An Easy-going Monday at the Lake

With busy Sunday behind us and a busy week ahead, we decided to "lay low" this morning and enjoy the solitude of the scene at Lake Linde. We've enjoyed hearing the variety of birds both on the lake and in the woods, seeing deer, a flock of wild turkeys and catching glimpses of autumn color peeking through the trees.

Saturday Evening/Sunday Morning

Lake Linde

Pine Lake Chapel UMC

Charles & Judy

Enjoying some computer time

Saturday evening was a real treat for us. We met Judy and Leon at their house in town for supper and were joined by Judy's sister, Susan and her husband, Alan (a retired UM pastor).

After supper, it was down the street to the high school where a benefit concert was going to be held. We really enjoyed the musical offerings of Katie McMahon ("The Voice of Riverdance") and her band, accompanied by a local Irish dance troupe. Everyone had a wonderful evening, and it was for a good cause.

This morning, Charles preached for Judy's two churches, Pine Lake Chapel UMC and Aitkin UMC. It was a bit chilly first thing this morning, still in the mid-40s when we left for church. However, the warmth of the fellowship and worship was just what we needed!

Friday evening/Saturday morning

Yesterday evening at the Aitkin United Methodist Church, a reception was held for Ed Dallas, a bicycle rider who was raising awareness for an eccumenical ministry called "Mobile Ministry." This effort reaches those in isolated communities in Minnesota and is led by Pastor Ruth (who leads two UM churches along the Canadian border). Ed stopped in Aitkin after a day's ride of more than eighty-nine miles (in a strong wind all day long) and shared with an appreciative group the need to reach out to people where they are, when they need someone from a faith community.

This morning, we visited the Westside Community Church (in Aitkin) which was having a church-wide rummage sale. We got some delicous looking bars and a jar of home-made applesauce!

 

Then it was just down the street to the Jaques Art Center for their opening of "What's So Funny?" a show about cartoons and animation: Very funny stuff!

It is a beautiful day here in Minnesota, 55F when we got up, very civilized!!! The leaves are starting to show the first hint of autumn, which is a most welcome sight for us after the heat of west Texas earlier this summer!

It's Minnesota State Fair Time!

Thursday was a big day for us as we journied south to "The Cities" and the 2009 edition of the Minnesota State Fair! We arrived about mid-day and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the opening day of the fair.

Among the tastes we sampled were fried cheese curds, "pork chop-on-a-stick" and the good cooking available at the Salem Lutheran Church "cafe," where Belinda enjoyed the Swedish meatballs and Charles had the "Swedish egg coffee."

We got to take in a bit of the competition at the horse jumping arena and the last bit of the lumber jack's log rolling competition. What fun! The only ride we attempted was the "sky lift," which was plenty high enough for Belinda!!!

There was so much to see: The animals, the wonderful exhibts in the 4-H building, and of course, all of the produce and flowers in the horticulture building. The produce competition included the prize for the largest pumpkin which went to giant weighing in at 1,186 lbs.!!! In the "Eco Building," we enjoyed seeing the cars of the future and Belinda tried out the coffee grinder that used peddle power!

There was so much to see; we could have stayed all day and all night!

Wednesday in and around Aitkin, MN

We spent last night at the cabin on Lake Linde. It was so quiet! This morning, the sunlight streaming through the forest was so beautiful; it really is a special place.

First up this morning was the weekly breakfast/Bible study held by Pastor Judy at the Birchwood Cafe. We joined a lovely bunch, sharing some thoughts on Acts, chapter 7. Charles then met up wth Judy in her office to go over the coming Sunday's service (when Charles will be preaching). This will be the first time in two months to preach; he is very excited to be back in front of a congregation again!

We then decided to go for a short drive, visiting Crosby, Ironton and Brainerd. We stopped and visited folk in two UMC's: Cascade UMC (between Crosby and Deerwood) and Park UMC (in Brainerd). There is something nice about seeing other churches and meeting the fellow pilgrims of our connection! We really liked an idea we saw at Cascade UMC: "The perpetual cookie jar." This is a big jar of cookies in the fellowship hall that is kept stocked by the congregation as an on-going act of fellowship. It is filled with home-made goodness!!!

Tonight, it is supper with Judy and Leon at the parsonage in town!

A Bright and Sunny Tuesday!

What a beautiful day here in Aitkin! Charles decided to take advantage of the great weather and hit the links at Cayuna Country Club (outside of Deerwood). The course is nicely laid out and was a bargain at only $30! The weather couldn't have been better, at 70F it was ideal golfing weather. Belinda took advantage of the quiet to get some rest!

In the afternoon, friends Judy and Leon (and pup, "Oreo") made their return from their camping vacation. We got caught up on their adventures and got a tour of their camper and then joined them at the American Legion hall in Aitkin for the Legion's weekly burger dinner.

Judy and Belinda then made their way to the church for the weekly ladies study group, "Twisted Sisters." The ladies from Aitkin UMC & Pine Lake UMC come together weekly to study and fellowship, right now they are studying "The Shack."

On the Road in Minnesota...

Deciding to enjoy the continuing beautiful weather that is being experienced in Minnesota, we ventured out from Aitkin this morning with no set agenda or expectations.

We eventually made our way to Grand Rapids, just over 50 miles north of Aitkin. As we arrived, we discovered that this town was also the hometown of Francis Ethel Gumm, known to the world as Judy Garland! We had a very enjoyable visit to the Judy Garland Museum, located in the family home.

We explored a bit more of Grand Rapids, exploring the Old Central School (converted into shops and a museum) and having lunch at a local eatery, The Forest Lake Restaurant (located next to Forest Lake!). We then headed back to Aitkin by way of Crosby, home to several dozen antique/resale shops.

It was a lovely day in Minnesota, we hope you had a lovely day too, wherever you are!

Sabbath's Rest in Aitkin

The pleasant summer weather continued today in northern Minnesota with cloudless skies and very warm (for Minnesota) temps of 75F!

We decided to visit the First Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Aitkin this morning (at 9:30!) and enjoyed the fellowship of that community very much. The liturgy was more formal that we remembered from other Lutheran churches. The musicians were wonderful, a flutist and a violinist accompianied the pianist which brought a real depth and warmth to the modern-looking sanctuary.

We decided to favor the Birchwood Cafe` downtown for brunch and then came back to the parsonage for a restful afternoon. About four o'clock we decided that the day was simply too nice to stay indoors and went for an hour-long walk about the town. A nice place to visit and a very walkable community. And what a great playground they have -- for children of all ages!

Saturday at the Cabin

It was a work-day at Linde Lake for Charles and Belinda, taking advantage of near-perfect weather to complete the task of staining the deck at Judy and Leon's lakeside abode, "The Loony Bin." It felt good to get the chore completed; although, we are both a tad sore from all the effort that was needed! We figured it took us about 23 man-hours to get the job done. Yee-haw! Throughout the day, we could hear various calls of the Minnesota state bird, the Common Loon. It was really cool!

A quiet night is in store for the parsonage cats... and for us too!

The Sun is Shinning in Minnesota!

With a long-awaited break in the weather arriving this morning, it was time to venture outside and see some stuff! We went in the morning to St. James Catholic Church in Aitkin to take in the first day of their two-day sale. Lots of interesting things to look over. We bought a couple of books including a biography of Teresa of Ávila (for Charles) and a collectible spoon (for Belinda); it was fun! Charles took advantage of the beautiful weather by playing a round of golf near Brainerd at The Classic (Golf) Course (on Gull Lake). It was a perfect day to play this higly rated and challenging course. Charles ended up playing a round with a couple who had driven up from "The City" (Minneapolis). Belinda enjoyed the peace and quiet of the house, with Judy and Leon's cats (Precious & Jewells) to keep her company.

And the Rain Keeps Falling

The projected rain has continued to fall in the Aitkin area today: A light drizzle that makes the streets gleam, without the inconven-ience of stronger storms (such as the one that hit the Twin Cities yesterday).

We are "laying low" today, enjoying the quality time with each other and with the two parsonage cats, Precious (the "Momma") and Jewells (the "Baby").

The rain is supposed to pass through the area by noon tomorrow... and then, well, who knows what we'll be doing!

Tonight however, we did take advantage of a break in the weather to drive to the big town to our south, Brainerd, where we had a delightful meal at the Sawmill Inn. After that, it was to the movies where we saw "Julie/Julia." A fun movie!

A Rainy Wednesday in Aitkin

Wednesday's weather is in stark contrast to Tuesday's, with a steady rain falling all day. That didn't stop us from getting out and seeing a bit more of this lovely town.

First up was the Jaques Art Center, just across the street from the Aitkin United Methodist Church. This small fine arts center is named after famed wildlife artist Francis Lee Jaques who once lived in the area. A juried art show was on display, and the creativity of art emerging from Minnesota artists is amazing.

We looked around downtown, perusing the wares for sale by the local merchants. For a small town (under 2,000 pop.), Aitkin sure has a lot going on! We then took in the Aitkin County Historical Society's two museums: the Depot Museum (housed in the former train depot) and the adjacent Log Museum. The docent who showed us around had a first-hand knowledge of many of the items on display and was a treasure-trove of information on the area.

We really enjoyed our lunch at the Birchwood Cafe in the downtown area: Friendly folks and delicious food!

With rain in the forecast for the next few days, it looks to be a time to burrow and rest before the next wave of busyness!