Valerie – Page 22 – Valerie's Voice

My Bassinet

I was surprised by tears the other night, when I sold our vintage baby bassinet.

The bassinet was handed down to me from my mother, and I only assume, she and my dad bought it, or were gifted with it, when I (or my brother) was born.

I’m not even sure why I became a little emotional when I put it on the front porch, because we used it more as a decoration these last three decades than for our newborns to sleep in. At one time someone suggested I put a fern in it and let the fronds drape over the sides. That sounds pretty, but I didn’t do that. Mostly I filled it with all our stuffed animals.

There is an endearing story about the stuffed animals in the bassinet. We had a sweet kitty cat named Caramel Corn (that was her coloring). She was a cat that liked people, and the indoors. When we moved to our house in Northfield, she oriented herself to her new digs. One day, shortly after we moved in, I couldn’t find her. I looked everywhere and she was not to be found. I thought, although it was highly unusual, maybe she snuck outside. So I waited, and hoped she’d find her way home.

A few hours later I went upstairs and out the corner of my eye I saw some movement towards the bassinet. I went over to check it out and to my surprise, there was Caramel Corn snuggled with all the stuffed animals in the bassinet! She looked so cozy. I was relieved she was safe and in the house.

The new buyer wanted the bassinet for that very night, but she couldn’t come at a time when we were home, so she asked if I would leave it on the porch for her to pick up. I placed the bassinet on the front porch (without the stuffed animals) and decided to trust her to leave the money under the mat (she did).

As I set the bassinet on the porch I thought of my own babies, and then about the baby that was to sleep in it that night. I figured, even if I didn’t get paid, it was a good feeling knowing a baby was going to be sleeping in the bassinet once again.

Grateful

I have had a series of annual check-ups recently; dentist, mammogram, eye doctor, lab work and a wellness visit with my physician. All have gone well…I may need cataract surgery…but that’s to be expected at my age I guess.

As I’m driving to my appointments, I think about those folks in countries where they walk a long distance to get health care, and/or wait in long lines to see a health care professional, and/or do not even attempt to go because they cannot afford the services. I think about such things and am very grateful for affordable, accessible healthcare, right here within minutes of my home. I don’t want to take it for granted. What a blessing it is. I am grateful.

Spring Cleaning

Time for spring cleaning
It is a lot of hard work,
But satisfying.

When it’s done, I’m glad.
But, there is always more to do.
For now, it’s enough.

As spring emerges~
It’s time for new adventures.
Wonder what they’ll be?

As we were spring cleaning last week, I brought down a clown that sits on a high shelf, to dust it off. As I was dusting it, I was transported down memory lane.

This clown was from my mom’s collection. She had quite a fun collection. I wish I had taken a photo of all the different clowns she had at one time. Whenever I see a clown figurine, I think of her. She died in 2009.

I kept one of her clowns. It’s a wonderful clown, with masks that can be put on and off its face. Not only is the clown a nice remembrance of my mother, but also, it evokes fond memories from when we would go visit her when my boys were little. They would always ask grandma if they could change out the masks on that clown. She would say “yes”, and they boys would carefully put on a new mask.

After cleaning up the clown, we put it back up on the shelf, where it stands tall (ready to perform for us I think) until the next time.

Something Happened In Our Town

We went to the world premiere production of Something Happened in Our Town at the Children’s Theatre, in Minneapolis. It was a play written for children to address racism and police shootings, particularly of black men. It was produced to help parents address these difficult subjects with their own children. It is based on a book by the same title, and it was well done.

The playwright, Cheryl L. West, states in the program, “In a time of reckoning in our country, this work is a call to action, to facilitate the much-needed discussion about inclusion, compassion, and what it really means to be peace makers in our homes, schools, and communities. Hopefully, this story will move us one step closer to healing our racial divide.”

The young actors did an awesome job. We stayed after the play for a Q&A session, and learned how mature and wise they were, and how much they learned by putting on this production. There were psychologists in attendance at rehearsals, so when there were some difficult scenes someone was there to help the performers process them. I was grateful our church acquired tickets and encouraged us to attend this event. It was worthwhile.

March 27th was the last performance of this play here in Minneapolis. It will be interesting to see what happens next…will other theaters pick up on this play and produce in other places in the country?

A Floral Experience at Galleria

Apparently for two years before the 2020 pandemic, Bachman’s sponsored a spring flower show at the Galleria. I didn’t know about it at the time. Now, two years later, after the pandemic, Bachman’s is once again, sponsoring another flower show: A Floral Experience at Galleria ~Sugar Coated.

We happened upon it by accident. We were going out to dinner at the Good Earth in the Galleria, after an interesting play at the Children’s Theatre. We noticed there were a lot of flowers in the mall as we walked toward the restaurant.

Beautiful blooming daffodils adds to the honeycomb display.

The hostess at Good Earth then informed us the Bachman’s spring flower show was opening the next day!

Ice cream cones: must be strawberry flavor.

After dinner we decided to walk around the indoor mall, and we saw a preview of the bright and beautiful show. It was all set up, and ready for the debut.

It was fun to see so much color. It was wonderful to see blooming flowers.

Cotton candy clouds create indoor showers.

Silver beads hanging from clouds represent April Showers.

The theme was “Sugar Coated” and it was colorful, delightful…and not crowded (as it probably would be the very next day when the show opened).

The show runs from March 27 through April 10, 2022.

Hyacinths about to bloom, set with deep blues and whites, create a stunning display. In a near-by display some of the hyacinths were blooming and smelled so fragrant.

It was a “sweet” surprise, and a great ending to our fun day in the cities.

Lake Superior in March

I always thought it would be fun to be at safely tucked into a cabin on Lake Superior during a November gale. At a previous cabin we rented years ago, the owners had recorded, on VHS, a November storm that we could watch while staying at the cabin. It was always intriguing to see how incredibly high those waves came slamming into the cliffs at that resort.

Snow falling on our rented cabin on Lake Superior.

We just came back from a couple days on the north shore, safely tucked into a cabin on Lake Superior during a March snowstorm. The waves came slamming into the rocky shore sending up sprays of water into the air.

The lake was full of white caps and the waves coming to shore were huge. Not like a November gale, but still a memorable snowstorm for us.

We managed to get in a hike that morning before the predicted storm. It was fun to walk along the lake, through trees, and we were delighted to find little gnomes along the trail. Three times we came upon these little trolls, cheering us on.

Once back in our cabin we settled in for the rest of the day, and the storm. It was cozy. The snow started falling and the wind was whipping and churning up the lake as we sat indoors, by a nice crackling fire and watched it unfold through the large patio doors overlooking the lake. The amount of snow that fell was not what was predicted, but the wind was wicked, and the lake turbulent.

Last year when were we up at this same resort on the north shore in March, the temperatures were in the 50’s and 60’s. This year the temps were in the 30’s with wind chill temps even lower. But no matter what, Lake Superior is my happy place and it was great to be on the shore once again.

Snow falling on an old, picturesque, fishing hut along the shore of Lake Superior.

An Anniversary Haiku

We're celebrating 
Forty-four years of marriage.
What an adventure!

FMSC

Occasionally I go up to the cities to help feed children…by helping make food packets.

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) is a Christian organization that has been packing meals for hungry children all over the world, for many years…since 1987.

There is a small group from my church that helps at the Eagan facility about once a month, and I join them when it works. When you arrive, you gather with fellow volunteers from all over the area to listen to instructions. Next, after washing your hands, you don a hairnet and gloves and enter the packing facility. It is set up with different stations in an assembly line format, and you go to your assigned station.

The packing facility with several stations.

One station can accommodate up to seven people. It’s a well-run operation. Once people are in place, they turn on the music and we sometimes dance and sway to the music, as we work.

There are four ingredients to the meal; vitamin powder, dried vegetables, soy, and rice. Two people scoop up the ingredients into a funnel that dumps into the plastic bag. The bag is weighed and then sealed and put into a box. In one hour, five of us working together at one station, can fill 9-10 boxes, of 36 packets each.

At this one (of five per day) session, the volunteers packed 60 boxes.

It’s a wonderful, hands-on way of making a difference for children. The meals we packed at our last session were going to Nicaragua.

It is a great volunteer activity for all ages…starting at age 5. And, if you can’t stand for a long period of time, you can sit and apply labels to the plastic bags before they are filled.

If interested to learn more or volunteer, check it out here: FMSC.

Back in the Saddle

It was a warm, sunny day, with temperatures in the low 60’s as I drove out to the farm, where on a previous visit a horse knocked me over and stepped on my foot, putting me in a walking boot for several weeks. I wondered how the horse would react to me (and me to the horse) so I was a bit apprehensive. But when I drove into the driveway a sense of peace passed over me. I was excited to be back helping with the animal chores.

A student quilt displayed at the National Quilt Museum, January 2022.

Being among the animals reminds me of one of my favorite PBS series, “All Creatures Great and Small”, stories that come to life from James Herriot’s books. I may not be in Yorkshire Dales England, nor be a veterinarian, but none-the-less the setting is rural and picturesque, and the animals are sweet.

I like putting on my mud boots and leather gloves and getting into the animal pens. Sampson, the dog, takes his place outside the pens, watching our every move… waiting for his special playtime with us after chores.

It’s fun to see the chickens respond to clapping; when they hear the sound (and are shooed towards the hutch) they all obediently climb through the little chicken-size door and we shut them in for the night.

There are two donkeys who are brothers, and they are comical. I’m glad they have each other.

The two goats are feisty and probably anxious to get out into the fenced-in field to graze freely when spring greens pop up through the earth.

The horses just seem happy to have warmer weather to eat outside, and be near each other. The horse that hurt me acted like nothing at all ever happened between us!

Overall it went well, and I’m happy to be back in the “saddle” again.

More Sweet Music

We recently we attended a St. Olaf Orchestra concert. The college finally opened the campus to visitors, so we could be on campus. The orchestra concert was especially inviting since it is one of Steve Amundson’s (the conductor of St. Olaf’s orchestra) last concerts. He will be retiring at the end of the school year, after forty years at the college.

I enjoy attending St. Olaf orchestra concerts. The audience is guaranteed an amazing, and varied, performance. The students create beautiful music and sound fantastic. At this concert, besides being one of Steve’s last concerts, two out-of-the-ordinary things happened.

First, this concert was performed a few days after the invasion of Ukraine. Steve added a special piece to the program, “Nimrod”, a beautiful, calming piece, and he called for a moment of silence to remember the people of Ukraine. It was poignant.

Then, in addition to featuring two outstanding soloists, a cellist and a clarinet player, another special and distinct piece of music was performed. The husband of a friend of mine, commissioned Steve Amundson to write a piece in honor of his wife and her retirement from thirty-plus years of working at St. Olaf College. The composition was débuted at this concert. It was titled “Gratia Viva” and the piece was remarkable….marvelous…wonderful… it’s hard to find words to describe it. It was such a sweet piece of music, and it was exciting to know the people and story behind the song. How one composes music, especially for multiple instruments, is beyond my imagination.

We will continue to monitor the college’s music calendars for more events, now that the campuses are open to the public. Both colleges offer many gifts to our community, and I am grateful.