North House

I want to talk about a place that I love. I think we all have these hidden gems close to home that we just love to visit. My favorite place on Earth is Grand Marais, Minnesota. It's nicknamed the Cape Cod of Minnesota. It's a quaint, part artist colony part rustic, village that sits on the shore of Lake Superior.

I've written about this village before, but I've never really talked about one place there that I admire so much, there. And that's the North House Folk School. On a trip there many years ago, I spoke with some people who were just getting the school up and running. Their idea? To have a place where some of the dying arts could be taught to keep them from disappearing altogether. Things such as knitting, artisan bread baking, boat building, snowshoe making, tool making, woodworking, fiber arts, make your own clothes, and outdoor ecology. They asked if I'd be interested in supporting it, so I did. For years, I was a supporting member of this fine institution.

Sadly, I've never been able to attend a class there. I intend to, when my life becomes more of my own again. Or maybe when I actually just set down, pick a class, and mark it permanently on my calendar. I wonder why I've waited for so long. I'm so interested in so many of the things they teach.

I've vowed that I'm going to do more for me, this should definitely be on the list. Actually, I think I'd like to do something with my whole family. I think we'd all benefit. Young One would love a lot of the classes.

This organization has flourished. It's an absolutely amazing place, with amazing people, and yes I'll say it again, amazing classes.

Are there places like this in your community?