 September 20, 2009, at 11:33 am 
The first year I lived in Minnesota, I heard a lot of talk about the state fair. It seemed like the Minnesotan event of the summer, the one thing that everyone seemed to go to. I was intrigued. I’d never been to a state fair before. Oh, sure, Michigan has one, and New York has one too. New Jersey even has a state fair (although I didn’t know until I looked it up just now)! And yet I’d never been to any of them.
Growing up, I thought only people who raised livestock went to the fair. I was slightly disturbed by the whole idea, having grown up reading and watching Charlotte’s Web. I didn’t want to see cute little(!) pigs and cows that would be eaten when they got home. My parents weren’t interested in going to the fair either, but for different reasons. It seems the Michigan State Fair is held in a somewhat sketchy part of town. Neither of my parents grew up going to fair; it just wasn’t the thing to do there. So I was pretty surprised to find out that it IS the thing to do here in Minnesota. So that first year, Jim and I hopped in the car and drove out to the fair to see what it was all about.
On that first visit we didn’t really check a map and headed north to see what there was to see. It seems the northern part of the state fair is where the farm equipment is displayed. I’d never seen so many tractors in my life, and was in awe of the size and variety of tractors and tillers available. Being a city girl, I didn’t even know what a lot of the stuff was used for! It was a real eye-opener for me, knowing that I truly was in the heart of farm country. We also got to see some of of the logging equipment in use, classic cars and tractors and the dog show. It wasn’t until we started to get hungry that we ventured over to the south end of the fair.
Continue reading Discovering the Minnesota State Fair »
July 13, 2009, at 3:54 pm 
This sweet dog was hanging out with his people yesterday at the Bastille Day block party at Barbette in Minneapolis, MN. Pit bull terriers really get a bad rap, and this guy was the perfect example of how sweet they can be. Just look at that smile!
June 16, 2009, at 8:45 am 
On Sunday I turned 33. I’m getting to the age where birthdays start to seem bittersweet – it’s great to celebrate another year of life, but at the same time I know my years are limited. I realize I don’t know how many years I’ll get, but I know it’s not all that likely to be more than 100, and I’ve already used a third of that. It’s wondrous but frightening at the same time.
Jim gave me a really sweet card listing some cute and quirky reasons that I should be really glad to be 33. It was really nice of him to notice that I wasn’t really thrilled about it and to write such sweet and cheerful things to me; he could have just given me a store-written card. It might seem silly but those words mean more to me than an expensive gift.
Am I happy with how I’ve spent the last 33 years? In a lot of ways I am. I’ve had a lot of fun, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve always valued the experience more than having something to show for my time, and I’ve had some really great experiences. I’m happy with who I am, and with the direction that I’m headed, and I’m learning a little about myself, and life, every day. That seems like a pretty good place to be at 33.
June 9, 2009, at 9:31 am 
A few weeks ago I read this New York Times article about major brands marketing their foods as local to the area where they are either grown or processed, and it got me thinking about what shopping and eating “local” means to me. If I shop at Target, which is headquartered here in Minneapolis, is this shopping local? Or do the goods AND the services have to be here? What about buying Mexican tomatoes at the local food coop? Is this more or less “local” than buying locally grown tomatoes at Whole Foods?
Ultimately, how we each define “local” is up to each of us. For me, I look for locally grown foods and have a preference for smaller farms that use sustainable practices. I prefer grass-fed beef from a local ranch, milk from local grass-fed cows, and organic fruits and veggies from local small farms. But if I can’t find what I’m looking for, or the local organics are out of season, then I have to start making choices. In the winter I choose locally grown hothouse tomatoes over the organic imported varieties. I also shop at Whole Foods over the local coops, and this works for me because I use less gas by driving to fewer locations (yes, I know I should ride my bike, and I’m going to work on that for trips with fewer items) and our Whole Foods stocks a lot of the locally grown meats and produce.
But what about the bigger brands? General Mills is headquartered just outside of Minneapolis. Do their products count as local? For me, I have to say no, and yes. From an ecological standpoint, no, because I know that they’re shipping in raw ingredients from all over the world; the food is not entirely locally grown and quite a large amount of fossil fuels are being used to get all those ingredients to MN. But from an economic standpoint, I know when I’m buying General Mills products I’m helping my neighbors to keep their jobs, and that’s important too.
If you’re a non-vegan in MN and haven’t tried Thousand Hills Cattle beef or Cedar Summit Farms milk, you should check them out. Grass-fed is the best! We’ve also got great farmer’s markets for locally grown fruits and vegetables – my favorite is the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market under the freeway near the North Loop in Minneapolis. It’s open every weekend day in the summer.
If you’re outside of Minnesota and would like to find local farmers and ranchers near you, check out Sustainable Table’s Eat Well Guide.
June 1, 2009, at 6:29 pm 
There’s something about warm weather that makes me crave sweets. I’ve gotten a little out of control lately, having dessert after lunch and dinner and taking afternoon trips to the local bakeries for fudge brownies and lemon squares, so I’ll be abstaining for a while to break the habit. But of course that doesn’t mean I can’t look… and photograph!
April 29, 2009, at 1:08 pm 
Almost every Spring I place an order for at least a couple pairs of Reef Ginger sandals. I’m a bit of a flip-flop junkie and would spend the entire summer in these comfy beach shoes if I could. (and maybe someday I will!) While I have a variety of different brands and styles the Reef Ginger are still my favorites. The sole seems to have just the right mix of support and give to make them really comfortable, and they don’t have that floppy, smack-you-back feeling that some styles have. They come in a variety of different strap and sole colors to match any outfit. I prefer those with black soles as they show less dirt so I can wear them anywhere. They’re also really easy to clean, and are affordable at only $20 per pair.
Reef sandals are available through a variety of retailers, but I usually order mine from US Outdoor. They always have a good selection in stock and I’ve had no issues placing or receiving my order. I would love to tell you about their customer service, but I’ve never had to contact them!
July 7, 2008, at 9:16 pm 
After a week or two of sunny days it felt great to get some rain, and tonight’s showers were true summer rain showers. They rolled in while the sun was still out and poured almost directly down for about 20-30 minutes. Then the storm cleared and Cooper and I got to get out for a walk. Everything smelled bright and fresh, as if the day had been washed away. I love beautiful sunny days as much as anyone, but the occasional hard rain is a welcome change. A good rain adds balance, something I could use more of in my life.
July 6, 2008, at 8:32 pm 
While we usually travel for the 4th, we decided to spend it at home this year, and we weren’t the only ones. We had thought that with the long weekend most people would be heading up to lake homes and other vacation spots, but it seems the rising cost of fuel kept a lot of people in the city. The lakes were packed with cyclists, runners, boaters and sunbathers. The line for lunch at The Tin Fish on Lake Calhoun was the longest I’ve seen since I’ve lived in Minneapolis – it was over an hour between the time we arrived and got in line and the time we got our food! As always, it was worth it, but wow!
After lunch we retreated from the crowds for a relaxing afternoon at home before joining our neighbors for dinner. After dinner we took a walk with Cooper down to the lake to watch what we could of the fireworks. We’re not even sure which city’s show we saw (we think it was St. Louis Park, maybe?), but it was definitely the perfect end to our low-key holiday.
June 22, 2008, at 5:11 pm 
Today we took a few new bike trails and got a bit, well, lost. We were in Minneapolis the whole time, but you’d never have known from the scenery. Soft rolling hills, open pastures and shade trees lined our bike trail, which, we discovered, headed into the heart of downtown. The trail did get a bit industrial at the end, but it’s definitely a ride we’ll do again.
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