside us. They encourage us to make an organ donation--"Give hope, renew life," they say in the ad. Sounds good to many of us, who already have it listed on our driver's licenses.

One gentleman is looking for someone to move him to the Twin Cities--he'll pay $300 plus gas! We hate to see anyone leave but hope that he finds the help he needs and we wish him well!

There is a Bowflex for sale for $200. Wonder if it has EVER been used.

The Fourth of July Rummage sale is coming up on May 20th at the Community Center. They encourage us to rid our homes of unwanted items. Wonder exactly what they want and what we can get rid of! The committee is busy already for our big summer celebration.

The Relay For Life Rally is this Tuesday night at the Community Center. Many of us will attend the Rally.

The Hospital has a notice that they are going to start using an automated telephone answering system this week. We can press 0 at any time during the call to get the receptionist. Some of us don't like these systems and will probably dial 0 just to talk to the friendly receptionists. We have all been looking at a list of "How to Reach a Human" when we call larger companies and it does work well--we have no time to waste punching in numbers on a 'phone!

The first church Rummage and Bake Sale is coming up this Friday and Saturday. They are open from 8:00-noon. Some of us will be on the doorstep right away at 8:00 a.m.--those Lutherans really know how to bake!! Rummage to buy? We have enough of our own to get rid of!

There are several ads for positions that are open for the Recreation Department in our three towns and the rural areas. A nearby 4-H camp is also hiring--$135-220 per week plus room and board. Sounds good!

The Blood Mobile was here on April 18th and there is an ad thanking everyone for donating blood. The local Lutheran church sponsored it this time. They are generally here at least four times a year and it is always successful. We love to give--even our blood!

Looks as if real estate is starting to move as there are a few "Sale Pending" notices on some of the ads. We hate to see people leave, but sometimes they are just relocating within our towns and then new people come in.

There are several ads that indicate summer is around the corner: the garden centers are opening, the heating ads are now heating and "cooling," and we can order black dirt for our gardens.

Interesting ad: the Therapy Services department at our local hospital is having a fundraiser. The proceeds will go toward the new circuit training exercise equipment for the Community Fitness Center. The interesting part is that it is being held in a local bar with refreshments! Does anyone else see a little inconsistency there???

The Friday night Seafood Buffet is back beginning this coming Friday--all you can eat for $15.95. That is a very popular outing on Friday nights.

"The Shaggy Dog" is playing at the movie theatre until Thursday and then "R.V" starts.

Until next week--stay out of some trouble, enjoy a little trouble, and we'll be back!

"Church Basement Ladies" Field Trip

In the 1950's and 60's, there was a column in our local paper--"Up and Down the Street with Lila." Each week she would tell about various people in the communities who were doing special things and those that had "motored" to Duluth or to the Cities for entertainment or shopping. In that spirit, we give you . . .

"Down to the Cities and Back on I-35 with the WT's"

On April 19, a group of ten women from our communities made an excursion to Plymouth (a Minneapolis suburb) to attend the production of The Church Basement Ladies at the Plymouth Playhouse. They left in two vehicles and stopped at Tobie's in Hinckley for lunch (which was great). When they were leaving the parking lot, Jodie offered a box of candy to Jo to share with the women in Tee's car. Much to the amazement of everyone, she took the box of candy to Tee's car and off they drove! Fortunately, through the technology of cell 'phones, Jodie called Tee and had the scofflaws return the box of chocolates which was meant for "sharing" and not "keeping." Obviously, that got the rest of the trip off to a light-hearted approach for these women.

The group arrived at the Best Western Kelly Inn without further problems and checked into their rooms. Since it was still early and there was plenty of time before dinner, they did what only a group of Lutherans, Catholics, and Methodists from a small town would do when turned loose in "The Cities"--they went to the bar for a drink! Clockwise Below: Laurie (in red), Mary, Jo, Tee, Pat, Naomi, Sharon and Elsie.

The group had decided to wear aprons to the performance of the play, just to get in the spirit of it. Mary had plenty of her aprons for us to wear--in fact, she ironed them in her room after we arrived (See the link on the right for Mary's Productions)! The women had the nerve (perhaps it was because of the drinks in the bar beforehand) to move the sign for the play and have their photos taken with it. Below, they are all in their "apron finery" before eating dinner at the Green Mill, part of the complex where they attended the play. There was a group of Red Hat women in the restaurant and the WT's decided that they didn't need a group like that since they have each other! Below:
Front (L to R): Mary, Sharon and Jodie. Back: Laurie, Jo, Tee, Pat, Naomi, Helen and Elsie. The tour guide had arranged for very good seats for this performance of the play. Below: Sharon, Naomi, Elsie and Laurie (back) and Helen, Mary, Pat and Tee (front) read the program as they wait for the production to start.
Below: Jo, Sharon, Naomi, Elsie and Laurie (back) and Jodie, Helen, Mary and Pat (front). The group made quite a "hit" in their aprons. Before the play, some people thought they were part of the cast and others wondered if they should have been wearing aprons also.
The play was fantastic! The story takes place in the kitchen of a church basement. There are five characters: the minister, the organist, three women who prepare the meals/refreshments for church events, and the college-age daughter of one of the women. In the first scene, they prepare for the December, 1964, lutefisk dinner during a blizzard and during which the minister keeps coming down to the basement to tell them that the number of people who will be attending keeps on growing. The three older women are hilarious as they explain the food and how things work to the younger woman. A funny song is "The Pale Food Polka." In the second scene the longtime church custodian has died and they are preparing the food for after the funeral. The minister keeps coming down to say that the sanctuary keeps getting colder and colder. Finally, Mavis, one of the cooks goes to try to fix the furnace. The upshot is that it cannot be fixed that day but she discovers a wood heater and a pile of wood. It turns out that Willie (the deceased custodian) had it piled and saved for just such an emergency. The funniest song in this scene is the "Dead Spread" about the food for the event (and a discussion of the lasagna--and how inappropriate it is--that the minister's "new" wife had prepared for it). The third act takes place at Easter--a Hawaiian Easter dinner. The costumes and the placement of the coconuts for the "sagging" women is a riot. There is much discussion about the younger woman and "The Cities" and how young people change when they leave home. Their concern is that she might be falling for a Catholic young man. The final scene takes place three years later as they prepare for the wedding of the younger woman and her "cold feet" that day. One of the songs in this scene, "For Good," was near and dear to Mary's heart. The older woman sings a song to the young bride about using things and not saving them "for good." Mary is always telling us and her seminar attendees that they should use their linen and silver often and not to let it sit in drawers and cupboards waiting for the appropriate moment--any event is a "for good" time to use it! Obviously, we loved seeing the various aprons that they wore for each of the scenes. After the curtain call, the characters ran up the aisle and out the door. As they passed us, one of the women tapped Jodie on the shoulder and said, "Love your aprons!" So we were noticed!
Above: After the curtain call, the actors formed a reception line so that we could greet them. Left to right: Mrs. Lars Snustad (who had us all rolling in the aisles with her facial expressions and comments), Mrs. Elroy Engelson (mother of the bride), Pastor Gunderson, Signe, and Mavis (who was hilarious with her kitchen solutions to her hot flashes).
Naomi and Sharon greet the actors who mentioned the aprons once again.
Helen and Jo share a laugh with "Vivian Snustad."
After the play the group stood around as people came up to ask questions about the aprons. One group of women from Wisconsin wanted the information sheets that Mary had prepared. They commented that they liked the aprons better than "certain colored hats!" And what did these Walkie Talkies think about the play? "It was outstanding! Any woman who has worked on lunches after church events can identify with these 'Church Basement Ladies'."

After a great night of sleep and probably some laughter about remembered scenes and lines, the women enjoyed a continental breakfast at the hotel and left around 9:00 a.m. They stopped for about an hour of shopping at an outlet mall and then ate at Applebee's in Cloquet on the way home. The one group shared the chocolates with the members in the other vehicle (this time they were sure to get the box back!). Mary entertained the group in Jodie's van by reading the Personals from the City Pages. One area that was particularly interesting had to do with speed dating; the group decided that it might be worthwhile to set up a speed dating event in town when they return!

What is their next plan? Jo wants them to set up a trip to Chicago to get on the Oprah Show! We'll have to follow the Walkie Talkies to see what they will do next! One never knows with this group of crazy and active women!

End of Article.

Trip Trivia

1. Which two women (who just happened to share a room) forgot their nightgowns? Better yet--what did they do?

2. Who sleeps with her head wrapped in something very interesting?

Our lips are sealed--we will never tell--because "What happens in Plymouth, stays in Plymouth!"

While We're Getting "Culture"

We thought we would leave you some things to think about while we are at The Church Basement Ladies play. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services. While many of you have heard some of these before, we thought they might get us "in the mood" for the play which we will be seeing tonight. Also--in our local churches, there are often some pretty incredible and hilarious announcements.

Enjoy:

The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday evening in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the Rummage Sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

Don't let worry kill you off--let the Church help.

Miss Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Father Jack's sermons.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Hopefully, we will come back with some winners also!

Off to Get Some "Culture"

We are off to the Cities to get a little "culture." Ten of us are making the pilgrimage to the Plymouth Playhouse for their "Play and Stay" package--tickets to the play, a night at the Best Western and a coupon for dinner at the Green Mill. We're going to take off in two vehicles around 10:00 on Wednesday morning, April 19th, stop along the way many times to "rest" and stretch our legs, and stop for lunch. The normal trip takes a little over three hours but it will probably take us five hours! Dinner at the Green Mill is at 6:00 p.m. and the play starts at 8:00. Mary has "Church Lady" aprons for all of us to wear, so we should make quite an entrance when we show up in a group. We'll head home on Thursday, stop along the way many times to "rest" and to stretch our legs, stop at the Outlet Mall, and stop for lunch--sounds like about six hours for the return trip.

From the website: "A celebration of the church basement kitchen and the women who work there, CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES, is a new musical comedy featuring four distinct characters and their relationships as they organize the food and solve the problems of a rural Minnesota church about to undergo changes in 1965. From the elderly matriarch of the kitchen to the young bride-to-be learning the proper order of things, we see them handle a record breaking Christmas dinner, the funeral of a dear friend, a Hawaiian Easter Fund Raiser, and, of course, a steaming hot July wedding. They stave off potential disasters, share and debate recipes, instruct the young, and keep the Pastor on due course while thoroughly enjoying, (and tolerating) each other as the true "steel magnolias" of the church. Funny and down to earth, audiences will recognize these ladies as they witness the church year unfold from below the house of God.

CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES uses the renowned Scandinavian Lutheran humor writings of The Lutheran Ladies, Janet Martin and Suzann Nelson, authors of a host of humorous books the most famous being GROWING UP LUTHERAN. The script is by Jessica Zuehlke and Jim Stowell with music and lyrics by composer Drew Jansen, who gave us the music for the popular long-running hit musical, HOW TO TALK MINNESOTAN, THE MUSICAL." Check out the link for the play on the right.

We know that we will recognize many of these women (perhaps as ourselves??) and compare them to women in our own churches. It sounds like a lot of fun and we will be sure to post some photos and a report of our trip when we return!