Author: Valerie

Maps…Don’t leave home without them

map2

We arrived home safely from our two-week road trip through Canada. We had a wonderful time and great road conditions and we took many “blue roads” as a friend calls them…not major highways but back roads.

Our first stop on the way (seems a long time ago now) was at a friend’s house in Elkhart Indiana…we knew the way…we put her address in our GPS an off we went. The next stop was at a cousin’s in Pennsylvania and again, we punched their address in our GPS and ended up on their doorstep. It was after that when I became lost. We didn’t bring a road atlas, or any maps, because now we had GPS. I soon discovered I’m lost without maps. I need to see the big picture, the back roads, and the alternative routes. I need to see where we are going and where we came from and the whole big state or Province. We began stopping to pick up maps along the way at the visitors center (you can also buy them in the gas stations but the same map is free just down the road!) I was much more relaxed having that big awkward paper in my hand, folding it every which way, to get my bearings.

I have added maps to our perpetual packing list.

Road Trips

We are getting into our packed Subaru early Sunday morning and heading to Indiana. That will be our first stop on a two week, 3,000 mile road trip to Quebec, Canada. I love road trips. Or at least I used to. We went on many long road trips when our boys were young, to national parks to camp and hike. We have many wonderful memories of those vacations. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a road trip however and times have changed…we didn’t have GPS systems, cell phones or even email, and certainly not Facebook and we didn’t listen to books on tape (nor were there movie screens built into our van!) Now we have all of these, and more, available to us and it will be interesting to see how it changes our road trips. Of course we won’t have the boys with us. HA!

I anticipate my favorite part, the early mornings; getting coffee to go and driving along the empty roads in the early morning light as dawn breaks. We will have a picnic lunch at some wayside rest along the way and stop driving for the day in late afternoon. We will stay with friends and family on our way to Quebec and on the way home we loaded our tent underneath the luggage and hope to find some nice campgrounds.

I love to travel by road, air or train. Anticipation is a big part of traveling. It’s so fun to think about the destination and possibilities, and then actually see new places, meet new people and learn about other cultures.

Normally I try to leave technology behind on vacations, which is getting harder to do, but I may post a few times while we are traveling since we do have the technology.

Until next time a few travel quotes:

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller.” Unknown

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.”  Anita Desai

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Unknown

Peace Prayer

Seems appropriate to post this after the recent violence in Florida.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Prayer attributed to Saint Francis

A New Sculpture in Town

bicycle schulpture

There is a new sculpture near the bike trail in our town. I really like it…it’s colorful, it uses flowers and bicycles and it’s along the Cannon River in front of the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge that crosses over the river. The bridge was named for a town advocate for the Mill Towns Trail, which will run from Faribault to Cannon Falls, and continues on to Red Wing. My husband and I like to bike…he’s an eager biker in the Faribault Flyer’s Bike Club and I’m a casual rider.

I wrote this  poem earlier this spring.

The First Ride of the Season

The tires pumped up

Hop onto the seat

The helmet on snug

“Start pedaling, feet!”

 

It feels good to be back

In the saddle once more

Though the going is slow

we will work up to soar.

Rocking Chairs

Last night I went for a walk through a neighborhood new to me. My son and his wife just moved into a new house in this pleasant neighborhood. My daughter-in-love was not home so while my husband and son talked mechanical jargon I took their dog Charlie for a walk. It was a nice evening although a bit humid and I was drenched by the time I got back. We walked by manicured yards, and some not so manicured, and many little, sweet flower gardens. There were a lot of people out enjoying the pleasant evening: people eating outdoors in the neighborhood, downtown restaurants, children playing in the neighborhood park pool…and if I hadn’t had Charlie on a leash I would have waded in the pool…it reminded me of the small swimming pool at my elementary school where I grew up. People were playing ball in the park, others were walking their dogs. Charlie and I stopped to look at the cats in the bookstore window. I enjoyed looking at the charming homes.

One house was hosting a party. There was a canopied tent on the front lawn with lots of folks milling around having a good time…a little music in the background and lots of food and drink. In the corner of the yard, farthest from the house and near the sidewalk facing to the house, were two rocking chairs – not the garden variety kind – wicker or  plastic – but old-fashioned wooden rocking chairs. There was a woman sitting in one of them and she seemed content by herself rocking and observing the festivities. I thought to myself that’s where I’d like to be if I were at that party. It was a creative idea for someone to set out the rocking chairs for the party.

On the path where I walk in my own neighborhood there is another old wooden rocking chair as a yard decoration. It seems out of place however…just sitting there with a missing seat.

The airport we fly into when we go to Pennsylvania to visit family has rocking chairs in its waiting areas. I loved the idea when first discovered them years ago. I’ve seen them in other airports since. I think its great when occasionally I see store owners put rocking chairs outside their businesses for people needing a rest.

I love rocking chairs. At one time I realized all the chairs in our house were rocking chairs! That has changed. And of course, I have fond memories of rocking with my own children and my granddaughter Zoey. I look forward to the day I can hold and rock my newborn grandson.

Rain

Rain was predicated last weekend when my friend from Indiana came to visit. I was gratefully surprised when it didn’t rain (except a short spurt one day) and Minnesota showed off its finest weather.

Last night the rain started and this morning I am sitting here listening to the rain and thunder and it’s a lovely sound. I recall seeing lightening in my half sleep and hearing the rain falling…our windows are cracked open to let the fresh air and sounds in. It’s a soothing sound when in a safe place. Thank you Lord for rain…and for a house to protect us from the rain.

Gardens, Antique Stores, Thrift Shops, Water

FR VB

Gardens, antiques stores, thrift shops and water, i.e. river or lakes, are the criteria my friend from Indiana and I use to determine our annual get together destination.

This year it seemed right for her to come back to Minnesota to see my home, surroundings and the places I like to hang-out. It had been over 12 years since she was in Minnesota. We spent time in Northfield, Uptown (Minneapolis), Cannon Falls, Faribault, Chanhassen and Bloomington. The forecast was for rain all weekend but we only had a partial day of rain on Friday, which didn’t dampen our spirits. The other three days were sunshine and blue skies!

We ate outdoors as much as possible. We visited many gardens including the MN Landscape Arboretum, two Japanese gardens, Lakeside Cemetery and viewed many neighborhood gardens and a garden center. We shopped several antique stores and thrift shops. We had to call for directions to one thrift shop and were abruptly disconnected on our end. When we explained what happened to the cashier in the store he said he prayed for us after we were disconnected! What a wonderful thought!

We walked around ponds and along rivers as we talked and laughed and caught up with each others lives. God blessed our time together with renewal, refreshment, safety and fun. And…in two weeks we are driving to the East coast and stopping at her home in Indiana for an overnight with her and her family.

Cannon Valley Trail

CVT

The other day we went for a bike ride on one of my favorite bike trails. The trail follows an abandoned Chicago Great Western Railway corridor for 20 miles between Cannon Falls and Red Wing, Minnesota. It’s a beautiful tree-canopied trail and on this particularly fine morning with the sun was shining through the trees on the beautiful purple rockets and yellow wild flowers…it was stunning and the temperature was just right for cycling. This trail is a sanctuary for me. I get on my bike, ready to roll, and a sense of peace starts to wash over me. The trail has a slight downward grade which makes the first half of the ride easier.

As we travel along the Cannon River on the paved trail we go through woods and fields, and open spaces with views of the river, cliffs, and a cave. It runs by a rifle range too, which is an odd thing. Another odd, but fun, point is a space someone created along the trail…they installed a Little Free Library and a bench for anyone who wants to stop and read awhile if so inspired. So whimsical and fun.library

We often see wild life on the trail: lots of birds including my favorite, the cardinal, squirrels, bunnies, deer and snakes.

We usually stop at the 10-mile mark rest stop and turn around. It’s a slight upward grade back to town and I need to work a little harder and am tired by the end of the ride. However the reward is seeing the falls and it was flowing strong after the recent rains.

As we were getting off the trail many people were just starting their ride on this beautiful afternoon. We headed to the local Dairy Inn for an ice cream cone and it tasted delicious.

Surprises

It really is fun to be surprised, when you truly are surprised.

M&A HouseA week ago my son and his wife invited us to a picnic in a wonderful neighborhood park in the cities. They suggested we go for a walk before we eat and so we did. I mentioned to my husband on the way up that I love the charming houses in this neighborhood so it was fun to stroll along the tree shaded sidewalks to get a closer look. Right on cue (little did I know) I said, “I love these charming houses, wouldn’t it be fun tour the inside of them?” and they said, “Yes, let’s go in this one.”

I was confused but then realized the house was theirs! They had bought the house and had already moved in three days before. It truly was a surprise. We were all excited and it was great to go inside this lovely house.

My older son surprised me one other time…on a special birthday a few years ago. He invited me to go to London with him on a mother/son trip. I loved the idea and we made plans. After flying first class, we arrived in London and taxied to the hotel. Later we learned the tube was so much easier and cheaper! We took a train out of London the first day to spend time walking around Oxford, because my son studied there for one semester back in college. The next day we were going to stay in London and I was in for a surprise. We ate breakfast at the hotel. I had a traditional English breakfast and my son had a bowl of muesli. When he went up for a second bowl I just got another cup of coffee while he ate. Then he went up for a third bowl but I didn’t think anything of it…just that he was hungry and we were not in any hurry. And then my younger son walks up to our table! Surprise! I could hardly believe my eyes. I cried. My older son had arranged for his younger brother to join us from Africa. He flew him from Mozambique to England to surprise me! They did!!!  What a wonderful gift…to be together in a cosmopolitan city with my two sons. I have no words to describe the feelings of excitement, pride and love I felt. And my husband had graciously kept the secret and helped the guys with their plan. It was the best birthday ever.

Fairy Garden

fairy

A few weeks ago a friend and I were enjoying all the flowers in a garden center when we came to a display of all things fairy – the new fad that has caught on…called fairy gardens. Miniature fairies and miniature accessories of all kinds. We had so much fun looking at all the merchandise and we each bought a small fairy. I placed it in my front garden and when I see it I smile. As the plant its near grows it will not be visible but for now I see it every morning.

I love the idea of my little granddaughter coming to my house and looking in my gardens for the hidden fairy. The only problem is my granddaughter is nine thousand miles away and will not be at our house this summer. I do keep a journal for my granddaughter. I told her I hid a fairy and someday she will be able to come to my house and hunt for it in my garden.

In the meantime, I will enjoy my fairy, hidden more every day as my gardens grow and become more beautiful as spring turns into summer.