Thunderstorms in February

I heard the slight rumble of thunder just a moment ago. It's February in Minnesota. Anyone still not believe in global warming? It's alive and well here in the North land.

We now have opossums in Minnesota. It used to be too cold here for them, but they're here and they're gross and I wish they would just go back home. A couple of weeks ago, my husband called frantically from our upstairs bedroom. He was either hurt or wanted a pat on the back for making the bed. I was not interested. I put on my patient mom face (you know the one), and I went to take a look.

What I found was my husband staring out our bedroom window into our neighbor's back yard. "Don't be the creepy Peeping Tom of the neighborhood," I said, hoping that I wasn't going to be privy to a neighbor bending over revealing something nobody ought to see.

Nope. D pointed out the window. The biggest, nastiest looking opossum was eating beneath their bird feeder. It was huge. It wasn't the typical opossum that we usually see, lying feet in the air by the side of the road. This one was all freakish with it's long claws and weird masked face. I was repulsed, yet had to watch it.

Our neighbor had written in her Christmas letter about how they had a funny squirrel and rabbit fighting under her bird feeder. I think I might have to talk to her.

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?