Zoey, our 4-year-old granddaughter, is moving from Africa to the USA soon, with her family. Her mom says she is excited to see snow in Minnesota. Here are a few photos from our recent snowstorm…for Zoey… and Ezra, her 2 1/2-year-old brother. We cannot wait to see you!
Gary and I went outside after church and built a snowman for Zoey and Ezra. It will melt before they arrive in ten days, but hopefully we can build another snowman soon, with Zoey and Ezra.I’m always taking pictures of the cardinals in our yard.The red cardinal on a fresh layer of snow.The snow covered trees in our front yard.Snow-covered evergreen boughs out on our deck.Grandpa’s snowplow.Evergreen branches with white snow.Looking out at the snow from our kitchen window, through a green-glass star.We drove by this grove of trees.
I have a fun story about an African snowman. Our daughter-in-love is a native of Mozambique, and we knew she had never experienced snow but was curious about snow. Before we left Minnesota, on one visit to Mozambique, I dug through my Christmas boxes and found a packet of “Real Fake Snow” (when water is added to this white powder an instant reaction is a white-snow like mixture). I tucked the packet into my suitcase. One evening, after a very hot day in Mozambique, we opened the packet and mixed up the “real fake snow”. It was fun to watch a snowman being built, in Africa!
Our son looking on with joy as his wife makes her first snowman.A snowman, made in Mozambique, Africa.
Our church is an official drop off location for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). OCC is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and it provides Christmas gifts to children around the world. It’s simple. You take an empty shoebox and fill it with special hygiene products, school supplies, toys, and a special “wow” gift. Once filled, you bring it to a drop off location, where it in turn goes to the processing center, before shipped to a designated area around the world in need of Christmas Joy.
Any kind of shoe box will do for Operation Christmas Child.
It is fun to pack a shoebox. Our church held a packing event this year. We set up long tables with different items that had been donated throughout the year especially for the shoebox ministry, i.e., soap, washcloths, pencils, note pads, color crayons, special “wow” gifts, etc…At our church’s November community meal people had the opportunity to pack a box right in church, without going to the store. Folks of all ages enjoyed this event.
A photo for the front page of OCC’s website.
There is a $9 suggested donation requested to ship each shoebox. For our packing event, someone anonymously donated the money to cover costs for shipping the 100 shoeboxes we packed that night.
The woman who spearheads this operation, for our section of southeastern Minnesota, goes to our church. She had the opportunity to go to Cameroon last year, to witness the distribution of some shoeboxes. She told us it was remarkable to watch the children receive a box. Their reactions were priceless. The kids were filled with joy. She gave us a first hand account of what happens at the receiving end, the side we do not see when we donate our time and money, to this ministry.
In addition to the gifts, the children have an opportunity to hear the gospel and attend kid-friendly events, with follow-up programs too.
I’m grateful to have to opportunity to volunteer for this global ministry right here in our small corner of the world.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It all began Wednesday night at our annual Thanksgiving service at Emmaus Church. We gather for praise and worship along with our traditional “circling around the sanctuary, holding hands and speaking our thanks in prayer together.” Then we head downstairs to the fellowship hall for a pie social! Folks bring pies to share, and everyone eats one or two pieces as they visit.
Sign pointing to LBSA community meal.
The next morning Gary and I helped at Northfield’s community meal. Laura Baker Services Association (housing, educational and support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities) provides a traditional Thanksgiving meal to anyone in the community. No need to sign up, just show up for a delicious meal. This was their 19th year of arranging this wonderful event. They baked 22 turkeys, and made potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, salad, cranberries and pie! Last year we ate dinner at LBSA – this year we volunteered to serve. It was fun.
After we left LBSA we joined a family from church, who had invited us to come for dinner when they found out…at the pie social Wednesday eve…that we would not be with our family Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautiful thing, sitting around the table with old friends and new, sharing a meal together. We were blessed by their kindness, and by being at their family celebration.
The blessings continued as we joined our son and his wife and 1 ½ year old daughter at their home the next day, for another feast. My brother and his wife, their daughter and son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren came also. One grandchild is a baby boy…nine days old. The other is a three year old boy. The two “older” toddlers had fun playing together and exuded a lot of energy.
After our tradition of reading children’s stories, and eating dessert, the others said good-bye, so only our immediate family was left. In the living room, soon before we were going to depart, there was one more blessing. My daughter-in-love explained our granddaughter, Aria, “sets the stage often.” Aria points to the sound bar to have the music start (mom turns it on), then points to the gas fireplace to have it turned on (mom flips the switch), and then Aria starts dancing. What a joy to watch.
It was a special time…this blessed thanksgiving…and our hearts are full.
Now we’re moving into the Christmas season as I start to decorate the house, in anticipation of our other two grandchildren (along with mom and dad) coming over from Africa and living with us for a while. I hope their eyes light up when they see our Christmas tree full of colored lights. We’re so excited.
They are a sight to see. They come by the hundreds this time of year. They fly overhead about same time each day. If I had to plan an event around their appearance it would be somewhere between 4 and 6 pm. They are loud…so loud that I can hear them honking as they fly overhead even when I’m in my house with the windows closed. When I’m outside, I can also hear the flapping of their wings. It’s a wonderful sound.
They are Canadian Geese. They are beautiful to see in the air and on the water. However, if they are on land, in the yard, or on sidewalks they will leave a horrible mess behind. But at Pond Three, the blacktop path is clear and the hundreds of Canadian Geese land and stay on the water.
Photo taken one fall day of Pond Three, 2018.
Our neighborhood has three ponds (I have affectionately named Pond One, Pond Two and Pond Three) with a walking path around them. A few geese hang out in the ponds all year…in the spring it’s fun to watch the goslings as they swim across the water all lined up in a row, in-between mom and dad.
Ten little goslings all in a row. Photo taken in May, 2018.
The adults can be very protective of their offspring and hiss loudly if you get too close when they are out of the water and on the edge of the pond. It can be a bit intimidating having very large birds walk toward you hissing.
Photo taken in May on Pond Two.
While on a walk last spring I came upon a women using a cane. I smiled and said hi as I passed her by. Soon after, I came upon two adult geese with their young on the edge of the path. As two adult birds started hissing and walking towards me I stopped to wait for my new path companion so we could walk by the geese together using her cane to wave in front of us for a little protection.
Photo taken earlier this fall on Pond Two.
Last evening the rising, full moon was huge as we walked around Pond Three. It was stunning. The pond was already full of geese but more geese kept coming, flying over our heads and landing in the pond…their silhouette in the dusk-colored sky was breathtaking. We stopped in awe for several minutes just to watch the magnificent sight. (I didn’t have my iPhone along for a photo,)
My husband asked the question…do the geese stop at Pond Three because it has open water, or does Pond Three have open water because it attracts hundreds of geese? I don’t know the answer but I do know they are beautiful and strong and noisy…we wondered if they make noise all night long?
Soon the Canadian Geese will be on their way again, flying to southern parts of the United States. They do seem to enjoy this stopover in Northfield and I’m glad.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends, and perhaps a stranger….
Sheep in the pasture, Ireland
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (Psalm 100)
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
“None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” – Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
“Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.”-Alphonse Karr
On Sunday there was an article in the StarTrib titled, Thanks For Everything. It focused on gratitude and the health benefits of being grateful. Being thankful is not only good for the soul but it is good for the body too. Research has proven the health benefits for years and people have begun taking it more seriously…they’ve discovered it to be true.
Some excepts from the StarTrib Variety section on Sunday, November 18 issue:
“People are looking for simple things they can do to improve their health and well-being,” says Mary Jo Kreitzer, a professor at U of MN School of Nursing. “It’s (being thankful) such a simple process. There’s no cost. It’s accessible; anyone can do it. It takes just a few minutes. And research has shown that this really does make a difference.”
Most people don’t need to be reminded to be thankful for something monumental. It’s the little, everyday things that brighten our lives but are taken for granted and rarely acknowledged – if we’re even cognizant of them – that are the focus of most gratitude programs.” Sarah Gierke, manager of the BE Well program for Park Nicollet Employee Health.
“If you know that everyday you have to write down three things you’re grateful for, you start looking for them. So much of our life is on autopilot. In a fast-paced world, it’s easy to go without noticing things. But we can train our brain to be present.” Kreitzer again.
Kreitzer said that energy is one of the best parts of gratefulness. “It’s contagious.”
Here are two (out of nine) suggestions on practicing gratitude I found on a website when I Googled the word gratitude. (Check here for the other seven ideas at Unstuck.com)
-If you identify something or someone with a negative trait (the cold conference room), switch it in your mind to a positive trait (the conference room with a great view).
-Gratitude requires humility, which the dictionary defines as being “modest and respectful.” Explore where it fits in your life.
Thanksgiving Day has always been a favorite of mine because of the simple message of focusing on being thankful. But I try to keep an attitude of gratitude in my heart all year. I try be mindful of the present moment and see beauty in all things, and in all people around me. May it continue throughout the season and beyond.
I’m beginning to notice the interesting artwork of Adam Turman. He is an illustrator, graphic designer, printmaker, and muralist from St Louis Park, MN. I was first introduced to his work when my son hired him to paint a eye-catching mural on his office building, depicting different landmarks of Minnesota and Minneapolis.
Hard to capture the extent of this wonderful mural by Adam Turman, depicting Minnesota and Minneapolis landmarks.A closer look at part of an Adam Turman mural in Uptown.
The next place I noticed his work was at a St. Paul Classic bike ride, an annual event that we’ve participated in a few times. Turman has designed several t-shirts for the event over the years. A lot of Turman’s artwork includes a bicycle which, he writes, “is one of his favorite outdoor activities.”
And recently, at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN (which Is located right on the Mississippi River) I noticed artwork by Adam Turman on display. It was fun to discover it there. In 2016 he was commissioned to paint three works.
One is a large mural for the museum. It features the Mississippi River in Winona.
Titled: Push Boat and Pelicans (2016)
The plaque reads: “He painted a push boat frequently seen moving barges right outside the Museum, with a pod of American Pelicans overhead. The dramatic waves are influenced by Japanese wood block artist Katsushika Hokusai’s style while the sky and bluffs are in Turman’s distinct, simple and bold graphic style.”
Titled: Sugar Loaf This is the one of two prints in a series, commissioned by the museum.
The museum also commissioned Adam to create a series of two pictures depicting landmarks distinctive to Winona. The originals are on display at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, along with some other prints of Adam Turman’s.
Titled: Mississippi “This is the second print the Museum commissioned and we want to celebrate what makes Winona special. The herons and the boat-house are iconic to Winona, so I made sure to highlight those in the piece.” Adam Turman
The Museum store had several postcards of Adam’s work and I was attracted to this simple design (below) with white birch trees, a red cardinal, and the back of a red bicycle and tire leaving a trail in the snow. I brought that one home with me.
This is a postcard featuring a print of Turman’s, that I purchased at the museum store. Titled: Cardinal (2011)
As with all artists, Adam Turman has his own unique style. As he becomes more well-known it will be fun to find his art in different places.
My husband, Gary, enjoys researching and writing on different topics that interest him. I asked him if I could publish excerpts from his latest on ice cream and he agreed. Any words in italics are mine.
An electric ice cream maker, my gift to my husband.
My Scoop on Ice Cream
Some say chocolate is the food of the gods, but I say it is ice cream. I have always loved ice cream. When I was a kid, I remember we had ice cream in the freezer most of the time. Perhaps this was a luxury associated with my growing up on a dairy farm. My parents bought our ice cream from the same dairy in town where we sold our milk. So the ice cream we ate was (possibly) made from our own milk. The dairy packaged ice cream in both ½ gallon and 2 ½ gallon sizes, and best of all they had delivery routes. The ice cream truck would come to our farm on a set schedule every few weeks. It was like a Schwann’s truck, but only had dairy products.
In the summer we would occasionally make our own home-made ice cream. Our ice cream maker was a wooden stave container in which a metal canister would be placed. After my mom prepared the mix she poured the liquid ice cream mixture into the canister and inserted the scraper (called a dasher). Then ice and salt was packed between the canister and the wooden vessel. The device was powered by an electric motor. The metal canister would rotate and the dasher inside was stationery – so it continuously scraped the surface as the ice cream mix froze. It worked really well and only took about 30 minutes and we could hardly wait until it was ready. I have a lot of good memories of this ice cream making process, and eating it of course.
Now 6o years later, I still love ice cream. There are many types of ice cream available these days so I started doing a little research to learn more about the industry.
What is ice cream?
In non-technical terms ice cream is a frozen blend of dairy ingredients and sweeteners, plus a small amount of emulsifiers and stabilizers. Various ingredients and inclusions are added to create specific flavors.
For some intensive hands-on learning about the science and technology of making ice cream one could attend a well-known 7-day short course at my alma mater, Penn State. They offer the course once a year and limit the class size to 120. The course entitled “Cow to Cone” sells out very quickly despite it costing $2,300. First started in 1892, it is believed to be the first continuing education course offered in the country.
Ice cream cones in the cupboard…I like the cone, Gary likes a dish.
In the USA, to be legally called “ice cream” the USDA regulations state it must contain a minimum of 10% dairy milk-fat and weigh no less than 4.5 pounds per gallon, plus it must not exceed 100% overrun.
What is “overrun”? Overrun is the amount of air whipped into the ice cream base during freezing. It is expressed as a percentage increase in volume of finished ice cream greater than the amount of mix used to produce that ice cream.
For example 100% overrun means 1 gallon of base mix will become 2.0 gallons of finished ice cream. Similarly, 60% overrun means 1 gallon of base will become 1.6 gallons of finished ice cream.
In essence we are buying a lot of air! However some air is needed to give the proper texture and taste. Without any air introduced the ice cream would be like a frozen ice cube.
More expensive brands have much less air than cheaper brands. This can be seen by looking at the density (weight per volume). Expensive brands may be 90 or 100g / ½ cup whereas low cost brands may be 50-60g / ½ cup. This can easily be seen on the ingredient label and it is best to compare a simple flavor like vanilla, which does not have added ingredients impacting the density.
In 2017 the number one brand ranking of all ice cream sales in the US was Breyers and number two was Ben & Jerry’s.1
Consumption
According to one source5, the per capita consumption of ice cream in the USA is 20.8 liter (5.5 gallon). Let’s see how I am doing.
If I average 2 bowls a week at say 3 scoops per bowl and my scoop is ½ cup size; then 2 bowls x 3 scoops x 1/2cup/scoop = 3cups per week.
If I practice this ritual for 44 out of 52 weeks a year (this is an 85% rate- I’m trying to improve upon this) that makes 3cups x 44weeks / 16 cups/gallon = 8.25 gallons.
So I guess I am doing my part.
Sources: 1. Top ice cream brands of the United States in 2017, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars) Statista.com Accessed 11/8/2018 and 5. Chart: Ice cream consumption per capita around the world. Businessinsider.com Accessed 11/9/2018
I hope you’ve enjoyed the (partial) scoop from my husband, on ice cream.
Flags are given at military funerals…my mom received two: one for her father and one for my father which she in turn handed down to my brother and me.
As we observe Veterans Day today (actual date- November 11), I am grateful for our service men and women in all walks of the military and honor them today.
I did a quick search on the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day and this is what I learned from Wikipedia:
“Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial day…Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day honors those who died while in military service.”
