Valerie – Page 57 – Valerie's Voice

Aprons and Typewriters

Writing prompts help with memories, thoughts and ideas. Recently one such prompt made me think of two classes I took in junior high, which were grades 7-9 at Northeast Junior High School in Minneapolis.

One class was Home Economics – they no longer call it that – now it is called FACS: Family and Consumer Science.

I learned to sew in my 8th grade home ec class. I can’t remember the teacher’s name but I can picture her, and the classroom. Our first sewing project was a waist apron made from gingham check material. The color yellow comes to mind, and we had to sew on a pocket and embroider the pocket too.

This is not my old Singer sewing machine but it had similar iron work…I have a glass top on this iron frame and use it as a shelf to hold my colored glass pieces.

After that sewing class I was able to use those skills to sew a lot of my own clothes, mostly through high school. I would sew downstairs in our semi-finished basement on an old Singer sewing machine, using a knee pedal to control it.

I enjoyed walking up to Minnesota Fabrics in Apache Plaza and sitting on a stool at the high slanted counter, paging through the large pattern books to find the right design. Once decided, the patterns were in drawers underneath the counter. It was fun to look at all the fashions in the pattern books; Vogue, McCall’s, Simplicity to name a few I remember. After I picked a pattern I’d peruse all the fabric and select just the right material for my project.

It was fun and economical to sew back then, but I stopped sewing clothes and now use my table-top sewing machine for mending and occasional miscellaneous items: valances, pajamas and shorts for my two boys when they were young, and recently, an apron from some fun fabric I acquired in Africa. I am grateful for that home ec class in junior high. Sewing is a skill that has served me well over the years.

The other class brought to mind was my typing class. I was in 7^th grade. I can picture the classroom set up but not the teacher. I remember pounding out fff, jjj, etc., but I don’t remember if it was an electric typewriter. I don’t think so. Typing has been another skill that has served me well over the years. I continue to use it everyday.

My friend sent me this photo of her mother’s typewriter.

A fun typewriter story: we attended a wedding where an antique, non-electric typewriter was used to “sign” the scrolled paper as the guest book. We were standing behind some young folks who were confused…they didn’t know how to move it to the next line so we showed them how to use the carriage return.

Back to the 50’s

I’ve had a few flashbacks recently, that took me back to the 50’s and 60’s.

First I was in an antique store in northern Minnesota and immediately inside the door was a furniture set like my aunt had in her basement when I was a little girl.

And it’s still in the family, in my aunt’s house. It is a Naugahyde three piece set…a sofa that folded out into a bed, a rocking chair and a stationary chair with a coffee table and two end tables. It has a western theme with a saddle embroidered on the sofa and horse heads on the chairs. The end tables have wagon wheels for the legs. It’s unique, and I’ve never seen it any other place other than my aunt’s basement where we had wonderful family gatherings over the years. My aunt’s set is in pristine condition and it seemed the set in the furniture store was also. Seeing the furniture brought me back to the 50’s.

McKinley Street: our mail dropped into the front closet, my room was the one between the front door and garage door, you can’t see the brick chimney on the left side of the house.

Next, as we were biking around the city lakes in Minneapolis with our son, daughter-in-love, and granddaughter, we rode through neighborhoods with interesting and unique homes. We passed by one house and the facade was like that of the house my dad built in 1953, the house I grew up in. It had a tuck under garage, the front door leading into the living room with a big picture window, and a brick chimney on the side for the “real” fireplace. The house, like the furniture set, was also a unique design that I haven’t seen often. It was fun to notice it. That glimpse brought me back to my happy, childhood days.

Also on that same ride I noticed a city bus that was flashing the street names for its route. Silver Lake and Johnson Street caught my attention and then I noticed the bus number 4B. I remember waiting for the 4B many, many times. The bus traveled on Johnson Street and Silver Lake Road to service northeast Minneapolis where I grew up. It was interesting that I noticed the bus and how it brought back good memories.

I recently attended a session on prompting memories so I wonder if I’m more in tune to noticing things from days gone by?

Memorable Hikes – Söll, Austria 2018

When we checked into our wonderful B&B in the farming community near Söll, Austria we were visiting with the friendly woman at the front desk and asking her about hikes in the area. She suggested hiking to Alpengasthaus Stallhäusl which would take about an hour. That sounded good to us…

She gave us directions and told us the signs to follow so, after lunch, off we went. Fortunately we wore our hats and we brought some water because it was sunny and hot.

The hike started on the lane behind the B&B. We walked passed a riding stable and a barn where Haflinger horses are bred. We walked past cows with bells clanging around their necks grazing in the fields, and past chickens cackling near their cute coop with flowers blooming in it’s own little flower box. Then we started our ascent…we kept climbing and climbing and climbing, for a hour and 30 minutes, climbing up the mountain.

Even this chicken coop had flower boxes!

We did not expect this – the woman forgot to tell us this part – but the vistas were amazing, and we were hiking in the alps! We knew we were on the right trail by the signs.

The signs didn’t use distance for a gauge but used the number of minutes to the each destination…35 minutes to here, 5 minutes to there…it’s an interesting way of letting one know where you are.

Finally we made it to the top after stopping several times along the way to look out at the amazing views (and to catch our breath). We passed beautiful chapel tucked into the hillside (who goes there???)

We were hot and tired and thirsty when we arrived at our destination, the Alpengasthaus Stallhäusl. We sat outside on their sun terrace and ordered something cool to drink and said “Prost” (Cheers!) to toast our accomplishment, and cool down before hiking back to our B&B.

We decided to walk back on the road, complete with hairpin turns (that we wanted to roll down to make our journey shorter). Going down is not always so easy…but walking on pavement makes a big difference. It took less time to walk back to the B&B.

It was probably good we didn’t know ahead of time what kind of hike we were embarking on or we may not have chosen to do it…but we’re really glad we did!

Fair Time

Even though I’m not much of a fair-goer (because of the crowds) we heard about the Steele County Free Fair in Owatonna so we decided to check it out. When our sons were young we would go to the Dakota County fair – it was a nice size. And we did go to the Minnesota State Fair a couple of times for the experience of a big state fair.

Gold Star Amusements at the Steele County Free Fair.

The Steele County Free Fair was a nice size too. We watched youngsters enjoying the rides in the amusement park. We meandered through the indoor arenas where exhibitors set up booths. We ate some “fair food” from the many food concessions stands. We walked through 4-H and fine arts buildings, animal barns, produce exhibits and flower displays.

Red Kanagaroos. There are 50 species of Kangaroos.

As we walked around looking at the animals I kept thinking it’s a very good idea for folks, especially town folks (like me), to see the animals and be reminded of how creative God is…There are so many different types of animals, each one unique and amazing in its own way.

That applies to flowers too. I love flowers. Flowers can be so intricate and delicate and there are so many varieties.

And vegetables…so many different vegetables.

We didn’t get to see everything at the Steele County Free Fair but we saw enough to want to go back next year…and maybe we’ll go to a zoo in-between time to see the long necks on the giraffe, the pouches on a kangaroo, a llama’s big bulging eyes with long eye lashes, a pig’s snout, a bird’s feathers, fishes scales…o my.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 (NLT)

Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria

Belvedere Palace, the Upper Palace from the back. There are two buildings to form this complex. The Upper Palace and the Lower Palace. There is artwork in both places.

The Belvedere Art Museum was the fabulous palace of a great Austrian military hero who had no heirs, therefore the state received his property and the Belvedere Palace became a wonderful art gallery.

Belvedere Palace, Upper Palace, from the front.

Not only was the Belvedere Palace filled with amazing artwork to admire, it was an enchanting palace to wander about and observe its lavish great rooms and staircases.

A room in Belvedere Palace, Lower Palace.

There were paintings from different artists including Van Gogh (1853-1890) and Monet (1840-1926) but the Belvedere features many Austrian artists including Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). There were several original paintings of Klimt’s on display, including his famous The Kiss.

Farmhouse in Buchberg, 1911
Gustav Klimt

Farm Garden with Sunflowers, 1907
Gustav Klimt

I learned Klimt has another famous painting called Portrait d’Adele Bloch-Bauer I, also known as The Woman In Gold, but that painting is hanging in a New York City art gallery. A movie was made about this painting titled Woman in Gold. During WWII thousands of pieces of artwork were confiscated by the Nazi’s and many pieces never were returned. The movie Woman In Gold tells the true story of this particular portrait and its story of reclamation to the original family.

This is a photo of a postcard featuring the painting
Portrait d’Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Woman in Gold), 1907
Gustav Klimt

It was fun to watch the movie soon after we had returned home from our trip and recognize many places in the movie where we had just visited. I highly recommend the movie.

And then… as I turned in to another room I stopped in my tracks when I saw this painting, A Girl Reading. The artist’s name is Franz Eybl (1806-1880) and the painting is titled Lesendes Mädchen (A Girl Reading – 1850). It was as though I was looking at this girl through a window frame. The detail is amazing and the lighting – incredible. I was captivated by the highlights in the young girl’s hair, the fine details of the book, the placement of her hand on her chest and her facial expression…and that she is reading spoke to me too because I love to read. I stood in awe for a long time as I absorbed the details of this stunning painting.

Our time at Belvedere Palace was inspirational…

and I assume that is what art museums hope to achieve.

I was inspired.

Mauthausen Memorial, Austria

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day with blue skies, a great morning for our three-hour boat cruise down the Danube River. It took us awhile to coordinate boat and bus schedules but we did it and it was nice to be relaxing on the boat, enjoying the Danube River. We arrived down river, in Durnstein, about 1 p.m. We had parked our car in Durnstein so we were able to get on the road right away. We ate cheese and fruit in the car while driving towards the Mauthausen Memorial, a couple hours away. However, we came to detour within miles of the memorial that took us another forty-five minutes to navigate…but we made it to the camp in time to walk around before closing. By now clouds were forming and it felt they were setting the mood.

Mauthausen Memorial is the site of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, which began as a work camp in 1938 and stayed in operation until the end of the war in 1945.

The barracks are on the right. I quickly snapped this photo. It didn’t feel right taking photos in the camp.

The choice of location for Mauthausen (and many satellite camps near by) was primarily the proximity of granite quarries.

From the brochure: “Mauthausen and Gusen (a satellite camp) were for some time the only category III camps with the harshest conditions of confinement within the concentration camp system and one of the highest death rates in all concentration camps in the German Reich.”

“The majority of inmates succumbed through mistreatment by being ruthlessly worked to death, while at the same time receiving scant food rations, clothing and medical treatment.”

“The “Stairs of Death”, which were rebuilt in 1942, were the scene of many deaths, particularly of the inmates from the punishment detail. Inmate commandos were forced to carry heavy granite blocks up the stairs from the quarry to the camp.” Many couldn’t make it and were shot.

It was very sobering to walk around this place that holds such sadness…such violence…such hatred.

“Not to be forgotten” is the hope of opening these camp memorials to the public. This memorial was free of charge to take away any hindrances of visiting.

In one walled area of the camp, where people are buried, we stood at the gate to take a look. Interestingly, there was a large rabbit inside at the opposite end of the gate. The rabbit couldn’t find his way out. He kept hopping back and forth along the back wall and every once in a while he tried to jump over the tall (8’?) stonewall. It was sad and I thought in some way it was a representation of what had gone on in this camp years ago…people trapped in this horrible space, desperate to get out.

Looking out over the old granite quarry…”Stairs of death” on the right.

I’m grateful for the chance to see this camp and to remember and honor all the innocent people who were killed there.

Luna Moth and Other Creatures

‘Tis the year for unusual sightings.

I saw a Luna Moth at a friend’s house the other afternoon. We noticed lively fluttering and followed it until it landed on the house and snapped a photo.

I looked up information on the Luna Moth and found that it’s not too common to see them during their brief, (one week) adult lives. I learned the adults do not eat or have mouths. They emerge as adults solely to mate and are more commonly seen at night. Interesting. They are lime-green and have a wing span of about 4-5 inches long and are very beautiful.

Last week we drove through two swarms of mayflies on one stretch of highway and they hit the vehicle like a slap in the face. We haven’t experienced mayflies for a few years now.

And then this…I can’t identify it but it is unusual and hanging under our deck and I’ve never seen it before.

Unidentified winged creature feeding on something under our deck.

Honeysuckle flower to give size perspective…

It’s also been an unusual year as we haven’t had too many mosquitoes bothering us. I’m not sure why, but I like it. We been able to be outside, sit on our deck in the evening, or garden, and not be bothered by them. I suppose there still is a chance they’ll present themselves this summer but we’re enjoying the respite.

Which reminds me…in Europe there are no bugs… that come inside anyways..I don’t get that either. There are no screens on the windows or doors. You leave the window (or door) open for air all day – and all night – and no bugs come into the house.

It’s fascinating, really.

The Old Jewish Cemetery

On of the most unusual sites we visited in Prague was an old Jewish Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter in Old Town.

The land is only the size of one or two large city blocks, concealed behind a wall, but there are 12,000 tombstones crammed into this cemetery.

The oldest gravestone recorded dates from 1439 and the final gravestone is dated 1787, with many dates unknown. The inscriptions are mostly eroded and written in Hebrew. During this time the cemetery was the only place where the Jewish people of Prague were allowed to be buried. Because of this, it struggled with lack of space so they would add another layer of soil to add another burial…it is said there are as many as twelve layers in some areas and 85,000 people are buried in this small radius. The land inside actually became higher than the land outside of the enclosed cemetery because of adding layers of dirt. (Graves were never relocated because of Jewish belief that once buried a body should not be moved.)

The tombstones are described as a “dense forest” of stones. They are crooked, leaning this way and that, and are piled right next to each other designating several people buried in several layers below.

It’s hard to describe the feeling as we walked through the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was an impressive sight, yet melancholic as we reflected on the people buried in this cemetery, and those burying loved ones, layering one on top of one another.

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.”

Prague Castle

Prague is home to one of the largest castles in Europe and we went to see it along with hundreds of other tourists. We took the tram to the top of the hill…most castles are on a hill because they are fortresses. We arrived, along with many others, and took our turn “oohing and aahing” over the hugeness of it. It dates back to the 9^th century.

What impressed me the most were the cathedral, the vistas, and the tiny houses.

Another side of the St. Vitus Cathedral…to get a flavor of the Gothic architecture and the hugeness of the cathedral.

On the castle grounds is the Gothic style St. Vitus Cathedral. There was an earlier church on this site in 952 but this cathedral’s construction began in 1344 and was not completed until 1929. Even today, the Cathedral is steadily being restored. It has two tall spires, 270’ high, and is very impressive. It has spectacular stained-glass windows, and one amazing window painted to look like a stained-glass window and it’s hard to tell the difference. There is so much history and opulence inside these cathedral walls.

One of the stain-glassed windows of St. Vitus.

Inside St. Vitus…note people in foreground of photo to get perspective of how big this cathedral is.

There were great views of the picturesque city of Prague from the castle on the hill. Prague is a beautiful city with the Vltava River running through it and diverse, beautiful architecture everywhere, complete with burnt-orange clay tiled roofs.

And then there is Golden Lane.

Golden Lane is a row of tiny houses built into the castle wall. It was a medieval merchant street and it captured my interest. The houses, I’m guessing, were approximately 8′ X 10′.

In 1484 a fortification of the north wall of the castle formed some kind of vaults that were used to house “lesser goldsmiths” until the revamping of the wall in 1591-94 when repairs were made to the vaults. In 1597 artillery men at the gate of Prague Castle asked permission to build little houses within the newly repaired walls which would take up only the depth of the original niches (vaults). The King agreed, however, the dwellings were not given to the men, they had to build them at their own expense. The houses were occupied until WWII, when the government bought them and now are a part of the history of the castle.

Even though the lane was overcrowded with tourists, it was quaint and fun to see these tiny houses that were built so long ago (and I thought the concept of tiny houses was a new one.)

One house on Golden Lane – you can walk in a few feet and look through plexiglass to get an idea of how the tiny houses were arranged inside.

What I find amusing is that we were surrounded by the opulence and magnificence of the castle and I was intrigued by one row of tiny houses built into the castle wall.

Seeing the grand castle and the tiny houses made my own modest home back in Minnesota feel “just right.”

Annual Pie Night

We didn’t plan our European vacation around the annual Faribault Flyer’s bike club pie night, but we sure are glad it was this week so we could participate! There were six homemade pies, one fruit tort, and one sweet potato-maple-pecan cheesecake, homemade Czech Sauerkraut Rye Bread with different cheeses and a variety of other goodies people brought to share. I’m not sure any of us rode our bicycles enough miles beforehand to consume all the calories we took in from the fabulous pies and goodies…

I had slivers of blueberry pie, peach-blackberry tort, lemon-raspberry pie and the sweet potato-maple-pecan cheesecake. Yum!

(O ya, and a taste of the delicious bread with some cheese…)