Tag: Minnesota

In Montgomery, Minnesota?

Montgomery, Minnesota is a small town 24 miles west of the small town where I live. The population is 3,249 and it claims to be the Kolacky Capitol of the world.

Franke’s Kolacky Bakery

Franke’s Bakery made Montgomery’s kolacky’s famous. Click this link for a brief history about the bakery and its famous kolacky’s. 

Montgomery seems to be a fairly active town. It celebrates its Czechoslovakian heritage with Kolacky Days every July. In the downtown area there is an Arts & Heritage Center, Hilltop Hall (a music venue), Pizzeria 201, a restaurant serving delicious pizza and other Italian offerings (but only take-out since 2020) and other small businesses, plus a few churches.

Holy Redeemer Catholic Church

Montgomery’s main street also has an interesting drug store, Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy, which was my destination on this particular sunny, summer day. 

Years ago, I discovered a lip balm that I really liked while on vacation on the west coast. I hadn’t been able to find it for years, but came across it on a different vacation and bought another tube. I decided I still really liked it and wanted to find more. At that time, the era of websites and ordering online became doable, so I looked it up on the internet and ordered it online, for several years. 

But now, the shipping charges have become more expensive than the actual product so I decided to look around for the lip balm again, in retail stores…without much luck. So I went back to the their website and found a chart of retail stores where they sell their products…which wasn’t many!

The list was short for retail stores where it is sold in the US (about 56), and only a handful of stores in Minnesota (13). But interestingly, the closest store to me, was Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy in Montgomery, MN. What??? 

Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy on mainstream in Montgomery.

I have been to Montgomery before, and I enjoy visiting small towns, so taking a road trip 24 miles down the road to find my beloved lip balm was exciting. I wondered if the store would have the “original” lip balm, which I like best.

Well, it did, and a lot of it!  I told the clerk why I was there and she showed me the display. I told her I wouldn’t buy her out but I wanted 4 of the 6. She said she had a lot more in back and brought out a tub, half-full, of the lip balm. I laughed, and bought more. I admit, there was great satisfaction in that moment.

Herrmann Thrifty White Pharmacy (established 1884) serves as more than a drug store. It is a small variety store for the town…with gifts, kitchen supplies, greeting cards, wrapping paper, baby supplies, jewelry, even some clothing and purses. It was a lot fun to spend time in the store looking around at all the variety of wares. I added a few more things to my purchase that day…to “help support this small-town store.”

There was a sign identifying this as Mary’s prayer garden near the church.

And, I have to confess…we stopped in at Franke’s Bakery first thing upon arriving in Montgomery, to buy coffee and a pastry (no kolacky for me though). We brought our treat outside, to a nearby picnic table, next to a beautiful church, and enjoyed their grounds on this lovely morning.

On the beautiful catholic church grounds.
A huge, magnificent flower pot outside a building in Montgomery.

Our delightful day trip was fun and interesting in the small town of Montgomery, Minnesota.

At Home in Norway

This wraps up my series on our trip to Norway. However, other stories may pop up in the future.

In Norway, being close to the sea every day, surrounded by amazing beauty, was an incredible gift.

A scene off the western coast of Norway.

I felt so at home. I felt I belonged.

By the sea, and lovin’ it!

In Minnesota, my happy place is on the shores of Lake Superior. I felt the same feelings in Norway, as I do when I’m up on the north shore. 

The shores of Lake Superior.

I’ve been told my Grandmother Elizabeth loved being up on the north shore too. It reminded her of the homeland she left behind in Norway, when she was a young woman. I like to think about our connection. She died when I was ten years old.

I love my rich Norwegian heritage, and am proud of it!

I am wearing my American cousin’s Norwegian bunad. It represents the Hardangerfjord, the area where my relatives live in Norway. I borrowed this costume to wear to work in 2011, when Norway’s King Harald V visited St. Olaf College.

I was grateful that Gary made so many travel arrangements to make this trip happen. And that he embraced my relatives, and they embraced him.

Gary and me.

And, of course, I’m grateful to all my many relatives in Norway for the marvelous and abundant hospitality shown to us.

My heart is full, yet part of it was left behind Norway.

Torkel and Family

In 1902 my grandfather, Torkel Kallestad (b.1885), was 17 years old when he sailed for America aboard the ship Umbria. He was sponsored by a Norwegian farmer in Iowa, and he later moved to Minneapolis. Torkel became a carpenter by trade. He had three brothers: William, who also moved to America, Haktor, who died at age 12, and Johannes, who stayed behind in Norway. Johannes was the oldest, and was to inherit the family farm. They had one sister, Kristiana, who never married.

This picture was taken in 1902 when Haktor (my great-grandfather) and his children followed Torkel to Bergen to say good-bye when Torkel left for America. Torkel is front right.

Torkel was an immigrant that left his beautiful home in Norway for better work opportunities. He was was fortunate to be able to return to his home country to visit. His first trip back to Norway was in 1910 when he met his future wife, my grandmother Elizabeth. She followed him to America in 1912, and they married in 1913. 

Torkel and Elizabeth, 1913.

Elizabeth traveled back to Norway in 1925 with three of their four children (fourth one not born yet), and Torkel followed later for a short stay. Elizabeth went back to Norway in 1948 with her daughter Agnes, and again, for the last time, she and Torkel returned to Norway for a visit in 1958. She died in 1962. Torkel died in 1970.

Herbert, my father, as a young man.

One of their children was Herbert (b.1918), my father. During a health recuperation in the 60’s my father became interested in the family history and started doing research. In 1969 he and my mother took a trip to Norway to find out more information, and thus began a wonderful re-connection between our relatives in Norway and those of us here in Minnesota. 

My father died in 1974, at the young age 55…little did he know what he started. We are all truly grateful for his initiation.

My father gathered the information and created this family tree. My Uncle Bob printed the posters in his print shop. Above is a poster for my grandfather’s side of the family.
This poster is for my grandmother’s side of the family.
The Norwegian and American flags flying at my cousin’s home in Norway, to welcome us.

My second cousin in Norway, Sigrun, has done, and continues to do, extensive research on the family genealogy. My Uncle Bob also helped Sigrun with research. He died in December 2021.

Sigrun, my second cousin, has done extensive research over the years.
Gary and I are in Sigrun’s dining room looking at ancestry findings.
Three second cousins (our three fathers were first cousins) together, discussing our family tree.

It’s difficult to explain how special our time was with our Norwegian relatives. It was very precious, fun and exciting!

Lilacs

We’re just past the blooming season of lilacs. Below are three haikus about the delightful spring flower.

A lilac bouquet
on a dining room table
brings nature inside.  (by Sheri Eichhorn)
A transport in time
The fragrance of a lilac
Where does it take you? (by Valerie)
Lilacs in new bloom
Are the most beautiful smell
Nature offers us. (by Sheri Eichhorn)

One Mourning Dove

For the past few mornings, I start my day by saying “good morning Papa Bird” to the mourning dove nesting in the eaves, outside our bedroom window. I think he likes being greeted, now that he knows I’m not going to harm him. If he’s facing me he smiles (!)…if he’s facing the opposite direction, he lifts and turns his head to look at me.

I started by calling him “Mama Bird”, but after a little research online, apparently the male dove sits on the nest during the daytime. 

He is in the direct sun from the west, and with these hot temperatures I wonder how he tolerates the sunshine and the heat. I want to put up an umbrella to give him some shade, but that’s not possible.

In the meantime, I will continue to open the window a crack to talk to him a few times throughout the day, and then say good night in the evening. And I’ll keep watch to see what happens when the baby doves appear.

Aspelund Wine & Peony Gardens

Last weekend a friend and I went to delight in the peony gardens in Aspelund. I was reminded to visit this lovely acreage now, this time of year, when the peonies are in bloom.

In the background is one of the out buildings on this acreage. The peony gardens are front and center.

This year there was a lot of color, yet there were many buds to still open, which was the stage of the peonies in my garden, and that’s why I had to be reminded that the Aspelund gardens may be ready to explore.

The location is a scenic, peaceful, country setting, about twenty minutes from Northfield. There are a couple of out buildings, the wine tasting room with an attached deck and table and chairs, there are rows of grapevines, and a lot of rhubarb growing all over…and of course lots and lots of peonies.

The peonies are for sale…but you are most welcome to visit these gardens without purchasing anything.

The coral color was one of my favorites.

There is a tire swing hanging from a large, old tree and two little girls, in cute little dresses, were enjoying themselves on the swing that afternoon. It was a very nostalgic and sweet picture…that I didn’t capture on my camera. 

We met up with a blogger friend of mine, and her husband, who were at the gardens the same time we were. We meandered the peonies, found chairs on the lawn since all the outdoor tables were taken, and ordered a flight of wine to taste a couple of the many variety of wines they offer.

It was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a late spring, almost summer, afternoon.

It was hard to get a photo of this yellow peony, but the color was delicous.

These are a few photos of the vibrant peonies I took, but I want to share a link to an expanded blog about this Aspelund Winery, written by the friend with whom we were enjoying the wonderful afternoon in Aspelund. Check out Minnesota Prairie Roots and enjoy a great tour.

A New Deck

Twenty-seven years ago, in 1995, one year after we moved into our house in Northfield, we added a cedar deck in the back. Gary took good care of it over the years, but it finally started to deteriorate.

June 2022

We decided to replace the deck, and we decided to use composite material that does not need to be stained every other year. It should hold up well – perhaps for the next 27 years… 

Going…going…
Gone.

The deck will be a bit different. We had flower boxes built into our old deck, which I loved. Our contractor said he had not seen that design before…well, that’s because we designed it, and the carpenter, who build our deck back in 1995, built it how we designed it.

In summer I planted petunias in the flower boxes.
In winter I added evergreen boughs and lights in the flower boxes.

At our home in Burnsville, we also had flower boxes on the deck…so I’ve had flower boxes since 1980. I think I’ll miss them. 

On with the new…
We kept the pergola Gary and our son built years ago.
Looking good.

We enjoy our deck, and use it a lot. We have shade trees that help keep it shaded for much of the day…however, there are a few hours in mid-afternoon when there is full sun.

Finished. We like it!

We like the way the deck turned out… and the openness it offers that we didn’t have before.

A Serendipity

Last week we went on a picnic… Our financial advisor held a picnic outdoors under a tent in the parking lot. They handed out box lunches, and had a duo playing guitar and singing quietly in the background. It was nice. 

We were first to sit at our table. Then we were introduced to a local pastor and his wife who sat down across from us. As we chatted, the places where we grew up became a topic of conversation. They spoke first and they said Columbia Heights and Fridley. 

McKinley Street Northeast Minneapolis

I immediately responded I was familiar with that area because I grew up on 35th and McKinley… then Gordon, the pastor, said with much surprise, that he did too, until he was six years old! We discovered we lived four houses away from each other. He is four years older so I would have been two years old when his family moved away, but he did remember playing with my older brother and all the neighborhood boys his age. There were seven or eight of them!

He also said he remembered my mother, and her name, Ruby.

What a serendipitous moment. We were excited to discover this fact, and had fun reminiscing about that great neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis.

Later I asked my brother if he remembered Gordon, and he said yes… playing ball together.

Matchbooks

I’m slowly going through our “stuff” in an effort to declutter. My latest task is going through the antique Mason jars sitting on top of the kitchen cupboards. It was a nice place to display them…they were not tucked away in some cupboard, but were on display – yet out of the way. I decided to either put them to use, or get rid of them. 

The jars on top of the kitchen cupboard.

So one by one I am taking them down. As I pulled the first antique jar down – a blue Mason jar with a glass lid – I noticed I had matchbooks stored in it. At one time we collected matchbooks from different places. Businesses do not give away matchbooks with their logo anymore – but they used to, and the matchbooks were easy to collect. I do remember going through our matchbooks before, and keeping only a few special ones. I forgot that I kept these few in the Mason jar.

The matchbooks.

Here is a list of the matchbooks that I found in the jar, and where they came from:

The Old Spaghetti Factory: This was a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, and the place where Gary and I had our first date in 1976.  It closed in August 2019.

Mardi Gras: The cruise ship we took for our honeymoon, a Caribbean cruise in 1978. Along with the matchbook, there was a champagne cork in the Mason jar, also from the cruise. I remember our table-mates had a bottle of Bollinger Champagne they shared with us, and told us keep the cork. That was the first time I heard of Bollinger champagne…too bad the winery was not the same Bollinger family as the one I had just joined when I married Gary! HA

There were two different matchbooks from National Parks we had camped in: Zion, Bryce Canyon and the north rim of the Grand Canyon (we visited in July 1992) were together on one matchbook called The Sanctuaries. The other matchbook was from Glacier National Park (this must have been our 1989 visit). I would say these were our favorite national parks overall.

Boca Raton Resort and Club: This was the most luxurious resort Gary and I stayed at in Florida (February 1992).  It was for a work convention. We were with friends from work and enjoyed the beautiful accommodations, the lush landscape and grounds, the ocean and ocean views from our hotel balcony, and the service…o my. 

Hotel Uzwil: a hotel Gary stayed in several times when he took business trips to Switzerland. It was located in the village of Uzwil, east of Zurich.

One matchbook was from Cargill, the first company Gary worked for after he graduated from college.

Another had the Greek letters for the fraternity, Delta Theta Sigma, which Gary belonged to in college.

The Orion Room: I hardly remember this restaurant, but it was on the 50th floor of the IDS center. In 1972 the IDS center was built in downtown Minneapolis. In 1974 the restaurant opened. It is no longer there, but it was considered an excellent dining establishment in its day.

Good ‘n Plenty Family Style Eating: A family-style Pennsylvania Dutch restaurant in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, the area where Gary grew up in Pennsylvania. It was my first introduction to the Amish in his hometown.

These two jars now hold epsom salts in our bathroom.

Once again, it was fun to go down memory lane. Now, after writing about these matchbooks, perhaps I can use them up.  I wonder what I’ll find in the other jars on top of the cupboard?