September draws to a close

It was a beautiful day here in Minnesota which made for an opportunity to get out of the cabin! We headed down to Fort Ripley (south of Brainerd) where Charles hit the links at Eagle's Landing Golf Course while Belinda made the rounds of the shops in Brainerd. Charles' round of 91 was a real surprise given the windy conditions, the couple he played with, Jim and Judy (from Scottsdale, Arizona) made the round even more enjoyable.

The weather today remains cool, in the mid-50's, what a change from just a week ago!

The Sun is Shinning in Aitkin (MN) Today

After the blustery conditions in Aitkin yesterday, today's weather is a real treat. The clouds that were present this morning have given way to a picture-perfect day. After waking up to a chilly 38F, the temperature this afternoon is a pleasant 54F.

After emerging from the cabin in the woods, we made our way to the Angels Dancing Thirft Store in Aitkin and picked up some necessary clothing, namely, sweaters, coats and gloves! When we left Texas it was still over 100F!!! So, with some adjustments to our wardrobes, we are ready for at least the first weeks of autumn in Minnesota!

A blustery day in Minnesota

We woke up in the cabin this morning with rain falling, the trees swaying in the 20-25 mph wind, and the realization that autumn has really arrived in northern Minnesota! Today, the high temperature is only supposed to be 53F although the rain does seem to have ended.

We've changed our plans and rather than attend the National Storytelling Festival (in Tennessee) and then visit friends in Virginia, we're staying put and conserving resources for the time being. We are going to be going to Ohio next week to visit relatives of Charles (as well as seeing two of his nephews on the way back to Minnesota). We are sad to be missing out on the festival and even more so not to see our friends!

We'll be continuing the blog entries of course, so keep coming back to see what we're doing in the woods along the shore of Lake Linde!

Sunday Morning in Aitkin (MN)

The air was simply delicious this morning at the cabin on Lake Linde! Autumn may well have made its arrival with the high tomorrow expected to be only 53F!

We went to church at Aitkin United Methodist Church. Praise be to God for the fellowship of this community of faith!!!

Last Saturday in Minnesota (for awhile)!

What a gorgeous day in Minnesota! The wonderful rain that fell on the forest last night has given way to patchy clouds and very enjoyable temps this afternoon.

We decided to reluctantly leave the cabin location tomorrow, as we have a couple of stops to make on our way to the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. We going to visit some elderly relatives of Charles in northeastern Ohio and then stop in the Columbus, Ohio area to see a friends and an appointment with a clergy colleague.

Today is about getting ourselves ready: laundry, a visit with Judy and Leon and packing. Who knows where we'll be tomorrow evening! On our way to the laundrymat, we passed by the Aiktin United Methodist Church, where we noticed that the "Ark" for VBS had been transformed into a basket announcing next week's church bazaar. There sure are some clever people in the Atkin church!

A Hackensack (MN) Afternoon

Today we visited the village of Hackensack, site of the 2009 National Chainsaw Sculpting Invitational. This event is really amazing; the creativity on display is really remarkable.

Another reason to visit Hackensack is that it is the hometown of Paul Bunyan's sweetheart Lucett! We had visited here in April 2007 (on the way to Bemidji) when Birch Lake was frozen over! The weather today could not have been better.

We had a treat after lunch with a tour of Birch Lake by an organziation called "Let's Go Fishing With Seniors" , which seeks to take seniors out on some of Minnesota's wonderful lakes. We had a nice tour of this 1,300 acre lake on a pontoon boat and saw several Common Loons (Minnesota's state bird).

Peaceful Days in Minnesota!

With our sojourn in Minnesota drawing to a close, we are a enjoying the beauiful weather that is blanketing the state in the early days of autumn.

While Belinda enjoyed a restful day of reading and quiet in the woods of the cabin, Charles went forth and enjoyed a round of golf at the Fiddlestix Golf Course. The course is on the south side of Mille Lacs Lake (near the village of Isle). While it is not as challenging as some area courses in the area, it is still a very enjoyable place to spend an afternoon!

On the way back from golfing, Charles noticed a large storage area with dozens of ice houses. The tradition of ice fishing is very important here (Aitkin even has a world famous fishhouse parade each November)! Unfortunately, we don't expect to be here then, but it sounds like a LOT of fun!

A visit to the Church Basement Ladies

It was back to "The Cities" today, or more accurately, to the suburbs for us as we drove to Plymouth and the Plymouth Playhouse for a matinee performance of "Church Basement Ladies II: A Second Helping."

We had seen the original play, "The Church Basement Ladies" in Nashville two years ago and so were thrilled to see the second installment here in Minnesota! What energy! If you have the chance to see either of these productions or the newest installment due in November, "Away in the Basement," go!

A Lovely Day in Aitkin, Minnesota!

Praise be to God for such a lovely day here in Minnesota, where the leaves in the tall trees are turning such incredible colors... right before our eyes! What a wonderful place to be at this time of year!

This afternoon, Charles and Belinda visited the local The Beanery coffee shop, where they relaxed and surfed the internet. And Charles surprised Belinda with her very own headset, so she can listen to postings on the internet! Wow, what a great guy to spoil his lady so!

Praise be to God for loving, attentive husbands!

Great Bible Study Tonight!

Tonight, Belinda joined the ladies of the "Twisted Sisters Study Group" for a look at the book "The Red Tent." The members of this group attend church at the Aitkin and Pine Lake Chapel United Methodist Churches. It is a wonderful parish initiative! As the rope in a Celtic knot is intertwined or twisted together, these two churches in the parish gather monthly to discuss the latest "good read." Praise be to God for such faithful folks!!!

It's raining in Aitkin (MN)

The long-promised rain has arrived, albeit briefly, here in Aitkin. What a blessing it is to see the dust washed from the cars and to feel the freshness in the air!

After a bite to eat at the Birchwood Cafe, we ran a couple of errands here in town. Belinda headed to an auto parts store for a part for our Toyota Corolla, while Charles made a stop at Sew Much & More for a hoop for his cross-stitch project. Are we a modern couple, or what!

Sunday in Minnesota

It was a full day yesterday (so full that we didn't have energy to blog)! We went to church at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (ELCA) (across Lake Linde from the cabin) in the morning and enjoyed the worship with this lovely group of people.

After lunch at the cabin, it was off on a short road trip to Itasca State Park and the headwaters of the Mississippi River. We had made the trip to Lake Itasca in April 2007 when the lake was still frozen (see the blog entry of that visit here). Needless to say the weather was much more enjoyable this time! It is really fun to walk across the Mississippi River at its start, Belinda walked across the footbridge while Charles braved the rocks at the lake's edge!

After driving around the park, enjoying the sights which included a huge beaver lodge (didn't see any beavers though) and the largest white pine tree in the park, it was time for a leasuirly supper in the charming town of Walker, located along the shore of Leech Lake.

Monday is a "down day" for us, as we have more activities scheduled for this coming week!

United Methodist Women (UMW) District Gathering Today

Today Belinda travelled with four other ladies from the Aitkin United Methodist (UM) Church to the North Star District's UMW's Annual Meeting, which took place at the Wadena UM Church.

One hundred twenty people came together for this day-long gathering. We sang; we prayed; we laughed; we cried.

We studied. Workshops were offered on the following topics: (1) Giving Our Hearts Away: Human Trafficking, (2) Food & Faith, (3) Civil War - Food & Faith, and (4) Sudan.

The free-will donation basket for the morning's muffins and coffee/tea-time netted $197 for Emma Norton Services. And the meeting's offering netted $767.46.

We celebrated the myriad of ways that God's Holy Spirit moves amongst us and through us, challenging us to be the hands and feet of Christ in a broken world, desperate for the Good News of hope and redemption.

Praise be to God!!!

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Meanwhile... Charles spent the day enjoying the sights and sounds of nature at surrounding the cabin near Lake Linde. Praise be to God for quiet days to commune with nature and with God.

Quiet Days in Minnesota

Wednesday and Thursday have been quiet for us here in Minnesota; nothing extrordinary to report! On Wednesday, Charles got up very early for another trip to St. Cloud where he had some appointments at the VA center. After spending all day there, he was one tired puppy when he got back to the cabin! Belinda enjoyed the day alone reading more Danielle Steele novels and watching movies!

It was quiet today in the woods along the shore of Lake Linde. Belinda did go into Aiktin to pick up some more books and to have lunch with Leon and Judy.

See you tomorrow!

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be St. Cloud

Tuesday here in Minnesota is warm! We headed south to the big city of St. Cloud (west of The Cities) where Charles had an appointment at the VA facility. The folks there are very welcoming and we are fortunate to have gotten in on such short notice.

Since we were already in the vicinity, we headed just a few miles down the highway to visit St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict. We got to the chapel early enough to attend the mid-day prayers with the monks in the university modern chapel, such a special moment in the midst of one's busy day. St. John's University (a men's school) is the home of The Saint John's Bible which is a specially commissioned hand-copied/illustrated Bible. We had seen the Book of Kells (an ancient illustrated work) in Dublin a few years back and we are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit this beautiful 21st century example of calligraphy, illumination, and faith.

We had been assisted in finding the St. John's Bible exhibit by a nun from the sister school of St. John's, the College of St. Benedict (a women's college), who encouraged us to visit the chapel at the monastery if time permitted. This chapel is so beautiful and so simple in its conception that we can only imagine what worship in such a place must be like! The nuns also have a nice museum that chronicles their efforts in St. Joseph since the mid-1860's.

Monday, Monday

Taking it easy here in Aitkin, Minnesota today - a visit to the Angels Dance Thrift Store (in Aitkin) to resupply Belinda's reading material and then to the Aitkin Public Library for a check of the internet, then back to the cabin to read and relax. Last evening, Charles began sorting the thread for his first cross-stitch project in quite some time. More to follow!

A Warm Sunday in Minnesota

Even though the leaves have already started turning it still feels like summer! We attended worship at Aitkin United Methodist Church this morning. Our friend, Pastor Judy Clark-Hixon, preached on a passage from the Gospel according to Mark with the sermon: "Who do you say that I am?" It was wonderful to have the choir back, and the fellowship meal that followed was really great!

We have enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon, listening to the Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns football game on the radio (won by the Vikings, 34-20), and reading the newspapers. Hope your Sunday was a blessing too!