Thursday, January 21, 2016

Really Random Thursday, 1/21/16: The Mostly Minnesota Edition

I'm sure I have mentioned before that I married someone from Minnesota, as did my favorite cousin, Cathy. Also, Terry and Cathy have built a beautiful cabin in northern Minnesota.
They just returned from spending the holidays at the cabin (with lots of snow and super low temperatures).
Photo courtesy of Cathy Oberg
They brought back a few gifts.
Mark would agree that Minnesota is indeed God's country. They also included a hand made magnet in the shape of the state and some wild rice that we are anxious to try.

The Trader Joe's bag they brought back from Minnesota certainly has embraced the state as well. In case you need a lesson in local jargon, here you go.
Casseroles are always called hot dish.
Make sure to take note of this.
Paul Bunyon's boot.
And Babe, the Blue Ox
The bottom of the bag
I think most people who know anything about the state realize that it is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but here is a little lake trivia. Apparently there are 11,842 lakes. And it's hard to find unique names for that many lakes. While the numbers vary from website to website, there are approximately 201 Mud Lakes, 154 Long Lakes, and 123 Rice Lakes. 

While I was cleaning out a box a few weeks ago, I found this button. I took the picture on top of our Minnesota kitchen apron. With a name as long as Winnibigoshish, I can see why some of the lakes have much shorter names.
But Mark and Terry would undoubtedly both agree with the button. 

I found this on a super cool Instagram account, and have forwarded the picture to Mark's brother, who lives in St. Paul (keeping with the Minnesota theme this week) and is a cyclist. I'm sure he has the needed parts to make this lamp for me. I hope so, because I have just the spot for it. 
I love to see our son at work (he makes it on this Minnesota post because his father was born in Minnesota--works for me...). Here he is checking the eyes of the son of good friends--and showing him what the inside of his eye looks like. So proud of him, not only at how he excels in his profession, but more importantly the high priority of his family and friends.
Photo courtesy of Jane Isaac

And lastly, this. I have only one response: you betcha!!
What has your week been like?

15 comments:

05 08
Mary on Lake Pulaski said... #

Ah....Minnesota! It is the best!

Rachel said... #

Minnesota, almost as good as Wisconsin!

lindaroo said... #

That lamp! Gotta have it!

Needled Mom said... #

The only thing I am missing in the post is it being read with the MN accent. My in-laws were both born and raised in Stillwater.

Linda said... #

Sure hope your other cousins don't read your blog (re: "favorite cousin, Cathy"). Really enjoyed the trivia about MN. I'm from Oklahoma, and we also called it "pop". :) How will you use the wild rice?

Bonnie said... #

I knew about Hot Dish and Pop, eh? Ok, so I've been through Minnesota a few times on treks from the west coast to the UP. Of course, since we moved to the right coast Minnesota doesn't figure prominently in our trips anymore. Sigh.

Jayne said... #

Nothing like the beauty of Minnesota in the winter! You'll love the wild rice...I wish I had some on had now!

PamKittyMorning said... #

I love Minnesota. Would totally move there if they had a little bit better weather. So much to do there, so much to see, so green. Love it.

Doris said... #

Ha--Frank would agree with every one of those MN sentiments as well! He always referred to home as God's Country, and I haven't had wild rice in three years... about time I do.

Nicole said... #

http://jezebel.com/frozen-pants-is-a-chill-trend-in-minnesota-1754235110

You forgot this in your rhapsodies about Minnesota!

Lucy | Charm About You said... #

ahh the last one made me laugh!! Minnesota sounds like a wonderful place and that snowy cabin looks amazing!

Anonymous said... #

My week was good. On Saturday, my "baby" (32yrs old)got married to a terrific young man, who already calls me "mom" 8-), and they are on their honeymoon in Hawaii. My youngest son (40 yrs old) had his other hip replacement on the same day and is already feeling better and able to walk with hardly any pain. Also, his legs are the same length again, since the surgery on the other leg was done in August. That was a horrible time! I've signed up for the "Splendid Sampler", so keep your fingers crossed for me, plus I have to get busy on the wedding quilt for the kids. I hope it doesn't take me as long as it did you to finish yours....lol. I told them I'd have it done on an anniversary which I "hoped" to be their first! Other than that, nothing much else is going on....

I've heard that in the Dakotas and Minnesota, "Bars" are the 5th food group!

xo Linda

FlourishingPalms said... #

Your random posts are always fun and interesting. I think I can safely say that I completely understand everything you wrote about Minnesota, as Iowa is another, slightly less distinguished version of Minnesota. And boy! Haven't I met a lot of Minnesotans living here in The Villages, Florida! Seems the weather chases them away. :-)

Anne / Springleaf Studios said... #

Ya sure you betcha. One of my best friends is from Mahnomen.

OPQuilt said... #

Guess I'd better get myself up there more often--my son lived in MN for a while and it was always fun to see him. . . in the summer!