Memories – Page 3 – Valerie's Voice

Lake Superior Venture

We just returned from an amazing time on the north shore of Lake Superior. As I’ve written before, it is one of my all-time favorite places to be. When we arrive at the cabin we rent, I sigh a happy sigh when I walk through the door and see the lake through the floor to ceiling windows. It is a marvelous and breathtaking sight that I never grow tired of. I literally feel a calm come over me. I miss it when I’m not there.

During our time at the cabin, we did what we normally do…we enjoy God’s bountiful creation. We bike and hike, drink our morning coffee on the deck, watch the sunrise, have a bon fire on the rocks, relax, read good books, eat delicious food overlooking the lake, and just sit and look at the lake.

I had good intentions of cleaning up my computer files, or deleting photos off my phone, do a little writing, but none of that happened. The lake is alluring and mesmerizing, and we can just sit and do nothing but enjoy the vista for hours…and so we do, and we do not worry about getting anything accomplished. I believe we are being rejuvenated from the inside out.

We traditionally go up to the north shore in September but this year we had reservations in July. The weather was cooler than normal for July, the sunrise is earlier in July…5:20ish…and different kinds of flowers are blooming in July…like beautiful lupines, perky daisies and bright yellow bird’s-foot trefoil.

A photo exposition follows:

A view outside the cabin. I was pleased to see lupines on the property. We started seeing lupine along Scenic Drive as we were driving up. Lupines are not in bloom in September, when we are usually at the cabin.

One of our hikes…overlooking Oberg Lake in summer, 2023.

This is same overlook of Oberg Lake in autumn, 2019.

Streets lined with gold…Highway 61, back roads and bike trails were lined with bird’s-foot trefoill. It was impressive.

This is a bridge on the new section of the Gitchi-Gami bike trail, which we rode on from Cutface Wayside Park into Grand Marais.

Temperance River…a hike we always enjoy, along the gorges of this wild river.

We enjoy a bon fire on the rocks outside the cabin.

Clear water reveals the rocks underneath the waters of Lake Superior.

Our hike to Caribou Falls…down 156 steps to see this beautiful waterfalls, then back up 156 steps! It’s worth it. It’s gorgeous.

Our son Tim took a photo of lupines and a single daisy years ago…it was fun to recapture a similar posturing.

Lake Superior…some days it’s calm, other days it’s not…somedays it’s gray, other times it’s blue, sometimes it’s somber…sometimes it’s glistening… with everything in-between. And, sometimes it all happens in a day. (I told Gary these are the kind of glistening diamonds I like.)

I’m so grateful for our time on the shore of Lake Superior.

A Hedgehog and A Firefly

A flicker of light~
Twinkling and twirling around...
Fireflies at night.

While in Minnesota, our Ukrainian friends saw fireflies for the first time. They were excited. We were with them one evening, and the fireflies were dancing all around us. We all enjoyed seeing the fireflies, as well as our friend’s excitement.

A hedgehog I saw in the wild in Ukraine, 2008.

I told them the one and only time I saw a hedgehog was in Ukraine, and it was exciting to see it. We walked to a village after class one day, to an interpreter’s home, and we saw a cute, little hedgehog tucked away on the side of the path.

God is creative!

“God made the animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the crates that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:24

Ukraine

In 2004, 2005, and 2008 I was in the Ukraine on three separate mission trips. Each time we went to Cherkasy, a city south of the capital, Kiev. We conducted English Language Camps at the House of Gospel church.

My host family was a lovely couple that opened their home to my friend, Kay, and I. More host families from their church took in the other members on our team. But each year, Kay and I stayed together with this same family. Our home stays were about 7-8 days…enough time to build relationships.

Valerie, Maria, Kay, 2023, in Minnesota, USA.

This couple and their son, who was living at home at the time, were gracious and loving and took good care of us. The English Language Camps were held at their church. The camps were promoted for kids ages 15-20. We used Bible stories as our resource. There were eight group leaders. We each had interpreters with our small groups of 8-10 kids. The kids were excited to practice their English language skills on native speakers. Many kids attended (~90) and many kids had never been to church. It was rewarding.

The table decorations for the pot luck reception at Emmaus Church: Sunflowers, Ukraine’s national flower.

After our first trip in 2004, our church started supporting our host family’s daughter and her husband, who are missionaries in Odesa, a city in the southern part of the Ukraine. Every few years the missionaries, Caleb and Christina, come to our church to give an update and thank Emmaus for our support. This year they brought along Christina’s parents, our hosts from those trips many years ago.

It was such a privilege and joy to have them stay in our home. I never thought I’d see them in Minnesota! It was great to visit with them and get an update on the current situation in Ukraine, and to just bond with them and strengthen our relationship. We had a delightful time together.

Sometimes I’m amazed when I think about having friends and family that I know and love in other places in this world. For me, those places include Norway, Ukraine, Mozambique and Japan. What an honor and blessing.

A Photograph

I received a gift in the mail the other day. A 2024 Collector’s calendar: Norway, Visions and Verse of Vikingland…41^st edition.

Rosemaling is a significant feature on these calendars.

And the reason I was given this calendar is because one of the photos I took while visiting Norway last summer was chosen to be in the calendar.

My photo was used for the month of Juli.

It was fun looking through each month to see all the lovely pictures of this amazingly beautiful country, and finding one of my own, taken on the Island of Stord.

It was fun to see my name in the credits too.

The back of the calendar has a snapshot of all 12 photos in the calendar.

Who me? How fun.

A Rainflower Project

We woke up to rain the day we were going to visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, but decided to go anyways. By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped and the sun popped out.

We meandered through the trails and enjoyed the fresh and many shades of spring greens. We walked through the bright Iris’ field…they were in bloom.

There were many varieties and colors of iris’. Oh-so-lovely. A stately flower.

The azaleas were in bloom, too.

We walked through a corridor of bushes– it was like walking through a crayon box, so many colors on both sides.

When we decided to go to the arb we expected to see beautiful spaces, and we did. We also expected to eat lunch in the cafeteria and have a look around in the wonderful gift shop. And we did. What we didn’t expect to see was a special art installation: The Rainflower Project.

Early on our walk, I saw a lot of green, yellow and white off in the distance. I was curious to find out what it was…it didn’t look natural. What a found were 675 ceramic flowers placed in a garden space, depicting the average number of suicides that happen each year in Minnesota.

A sign read, “The handmade ceramic flowers capture and preserve the sun’s rays in timeless beauty. They stand defying nature’s elements and displaying the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Their forms fill with tears from the sky, and their individual character reflects the unique beauty in the people who live in our hearts forever.”

And there they all were; 675 ceramic flowers, placed in this memorial garden, “to remind us of our loved ones and the vital importance of positive mental health.”

You were invited to honor a loved one you’ve lost to suicide or who struggle with mental health, by writing their name on a green tag and connecting it to a flower stem in the display.

I filled out two tags and added them to the more than 675 names already tagged. My brother-in-law Richard (1986), and my dear friend Jane (2005) died too young, by suicide.

This was a meaningful surprise to find at the arboretum. I’m grateful for the folks who thought up this creative display. It felt good to start our time in this way, in this place of beauty, and be reminded of two very special people who are no longer in our lives.

It was good to pause and reflect, and then to move on and continue to enjoy God’s creation.

The Recycled Birthday Card

In yesterday’s blog I referred to a birthday card my friend and I have been sending back-and-forth to each other since 1979. I am including a link to a blog post I wrote in October 2016 about this card.

Click here.

However, there is “more to the story” now.

Our little recycled birthday card is now a booklet with 10 pages added to the original card. It’s 44 years old.

This past year my friend, Diane, and her husband spent the winter in Florida, and enjoyed it very much. She did however, text me on my birthday to let me know the birthday card was back in Minnesota so it would be late in getting to me. She would send it when they returned from Florida. She continued to say her packing list for Florida next year will include, her swimsuit, sun tan lotion, and the recycled birthday card!

It is a very special card, from a very special friend.

St. Anthony, Minnesota

My childhood friend and I have exchanged the same birthday card since 1979. I know I’ll hear from her in March, and a card exchange at Christmas, but only occasionally during the rest of the year.

So, when I saw a text come through from her last week I was delighted, but curious as to what she had to say. She told me about a new luxury apartment complex that was built in St. Anthony, Minnesota.

I don’t have many photos of the house where I grew up. My dad built the house in 1953, the year I was born.

The back story is my mother, Ruby, lived in the house my dad built, the house where I grew up in NE Minneapolis, for several years after my father passed away. Eventually she moved in to a townhouse, not more than a mile away from the house. It was newly-built, and well-built, small complex of townhomes, and a wonderful place for her to live for the next 20 years. After the townhouse, she moved into a senior apartment complex and enjoyed a few years there before she died in 2009.

For twenty years we would visit my mother at her townhouse in St. Anthony, across from the old Apache Plaza Mall, which is no longer standing. Office units and strip malls with a big grocery store took over the space.

Diane, my friend, texted to tell me about a new luxury apartment building that was built in that space across the street from where my mother lived in the townhouse. And she went on to write, “I thought you’d like the name…The Ruby Apartments!”

The photo Diane sent me of the brochure for The Ruby Aparments.

What fun! It made me smile.

And I like the logo…the capitol R in Ruby has a rectangular ruby stone as part of the letter.

Ordinary Days

Our trip to North Carolina fell over our grandchildren’s spring break, so they were off school the ten days we were there. It was a special time, especially celebrating Easter with them, but it was an ordinary time too.

The kids watching the rafters and paddle boarders at Whitewater Center.

We didn’t do anything spectacular, it was nice just hanging out. We did visit Whitewater Center, a national training center for whitewater rafting, paddle boarding, kayaking, rock climbing and mountain bike riding.

The first hurdle in the children’s challenging obstacle course.

Mastering the children’s obstacle course at the Whitewater Center.

Whitewater Center was very interesting place, and the kids had fun tackling an obstacle course geared towards children.

We always explore the nature preserve that is close to their home, and this time we used walkie talkies that we brought along from Minnesota. That was a hit.

Before we left home, we asked the kids if there was anything they wanted us to bring from Minnesota and Ezra immediately said, “a snowball.” Although he was thinking the real thing, we brought a dozen soft, cotton-ball style snowballs and had a surprise snowball fight one warm and sunny afternoon!

Our outdoor workspace, creating fun pictures.

Another time Zoey and I sat on the back veranda and made paper-cut-out pictures. It was fun to sit and create something out of nothing. We both enjoyed it, and I think I want to continue doing more of that.

Displaying “my” picture on our refrigerator. 😉

I just need to give myself permission to sit down and do it by myself…either use color crayons or colored pencils, cut out paper, or use markers, try drawing…just being creative. It was fun, relaxing and fed my soul, and I hope to do more of it.

Knitting

I packed shiny, new, yellow knitting needles and a bright, multi-colored skein of soft yarn to bring to North Carolina. My oldest granddaughter had shown an interest in knitting the last time we were there, so I thought I’d teach her to knit this time.

At Hobby Lobby I told a stranger in the yarn aisle what my plan was. She helped me pick out a good size knitting needle for a young girl. I appreciated that.

Zoey loved the color of the needles, and the yarn, and she was excited to learn. It didn’t take her long to catch on – how to cast on and the knit stitch. What fun.

Because this is something new for her, she was knitting almost every time she sat down…hopefully she will continue to like it and it will be a fun skill for her to use in the future.

Knitting can be done almost anywhere…even in the car.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember who taught me to knit (I hope Zoey will remember who taught her!) I have pages torn out of a girl’s magazine with knitting instructions…did I teach myself? I remember knitting slippers…

Creating her own space in the morning sun.

Later I learned to crochet. And, back then (50 years ago), I learned to make granny squares…they were a big deal at that time. I remember I made a vest from them. I have seen granny square vests for sale in vintage clothing stores recently.

This afghan I made for Gary before we were married.

I also crocheted several afghans, using granny squares.

An afghan I made for my son before he was born.

Several years later I went back to knitting. I knit winter scarves and then I learned about a prayer shawl ministry. I loved the idea, so I started knitting prayer shawls. I made several prayer shawls to give away.

Two of my cousins in Norway knit beautifully, and gifted me with these slippers and scarf when I was there last summer. I never learned to knit like this! There are so many beautiful knitting patterns.

Now that I’ve shown my granddaughter how to knit, I need to refresh myself on how to crochet, so eventually I can show her how to do that. And who knows, she may want to learn how to crochet a granny square…

Hand Soap Flashback

Gary and I visited my soon to be 93-year-old aunt today. She moved from her beautiful home on 150 acres in Deerwood, Minnesota into an assisted living apartment in Plymouth. She is doing well, and likes her new space.

We had a nice long visit over coffee and some goodies. We updated family information and talked family history, and looked at photos she had hanging around her new apartment, and her many decorations.

Janet, one of Joyce’s daughters, lives near-by and stops in frequently, and happily enjoys shopping for her mother…from groceries to decorations for her new place.

There was one moment when I had an instant flashback to another aunt’s home…my Auntie Ag’s house.

This carved, cherub hand soap immediately brought back a vivid memory.

Auntie Ag died in 2004. She was a very attentive aunt to her three nieces… me, and Janet and Cindy (Joyce’s two daughters). It didn’t surprise me to find out while Janet was shopping for Joyce, she bought unique hand soaps, with a cherub carved into the soap. My Auntie Ag always had similar soaps in her bathroom. It was so classic “Aggie”. It made me smile, and I mentioned it to Joyce, of course. Joyce said, “I have extra. Please, take a bar home with you.” And so I did…including the beautiful box it’s packaged in.

A beautiful box of Italian Lavender Scented Soap.

The funny thing is I don’t recall the bar of soap in Auntie Ag’s bathroom was “for use.” I believe she used it for decoration only. And Joyce said the same thing. And so, Joyce too, put one of these unique hand soaps in each bathroom…for display only.

My newly acquired bar of hand soap that needs a special dish.

Now, while shopping thrift stores, I will look for a pretty dish to place my “Italian, lavender-scented, beautifully carved cherub in a perfectly round, hand soap” to put on display…somewhere in my house.

For memory’s sake.