Valerie's Voice – Page 81 – Musings on Life

Bachman’s Idea House

We’ve been taking wallpaper paste off walls, filling holes, sanding then painting and I have been deep cleaning right along to minimize the dry wall dust from settling in places it hasn’t already infiltrated. When I went to dust the top of the bookshelves in our living room I decided, since I had the ladder out, I would put up the Christmas décor we usually place there…it’s close enough to Christmas.

The vintage set on top of my bookshelves.

I inherited the black metal Santa sleigh and four reindeer candle holders from my mom. The set holds fond memories for me. My dad was a carpenter and built the house I grew up in. The fireplace was surrounded by stone and he placed three stone shelves – high to low, in step formation – for the mantel. It was the perfect place for this Christmas decoration. On the lower shelf Santa’s sleigh was set in angel hair (to depict snow or clouds?), two reindeer were one shelf higher and the last two reindeer were on the top shelf with garland cascading from sleigh to reindeer to reindeer to connect it all.

Although I don’t have the cascading shelves I put the set on top of my bookshelves with white lights underneath the angel hair, and then set the sleigh and reindeer with four red candles on top.

Last week I was at Bachman’s in Richfield to tour their Christmas Idea House and browse the many beautiful things they have for sale in their store.

The Idea House is a historic home on the property. The brochure tells me “Arthur Bachman Sr. and his wife built this home on Lyndale Avene in the early 1920’s.” Arthur was the second son of the founders of Bachman’s, Henry Sr. and Hattie Bachman. The house stayed in the family until 2001 according to the brochure.

Bachman’s Idea House – the dining room. I especially liked the bird dishes.

The theme for this year’s Idea House is “Dressed in Christmas Greenery” using “nature’s color palette.” There was much to look at, good ideas to take home and dreams for decorating my own home.

I was surprised to find they were selling black metal stick reindeer, similar to my 1950’s reindeer that I have on top of my bookshelves for the season.

Well, it’s a start.

Memorable Hikes – Switzerland 2002

Continuing my series on memorable hikes…

In April of 2002, my husband, our youngest son and I went to England to pick up our oldest son, who studied at Oxford for a semester. We were curious to explore Oxford and London and then travel in Europe. After touring in England we took the Chunnel to Calais, France and saw sights in France, Germany and Switzerland.

While in Switzerland we went hiking in the Lauterbrunnen Valley (which is often is referred to as the valley of 72 waterfalls.)

A photo of the hotel and one of the 72 waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen Valley. This is a photo from a brochure picture I had in my photo album. I didn’t have a great photo of my own to share.

After settling into our chalet-style hotel we started hiking towards waterfalls that were inside a mountain. We were intrigued by this. Along the way I was awe-struck by the beauty of a different waterfalls, Staubbach Falls. There was a stream of water falling off a vertical mountain face, cascading about 1,000 feet. I think it’s so spectacular because of its simplistic beauty. I still remember seeing it for the first time…I’m not sure why it impacted me so.

We continued hiking in the valley to Trümmelbach Falls, which was our destination. These falls are a series of ten glacier-waterfalls inside the mountain, made accessible by a tunnel-lift. We were able to go inside the mountain and walk around to see the falls. They were illuminated which was nice. It was fun and interesting.

Another photo from a brochure in my photo album…waterfalls flowing outside the mountain.

After coming out of the mountain we hiked back to our picturesque hotel nestled in this spectacular valley with breathtaking views.

Pancakes and Scanners

My friend, who lives in Indiana, and I like to meet in WI when it works and it worked last week. We shop antique stores and thrift shops. It’s hard to explain the joy we get from going from shop to shop. It’s great fun and great therapy (or does the therapy come from our rich conversations?)

We stay in hotels and eat breakfast at their breakfast bars. We are used to the eggs and sausages in warmers, bread and bagels next to a toaster, oatmeal in crock-pots next to cold cereal, and the waffle maker machine – which was a great invention but has been around awhile. This time, at the breakfast bar, there was something new…a pancake machine.

Looking through the window of the pancake machine.

You press a button and plop goes the first blob of pancake batter onto the conveyor belt, then a second blob of batter is dropped and as the belt moves along they are cooked and within minutes out comes two hot and tasty pancakes! It was very fun to ooh and aah over this new machine.

Later that day we stopped at one of the largest grocery stores I’ve ever been in. We find what we are looking for and as we check out we experience another new technology…360-degre scanners. You simply unload your cart one item at a time, place it single file on the belt, and your items are automatically scanned and no one has to handle the merchandise (except for bagging it).

Who knew we’d discover not one, but two new-to-us modern technology devices in the southern Wisconsin town of Janesville.

Memorable Hike – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming 1999

Continuing my series on memorable hikes…

Our family took many road trips across country when the boys were younger, mostly to national parks, and we hiked a lot.

A picture – of a photo – of my three guys in the Tetons (from our 1999 photo album).

One memorable hike was in Grand Teton National Park. What made this hike memorable were the butterflies. I find it interesting that I mentioned seeing beautiful butterflies on our hike in Brazil, but on this hike in the Tetons the butterflies were my companions.

One morning we started hiking together along a park trail and after hiking 4.5 miles we came to a fork in the road. For the first time ever, while hiking with my family, I decided to turn around and hike back alone while my three guys continued walking to a mountain lake. This was the first and only time I remember turning around while hiking and I don’t remember why. I do remember feeling safe, knowing it was an established park trail, and that I had enough water.

What made this hike memorable were the butterflies. While I walked alone along the path they fluttered along the side of me all the way back. I couldn’t believe it…they were my escorts, my guardian angels. I remembered it as one butterfly but my journal reminded me there were several butterflies.

My journal also reminded me that the guys continued another 2.7 miles to the mountain lake, Lake Solitude. It was there they turned around and hiked back to the ferry landing. My husband hopped on the ferry, but our two sons decided to continue hiking all the way back to the trailhead for an additional 2.5 miles which made their total 17 miles for that day.

I often think about this story and my butterfly companions. It makes me smile.

Psalm 121: 1-2

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

What a Mess!

Our house is a mess right now. We took down wallpaper that we had put up 23 years ago. It held up well but now it was time for a change. It came down easily…my husband pulled it all off while I was out running errands one day however, now we have the unpleasant task of soaking the walls and scraping off the wallpaper paste.

Yuk!

We are removing paste from the foyer, a large 2-story wall by the split stairways, and our upstairs hallway. We will paint these walls and at the same time re-paint our dining room and sun-room.

Fortunately we can picture the results of newly painted rooms, which lends to excitement and helps us continue with the arduous process.

Time has a way of slipping by. I never thought the wallpaper we had hung when we moved in would still be up 23 years later, and for that matter, the inexpensive carpet we put in the downstairs bedrooms…it’s still there. We said we’d replace that in five years. Hmm…it still looks fine.

I love our little green house on the corner (an exterior color I love and don’t ever want to change). It has been a good and comfortable place to call home. It holds many wonderful memories and a whole lot of love. We’re just changing up the colors a bit inside.

Memorable Hikes – Brazil 2004

Hiking is a favorite hobby of mine and my husband. We have gone on hundreds of hikes over the years…it is what we like to do, at home and on vacation, so I thought it would be fun to write a series about some memorable hikes. It’s tough to rate them as favorites so I’ll stick with “memorable” and not rank them in any kind of order. I keep a vacation journal so I have notes on most of our hikes (some more detailed than others I’ve discovered). Here is the first in my series of memorable hikes that I will post weekly, for awhile anyway.

Several years ago our son was a Rotary exchange student in Florianopolis, an island off the southern coast of Brazil. It is a gorgeous island and known for it’s beautiful beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. He lived there one year and had a great experience. His host families were wonderful and genuinely cared for him. It was a delight to meet them when our family went to visit after he had been living in Brazil for seven months.

His first host family (mom, dad and one son – their other son was on Rotary exchange in the US) took our family on a hike along Lagoa da Conceição, a large lagoon on the island of Florianopolis. The island itself is beautiful…and to hike along the inland lake was a special treat.

It was a hot day. The trail was semi-rough and we hiked for about an hour and a half. I saw many butterflies along the trail, including a black and purple one. I had already spotted several butterflies on this trip to Brazil, including the beautiful, iridescence blue ones and a lime-green one.

What I remember most about this hike was the destination… as we neared the end we walked down toward the lake and there on the beach were some shade trees, a swing set, a few chickens running around and children playing in the sand. There was a quaint open-air café on the sandy shores of Lagoa da Conceição. It was a great spot to stop, rest, cool off, swing and get something cold to drink, and food to eat. We were the only customers at the café. It was family- owned and run. We found a wonderful place to sit at a table under the trees near the water.

We ordered a beer; it tasted so good because the beer was so cold and the air was so hot, and so were we from hiking in the heat. Next the appetizers started coming – shrimp, squid, and other kinds of fish – all delicious. Then we ordered main dishes for everyone to share family-style. We spent over two hours eating and enjoying our time together in this lovely setting.

And then, to our surprise and delight, they had ordered a boat taxi to bring us back to the trail-head. Instead of hiking back we had a pleasant, relaxing boat ride on the beautiful lake, Lagoa da Conceição.

It was a lovely day and memorable hike with wonderful friends.

Monster Concert

We are fortunate to live in a town that offers a variety of experiences, especially musical ones, especially from our colleges. Over the weekend I attended the Monster Concert, a piano recital. Actually it was four pianos, and 16 hands…which means two musicians at each of the four grand pianos (one song used eight pianos and 16 hands) all playing classical music and modern pieces together – wonderfully. That’s eighty fingers flying across the keys!

The pianists were mostly St. Olaf faculty and students, dressed in costume, and performing as a large piano ensemble. The concert was geared to all ages and the young children were encouraged to dressed in costumes.

It took place in Urness Recital Hall at St. Olaf College. It’s a beautiful, intimate space, which – for me – always adds another special dimension to performances there.

Urness Recital Hall, Christiansen Hall of Music
St. Olaf College (looking towards balcony)

I was all ready to take photos but at the beginning of the concert they asked the audience not to photograph. It was a fun and festive hour-long concert that was professional and inspiring.

Retirement, so far…

Over the summer people asked me if I was enjoying my retirement and I answered, “I’m not sure yet since I always had summers off. I’ll see what it’s like this fall.”

Well, fall has come and it has been busy with our annual trek to the north shore, our son home from Africa for a week and going to New Mexico to see the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Those activities were wonderful, and a sign of retirement, but it wasn’t until last week that it really hit me.

Last Monday was the first day of Christmas Festival ticket sales. That was part of my job for the last 12 years so when the clock struck 9 on Monday morning I visualized the hustle and bustle going on in one little office area of St. Olaf College…producing huge results. I thought of all the folks racing the clock to order their tickets online and all the chaos of the moment. A wonderful and smart 2016 St. Olaf graduate took my job. He worked with me last year on the Christmas Festival so he knew the ticket sales system, and he knew of the usual chaos that goes along with it. It made for a smooth transition.

My supervisor, who became a dear friend, also retired in July (that was instrumental in my decision to retire). She had been at St. Olaf College for 31 years and the two of us were responsible for the C’fest (our affectionate term) ticket sales. We got together last week for coffee, which turned into 2 1/2 hours of conversation. On our way out of the coffee shop a retiree from St. Olaf stopped us to ask about Christmas Festival tickets…we smiled…and there we were…talking tickets sales once again.

It was fun to sit down with my friend and visit without time constraints. It is peaceful to go to the doctor’s office and not feel hurried to get back to work. The freedom in retirement is nice.

I’m grateful for the interesting job I enjoyed for 12 years. And I am grateful that I am healthy and able to enjoy retirement.

So now when people ask me, “How’s retirement?” I can truly say it’s great!

An Orphanage in Owatonna, Minnesota

The main building of the orphanage is now Owatonna’s City Administration building.

We happened upon some fascinating history in Owatonna, Minnesota a few years ago while driving around the town. We came across some beautiful, older buildings that we found out were originally used as an orphanage. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District. Unfortunately the buildings were closed the day we discovered them. We always wanted to go back to learn more and so we did.

The Minnesota State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children was, at one time, the third largest orphanage in the country. This is an excerpt from the museum brochure: “Between 1886 and 1945 there were 10,635 children orphaned, abused or abandoned and sent to this orphanage in Owatonna, Minnesota.”

The orphanage was phased out by 1945 and for the next twenty-five years the school provided academic and vocational training for the educable mentally disabled.

After standing empty for four years, the City of Owatonna purchased the campus to use for its administration offices (in 1974).

The Orphanage Museum is currently housed in the City Administration Building. There are several display cabinets with very interesting photos, artifacts, and letters telling stories of those forgotten children and the lives they led in the orphanage. It was pretty heart wrenching.

Again, from the brochure, “They were called “State Schoolers: for some it was a circle of hell; for others, a safe haven.”

But the most somber part of our exploring was finding the cemetery. I took a photo of the plaque outside the cemetery and below the photo are excerpts written out:

The plaque at the entrance of the fenced-in State Public School Children’s Cemetery telling the history of the cemetery.

History of State Public School Children’s Cemetery

1886-1945 – During the 59 year history of the State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children, over 300 children died while under state guardianship: 198 are buried in this cemetery, unclaimed by family. Some were buried under the cover of darkness because of contagious disease. Few, if any, ever had a flower left on their grave. The average age at death was approximately four years old.

Causes of death included diphtheria, measles, drowning, TB, cancrum ori, anemia, diarrhea, exhaustion, and marasmus. Marasmus is defined as “wasting and emaciation of an infant for no discoverable cause.” Today we would say “Failure to thrive for lack of love.” Children also died from accidents (one killed by an elk, another a football injury), and a ruptured appendix.

In the early years, tombstones were erected. For unknown reasons, the state discontinued this practice. Children were then simply buried with their identification number etched on a cement slab.

1945 – Orphanage was phased out and the cemetery all but forgotten. Weeds and grass grew tall. Few people knew or remember it existed.

1993 – With the help of many community volunteers and contributors, the memorial and 151 named crosses were erected for those children buried only by a number. The memorial and crosses were dedicated in a community observance July 3, 1993.

1995- Owatonna City Council approved burial of 83 year old Fredrick Berndt. Berndt spent his entire childhood at the State Public School (19212-1927), and his “most desired wish” was to be buried among the children he so loved. A Christian burial was provided by Owatonna citizens November 1, 1995.

1992 – Owatonna City Council approved plans for Gerald “Bud” Blekeberg to build a permanent memorial.

A cross with a child’s name erected where once there was just a number.

I am grateful for the love I experience from my family and friends, and that I know God’s love. My heart goes out to all those forgotten children. But I believe they were not forgotten by God. As the memorial reads:

1888-1942

TO THE CHILDREN WHO REST HERE

MAY THE LOVE YOU LACKED IN LIFE

NOW BE YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN

YOU ARE REMEMBERED

Colored Glass

The Minnesota fall has been warm and wonderful. There have been many days to go outside to play, or work, or a little of both…(balance!)

So I went outside one, fine day to clean off our deck. I picked up a shiny, orange glass dish sitting on the table and took a trip down memory lane as I remembered where it came from.

Back in junior high, maybe – I’m not sure how old I was, I bought this orange dish for my parents to give them on their anniversary (I must have borrowed money from my dad to do so – ha!) but I can clearly see this dish displayed on shelves in the J. C. Penney store at the Apache Plaza Mall, near my childhood home in NE Minneapolis (the mall no longer exists.) It was sitting on a clear, glass shelf with other beautiful glass pieces. I sometimes marvel at the things I remember (and the things I have a hard time recalling!)

Years ago when my mom moved into an apartment and downsized she asked me if I wanted the dish back, so I took it. I couldn’t believe she saved it all those years. But what I thought was interesting is that even back then, when I was so much younger, I was attracted to colored-glass. Little did I know I’d collect colored-glass vases and dishes in antique stores as an adult.

My colored-glass collection on old Singer sewing machine wrought-iron stand. I replaced the broken cabinet with a clear glass shelf to display the colored-glass pieces. A string of lights help show it off after dark.

I especially like green glass but all colors attract me. I find fun things to do with them…use them in place settings to serve ice cream or dessert, put single stems in the vases to decorate a place setting… it’s even a joy to wash them and see them shine.

A few of my dishes in an Amish-made cupboard with clear, glass doors.

An Iris in a lavender colored-glass vase.

As I collected other items off the deck to bring in for the winter I took inventory of a blue, glass ball hanging off the pergola (also from my mother), along with a red glass flower hanging for decoration, a glass hummingbird feeder, and a white glass globe with a candle inside on another table.

So hard to capture this beautiful display of colored-glass…

In April 2014, when I first started blogging, I had a post about colored-glass on a different site. I copied an excerpt from that post and copied it below…

“…While exploring the town, our stroll down Main Street took us into an antique shop where I found a bright, orange, glass basket that would go well with a new picture in our dining room. When I went to the counter to purchase it, the clerk asked, “Do you like color?” Well, yes, I do! It was an unexpected but interesting question. I do enjoy color…in everything: flowers, in nature, in décor, in clothing, in all of creation. And I enjoy scouting antique stores for colored glass and I occasionally find a piece to bring home for my colored-glass collection.

I’ve been thinking of that question a lot these days as I notice Spring bringing new life and color all around me.”

The orange basket on my African tablecloth on my dining room table.

I made the star-shape glass piece in the window at a fused-glass art class.

I think porcelain and pottery are beautiful too, but give me a colored-glass piece any day.