Treehuggers and waterfalls

This photo is for our ATV friends, the Dust Eaters.
We went to church last Sunday in Ashland WI where there are miles and miles of ATV trails; but our ATV is in McCall, ID. Probably a good thing.

 Gooseberry Falls State Park. This park is not far from Duluth along the North Shore of Lake
Superior.  (Just past the candy store.)

                               

 This is the Split Rock lighthouse on the North Shore, about an hour north of Duluth.   One of the most beautiful lighthouses on Lake Superior.  And there are a lot of lighthouses on Lake Superior.  Terrible storms and lots of shipping so they need lots of lighthouses.  So far we have visited two.

And here is where we study every morning.  We get dressed in our missionary clothes and I sit on one couch and Ron sits on the other.  We used to study at the desk but the couches are more comfortable.  

So we don't go sightseeing ALL the time.  This week we went to help at the Food bank on two afternoons. And held our stake's first seminary and institute in-service meeting.

 On Friday we went to St Paul to the temple.  Then Saturday we went to seminary/institute training and then Ron went back to the temple to help with the Carlton Branch baptismal session.  I brought some names for sealings for some of my ancestors. 

I have a friend (yes, I do have a friend besides Ron) and she lives in an old established part of town and the city has decided to cut down the big trees that shade the houses so nicely.  She and some of her neighbors have put clothing on the trees, as if a person was tree hugging and pleading with the city to keep the trees.  It is pretty cute.
 

Fun in Minnesota

 Our friend from Naperville (and a cruising friend), Bryan Pugh, was in Minneapolis on business and drove up on Tuesday to see us in Duluth. He is also a past running buddy and was the friend who ran the Duluth marathon with Ron several years ago.  Ron has always called it the "tad more" marathon, because Bryan kept asking Ron if he could do just a tad more speed.  Bryan is from Wales where people say "tad."  Ron took advantage of having a "friend" in town and off they went for a mountain bike adventure.  It was sponsored by a biking shop so the bikes (expensive ones) were provided and also a guide and snacks.  They had a wonderful time!  The guide was really good;  taking them on trails that would be thrilling but wouldn't kill or maim them.

      

You  might be wondering what I was doing while they were biking?? I finished this quilt top and I was almost as happy as them and certainly not as sweaty.  Pretty much perfect day when Bryan took us out to eat.

      We went to help with the food bank again and the food was different but the volunteers were the same.  I had an interesting discussion with the woman I worked  with checking in the people.  She felt comfortable enough to ask me many questions about our mission and also about the church.  I hope we talk again next week.

On Saturday night we went to  dinner with a couple who have been taught the  lessons by the missionary couple who was here three years ago.  They did not get baptized but they love going to dinner with the senior missionaries.  They are about our age and live in Duluth except for the 3 months in the winter when they move to Mexico.  They know quite a bit about the Church and a lot about our assignment.  Pretty interesting to explore what they know about the gospel and what they think.  She said, "I don't know why I love being with the missionaries.  I don't know what that says about me."  I answered, "I think it says you should get baptized."  

Outside of a sporting goods store we saw these displays.  We can identify the kayaks-in all colors and sizes.   Land of 10,000 lakes, you know. We can identify the duck blinds.  But we are not at all sure what the three little houses are for.  They each have a big heater on the end. Do you think they are for ice fishing?  Or a place to wait for the bus?  Do you think they are saunas?  Or maybe the three little pigs?   

       Minnesota is very entertaining!

Squash and bikes

We volunteered to hand out produce for the Northern Lakes food bank. I don't know the process for  obtaining the produce (probably donated) or how the people got vouchers but I do know we kept trying to talk them into taking more and more because there was a lot of produce!. This is the first time for the produce pick up in this area and no one knew if very many would come. But it was in the same neighborhood where the people lived instead of at the food bank building so much handier for the people who came. There was squash, onions, cucumbers, plums, watermelon, strawberries, and green beans.  I saw two very memorable things: a man came twice driving a white car.  The first time he picked up food for himself and his sister.  Pretty soon he was back driving his cousin. Meanwhile we were helping to pack up produce for a woman and her daughter who had walked from their apartment.  There was no way they could carry all their food all the way back. . But they started off and then I noticed the man in the white car stopping to offer her ride.



My other memorable thing is when Ron would challenge a 6 or 7 year old to see if they were strong enough to carry a watermelon!  This resulted in big smiles! This happened quite a few times.  So cute.  People were so grateful and even though. I only donated my time, it was really satisfying.

On Saturday we drove up North to a place called Hibbing (where Greyhound Bus Lines started) and where there is a great bike trail called the Mesabi Trail and an organized bike ride. Ron has been riding quite a bit and thought he was up for 33 miles on this trail, and he was! It was  perfect weather and he enjoyed meeting new people .  Meanwhile, I went to three quilt shops in the area. I enjoyed meeting quilters and new fabrics.  The Minnesota shop hop has 70 shops divided into areas and I planned to complete one area.  The distances were longer than they looked on the map, so I did only three shops.  I felt like I spent the whole day driving through the forest!  But I do know someone who was going on a bus and was going to visit all 70 of the shops! I can't believe that I don't have any pictures to post!  It was very fun and yes, I bought fabric!  I finished in time to pick up Ron at the finish line.


We stayed Saturday night in Grand Rapids, MN so we could  attend the branch yesterday.   Ron had talked to the clerk at the motel when checking in about his name tag and serving a mission.  He later marked  a Book of. Mormon and gave it to him.. On Sunday he told the Elders to go see him.  Real missionary work!
Every morning we study together for an hour and since the course for Seminary is Doctrine and Covenants/Church History that is what we are studying. I have felt the Spirit so many times as we study together.  It has gotten to be my favorite time of the day.

Yes, he wore his name tag.

I knew that going on a mission blesses the lives of the missionaries and their family.  I had some expectations about the blessings. Instead, the a Lord sends blessings that are His own idea. You would think I'd have learned this by my age!


One day we got a check in the mail, news of a donation to our mission and  a refund.  All in one day! And the next day we got a big package!

Life is good in Duluth! (they should put that on their license plates)

What the heck?

I have run into several things here in Minnesota that I don't understand:

1. Like, what is this? .We saw this in Two Harbors and it is huge!  and there were two more of these in that

harbor. We were lucky enough to find a sign to explain it to us.  It is an ore loader.  A train is driven on the top and lined up with the hoppers.  Then the ore is dumped into the hoppers and later emptied into a ship to go to Gary, Indiana, most likely.

2. Question: should we get a canoe or a kayak for the top of our car?  We asked a guy in our ward and he said that it's just an accessory any way.  Get either one you like how it looks.

 

3. Is this winter time equipment, as in skiing?  Or is it for summer,as in  mountain biking?

Then we saw this and this. at a city park.  When you don't have real mountains to ski on, at least make it handy.

4. One day while riding my bike, I over heard this conversation: "All the bears were at our plum tree last night."  How many bears is that exactly?

5. We use a street called Central Entrance to get to Pecan and then Upham where we live.  What is this an entrance to? Is there a West Entrance and an East Entrance somewhere?

6. The question here is: Where is Grey and when is he going to sing his song?

Elders and hiking and bears. Oh my!

On Friday we went to meet a former Duluth Ward Bishop and his wife.  They live in an old neighborhood with large houses on the hill and views of the lake. They have done a lot of restoration on their house built in the 1900's.  He told us that there is a lot of old money in Duluth, money made from timber and mining. 

They are the Young Single Adult advisers in the Duluth ward.  Every Sunday they invite the YSA over for an activity at their house.  Sometimes it is a speaker, sometimes games, sometimes they watch a hockey game on TV and sometimes a Church broadcast.  His calling is in addition to YSA is high priest group leader and her calling in the RS presidency. They are converts who joined many years ago when they were young marrieds. She grew up in a Catholic family. She said that she always wondered what about the "heavens being closed".  She felt something was missing., even as a young girl.  But this Sunday, instead of attending the Duluth ward, they are going to a priory in Wisconsin where her sister is celebrating her 50th year as a nun.  She is the prioress there.  Interesting contrast and similarities in the lives of these 2 sisters.  He said they had been there for other celebrations and one time he was seated at a table with all the Catholic Bishops, which turned out to be okay because he was a Mormon bishop.

I admire the elders who live below us.  They are always busy doing their assignments.  Their car is hardly ever home.  They are always smiling and are not afraid to talk to anyone.  We asked them to help us move a heavy TV stand since we had been to yard sales and got a replacement for our crappy, rickety one. They came right over and moved in the new stand.  Then Ron told them he was going to break up the old one because it was falling apart anyway.  They had the great idea of tossing it over the balcony.  Great success!  Both tossing and destroying!  Very satisfying. We asked them for ideas on what we should add to our schedule as volunteer assignments and they had some good ideas.  This was Saturday when they had helped to move a family in the morning and were moving another family in the afternoon.  And Friday they had dinner with a member family and when they asked if there was anything they could do for them, were shown a pile of tile that needed moving.  About 6000 pounds!   They are such good young men.

hursday we went exploring Tischer creek.  There are lots of creeks that run down the hills and into the lake. The city has not done any improvements, just left them. So it almost feels like you're in the wilderness.  Our hike started near the lake and went up.  So we had read an article about hiking Tischer creek and made that our plan. We started out on a trail and it went up and up along side lots and lots of waterfalls.  Very beautiful. 

After hiking awhile, I turned back to sit down and rest my sore legs while Ron went on.  I returned to the truck which was parked in a regular neighborhood of houses and was reading when I looked up and saw a bear cross the street right in front of me.  My mouth actually fell open!  Then I jumped out of the truck to get some pictures.  By then several motorists stopped to take pictures also.  A homeowner opened his door to come out but we told him to stay inside because there was a bear on his patio. He was a little startled.  The bear just kept walking, paying no attention to any of the people gawking at him, except when he sat down on the patio.  Eventually he worked his way down into the creek canyon and we don't know who else he may have surprised.  Pretty amazing personal bear experience.  He was huge!  Apparently many good garbage cans in his life.

Last Sunday we went to visit the Askov branch (a branch is smaller than a ward) about 30 minutes south of Duluth.  Askov was settled by Danish people.  We are visiting a different ward each Sunday to meet bishops, seminary teachers and youth. Not many members in that branch but they were sure happy to see new people, even on a temporary basis.  I'm pretty sure I got introduced to every single person there.  It seemed like everyone we met was related to someone else.  "This is my mom."  " He is my dad."  "The branch president (like a bishop) is my brother."  I would like to live there.  Really.

  Today we went 2 hours south to visit North Branch (city) which is a ward, not a branch. Such wonderful, friendly people.  We met a current seminary teacher. A young guy with 4 little kids who were so dang cute, I wanted to hug, them and bring them home.  He teaches in his home and he is obviously really busy.  Another teacher teaches an online class of students who are so far out in the country, coming to a class before school would never work.  I am so impressed with the teachers I have met so far.  They have busy lives but believe in the  importance of seminary and make big sacrifices to be able to teach.

I don't know if you can read this menu but I wanted you all to know where you can get some interesting food you are not offered each and everyday.  I am interested myself to try to fried pickles and Walleye tacos, fried cheese curds and also smelt (no hint of how it is served) and crunchy crawfish! 

Elder Ron's turn

Usually Ron says, "blah, blah, blah.  What she said".  Hence the title of the blog.  But he is going to write this week. 

Were are getting to know a bit about Duluth.  We've found the "Lakewalk" a path along the north shore of Lake Superior.  When it is not raining it is a very pleasant and beatiful walk or bike ride (See picture of the shore line from the path).

 Also on the shoreline are a bunch of really nice homes or estates.  One "Glensheen", built in the early 1900's has been restored and open for tours.  On Wednesday evening we went to a outdoor concert there and watched the kayaks on the lake as we listen to the concert.  See the "selfie" picture we took there.

A city landmark that has become its logo is the "Ariel Lift Bridge", the roadway portion is lifted when the sailboats or the ore boats need to go under.  It you get caught on one side or the other when the bridge is up you've been "bridged".  As in: "Sorry, I'm late for work. I got bridged."  The bridge carries cars and pedestrians to Park Point which is a long sandbar on which nice houses are built and sailboats are docked.  And you can go to the beach but the water never gets very warm for swimming.

I got an email this week from my Boise High Priest's Group Leader who asked it I'd had a spiritual experience.  My answer:  Well yes, like, a bunch of them.  

How about, today the missionaries in the zone singing "The Armies of Helaman" song as a thank you to the sisters who provided lunch (including one non-member, a Lutheran she explained.   And these sisters traveled two hours each way to provide lunch for the missionaries).  Or spiritual confirmation that the new mission president, President Forbes, is in the calling he suppose to be in - my job is to support him.  And hearing the stake president say that he doesn't lead the stake, the Holy Ghost does.  Or, a conversation about the gospel at the gas station with another customer who saw my name badge.  Or, seminary teachers getting impatient for seminary to start again - they miss it.   And the constant confirmation in the Missionary Training Center that what I was being taught is true; and being taught how and what to teach by really good seminary teachers at the MTC and in Minneapolis.  Or the huge missionary choir at the MTC devotional singing.  Or daily prayer with my companion.  Or a new stake seminary coordinator who is overwhelmed but excited and willing all at the same time.  And a mother of 10, a convert, who lives 30 miles from the church, who has raised her children in the gospel.  Or the spirit of the priesthood brethren who traveled over 4 hours to attend a stake general priesthood meeting on a Sunday afternoon.  Or me, anxious to wear my missionary name tag, hoping it will prompt a gospel inquiry.  And daily study of the seminary manuals and the spiritual learning I get.  And seeing two dozen Elders and Sister (junior) missionaries in the zone trying their very best to do what they are called to do. Or a really good family history discussion with my  daughter-in-law.   And the list goes on.  And a part of it is that I am getting better at recognizing that the Holy Ghost is all around all the time -- I just need to pay attention. 

Elder Stratton

Brookfield trip

We went to Brookfield IL on Monday arriving in terrible thunder storms that spawned a few tornadoes but luckily not in our direction. We enjoyed our visit with Scott and Jessica. They just keep working on their house to make it better and better.  We saw a new metal fence in the front and an amazing brick patio in the back.

Here are some things we did: bike riding on the Salt Creek Trail, sewing with Mary Ellen, genealogy with Jessica, cards with Scott, watching the Bagster (huge garbage bag) get loaded with a crane, petting cats, going to the dentist, eating Chicago pizza, barbecuing steak on the new patio, listening to the neighbors set off their fireworks!  A wonderful feeling to be in Chicago again.

 And just for fun we will share the Norwegian Computer Terms that ve learned somewhere in Visconsin.