We have arrived safely home from our 4,690 miles road trip, through eleven states in southeastern US. We saw a lot of beauty in nature, and beauty in the many friends and family we were able to visit. We are grateful all went well, and we had a great time!
There have been unusual weather patterns all across the country. It was warm here in Minnesota during February, with little snow fall. And it was cooler than normal in the southeast, where we were.
February 26, 2024 in Iowa.
In Iowa Monday night, February 26, it was 72* and we ate dinner outside on a restaurant patio.
February 28, 2024 in Minnesota.
But our welcome home present was a cold snap. As we drove closer to Northfield the next day, the temperature kept dropping. When we arrived home we unloaded our car in 25* temperatures. It also started snowing. Sigh. We woke up to 5*!
It is predicted to remain cold for one day and then the temperatures will start climbing back up again. What a roller coaster. I wonder what kind of weather March will bring?
Urness Recital Hall on the St. Olaf College campus is a wonderful venue all year long, but it is especially cozy this time of year with its intimate setting and attractive lighting.
The light shining through the windows of Urness Hall, lighting up a dark space.
We bundled up and went out into the cold night for a 7:00 performance at Urness Hall, knowing it didn’t take long to get to campus, it would be easy to park, it would be a free concert with a reasonable time commitment, and we’d hear some exceptional music.
Along one wall in Urness Hall is floor to ceiling windows. Sound boards help create fine acoustics.
The venue was maybe half full with students and community members. We sat on an aisle, behind a St. Olaf conductor of a different ensemble, who was in the audience. I’m sure she couldn’t help herself…she was covertly conducting the performance from her seat. She was fun to watch.
The performers warming up on stage.
There were three musical scores on the program. The first two were composed by Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750, a German composer, and they both included the harpsichord. The third piece was composed by Pyotr Lylich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), a Russian composer.
The program for this concert.
Apparently during the 16th-18th centuries, the harpsichord became an important European instrument, which may be why Bach’s compositions included the harpsichord.
The harpsichord and music score, on stage, ready to be played.
I don’t know the history of St. Olaf’s harpsichord, but I overheard this was the first time it was played in Urness Recital Hall. James E. Bobb, the conductor of a choral ensemble at St. Olaf, and an organ/harpsichord professor, played the harpsichord during the performance.
St. Olaf’s harpsichord, moved to the side after the first two pieces were finished (the top was removed before I was able to take a picture.)
The third piece by Tchaikosky was performed by 21 students from the St. Olaf orchestra. They were student-lead by the first chair violin (or viola), and included four string instruments: violin, viola, cello and bass cello. It was a lively, spirited performance. The students really do put a lot into their playing. Not only is it wonderful to hear them play, it’s fun to watch them play.
The 21 orchestra members playing beautiful music.
And so, an hour and 15 minutes later, we were putting our jackets back on and heading home, glad that we took the time to venture out for some high-quality music, being uplifted on this dark, cold January evening.
Not only are the outside temperatures below freezing, but they are belowzero degrees Fahrenheit…with wind chills about -27 degrees, according to Alexa.
Looking out on our back yard from our living room window.
So what does one do in these subzero temperatures?
It would be a great time to go through the closets, or files, or piles of paper on desks…or to clean out the kitchen cupboards, or do some deep cleaning in the basement…
Did I do any of those?
Nope…
On this gray, cloudy, bitterly cold day we stayed inside. I turned on the oven and made some peanut butter cookies (using my mom’s recipe),
It’s been a long time since I made peanut butter cookies.
then curled up by the fireplace and read all afternoon.
Ah, the warmth of a fireplace…
And it was good.
Now, what will the coming week bring…it is supposed to be below zero all week…
We took a CPR class this week. It was offered at the senior center in Northfield. Although I hope to never have to use what we learned, it’s good to be refreshed on what to do, just in case. Our instructor was engaging and knowledgeable and the three hours went by quickly. We were able to practice on a mannequin to get the feel of just how much pressure you need to use when applying compressions. Little green lights lit up when you were doing it right. These features were not in place years ago…many years ago…when I last took a CPR class.
The electronic sign off the street, near Jefferson Avenue.
The senior center in Northfield, called FiftyNorth, is a vibrant one. There are numerous activities and classes to choose from, and many members.
The monthly newsletter for FiftyNorth.
The smell of coffee brewing and popcorn popping in the lobby is alluring. A jig saw puzzle on the table by the window was inviting, people were chatting in the lobby while sitting on comfortable sofas and chairs, a receptionist was there ready to greet you and answer questions. There are rotating art exhibits by local artists on the walls. I’m glad to be a member of this senior center, although I could make much more use of the facilities – I was more active prior to Covid.
The parking lot is usually full at this busy senior center.
After our CPR class, as we were walking out, we noticed Little Frida Café & Taco Shop, a small café in the dining room of FiftyNorth. It has limited hours – only open for breakfast and lunch, on weekdays, serving authentic Mexican fare. I had always wanted to try it, so we took this opportunity to order the lunch special. It was tasty! And so reasonable. Another hidden gem in Northfield.
The sign near the entrance of FiftyNorth.
I did have to get used the senior center’s name change to FiftyNorth a couple years ago, but now I like it and think it’s catchy, and a good fit.
The grandkids have gone home and the Christmas decorations and beautiful Christmas tree have been taken down, and it feels too quiet in the house.
A brochure with a map was at one entrance to the trail.
The trail along Heath Creek.
Nature always offers healing energy and is good for the soul, so we have done some hiking to help move on and to take advantage of this mild December/January weather (and no ice).
Heath Creek.
Over the past few days, we have hiked at Big Woods Nerstrand State Park, walked the Dundas Trail and on paved paths in the north section of town, and hiked in the lower Carleton arb with the Faribo Flyers bike club. There is a lot of evidence of beaver activity along the river in the lower arb…well over 50 trees taken down.
Swirls of white snow and ice make pretty pattern on Heath Creek.
We also hiked on a trail in the St. Olaf College Natural lands. There is a well-defined, wooded trail that meanders along Heath Creek, and it is a hidden gem. The winter landscape is pretty for this time of year; there is light snow and ice forming patterns around the rocks in the creek, the forest floor is full of brown oak leaves. The water is flowing strong and you can hear the sound of the babbling brook as you walk along side it.
Six tree trunks growing out of one.
There are many mature oak trees on the trail, and some with unusual characteristics that is noticeable without its foliage. One has a branch growing straight out from the trunk, another tree has six sturdy trunks coming from one lone trunk. A very huge oak tree has fallen over the river…the enormous root system upended on one side of the creek, the trunk laying across the creek, and the upper part of the tree with its large branches on the other side of the creek…it almost could be a bridge across. (I couldn’t capture it on photo).
This oak tree has a branch growing out at a perpendicular level.
We had hiked this trail before, maybe a year ago, but now that we’ve rediscovered it, I think we will be hiking it more often.
I didn’t recognize this reddish tree. My app told me it was a red cedar.
It’s nice to have so many green spaces (natural spaces – as they are not so green in the winter) to access within such a short distance of Northfield. Each hike this week was enjoyable in its own way, and rejuvenating.
The St. Olaf College campus is a beautiful place to walk. It has lots of sidewalks, mature trees and magnificent buildings to look at. I took a walk up there last week, planning to stop in at a holiday open house in the newly renovated (well, two years ago now) Steensland Hall.
The neoclassical Revival-style Steensland Hall.
Steensland Library (now Hall) was built on St. Olaf Campus in 1902. It was the third building to be built on campus. Old Main was the first in 1877, then the Ytterboe Dorm (originally called Men’s Dormitory) was built in 1901. Ytterboe was torn down to make room for the student center, Buntrock Commons, which opened in 1999. Both Old Main and the Steensland Hall are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Main, the first building built on St. Olaf campus – built in 1877.
Steensland Hall, a smaller, quaint, Neoclassical Revival-style building was built close to Old Main. It began as a library then morphed into several purposes over the years, after a new, larger library was built. Then, the Steensland library sat vacant from 2001 until its renovation in 2021.
An old card catalog sits in the lower level. It has the original library cards in it, but is no longer used.
It was renovated to house the Hong Kirekegaard Library…the largest collection of books (outside of Denmark) by and about the Danish philosopher Søren Kirekegaard. Scholars come to St. Olaf to do their research here, since the books cannot be checked out. The lower level provides cubicles for visiting scholars.
The entry-level of Steensland Hall.
When I walked through the door, I was greeted by a former acquaintance from when I worked up on the hill. Her first words were, “There’s a blast from the past.” I smiled, and she took me on a tour.
Upstairs, which is the entry level, there are a couple of offices, many bookshelves, and a big round oak table in the middle, welcoming people to come and sit a spell, and enjoy the charming and inviting space.
A stain-glass dome in Steenland Hall.
The building has lots of windows, so it’s very light and bright inside. There is a beautiful glass dome in the ceiling which was damaged in the infamous 2006 hailstorm, but the restorer was able to find the original glass provider and acquire more glass to repair the dome.
The classroom in the lower level of Steensland Hall.
Of course, the building is now all up to code. There is an elevator, and a handicap assessable bathroom on the lower level, in addition to the work area cubicles, a classroom, and a small kitchen.
Student workers put together this creative tree from books, for the holiday open house.
I was glad to finally have a chance to go inside and see this small, little building that has so much character.
I’m reading a historical fiction novel, The Magnificent lives of Marjorie Merriweather Post(1887-1973). She was an American businesswomen, socialite, and philanthropist. She was the only child of C. W. Post who invented Grape Nuts cereal (in 1897) and Postum, a supposedly healthy, decaffeinated hot-powdered drink, intended to replace coffee (in 1895). Postum Cereal Company (now Post Consumer Brands, shortened to Post) was the original name of her father’s company, located in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Marjorie grew up. After his death, Marjorie inherited the company at age 27. For much of her life, Marjorie was known as the wealthiest woman in the United States.
Fast forward 125 years and Post bought out Northfield’s beloved Malt-O-Meal cereal company. Although Grape Nuts is still made, it is not made in the Northfield plant. (But the hot Malt-O-Meal cereal still is.)
In later years, Marjorie bought smaller food companies and combined them into one business called General Foods. It’s an interesting read.
We have these two antiques: an Instant Postum tin (5″tall), and a Malt-O-Meal sample box (3″tall)
As I was reading, I remembered my mother use to make a quick bread using Grape Nuts. They are hard, nutty kernels, but tasty. I decided I wanted to make that bread again. I remembered I liked it, especially toasted. I could not find my mom’s hand-written recipe in my collection, so I looked online and found a different recipe for a quick bread made with Grape Nuts. I made one loaf. It turned out OK, but it was not as good as I remembered my mom’s to be.
A loaf of Grape Nuts bread using a recipe off the internet.
I reached out to my brother and he found my mom’s Grape Nuts bread recipe in their recipe box. So, I made her recipe and it was yummy. I’ve included the recipe below.
Two mini-loaves of Grape Nuts bread, using my mother’s recipe.
Now, I have to decide if I want to try Postum. 😉
**********
Ruby’s Grape Nuts Bread Recipe
1 Cup Grape Nuts
2 Cups Buttermilk
1 ½ Cup Sugar (originally 2 cups sugar...I reduced it)
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda in 2 tsp. warm water
4 Cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
Soak grape nuts in buttermilk for 15 minutes.
Add sugar, eggs, soda and salt.
Stir in flour and baking powder.
Put in greased loaf pans and let stand 10 minutes.
2 large pans or 4 mini loaf pans.
Bake 350* for 1 hour for larger loaves.
Bake 350* for 30-35 minutes for mini loaves
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On these glorious mornings, Gary and I are walking on trails we’ve recently re-discovered.
A sliver of a sea of yellow.
We park outside the Oaklawn Cemetery and pass through the gate to Carleton College’s Cowling Arboretum…the upper arb. (The lower arb has nice trails too…it goes along the Cannon River and through the woods. The entry point is at a different section of campus.)
From the entrance we use for the upper arb, you can choose to go to the right or left. The right leads down to the prairie, the left takes you through an heavily wooded area of oak trees, and all the trails connect.
The beautiful landscape with amber tips of prairie grass and golden rod…
A posted sign offers information on how the different sports have worked-out on the upper arb over the years.
An interesting and informative sign about the upper arb and sports activities.
Carleton’s cross-country teams (men’s began in 1938 – women’s in 1970), practice on the trails and hold track meets. In the early 1990’s, Runner’s Magazine voted the upper arb the best place in Minnesota to run.
Purple prairie wildflowers…
Carleton College started grooming the trails for cross-country skiing in 1978, and continues to open the trails to all skiers. We have skied and snow-shoed in the upper-arb during winter.
Juniper trees were abundantly full of berries.
I enjoyed learning that in the 1930’s there was a Saddle Club, and horse and riders were permitted to jaunt on the trails. An equestrian center was also built on the upper arb, but was shut down in 1964. It would be fun to ride horseback on the trails, although it is no longer permitted.
This photo added for fun…this is Abigail, one of the animals I help care for once in a while (not at the arb).
We have done a bit of walking on the trails in the upper arb in previous years, but not during this time of year when the prairie is in bloom. It is so pretty!
Intersecting trails.
It feels like we’ve discovered a whole new trail. We pass very few folks out on our morning hike. We have the trails mostly to ourselves.
The striated lines on this boulder stood out.
A beautifully, landscaped boulder rest area.
The sun shines on our path. The sky is blue. It is so peaceful.
A beautifully mowed path, with Carleton College’s water tower in the background.
We’re grateful Carleton Colleges maintains the trails, and opens them up to the public.
Northfield’s beloved popcorn wagon has been in Northfield since 1979. It sits on Bridge Square every summer and is run by 27 “kernels” (volunteers) who make popcorn and sell it. I recently attended a history talk about the popcorn wagon by Susan Hvistendahl, at FiftyNorth, Northfield’s Senior Center.
Northfield’s Popcorn Wagon.
The popcorn wagon was built in 1918 at C. Cretors & Company in Wood Dale, IL. C. Cretors & Co. is a five-generation family-run business that is still in business today. They have a museum in Wood Dale, IL, which would be fun to see. The popcorn wagons were first introduced at Chicago’s World’s fair in 1893, along with many famous inventions that year: the Ferris Wheel, and Cracker Jack’s, even Hershey Chocolate had its beginnings at that fair.
The presentation room at FiftyNorth.
Northfield’s popcorn wagon is a Model C and there are fewer than 22 remaining. The Model C’s were “designed for success”, and advertised to be “an ornament to any town”. Indeed, Northfield’s popcorn wagon is a town icon.
Northfield’s Tosty Rosty, needs some repair work.
Initially there was a doll figure called Tosty Rosty, that manually turned the tumbler inside the wagon, making the popcorn pop, of course. Northfield’s Tosty Rosty has stopped working, but there are hopes it will be revived.
In May 1979 Vera Johansen bought the wagon and started the business of making popcorn. Apparently she became known as the unofficial hostess of Northfield. It is told that at one time ducks came up from the river to eat dropped popcorn. I wonder if that still happens? Another time, a fan was purchased to blow the aroma of freshly popped popcorn out into the air, drawing people to come purchase the delicious treat.
Iconic popcorn bags signs.
In 1988 Vera Johansen sold the popcorn wagon to the Sherwin family. It became available again in 1994, and Northfield collected contributions for its senior citizens to buy the wagon. It was brought up to code and returned to Bridge Square in May 1995, when the Senior Center volunteers took over the care of the wagon. Believe it or not, this little popcorn wagon is a money maker for our FiftyNorth Senior Center.
Recently a new door, new window frames and window panes, and interior shelving have been restored to the wagon. Currently there is a fundraiser to raise enough money to finish renovating the outside by stripping, sandblasting and repainting it, and adding new wheels. (Originally it was horse-drawn.) The goal is $50,000. They have raised $5,000, and a family foundation recently gave a generous gift of $25,000.
Everyone’s enjoying the song “Buttered Popcorn”.
At the end of Susan’s talk, a singing duo and a guitarist sang a lively rendition called “Buttered Popcorn.” It was a delightful evening at FiftyNorth.
