Anticipation!

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Molly

Today my husband and I celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. To celebrate, we have treated ourselves to a B&B while on our Upper Mississippi River Cycling Tour, otherwise known as our 30th Anniversary Tour. In addition to looking forward to many more happy years on this “ride through life,” we anticipate many good things today:

Breakfast! Normally, a staple of our cycling trips has been to stop for a hearty breakfast after logging about 20 miles, but that hasn't panned out just yet. We can't miss today, it's right downstairs. I can almost smell the coffee brewing!
Flying with the wind. After battling fierce headwinds all the way down the river, we can't wait to turn North this morning and enjoy a tailwind. We should have a speedy ride today! It won't last, as we can already see a change to NW winds in the forecast, but we'll take it as an anniversary present today.
A bit of cooler weather. I love the sun and warm weather, but even I will appreciate temperatures below the 80s today. And my sun-ravaged arms and legs will be thankful for the clouds.
Camping. Yes, our anniversary night will be spent in a tiny tent it in a park somewhere. Dinner will likely be a picnic – whatever we can squeeze in with the rest of the gear on our bikes before leaving the nearest town. Marriage is an adventure, right?

For 30 years it's been a great ride. I anticipate many more together!

Rich and Molly (Note the wedding picture in the corner!)

Retirement Speed

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Molly

“So, what’d you do this morning?” It’s a new phrase that has cropped up in this recent phase of our lives. Two retirees at home, putzing around. (Oh man, does that make us sound old! We’re not.) We’re pretty independent types, so we can easily go about our own business, each following our individual agendas without being very cognizant of the other’s activities.

I’ve been at this a year already, but Rich is only two weeks into it. And being home together is definitely different. I’ve already figured out just how easy it is to fritter time away. And how I can still pack a lot into a day, if I want to. It all depends on the mood, the weather, the day, and my plans. Rich is still in awe of the idea that “there is always tomorrow.”

Being us, we can spend hours on bike rides, running, skiing and other outdoor activities. But it’s still hard to get over that feeling of needing to be productive. It doesn’t take much these days to meet that definition – balancing the checkbook, ordering something on Amazon, and baking cookies all qualify. It’s enough to say we’ve done something.

This morning I decided to fulfill my quota by doing some sewing. By 9:00am I had produced a laptop case – actually a “commission” project for a friend of Karen’s who admired the denim iPad case I made for her. So in exchange for a Caribou gift card, I made another slightly larger model. Once on a roll, I moved on to making a case for my iPad photo connectors. Talk about a frivolous project! But designing and completing it was rewarding. And useful.

I’m not sure what Rich achieved this morning. But I’d say I accomplished a lot! Now it’s time for that bike ride.

Happy Trails

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Molly

Happy trails to you, at Honeywell you’re through,
Happy trails to you, bid Honeywell adieu.
Who cares about the work if you’re retired?
No more will you get calls that keep you wired!
Happy trails to you, Honeywell adieu!

Picture about a dozen folks gathered in D’Amico and Sons, our favorite restaurant, singing lustily to the old Roy Rogers tune. My husband, Rich, is the one riding off into the sunset. It was the evening of his last day of work, heading into retirement after over 28 years with the company. Surrounded by family and a few close friends, he had a broad grin on his face.

It was a fitting celebration, with old memories, silly gifts, roasts and toasts. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to write a “little poem,” my favorite way to deliver a tribute. Okay, so it was 132 lines long. But there was a lot to cover in 28 years. Rich trotted out some memorabilia of his own, including his performance appraisals from 12 years ago. The kids got a kick out of reading the sections on “where you can improve.”

Our daughter, Karen, came through with her cake-decorating prowess. This time it was literally a “trail” cake, with a winding path around the outside of the cake, and a toy bike for Rich to ride away. Not only was it pretty, but it tasted delicious – spice cake with raspberry filling. Mmmm. After much admiration, it was rapidly consumed. I was so glad I had delegated that job to her!

With the festivities over, we are now entering a new era – retirement together. For now that will include plenty of time on the trails. With two long distance bike trips totaling 2,500 total miles, we have plenty to keep us occupied. One is our Upper Mississippi River Tour, coming up in just over two weeks. The other is the what Rich is calling his “long belated college graduation trip” in the Maritime provinces of Canada. That’s the biggie, at about 2,000 miles over two months later in the summer. Happy Trails indeed!

Upper Mississippi River Cycing Tour – one month countdown

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Molly

It didn’t seem like a stretch at all. Planning a cycling tour for mid-May left plenty of time for training beforehand. Or so we thought. After all, by this time last year I had already logged over 500 miles on my bike, and I was a novice to boot. But we didn’t figure in the fickle behavior of Mother Nature. Last year was an incredibly early spring. This year is the winter that won’t quit. Indeed, as I write, snow is steadily falling outside and is likely to accumulate enough to make this the snowiest April in Duluth. Ever.

It’s not like we can delay the trip. The timing of this Tour was very deliberate. It was intended to commemorate our 30th wedding anniversary. Most people might plan a romantic getaway for the occasion. But we’ve never exactly been mainstream… we’ll be spending the night of our anniversary in a tent! We will have other nights to spend in comparative splendor, as we sprinkled in a few modest motels along the route. And we have a proper celebration awaiting us at the finish. Our tour ends at the home of our daughter and son-in-law, who will be hosting a family BBQ in honor of our anniversary upon our arrival.

There is little chance that the purpose of our trip will escape any casual observers who happen to see us cycling by. Rich takes great pride in designing eye-catching custom jerseys for our trips. The shirts speak for themselves.

So exactly one month from today we will push off and start cycling. We may be training en route, if this winter keeps up. But I’m not worried. With a winter of steady cross-country skiing to keep us fit and our previous Trans-Superior Cycling Tour under our belts for experience, I’m confident that we will manage just fine. After all, we’ve weathered 30 years together. What’s another week on bicycles?

Visiting Daloof

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Molly

As we neared the top of Thompson Hill, my daughter, Karen, announced to her children, “We’re almost to Duluth!” Even at the tender age of almost-three, Ben knew what that meant. He looked out the window of the car as the harbor came into view, and said, “Oh, Daloof! There is the big bridge!” I have no idea which bridge he was looking at – Bong, Blatnick or Aerial. It didn’t matter, his perspective brought them all into focus for me, as I enjoyed each of them with new appreciation. And over the next few days during their visit, I would see all the sights through his eyes.

No visit is complete without a trip to Brighton Beach. Most kids probably think a beach means sand. Not Ben. He loves the rocks there, and rearranges them each time we go. This trip, the ice prevent us from throwing the rocks into the water. No matter, throwing them onto ice worked just as well.

Lake Superior was never far from our sight. Like any good Duluthian, Ben could appreciate the Big Lake. When asked what lake that was, his response was “Blue.” Ben and I definitely agree on that one.

Hard as we tried, we could not make it to Canal Park when a boat was coming through the bridge. Such is the reality of life with toddlers. Someone was always napping or eating when the boats were due to arrive. But we went anyway. We walked along the pier under the bridge, thinking Ben would enjoy seeing the cars go overhead. He was less amused than we were, but the puddles were to his liking.

Karen and I slipped out for a run along the Lakewalk one morning, leaving Grandpa in charge of the kids. We happened to catch the now-famous black bear sleepily meandering beyond his hibernation spot in the culvert. We brought the kids back later in the day to see Mr. Bear. He was lazily resting in the sun, but even that was a bit threatening to Ben. He was right – that was a wild animal there, just beyond a meager fence. He had a healthier attitude toward the bear than most of the gawking adults gathered there.

I’m looking forward to Ben’s next visit to Daloof. I can think of lots more sights I’d like him to show me.

Capital Delights

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Molly

Washington DC. I’ve lived there for a summer as a young intern, visited as a tourist multiple times, and traveled there on business trips. It’s a place that never ceases to be fun and interesting. This visit orchestrated by my son, Carl, who now lives and works there, was no exception.

The calendar said it was springtime, the brilliant sunshine was very convincing and became increasingly warm over the weekend. It just wasn’t quite enough to entice the cherry blossoms into full bloom. But we still circled the Tidal Basin with the other blossom seekers, enjoying the spectacle and snapping photos of the same few trees with the most blooms. Since we hadn’t counted on catching them at their peak, seeing any at all was gravy. And there were plenty of other flowering trees and flowers around town to feed our yearning for spring color.

I love how DC is so walkable. On our circuit around the Tidal Basin we took in the surrounding memorials, including the new Martin Luther King Memorial. From there it was a natural to continue on to the reflecting pool and the sights that surround it. It was a day on which it was easy to linger and savor the flavor of the monuments.

It was inevitable that we would eventually end up on the Mall. Who can resist visiting a few of the Smithsonian Museums, wandering through the sculpture gardens, and just taking in all the activity? And I’ll even admit to lying on the grass in the warm afternoon sun, resting after a long day of walking. It felt sooo good.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Carl’s personal piece of DC. Visiting his workplace, walking his daily commute together, eating at a few of his regular spots, staying at his apartment and getting to know the eclectic neighborhood where he lives was a treat for this Mom. I even began to recognize the telltale colorful buildings when we approached his street.

From there it was only a short distance to the National Zoological Park, which we easily covered on bicycle and spent a relaxed afternoon meandering outside among the zoo’s exhibits, enjoying the animals and laughing at their antics.

Our final day was actually an escape from DC. We drove up to Shenandoah National Park and followed Skyline Drive. By nature, it is a leisurely drive on the twisty, winding road with abundant overlooks. We stopped frequently to admire the view, and went on two hikes. The best part was reaching the rocky outcroppings that afforded sweeping views of the valleys below and distant ridgelines. Despite the fact that spring was far behind and we crossed patches of snow on the trail, we relished being outdoors and active. Oh yes, and the sunshine. It was the perfect finale to our weekend together.

I can’t imagine a more delightful way to do DC. Thank you, Carl!

One-on-One Time

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Molly

There was nothing special about the Christmas gift. Sitting under the tree wrapped in holiday paper, it bore no clue to its contents. Even when opened, the true nature of the gift was not immediately apparent – what would I want with a model airplane? It was only when I read the enclosed note that its true nature was revealed – I was going to Washington DC!

This was my Christmas and birthday gift from our middle child, Carl. I was to spend a weekend with him in DC where he now lives and works, all planned, arranged and paid by Carl. Suddenly, that little airplane meant a whole lot to me – I could not imagine a more thoughtful and personal gift.

Fast forward three months. Tickets have been purchased, instructions issued for taking the train into DC, and weather forecasts consulted. We chose early April hoping that spring would have arrived, and on the outside chance that we would catch the cherry blossoms at their peak. In contrast to Minnesota’s prolonged winter, the 60-degree temperatures in DC look springy to me, and the current Official National Park Service Prediction for peak cherry blossoms is April 3-6. Since I’m due to be there April 5-7, I’d say we nailed it!

But beyond the sights, the museums, the monuments and the cherry blossoms is the opportunity to spend a weekend with my son. What a blessing, to have adult children that I enjoy spending time with, and visa versa. That one-on-one time is priceless.

See you tomorrow, Carl!

Sharing the Outdoors

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Molly

If you’ve read anything on my blog, you’ve figured out that I love the outdoors. And winter. So I’ve been eager for my grandkids to reach an age when they too can come out and share some outdoor activities with me. Who would have guessed that in late March we’d have better snow than the previous two Christmases? Finally, I had my opportunity. With a yard full of deep snow, mild temperatures and the grandkids visiting for the weekend, I laid my plans.

Friends lent me some mini snowshoes, and I couldn’t wait to try them out with Ben. He thought they were pretty cool when we strapped them on. And standing on top of the snow with them he was all grins. Walking, however, turned out to be another matter. Ben’s snowshoes kept trampling on each other. How to explain to a toddler that he has to walk with his legs spread far apart? Clearly I wasn’t quite getting my point across. Not wanting to put him off, we scratched that mission for the time being. We’ll give it another try later.

On to the sliding hill! By this time Mya was bundled into her snowsuit. At a year old she’s already more adventurous than her cautious brother. She rather enjoyed her plunge down the hill with her dad. Ben and I followed, but it turns out my sled driving was a bit wild – fast, wobbly and snow in the face were not Ben’s idea of a good time. Fortunately, his daddy was able to navigate a more sedate ride down the hill, and Ben never noticed that each successive trip down got faster and longer. I guess I need to tone down my enthusiasm a bit to better match the tastes of a toddler.

I haven’t given up yet. But I guess I’d better hold off getting those kiddie cross-country skies for a while.

This takes the cake

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Molly

I’ve been outdone. But I loved it! It’s clear that my daughter has inherited many of my traits, including my perfectionist tendencies. We are both extremely organized, creators of lists extraordinaire, highly energetic and productive, and love coffee. So it should not surprise me that she took my themed birthday cake tradition to another level.

For our granddaughter’s first birthday, Karen decided on a rainbow theme. We arrived at the family party to find streamers, birthday banner, and hats in all colors of the rainbow. I knew she’d spent all week preparing the cake – each night after teaching school she ticked off one more step in completing the cake. And the night before the big birthday, I was informed not to expect any email responses as she would be “offline” decorating the cake.

So it was with great anticipation that I sought my first glimpse of the cake. True to form, it was artfully decorated. A classic layer cake with pristine decorator frosting, it was adorned with a rainbow made up of M&Ms – very colorful and of course, perfect. We were also informed that it was 100% from scratch. Yes, very impressive.

We admired it all evening, through dinner, opening presents, and blowing out the single candle. It seemed a shame to cut into it. Little did we know that was the denouement! The pretty outside was merely window dressing for the rainbow of colors inside. Cutting through the frosting exposed no less than six layers, each a vivid and different color, naturally arrayed in rainbow order.

The ooohs and aaaahs were audible, and there was a tangible aura of awe throughout the room. Karen beamed in response, the kudos well deserved. Her piece de resistance was a smash hit.

Mya, the birthday girl, may not have entirely appreciated the aesthetics, but she did enjoy the sweet flavors. And she wore it well.

I admit to stabs of nostalgia, as my own family members have gravitated away from cake in favor of other favorite desserts on their birthdays. I haven’t made a theme cake in a long time. But if I do, I’ll know where to get help.

Brueggers Mornings

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Molly

When my kids were little, a new Bruegger’s Bagel shop opened near our house. It soon became a ritual for me to take my kids there for breakfast once a week before school. At first I’d take Erik, our youngest, to Brueggers after dropping off the others at the bus stop on my day off. How well I remember the day we discovered his brother’s lunch box still in the car, and made a mad dash to the next bus stop to deliver it to him!

As time went on and school schedules changed, the other kids were able to join us. Even when I went back to work full-time, we still managed to get to Brueggers. I loved our special time together in the early morning, over a simple breakfast of bagels and cream cheese. The staff knew us, and I invested in a Brueggers mug to get “refill” discounts on my coffee. We were regulars.

High school was a challenge for Karen and Carl, with a 7:30 start time. I’ll admit that they fell off during those years. What high schooler wanted to get up earlier than that? But Erik persisted – he wisely chose a different high school with a later start. So we kept up the tradition. College clearly intervened for all of them, but during breaks we’d still head off to Brueggers.

Erik is now working his first job, living in our Twin Cities townhouse. When we’re there, he is still willing to get up extra early periodically to have bagels with his mom. I feel so very honored! These days the staff do a double-take when they see my mug. It’s clearly vintage by now. But I’m proud of it and my tradition.

And on to the new generation. My grandson, Ben, is old enough for bagels now, so when we spend days together while his mom and dad are at work, guess where we head first? He too loves his Brueggers Mornings.

Superior Footprints

Life and the Outdoors in the Northland

Tag Archives: Family

Anticipation!

Retirement Speed

Happy Trails

Upper Mississippi River Cycing Tour – one month countdown

Visiting Daloof

Capital Delights

One-on-One Time

Sharing the Outdoors

This takes the cake

Brueggers Mornings

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