After a “brown” Christmas with many Minnesotans grumbling about the lack of white, we awoke to a 6-inch snow on Saturday morning. The landscape was once again white and clean. I was wandering around the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota and found these bicycles and “Free Air.” The snow had piled up precariously on top of the handlebars, tires, and bicycle seats – almost like frosting on a cake. The colors of the bikes and the chains added a bright contrast to the white and brown scenery all around. With the forecast of colder temperatures I doubt this snow will be melting anytime soon.
cityscape
This week of Christmas
Amidst the hustle and bustle of this week of Christmas, I wish for everyone the quiet moments to remember the family and friends that contribute to our lives, the events both small and grand that make us the people we are, and the love and caring that’s exemplified by the celebration of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
A quick trip to New York City
We’ve just returned from a quick weekend trip to New York City, my first time in the Big Apple. So much to see and do, as well as to revel in the atmosphere and festivities of the Christmas holidays. Thanks to the experience and knowledge of our family guide, we covered much ground and got a true taste of the different boroughs and much of what makes the city so unique. The architecture of the city amazed me with its blend of new and old, so often within the very same block. Our trip included a stop at the 9/11 Memorial – a reflective and moving tribute to those that died at the site. The new One World Trade Center Building rises above in a fitting tribute, and on this late afternoon, it soared into the sky reflecting the blue and the surrounding clouds.
A tale of two ball parks
We celebrated summer this week with baseball – three nights of it, to be exact. The Twin Cities was host to the US tradition of the MLB All Star Game and Home Run Derby. Target Field sits in downtown Minneapolis, with the skyline looming beyond the outfield. The stands were filled with Minnesotans and baseball fans from across the country, totaling over 41,000 people. The setting was festive, the fans were all in great spirits, the players were enjoying the traditions, and the baseball was memorable. The following night we took in a Minnesota tradition – a town ball game in Miesville. Jack Ruhr stadium sits off a county road with the beauty of a mid-western sunset over the cornfields as its backdrop. The Miesville Mudhens played well, but were not a match for the Austin Greyhounds on this night. The crowd of about 100 locals enjoyed both the evening and the baseball. Two contrasts – each with their own sense of grandeur and traditions.
Minnesota State Capitol Building at night
We recently took a special starlight tour of the Minnesota State Capitol Building, one of the most majestic and beautiful buildings in Saint Paul. Designed in the late 1890’s by Cass Gilbert and opened to the public in January, 1905, the building towers over the city. The exterior is made of white marble and granite, and the unsupported marble dome is the second largest in the world. At the center of the first floor, under the massive dome, is a brass and glass star representing the North Star State. We toured the chambers of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court, and we climbed to the roof and the base of the capitol dome to see the golden sculpture that’s called the Quadriga. Titled “The Progress of the State” it is a chariot drawn by four horses representing the powers of nature: earth, wind, fire, and water. At night the statues, which are covered with gold leaf, glow with the warmth of the lights illuminating them. From this high vantage point we could see the Cathedral of St. Paul which is down the boulevard from the Capitol, we could see the lights of the High Bridge spanning the Mississippi River, and we could look across the western sky to the downtown skyline of Minneapolis. It was the perfect late summer night to take in the beauty of this wonderful building and its surroundings.
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