Field Trip

I had visitors on Wednesday through Friday this week, my niece, her friend and my little sister,Beth. The first picture is the two girls doing mosaic on my picnic table with the outdoor cat, Celia. Beth bought a large box of souvenir plates from the Twice is Nice store in Lake Mills. The girls broke them up with a hammer in the garage and then were glueing the pieces together. Each of the girls painted a lion on a rock with acrylic paint. They did that two years ago when Olivia had visited Iowa before. St. Paul has got to be aqut a different culture than my little town.
We went on a fieldtrip to Mason City and I showed them around. The next photos are from the various places I took them, the MacNider Art Museum and Music Man Square where you see the sculpture of Meridith Wilson (who I found out wrote the Iowa Fight Song...We are going to fight, fight fight for Iowa....). Inside Music Man Square there is an ice cream fountain so we had some ice cream. It is fun to see your community through the eyes of a visitor.

Sigs Band

I am a member of three bands as hard as it seems. My musical career has really taken off as of late. I have been a member of the North Iowa Band of NIACC. This is probably my greatest clarinet achievement. Also, I participate in the Forest City Community Band on Sunday nights in the park. But my most interesting participation is with Sigs Band. The band is named after Sig who conducted the band for the Forest City centennial. It has remained a small band that performs for community activities.

Here is a picture of the band setting up at the Thompson Fair. This is Sunday. The day before we participated at Lake Mills for the parade, in the park after the parade and at the ice cream social at the Victorian House for July Jubalee. The day before that we performed in the park for Dusey Days in Gardner,IA. This weekend it is Puckerbrush parade and concert in the park at Forest City, Iowa. In the evening, I will perform with the Forest City Community band for pre- fireworks. In the photo, you can see Frank in the back row, my husband.
Oh, the tractor was just very nice. It caused much attention and I thought it was well done. Love the color. Wish it was mine.

So, where is your creative space?

I read somewhere to photograph your creative space. Which I did. But, I had the discussion within my mind
1) should I alter the area, clean it up a bit, make it look so presentable?
2) should I leave it unaltered which goes to show how the creative mind works?
3) will I be embarassed to put out over the world what my private creative world looks like?
4) should I care?
Anyway, here is the unaltered result. I may neat it up a bit and repost at a later time.

Colored Wool Naturally

Here is a photo at Ironworld, MN that includes a hank (?) on wool that has been dyed with turmeric. That is a type of spice. I have a shank or hank of wool in the basement and a drop spindle (I will put that picture in next) and I plan to take them to Ely, MN at the end of the month for the sister, neices, friends of one sister with her children, (and Mom and Dad) R and R. It sounds like a knitting, sewing, drop spindling, quilting, writing, reading extravaganza sitting by a lake, enjoying the fresh air and digging my toes in the sand.

The Iron Range

I am going to blog my blog. I am very busy with this workshop and I hink you get the drift by looking at the Minnesota Humanities blogsite. I will write and add more when I return from Minnesota on Friday. Check out the website.


http://minnesotahumanities.blogspot.com/

Ely Minnesota and the wilderness

Frank and I left Lake Mills for St Paul, Minnesota this morning at 6:15. Got to Macalester College by 8:30 to board the bus with about 40 teachers throughout the United States. We ended up in the back of the bus. Our first stop was Duluth at Canal Park (where they just had Granny's Marathon yesterday)to eat (Little Angie's Canteena) and pick up a few more people. Then we went to Two Harbors to view the lighthouse and the harbor where boats were being loaded with ore. It poured rain there and we were stranded in the gift shop for a little while.on Back on the bus we viewed Minnesota history on a DVD. We had the experience of see a mother moose and her calf run across the road and into the woods. We ended up at Ely where we are staying at the Grand Ely Lodge. After eating and introducing ourselves to each other, we had a bomfire down by the lake, listened to the loons and learned more about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I was going to put up some pictures but they will not upload so I will enter them tomorrow. Maybe I will have better luck.

Minnesota Bound

Tomorrow, Frank and I are heading to the Iron Range in Minnesota through a Minnesota Humanities Center Grant. I hope to upload some pictures and comments daily as we progress though the week. That is the optimistic idea of the moment.

I enclosed some pictures. First is a photo of my planter with the white petunias. I added a bird sculpture to it for interest.

Finally, I am uploading a picture of the outdoor cat, Celia. Speaking of pets, My Dad and Mom's pet dog, Lady, that they have had for many years passed away yesterday. It was also the summer solstice and a full moon. And, by the way...my Dad is doing fine after his bike fall. He is out of commission for a short while. It will be hard to keep him inactive for any length of time.