So grab your winter coat, cap and mittens and slip on your boots, unless, of course, you live in a warm weather state unlike Minnesota.
Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
The Inn opens in historic building at Shattuck-St. Mary’s December 17, 2014
An arch frames Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minnesota. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
FOR SOME FORTY YEARS the oldest building on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a prestigious private college prep school on Faribault’s east side, stood empty.
YESTERDAY: The original part of this building was constructed in 1871 as the library for Seabury Divinity School. When the divinity school relocated, the building was sold to Shattuck School and a small wing was added to the east. The building became Phelps Cottage, serving as a boys’ dormitory. Photo courtesy of Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.
TODAY: The Inn at Shattuck St. Mary’s, a conference/retreat center, banquet/reception facility and hotel, opened on Friday.
But, on Friday, the stunning stone and stuccoed building, with a section dating back to 1871 and edging a wooded ravine, opened to the public as The Inn at Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
The front desk and lobby present an inviting welcome.
Saturday afternoon I toured The Inn during the school’s annual Campus Christmas Walk and spoke briefly with David Connelly (former manager of an Owatonna restaurant), who’s genuinely excited to take on the challenge of managing what he terms “a historically modern retreat get-away.”
One of several guest rooms, with modern, clean lines, open during the public tour
That seems an accurate description for this one-time library, then boys’ dormitory and infirmary now transformed via renovation and an approximate 10,000 square foot addition into a complex with 12 guest rooms, meeting/conference rooms and banquet/reception space. The Inn includes a full catering kitchen. It also serves as a retreat center for the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, which partnered with Shattuck on the project.
Old flows into new as shown here at The Inn entry.
From the exterior, The Inn, vacated in the early 1970s (except for feral cats), presents a timeless European style that fits this aged campus. Arched windows and steep, peaked roofs and stone prevail.
Detailed close-up of the oldest portion of the building.
In the early 1920s, a wing was enlarged and covered with stucco. It became the Phelps Infirmary. The infirmary opened just in time for an outbreak of scarlet fever. It remained open into the early 1970s. Phelps was last used in 2006 as a Halloween haunted house. Photo courtesy of Shattuck-St. Mary’s School.
It’s a beautiful structure which seamlessly blends old with new, as it should given the oldest section is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Church style windows add Old World charm to this guest room in the oldest part of The Inn.
The original staircase.
The breakfast area, just off a conference room and the lobby, has a definitive modern feel.
Inside you will find, as Manager Connelly says, a thoroughly modern facility with all of the amenities you would expect. Touches of the past remain, though, in sections of exposed stone, in those arched windows and in the original stairway from main to second floor, although I suspect that the wood was not painted white back in the day.
A maze of hallways, some featuring stone, lead to guest rooms.
Hallways wind to guest rooms in a deliberate way that definitely makes this place feel more inn-like than hotel.
Decor throughout The Inn features soothing earthy shades of green and brown.
Muted green and brown hues complement the natural setting of The Inn on the wooded west edge of the campus.
In a sectioned off meeting space, windows showcase the woods.
Banks of floor-to-ceiling windows in the meeting/reception spaces and a spacious woods-side deck and patio showcase the outdoors.
The opening of The Inn seems a smart move on Shattuck’s part. Many couples are married in the historic The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, just a short walk away. Parents from all over the world visit their children at the school. And top-notch hockey teams (think NHL feeder school) draw out-of-town fans to games.
The lobby and entry, simply and beautifully decorated for the holidays.
On opening day Friday, The Inn guest rooms were three-fourths full, Manager Connelly says. And on Saturday, during the Campus Christmas Walk, visitors seemed duly impressed with the newest old addition to Faribault’s lodging and banquet/meeting facility options.
A touch of Christmas class outside the front entry.
FYI: Click here for more information on The Inn at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Room rates range from $110 – $150 Sunday – Thursday and from $140 – $180 on Fridays and Saturdays.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Vintage photos are courtesy of Shattuck-St. Mary’s School and are published here with permission.
Here comes Santa Claus & his horses December 16, 2014
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK a lot like Christmas…
Free horse-drawn wagon rides were offered around downtown Faribault Saturday afternoon. Here the wagon, with Santa aboard, passes The Depot Bar and Grill.
with a one-horse two-horse open sleigh wagon winding around and through historic downtown Faribault.
Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Sharing the Christmas spirit, Shattuck-St. Mary’s style December 15, 2014
SATURDAY DIDN’T LOOK or feel a lot like Christmas here in Southern Minnesota. Snow melting. Temps in the 40s or near 50. Beautiful weather for December, except for the lack of sunshine until late afternoon.
Inside Shumway Hall, a sign welcomes visitors to the annual Campus Christmas Walk.
But on the campus of Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a holiday mood prevailed during the private prep school’s 12th annual Campus Christmas Walk, a gift to the Faribault community.
Heavy wood doors dominate the entry to Shumway Hall.
My husband and I attended “Winter Chronicles,” the fabulous figure skating show; walked the wide hallways of historic Shumway Hall
Impressive Shumway Hall.
Plates of sweet treats awaited visitors.
Kids worked on holiday crafts in the dining hall.
Colorful Christmas ornaments to craft.
to the dining room for sweet treats and cider/hot chocolate;
The Inn at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a conference/retreat center and hotel, opened on Friday. Watch for an upcoming post tour of The Inn.
One boy headed for a treat after visiting Santa while another raced toward Santa’s open arms.
toured the just-opened The Inn at Shattuck-St. Mary’s where Santa proved the most popular guest;
The Chapel of the Good Shepherd.
and then popped into the old stone chapel.
Wreaths aplenty, including these on the entry to Shumway Hall, decorate the campus.
If time had allowed, we also would have taken in the Christmas Performing Arts Showcase. Next year.
The ornate stairway just outside the dining hall.
As an appreciator of historic buildings which stand strong in stone and dark wood and sturdiness, I truly enjoy this once-a-year opportunity to tour Shattuck.
The Shattuck-St. Mary’s campus features beautiful stone buildings constructed in the 1800s.
Every time I enter this campus, I feel like I’m at some Ivy League college. Not that I’ve ever been to a Harvard or Yale. I can only imagine. Shattuck has that feel of age and strength and wealth.
A sign on Shumway Hall notes Shattuck’s centennial anniversary in 1958.
Of course, it’s more. Much more. Like a school that produces great hockey players and draws students to my Minnesota community from all over the world.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
A must-see holiday play: The Santa Diaries December 10, 2014
I THOUGHT I MIGHT make it through a local holiday theatrical production without crying.
But I didn’t.
The Santa Diaries actors, left to right, Thomas Drenth as Timmy; Samuel Temple as Marley the Dog; and Michael Lambert as Will Hawes. Photo by Edward Brown and courtesy of The Merlin Players.
Saturday evening found me seated on the far right side of the Bahl Family Auditorium, near the back of the Paradise Center for the Arts restored theatre in historic downtown Faribault, wiping away tears during The Merlin Players performance of The Santa Diaries.
The play penned by Mala Burt and Laura Ambler and debuting in Minnesota, in Faribault, resounds with the age-old theme of discovering what is truly most important in life.
For main character Will Hawes, played by seasoned actor Michael Lambert, that is deciphering whether he truly values his success as a Hollywood actor over love and family. A return to his small hometown at Christmas causes Hawes to reexamine his choices in life.
During an especially creative scene in which Hawes is dreaming, he is advised to “open your heart and listen.”
This holiday chorus line will put you in the Christmas mood and have you laughing out loud. Photo by Edward Brown, courtesy of The Merlin Players.
That could be the mantra for a production that mixes serious topics with humor. From the Hotdish Ladies (“Casseroles” in the original script, but this is Minnesota) bearing Sweet Potato Hotdish to a chorus line to the moment that made me cry—hearing the inner thoughts of Martha (played by Stephanie Weiss) wanting nothing more than her family home for Christmas—The Santa Diaries touches the heart.
You will laugh. You may cry. And, with absolute certainty, you will consider your own family and your life priorities as The Santa Diaries unfolds.
The older I grow, the less I care about the worldly trappings of Christmas. Like Martha, I just want my family home for Christmas. That won’t happen. Not precisely on Christmas Day. But we will have 1 ½ days together prior. And I am grateful for that. (The college son arrives home from Boston in exactly eight days.)
While The Santa Diaries presents a rather predictable happy ending—hey, you can’t have a holiday show that ends badly—real life isn’t that way. I know that. You know that. Life is messy. Work and distance and disagreements and busyness keep families apart.
But there is hope. People change. Situations change. We grow older and wiser. And, like main character Will Hawes, we eventually figure it out, that family is more important than money and success and work and schedules and, well, whatever else fills the time we could be with those we love.
The Paradise Center for the Arts is the cultural hub for theater and art in a historic theatre along Faribault’s Central Avenue. Each December a holiday show is featured. This photo is from a past performance.
FYI: Additional performances of The Santa Diaries are set for 7:30 p.m. December 11, 12 and 13 and for 2 p.m. December 14. Julianna Skluzacek is the artistic director for the play featuring 28 passionate performers ranging from elementary age to decades older. Call (507) 332-7372 for tickets from noon – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday or noon – 8 p.m. Thursdays. Tickets may also be purchased an hour before show times. I wouldn’t wait, though. Tickets are selling quickly.
The playwrights are flying into Minnesota from the East Coast on Friday and will be here for all three weekend performances.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
The Santa Diaries photos copyright of Edward Brown/The Merlin Players and published here with permission.
Happy to ring Salvation Army bells on a balmy Minnesota morning December 6, 2014
Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo of 2013 Salvation Army bell ringing.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE 25 degrees can make.
The temp felt downright balmy ringing bells for the Salvation Army outside the north entrance of the Faribault Walmart this morning.
A year ago, at the south entrance, my husband and I rang bells in temps that hovered around a bone-chilling zero degrees Fahrenheit. Numerous times we stepped inside to warm up.
But this morning the sun shone bright upon us during our 10 a.m. to noon shift. It was lovely. No need to head to the bathroom to thaw hands under the heat of a hand dryer. This was an orange shorts topped by a Green Bay Packers jacket kind of morning, per the attire of one Walmart customer.
In true typical Minnesota talk, numerous folks commented on the beautiful weather. We couldn’t have agreed more. Standing in the outdoors for two hours in 25 degree weather felt almost tropical compared to the bundled up with minimal skin exposed temps of a year ago.
We were happy to be there, no matter the weather.
This marks my second year of bell ringing. And, like last year, I used eye contact and a friendly greeting to welcome folks, whether they gave or not.
And so many gave—from the smallest tyke hoisted to the kettle by a parent to the elderly man shuffling across the parking lot to the woman waiting for a taxi to the family with five children who gave on their way in, and then out of, the store.
I appreciated the kind words of several who thanked us and held dear an elderly woman’s words, “God bless you.”
It touches me deeply when parents pause so their children can drop coins and bills into the kettle. We thanked those children by handing out kisses—chocolate candy kisses. And I thanked the parents, too, for teaching their children to give.
In this season of spending, I hope you will donate to a charity to help those in need. Who knows, some day that person in need may be you, or me.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
No Minnesota car wash blues for us December 5, 2014
HOW LONG WILL YOU wait in line at a car wash?
Which line should we choose?
My husband and I recently waited for nearly half an hour at the Kwik Trip Car Wash in Faribault on a Saturday evening. Fourth in line. Next to a second line equally as long.
Moving up in line.
Arriving, we pondered which row to choose. Which will move faster? The one with the monster pick-up that doesn’t really appear in need of a wash? Or the other row? It’s a gamble. We chose the pick-up line. (Yeah, I know…)
I passed the time by deleting content from my cell phone. I took photos. I scanned the waiting vehicles and wondered why some were there, like that truck.
Before we headed over to the car wash, I snapped this photo through the dirty driver’s side window.
It was obvious why my husband and I were waiting. Road salt and grime layered our van from a 600-mile round trip to eastern Wisconsin when the windshield wipers and washer fluid dispenser worked over-time. We could barely see out the side and rear windows for the film of white.
Randy wished aloud for some car wash tune to play on the radio while he amused himself by timing the length each vehicle was in the bay.
Not exactly a night at the movies, but entertaining anyway in the form of car wash art.
As for me, I thought to myself, after 32 years of marriage, it’s come to this—a Saturday night date at the car wash. But, you know, I’m OK with that.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Ending domestic violence: It takes a community October 21, 2014
This logo comes from a recent fundraiser honoring Faribault native Margie (Brown) Holland and her unborn daughter, Olivia, murdered in 2013. Roger Holland, Margie’s husband, is serving two terms of life in prison for their murders. Margie’s dad was once my neighbor.
THE MEMORY STILL STIRS ANGST.
His voice rising in anger. Yelling in her face. Rage exploding. The peace of a glorious autumn morning shattered.
The disturbance drew me from my task of emptying flower pots to observe the young couple passing by across the street.
He was shirtless on this October morning when the temp had not yet reached 60 degrees. That in itself seemed odd.
But it was his anger toward the woman walking beside him that led me into my front yard, thoughts of calling the police already formulating.
I pulled muddy gloves from my hands, patted the cell phone locked in my back jeans pocket. Then I watched. I watched as he shoved her, grabbed her. Then a parked vehicle blocked my view before they emerged on the other side and she attempted to cross the street. He pulled her back. Then they disappeared around the corner, out of my view.
I’d witnessed enough.
This is not fiction. This is an actual case of domestic abuse. This happened last week in my neighborhood in my community of Faribault, Minnesota, where last year the Hope Center served 473 women and 54 children through its domestic violence program. The center’s sexual assault program served 62 primary and 38 secondary (family and friends) victims.
Hope Center advocates provide additional assistance and education. Click here to learn more.
I don’t know what happened to the couple after I phoned law enforcement. Could I have done more? Should I have intervened?
If this man was verbally and physically abusing this woman in public along a busy street, I fear how he treats her behind closed doors.
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THE HOPE CENTER and my county of Rice have submitted a grant request to fund a new program, “The Blueprint for Safety,” in an effort to stop domestic violence, according to information on the county attorney’s Facebook page. I wish it wasn’t needed. But it is.
The program initiates a collaborative effort among agencies to tackle issues, “to move forward with things such as better data collection, information sharing, training, and understanding of each player’s role to help improve the response to domestic violence in our community.” (Click here to learn more.)
I applaud this effort.
But it still takes each of us, individually, to speak up with a strong and unwavering voice against domestic violence. It takes a community.
FYI: If you live in Rice County, Minnesota, and are a victim of domestic abuse, you can call the Hope Center 24-hour SafeLine at 1-800-607-2330. The center also offers support to family and friends. Call 507-332-0882 during business hours to speak with an advocate.
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FORTY YEARS AGO in St. Paul, the first shelter in the U.S. for battered women and their children was established. Women’s Advocates will mark that occasion with an anniversary celebration and benefit on Thursday evening, October 23, at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. Click here for more info. Today the center serves an average of 45 women and children daily.
FYI: For Women’s Advocates information or help, call the 24-hour crisis line at 651-227-8284 or state-wide toll free at 1-866-223-111.
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TO THE NORTH IN DULUTH, a coordinated community response to domestic violence has just received an international award. The World Future Council last week bestowed the 2014 Future Policy Award for Ending Violence against Women and Girls upon The Duluth Model at a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland. The equivalent of a gold award recognizes best policies to combat violence against women and girls. In summary, the plan focuses on the community working together to end domestic violence and on holding offenders accountable and keeping victims safe. To learn more about The Duluth Model, click here. To learn more about the World Future Council, click here.
FYI: For more information about the Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs in Duluth, call 218-722-2781.
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Another resource to call is the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Click here to read an earlier post I published about domestic violence.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
A photo essay: Autumn at River Bend October 20, 2014
A trail through the woods at River Bend Nature Center, Faribault.
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, I’ve determined, to fast walk my way through a park or nature center, camera slung around neck or over shoulder. Impossible.
A slower pace allows one to notice the individual trees in the woods.
I cannot hurry, even with the goal to raise heart rate and burn calories. My desire and need to notice details, to take in and often photograph my surroundings, overrides.
Rudi, one friendly collie who cooperated for one photo.
On a recent Sunday afternoon walk at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, I tried, oh, I tried, to step it up. But then Rudi appeared and I just had to pet and photograph this friendly collie. The thing is, I’m not a big dog lover. Typically, I’ll skirt a canine. But not this one who reminded me of Lassie.
A group of goats graze on Buckthorn at River Bend.
Rudi proved to be distraction number two after I observed penned goats attacking invasive Buckthorn (more on that in a future post).
Oak leaves
More oak leaves
And still more oak leaves
My husband and I fast-paced for awhile before my eyes focused on patches of oak leaves in burnished shades of orange and red. I veered slightly off the tarred path for close-up images.
So many folks were walking the trails on a gorgeous autumn afternoon in southeastern Minnesota.
My husband claims this is a fossil in rock.
Rustic signs mark River Bend trails.
A burst of brilliant red berries caught my eyes.
Even dried swamp grass possesses a certain beauty.
A dried milkweed pod does not go unnoticed.
A single leaf is worthy of notice for its mottled beauty.
And so the distractions continued—fossil embedded in rock, leaves, tree trunks, contrast of colors and light, a quick chat with another couple, milkweed and signs and berries and dried swamp grasses.
A treeline showcases the changing colors of autumn at River Bend.
Everywhere, nature drew me to a halt.
Fallen trees and branches appear as nature’s art in my photographic mind.
And that’s alright. Sometimes life calls for a slow pace. An eye that sees a single leaf in the woods. An ear that hears the crunch of leaves underfoot. A nose that smells the earthy scent of autumn. A hand that feels the rugged bark of a fallen tree.
(These images were shot on October 12. One week later, River Bend’s woods had changed considerably with most trees bare of leaves. My husband reminded me that autumn can transition quickly in Minnesota.)
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Celebrate autumn in Minnesota this weekend October 10, 2014
THERE’S MUCH TO LOVE about Autumn in Minnesota.
Stop at a roadside stand or a farmers’ market for pumpkins, apples, squash and other Minnesota-grown produce. That’s me relaxing at The Country Store of Pepin (Wisconsin) photographed earlier this week by my husband, Randy.
It’s the season of harvest and leaves crackling underfoot and piled pumpkins.
Trinity Lutheran Church, North Morristown, hosts its annual fall dinner and craft sale from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. this Sunday, October 12. It’s one of the best church dinners around, in my opinion. All of the food (some not shown here) is homemade. Cost is $10 for ages 13 and older; $5 for ages 6-12; and free for ages 5 and younger. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
It’s the season of church dinners.
Faribault holds its annual downtown Fall Festival on Saturday, October 11, with a kids’ costume parade, kids’ activities, chili tasting (between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.), gallery-on-the-go and a mystery dinner. Visit the Faribault Main Street website for more information. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
And festivals galore.
The third annual Maker Fair Fall Festival runs from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, October 11, at the Blue Earth County Fairgrounds in Garden City. Handcrafted arts and food from nearly 100 south central Minnesota artisans will be featured along with music, kids’ activities and more. For more info, visit makerfair.org. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
It’s the season of shopping at craft sales in small towns and along country roads.
Fall colors are at their prime in some areas of Minnesota. This photo, taken on Thursday, shows the St. Croix River near Stillwater.
But most of all, it’s about taking the time to appreciate this season that brings a sharpness to our days, an awareness that we must savor every ray of sunshine, every moment outdoors. Take time this weekend to embrace Autumn before she exits and Winter walks through the door.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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