Wednesday, June 6, 2012

A Day of Celebration and Reflection

The following thoughts transpired yesterday morning as I walked the streets of Minneapolis and started noticing just how many of the downtown buildings carried reflections. When I stopped to really look, the scene was beautiful. Each of the skyscrapers bounced images from the building next door, the clouds, the lights. And as we're traveled across I-94 in North Dakota, I had a few hours to do some reflecting of my own.




With Phillip catching up on some sleep, I reflected on the way the world changed 29 years ago when he entered it. Yesterday was his birthday. The last year in his 20's. That's hard for me to believe. Though it was his special day, I feel I'm the one with the gift. I celebrate a most talented, hard-working, and dedicated man. I celebrate a loyal companion and a best friend. He's a planner, a saver, a romantic, a pilot, a fan of zombie shows, a dreamer, and a serviceman. He's accomplished so much in 29 years. His example and his faith inspire me daily. As we kept driving down the interstate, hand-in-hand, I can't think of a better way to celebrate with him. We two adventurous spirits, taking flight to the next destination.....always moving, always taking it all in. Happy Birthday, sweetheart.


I reflected on this last week. The laughter is still ringing in my ears, the hugs leaving a lasting impression. Family. With Phill and I moving and traveling all over the United States, sometimes we feel like dandelion seeds in the wind. But this last week reminds us. Family grounds us, defines us...and never should be taken for granted. We all need to make more time for fishing trips with fathers, grandfathers, brothers and uncles. More shopping trips with mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts. More morning coffees with best friends, and beers around the campfire with neighbors. These special people all have something to offer us, to teach us. Let us all remember to grant them the time to enrich our own journeys in life.

I reflected on the last 36 hours. Lanesboro, MN. The rhubarb capital of the US...in fact, we missed the rhubarb festival by one day. Also the bed and breakfast capital of Minnesota. This gem of a town is idyllic. We took an Amish tour, loading up on more homemade treats than I needed. Baskets, furniture, quilts. Why don't we we Americans exercise this same craftsmanship anymore?




And then we happened upon the goat farm.


I want one. No, I need one.


These are Nigerian Miniature Goats. These little guys are only 8 weeks old, but they will not grow much bigger. Their adult size will be about 14 inches. Their owner raises them, then sends out the mohair to be carded, spun, dyed, and made into all sorts of woolen warmth. She employs stay-at-home moms from around the country and Canada to finish the products.

We ooo'd, awe'd, touched, and tried on. We finally settled on mittens. The warmest mittens I've ever had on. My typically cold fingers rejoiced. We're the only people I know buying mittens in June.

We will return. It's a promise. With the bike trails, river activities, golf course, shops, B&Bs too numerous to count and Amish country, we'll be entertained for several trips back at least.

By days end, we made it to Minneapolis, where we all met up with Phill once again. Happy bunch we were. We ate at the infamous Hell's Kitchen downtown. Make sure to try their porridge, sausage raisin bread, and Cod BLT.




Yesterday morning, I hugged my travel companions goodbye. Uncle Hector and Aunt Tammy headed back to DC. We've made quite the team on the road, and I'm going to miss their company. Now Phill is in the passenger seat and we've got a whole lot more road to cover!

Admittedly, there is not much to do on Interstate 94 through North Dakota. I think residents must have either gotten bored, or felt the need to give travelers a reason to stop. Hence, this guy. Yes, he's the world's largest buffalo. And yes, we stopped to see him. That's all there really is to say about that.




Just before reaching Bismarck, we ditched the highway for State Route 83, which we took all the way to Pierre, SD. This sets us up for entering into the Badlands on Wednesday morning. This is the way to see the Dakotas. Phill and I have an affinity for seeing barren land and wide open spaces. Maybe it's because we've both lived in densely populated metropolitan areas for the last 6 years, but there's something to be said for being able to see where the sky meets the land.



This area boasts quite a few lakes and is along one of the migratory routes for many avian species. Toward sunset, the plains came alive. We stopped in numerous locations just to hear the birds. At some points, it sounded like nature's symphony. Do you all remember watching the Sunday Early Show with Charles Osgood and at the end of the episode every week they would feature nature sounds from some area around the country? The melodies last night reminded me of that, except in a quality that no speaker system will ever imitate.



When we approached this sign, I about fell out of the car. The birthplace of Lawrence Welk?!? Grandma would be so proud. Phill still gets the biggest kick that I'll occasionally watch the show on PBS. I like it. Maybe hoaky...alright, maybe a lot hoaky. I have my reasons.


So this morning, we'll take I-90 into the Badlands, where we'll jump off the highway and go exploring in the park. We'll also see the Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore. Until tomorrow!....




3 comments:

  1. What a beautiful day you had today and the pictures are great. I could hear the sounds of the birds through your words. Be safe - can't wait to read tomorrows news. Love at and uh.

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  2. I love reading your blog. Makes me feel like I'm right there with y'all. Love you guys-have fun!

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  3. I just got done catching up on the last couple of days blogs! Love you guys wish I was there with you!! <3 ~Kati

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