Snoopy on Grand

Being a Minnesota newbie imagine my delight when I kept seeing big Snoopy statues around St. Paul--each a little different in artist's style and theme, one from another. Turns out, since Charles Schultz was born in St. Paul, he produced 101 different statues in 2000 as part of Snoopy on Parade. This decidedly 'red' version of Snoopy atop his dog house sits on Grand Avenue in St. Paul and honors the late hometown U of M Coach Herb Brooks and his 1980 United States Men's Olympic Hockey Team. Remember, they won the Olympic gold in Lake Placid by first beating the Soviet Union team 4-3 & then Finland. It has become a tradition for us to watch Miracle, Disney's film about the event at least once a year so Dave can relive watching the final game on television.

Both sides of the doghouse lists names of the entire winning team.And then there's that whole Zamboni thing. . . More fun red at Mary's Meme, Ruby Tuesday.

a two story Skywatch Friday

This photo was taken on the morning after our first big snowstorm of the season. Through the buttermilk sky the sun lit up the snow. I had never seen a two story gazebo before I moved to Minnesota either.

Minnesota factoid: did you know that some people here flood their back yards in the winter so their kids can ice skate and play hockey in their own yard? Very cool!

See many more cool skies at Skywatch Friday.

'God save Elizabeth'

While the earth sleeps, a bit of the cheerful color red can be seen if one really pays attention. These are random shots in my home at Christmas, around the bend and on a small, local lake in my neighborhood. In the photo below, in the upper left corner you can see a small hockey rink with lawn chairs for the 'audience' that has been cleared on the lake.

Visit Mary the Teach's meme, Ruby Tuesday for more glimpses of red.

The rose is red, the leaves are green, God save Elizabeth, our noble queen. Anonymous
Lines written by a Westminster schoolboy in the margin of his copy of Julius Caesar. Quoted in P W Hasler (ed) The House of Commons,1558^1603 (vol.1), p.474.

ABC Wednesday from A to Z

The last letter of the English alphabet, Z brings us to the close of this round of ABC Wednesday, the brainchild of Mrs Nesbitt. It is also a tough letter for amateur photos to use but I do have some miniature zinnias growing on my 'slab' garden. . . and I would be sadly remiss if I didn't include this photo in honor of my favorite part of a hockey game, Zamboni-time. . . .after all, I am noniZamboni.

“There are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire and a Zamboni clearing the ice.”-- Charlie Brown

'We're all fools for something.'

Today dawned cold and windy, with scantily clad trees, snow flurries and heavy gray clouds. But never fear. I've luckily found a new place to walk when the weather is obnoxious--the Roseville Skating Center. This is an indoor hockey rink with a free walking track around it covered with a rubber surface so its easier on the ole' joints. One mile equals seven laps. Outside the building is The Oval. And little known bit of trivia: The OVAL is positioned in Roseville, MN at a latitude of 45 degrees 02' North, longitude 93 degrees 12' West elevation 906 MSL. Roseville is located half-way between the North Pole and the Equator, which puts me that much closer to Santa's workshop, don'tyathink? But the best part, besides getting a better workout because I don't stop to look at every wildflower or bird, is that I can watch local men's hockey teams play pickup practice games and I can usually catch a glimpse of my beloved Electric 552 Zamboni. Who can resist guys with helmets on skates hitting a tiny disk around on the ice with funny big sticks? So now I just have to be careful to not fall down into the bleachers.

What better to do on a cloudy day than play with my button collection instead of the vacuum. These are some magnets I've made using vintage buttons on a great old tray I found at Salvation Army for $1. I have been inspired to collect old buttons ever since I saw Karen's booth at the Taste of Shoreview this summer. If you want to see some really cool buttons and artwork, check out her site at The Junk in My Trunk.

“On fortune's

cap we are not the very button.”
William Shakespeare