Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Minnesota Faces: Laura Ingalls Wilder wannabes February 13, 2015

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Portrait #7: Laura Look-A-Likes

 

Portrait 7, Laura look-alikes

 

THESE ARE THE FACES of contestants in a July 2013 Laura Look-A-Like Contest in Walnut Grove, Minnesota childhood home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The girls lined up for a photo to be published in the local newspaper. The rest of us, including lots of proud parents and this proud aunt, snapped away. That’s my niece on the left, come here from North Dakota.

Laura fans travel from all over the country, and even the world, to pay homage to Laura and her Little House books. So, just to be clear, these are not all Minnesota faces featured here.

But these girls, some clutching Laura and Charlotte (Laura’s rag doll) dolls, portray the pioneer spirit. They adore Laura and her books. Or perhaps it’s the TV series, Little House on the Prairie, they adore.

They remind me of me. I grew up about 25 miles from Walnut Grove in Vesta, where an elementary teacher read the entire Little House series to her students during an after lunch reading period. This was long before the television show and long before Walnut Grove residents realized the importance of Laura to their community.

February marks an important month for Laura fans. The author was born on February 7, 1867, and died on February 10, 1957.

Perhaps you noticed on February 7 that Google featured Laura and her sister Mary in a prairie scene. Twins Jack and Holman Wang of Canada created that Google banner through the process of needle felting, basically sculpting the sisters from wool. (Click here to learn more.)

Besides the Google gig, Laura is also back in the news with the recent release of Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography. The South Dakota Historical Society Press clearly underestimated the interest in this book with an initial press run of 15,000. Now in its third printing, the book is currently out of stock and will begin shipping again in March. I’m sure many a Little House fan is waiting for the title.

Laura seems as popular today as she did decades ago, when I imagined myself as a pioneer girl on the prairie.

This is part of a series, Minnesota Faces, published every Friday on Minnesota Prairie Roots.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Still in the Christmas spirit February 12, 2015

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I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED if leaving outdoor Christmas decorations outside until spring is a cold weather state phenomenon.

A snippet of the Christmas decorations on the Butler property.

A snippet of the Christmas decorations on the Butler property.

On a brief drive through Medford, Minnesota, Sunday afternoon on my way to a Chili Cook-off at Trinity Lutheran Church, I spotted a corner yard decorated as if Christmas, rather than Valentine’s Day, was only six days away.

The homemade decorations are my favorite.

The homemade decorations are my favorite.

Candy canes, penguins, mice, reindeer, elves, tipsy angels, carolers and more staked out spots in the snow.

Another view.

Decorations are both secular and religious.

The scene appeared chaotic with no cohesive theme. But who cares? I’m sure Garrett Butler takes great pleasure in sharing his Christmas love, as he’s done these displays for some 30 years. And I expect the people of Medford thoroughly enjoy his holiday lawn ornament collection.

My favorite decoration in the Butler yard.

My favorite decoration in the Butler yard.

But back to my original thought. Is it common in your part of the country for folks to leave Christmas holiday decorations in place until spring?

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

And he thought Minnesota was snowy February 11, 2015

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REPEATEDLY, I’VE REQUESTED snow images from my son who attends Tufts University in Medford, MA. That’s about five miles from Boston.

He repeatedly has failed to send me photos. So I rely on numerous online sources to show me scenes of all that snow piling up in this major East Coast metro area.

I converted this image to black-and-white and upped the brightness. This was shot on the Minnesota Highway 19 curve just north of Vesta, my southwestern Minnesota hometown.

A winter storm in southwestern Minnesota reduced visibility along State Highway 19 north of Vesta in March 2012. Photo used here for illustration purposes only since I don’t have any images from Boston and always like to include art in my blog posts. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Even by Minnesota standards, six feet (72.6 inches to be exact) of snow in 30 days in Boston is staggering. That broke a 30-day record of 58.8 inches set in 1978.

Can you imagine the narrowed streets, mountains of snow to see around and move, the shutting down of mass transit? On Monday in Medford, a grocery store employee was struck by a snow removal truck while crossing the store parking lot after work. He later died. The Governor of Massachusetts has declared a State of Emergency. More snow is predicted on Thursday.

The son told me on Monday, his fourth day off from classes in two weeks due to winter storms, that he’d rather be in class. (Or maybe his native Minnesota.) Classes were canceled again on Tuesday, bringing the snow day total to five. I’m wondering whether colleges make up missed days considering the tuition paid.

Since my son isn’t the communicative-informing-mom type, I’ve relied on Tufts social media. Moms like me who are more than 1,000 miles away need reassurance. Tuesday morning I got a mass email from Tufts updating me on the situation there. I appreciated that.

Despite the overwhelming amount of snow, my son has managed to make the 20-minute walk from his apartment to campus and back numerous times during these winter storms. He’s rather regretting, I think, his decision to live off campus this year.

But, he’s young and he’s a native Minnesotan. He built a snow fort on campus last weekend. He’ll survive.

DO YOU HAVE FAMILY or friends in Massachusetts? If so, what are you hearing from them?

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Happy birthdays February 9, 2015

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Amber and Caleb.

Amber and Caleb. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo, July 2014.

BACK-TO-BACK BIRTHDAYS. Eldest and youngest with middle in between. What are the odds that two of my three children would be born one day after the other with eight years in between? I did have some choice in the son’s birth date as his was a scheduled C-section. Still…

Today my only son celebrates his birthday. In Medford, about five miles from Boston. He’s enjoying his fourth snow day (no classes again at Tufts University) in the past two weeks as Winter Storm Marcus drops a foot or more of snow. That’s on top of the 48.7 inches which fell in Boston in a recent 14-day stretch.

Tomorrow my eldest daughter celebrates her birthday. In Minnesota, where we don’t have nearly as much snow.

One thousand plus miles distant and an hour away. I won’t celebrate with either. I can’t recall the last time I was with any of my three on their birthdays. Cards have been mailed and phone calls will be made. Perhaps not answered, but attempted.

They’re grown. Gone. But always in my heart. Always.

To have a son or a daughter, or both as I do, is to love like I’ve never loved. Love deeper than the ocean, farther than the moon, wider than the distance that separates. Time and miles never diminish that love.

Sometimes I long for those days when the kids were still home, gathered around the dining room table, posing with cake (or dessert of choice), candles blazing, smiling for the camera. Gifts ripped open, often before cards. All of us settled after a rare meal out at the birthday celebrant’s restaurant of choice.

Those birthdays are memories away now. But love isn’t. It’s always there. In a thought. In a moment. In a photo. In a date.

February 9.

February 10.

Happy birthdays—to my beloved son, Caleb, and my precious daughter, Amber.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

One of the reasons I appreciate my community of Faribault February 5, 2015

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I NEVER WANT TO TAKE my community for granted, as cliché as that sounds. But sometimes I do. We all do, I suppose.

We need to appreciate the place we call home as much as we sometimes criticize or yearn for whatever we think is better. The grass is always greener. Or so we think. Often it’s not.

A beautifully restored building a block off Central Avenue at 31 Third Street N.E. houses a restaurant and pub on the lower levels and a ballroom on the second floor.

A beautifully restored building a block off Central Avenue at 31 Third Street Northeast houses Alexander’s Supper Club and Pub 31 on the lower levels and a ballroom on the second floor.

Today I want to show you a photo snippet from downtown Faribault. These images reveal one of the reasons I value this community where I’ve lived for 31 years.

A mural, one of several in the downtown area, promotes historic Faribault.

A mural, one of several in the downtown area, promotes historic Faribault. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

My southern Minnesota city is old, historic old. Fur trader Alexander Faribault established a fur trading post here in 1834. That was 15 years before Minnesota became a Territory. The city of Faribault was platted in 1855, three years before Minnesota statehood.

Sturdy, aged buildings define most of the downtown. It’s lovely.

Situation across from the post office, this former warehouse was restored. Today it houses Alexander's Supper Club and Pub 31.

Situated across from the post office, this former warehouse is home to Alexander’s Supper Club and Pub 31.

Just up the hill you'll find the Vintage Ballroom and Suites at 129 Central Avenue North. Bernie's Grill occupies the first floor.

Just up the hill a few blocks away from Alexander’s, you’ll find the Vintage Ballroom and Suites at 129 Central Avenue North. Bernie’s Grill occupies the first floor.

Historic buildings are reflected in the windows of Studio 14 Salon and Spa at 204 Central Avenue North. The salon created a "Frozen" display for a downtown holiday decorating contest.

Historic buildings are reflected in the windows of Studio 14 Salon and Spa at 204 Central Avenue North. The salon created a “Frozen” display for a downtown holiday decorating contest, earning first place.

Grampa Al's, 28 Third Street Northwest, claims to be one of Minnesota's oldest bars.

Grampa Al’s, 28 Third Street Northwest, founded in 1929, claims to be one of Minnesota’s oldest bars. The business website says Grampa Al’s has been “serving hamburgers and cold refreshments since the end of Prohibition.”

Crafty signage suspended high in a window at The Crafty Maven hints at the crafty goodness you will find inside this historic building at

Crafty signage suspended high in a window of The Crafty Maven hints at the crafty goodness you will find inside this historic building at 212 Central Avenue in historic downtown Faribault.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Oh, the joy of building a snowman February 4, 2015

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RECENTLY, I HELPED my great niece build a mini snowman barely higher than my knees.

I taught 5-year-old Meghan how to roll balls, then how to pack snow so the head wouldn’t topple from the body. She was a quick learner.

Next, I sent her in search of twigs for arms. She roamed a snow-covered hillside, flash of purple against brilliant white.

Then we scavenged for stones for eyes.

Beneath the sprawling bare branches of an aged oak, I plucked fallen acorns for a nose and buttons.

Not the snowman my niece and I built, but rather a gigantic snowman built by the Hoisington family, 18 Third Ave. NW in Faribault.

Not the snowman my niece and I built, but rather a gigantic snowman at 18 Third Ave. NW in Faribault.

Together, with the aid of my eldest daughter, we hodge-podged a face that smiled back at us.

I’d forgotten what simple joy lies in creating a snowman.

In the Hoisington family's Faribault yard, this snowman is sure to make you smile.

In the Hoisington family’s Faribault yard, this snowman is sure to make you smile.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to lift yourself out of the winter blues, to chase away the worries of life, to ease the stress.

To view the world through the eyes of Meghan, who found nothing more delightful than building a snowman on a Saturday afternoon was a gift.

FYI: If the gigantic snowman featured here looks familiar, it’s because last year I photographed an over-sized snowman in this same Faribault yard. Click here to view last winter’s snowman.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The story behind naming a winter storm Linus February 3, 2015

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AS ANOTHER MAJOR WINTER STORM raged across the country this past weekend through Monday, I wondered why these storms are now being named. And why Linus?

So I turned to the internet.

Apparently The Weather Channel has taken to naming these storms in an effort to better communicate storm information in a cohesive way.

But Linus?

If you’re like me and most Americans, you automatically think Linus, as in the security blanket dragging Peanuts character created by cartoonist Charles Schulz.

You would be wrong.

The Weather Channel is referencing Greek mythology and Apollo’s son, Linus. Some sources say he was killed by dogs as a child. Other sources say Linus, a great musician, was murdered by his father.

The online Mythology Dictionary defines Linus as a “song of lamentation.” That would seem more appropriate given many a winter storm weary American is likely lamenting yet more snow to remove and cause travel difficulties.

Those official explanations aside, Linus, the Peanuts character, seems to be holding this storm as tight as a security blanket.

So I’m going to take that blanket and run with it.

Did you know that Linus is named after Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, native Linus Maurer, a friend of Charles Schulz? The two met while teaching at Art Instruction Schools, Inc. Schulz originally became connected with the school when he took correspondence courses there while a high school senior in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A statue of Linus greets visitors to the Dyckman Free Library in Sleepy Eye. Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts cartoons, based his character Linus on real-life friend Linus Maurer, a Sleepy Eye native. Maurer, a cartoonist, worked with Schulz. Ohman, who managed the former Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America, includes a photo of Linus at the Sleepy Eye library in his book.

Sleepy Eye’s statue of Linus. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Today Sleepy Eye honors Linus via a statue placed on the lawn of Dyckman Library, located along U.S. Highway 14 in this southwestern Minnesota community. I lived in Sleepy Eye for six months in 1980 but was unaware then of the Peanuts comic strip connection.

Linus Maurer, like his friend Charles Schulz, became a successful cartoonist. He also paints and is a humor and puzzle writer.

I couldn’t find much info online regarding ways Sleepy Eye promotes its Peanuts Connection. There’s a brief mention on the community’s tourism website, but nothing on the library’s website that I spotted during a quick perusal. I’m surprised.

But then I’m surprised The Weather Channel would name a winter storm Linus and expect us to think the reference is to a character from Greek mythology.

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FROM THE “A MINNESOTA WINTER DOESN’T LOOK SO BAD” Department:

My son, a student at Tufts University, enjoyed his third snow day in a week on Monday at the campus in Sommerville/Medford, Massachussett. Do colleges make up snow days?

Back “home” in Faribault, Minnesota, we got several inches of snow Saturday into Sunday, nothing compared to the 12 inches plus in the Boston area atop the two feet dropped there last week.

I expect the daughter who is flying to Boston from Wisconsin in March to visit her brother is hoping for more spring-like weather. The trip is about six weeks away. The snow will be gone by then, right?

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Forty-nine years of serving others at Faribault Lions Club Super Bowl Pancake Breakfast February 2, 2015

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Bob Cross mixes pancake batter following his secret recipe.

Bob Cross mixes pancake batter following his secret recipe.

SNUGGED IN THE BACK of the Faribault Eagles Club kitchen, around the corner from griddles and a serving line, Bob Cross mixed pancake batter Sunday morning.

Signs advertise the event and thank sponsors.

Signs advertise the event and thank sponsors.

I expected him to shoo me away, to hesitate at sharing the secret recipe for pancakes prepared at the Faribault Lions Club 49th annual all-you-can-eat Super Bowl Pancake and Sausage Breakfast.

The secret ingredient: cake donut mix.

The secret ingredient: cake donut mix.

But Bob welcomed my questions, allowed me to take photos. And although I didn’t get the precise recipe, I have a pretty good idea now what goes into these tasty pancakes. Eggs. Oil. Water or milk (sorry, I can’t recall which). And, the secret ingredient—cake donut mix, as in a pre-mixed combination of flour, sugar, salt, whey and more used in making cake donuts. The cake donut mix adds a touch of sweetness to the pancakes, Bob says.

Ten years ago this volunteer took over pancake batter prep duties from his father-in-law, Bill Harkins. Bill’s recipe has been tweaked and perfected, and legend has it that only Bob now knows the exact recipe.

An overview of a section of the spacious dining area.

An overview of a section of the spacious dining area.

He’s obviously got it right based on number of diners. When I checked with ticket sellers at 12:15 p.m., an hour before closing, 750 people had already gone through the line in 4.75 hours.

The featured foods, pancakes and sausage.

The featured foods, pancakes and sausage.

That’s a lot of pancakes. And we’re talking near dinner plate-sized pancakes.

The volunteer on the right makes pancakes for the first time at the breakfast.

The volunteer on the left makes pancakes for the first time at the breakfast.

But this breakfast is about more than the food. It’s about continuing a 49-year Faribault Lions Club tradition. It’s about seasoned pancake breakfast volunteers frying pancakes alongside newbies. It’s about high school students serving beverages and clearing tables. As cliché as it sounds, the Lions and crew work like a well-oiled machine.

Serving up pancakes and sausage.

Serving up pancakes and sausage.

This breakfast is about working together and dining together.

One of the beneficiaries: Basic Blessings Backpack Program.

One of the beneficiaries: the Basic Blessings Backpack Program.

It’s about giving back to the community with proceeds helping those in need.

Lions Club member Otto serves sausages.

Lions Club member Otto serves sausages.

It’s about service to others, following the Lions Club motto, “We Serve.”

Friends dine together.

Friends dine together.

As I wandered about taking photos, I saw a lot of people I knew, but also many I didn’t. I felt a sense of community in my city of some 23,000, a connection that comes from living in the same geographical area and from participating in a time-honored tradition.

A snippet of the long list of volunteers.

A snippet of the long list of volunteers.

Forty-nine years. That’s a long time for one organization to continue with a breakfast.

One couple brought their own pure maple syrup to pour onto the Lions Club pancakes.

One couple brought their own pure maple syrup to pour onto the Lions Club pancakes.

This is the first year I’ve attended. I don’t especially like pancakes. But I ate three Sunday morning, proof that the Lion’s Club pancakes are deserving of their long-standing praise.

A visually-impaired volunteer reads a book in Braille while working at the breakfast. The Faribault Lions have funded many projects for the visually-impaired and were collecting used eyeglasses at the breakfast.

A visually-impaired volunteer reads a book in Braille while working at the breakfast. The Faribault Lions have funded many projects for the visually-impaired and were collecting used eyeglasses at the breakfast.

Tradition. Secret recipe. A community coming together. Lions serving.

The ticket sellers' cheat sheet.

The ticket sellers’ cheat sheet.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the Lions Club Pancake and Sausage Breakfast scores as a big win in Faribault. For forty-nine years.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Twenty-three names & an unforgettable Super Bowl commercial February 1, 2015

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Although tasty, Flamin' Bleu was not quite what Randy expected. He expected chunks of bleu cheese topping the pizza. But then we are bleu cheese fanatics with award-winning bleu cheeses produced in our home community of Faribault.

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

DURING THE FIRST QUARTER of today’s Super Bowl, listen closely to a commercial that starts with a telephone call. A woman orders a pizza, half mushroom, half pepperoni. Except she’s not really ordering a pizza.

In the first ever Super Bowl ad addressing the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault, the NO MORE movement makes a powerful statement.

 

NO MORE logo

 

See for yourself by clicking here.

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ANGEL, AMBER, ANGEL, Beverly, Carrie, Doris, Katie, Kelly, Kelly, Kiela, Komel, Laura, Lorraine, Michelle, Miranda, Susan, Towanda, Richard, Amelia, British, Francesca, Prince and Raniya.

Twenty-three names.

Twenty-three victims.

Twenty-three individuals murdered.

Last week the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women released its annual Femicide Report dedicated to the 23 children, women and men who lost their lives in Minnesota in 2014 as a result of domestic violence.

If you care, and you should, I’d suggest you read this report by clicking here.

You will see their faces. You will read their stories. Horrible stories. These victims were strangled, shot, stabbed, beaten and more.

This could be your daughter, your sister, your niece, your friend, your neighbor, your brother, your mother…don’t think it can’t be.

Recognize the red flags (click here) that are signs of an abusive relationship. Refuse to buy into excuses for, or accept, violent and emotionally controlling and manipulative behavior.

Trust your gut. There’s a reason you are questioning someone’s words or actions. If something doesn’t feel or seem right, it’s not. Lies are not truth.

Educate yourself. Knowledge is power.

Listen.

Seek help. No one—victims or families—has to go this alone.

FYI: If you are in an abusive relationship, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or a domestic violence hotline in your community.

To learn more about a national campaign against domestic violence, click here to reach the NO MORE website.

Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Minnesota Faces: Flood survivor January 30, 2015

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Portrait #5: Tracy Yennie, after the flood

 

Tracey, Zumbro Falls flood 2010

 

She’s a young woman I will always remember. Tracy Yennie. Strong. Determined. Thankful. A redneck. Her word, not mine.

When I met this mother of four young boys in early October 2010, she was hanging out next to the Salvation Army trailer in downtown Zumbro Falls, a small southeastern Minnesota community ravaged by a September 23/24 flash flood. Tracy’s family lost nearly everything, as did many others, and was camping in a shed on their riverside property.

When I interviewed Tracy, she was waiting on FEMA. She talked strong, invincible. But I could see the weariness in her eyes, edged by dark circles. I saw beneath her tough veneer. I saw a woman concerned about her future.

I wonder sometimes what happened to Tracy and her family. Do they still live in her hometown of Zumbro Falls? Or did the flood force them out?

Of all the portraits I’ve taken, Tracy’s ranks as perhaps my favorite. This photo tells the story of one woman dealing with disaster. And beyond Tracy, if you look at the details, you notice steps leading to the Salvation Army trailer. You notice the flowers behind her, still standing after the flood. You notice a business district seemingly unscathed. But if you were to walk the sidewalks, you would see the damage close-up.

This photo documents disaster in a personal way. It shows disaster as more than a number or an insurance claim. This image puts a face on disaster. And that is powerful.

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This portrait is part of a new series, Minnesota Faces, featured every Friday on Minnesota Prairie Roots.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling