Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Heartfelt February 11, 2019

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IT’S A SIMPLE FABRIC HEART. Puffed with stuffing. Hand-stitched with red thread. The words I Love You printed with red paint.

I could have trashed the heart years after the son crafted it for me in elementary school. But there are some things you keep. Things that remind you of the sweet love of a child, of a heartfelt gift lovingly made for a mother.

This heart reminds me that love threads through our lives—in memories, in moments, in the art of living.

Remember that on Valentine’s Day and always. You are loved.

© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Love in a box of candy February 17, 2018

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SHORTLY BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY, I roamed the aisles of a Faribault antique shop and paused to admire a collection of artfully grouped heart-shaped candy boxes.

 

 

Years have passed since I received a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. I’ve gotten bags of chocolate like M & Ms. But not fancy candies in a heart. There’s just something romantic and special about candy presented that way. And, yes, I realize it’s a marketing ploy that tugs on emotions.

 

 

When Randy presented me with a heart-shaped box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day, my mouth actually dropped open. It’s not all that often he can surprise me.

 

 

His was a sweet gift for that element of the unexpected. But mostly, it was a sweet gift for the thoughtfulness and love therein. After nearly 36 years of marriage, I still appreciate the sweetness of his love.

© Copyright 2018 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Love defined on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2018

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This fabric heart, crafted by one of my children in elementary school, hangs on my back door.

 

AS A TEEN, I clipped Love is… cartoons from the newspaper and tacked them onto my bright yellow smiley face bulletin board in my lime green and partially paneled basement bedroom with the candy stripe carpet. I found the cutesy cartoon created by Kim Casali dreamy in the context of a dreamy teen.

 

I have several vintage valentines from my mom’s collection and have displayed them for Valentine’s Day.

 

Above my twin bed, I also taped a black-and-white poster photo of Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw, stars in the 1970 movie, Love Story. Oh, how I loved that movie of love and tragedy and a rather feisty Jennifer Cavelleri who used shocking words like bulls**t.

Back then I believed the famous Love Story line: Love means never having to say you’re sorry. That, my friends, is BS.

 

I created a love vignette on a chest of drawers in my dining room. Included are this wood cut-out, wedding photos and vintage and homemade valentines.

 

After 36 years of marriage, I’ve learned the importance of apologizing. And I’ve learned that love deepens and widens and grows with each shared experience. Good and bad. Love bends. Love changes. Love listens, understands, forgives, encourages, supports, serves.

 

Friends who moved from Faribault to near Fargo crafted and mailed this cute owl valentine to us.

 

That definition extends to all who love each other, whether as partners, friends, family.

Love is care and compassion and kindness. It is being there through the joys and the challenges. It is also exercising self-control—clamping your lips, stopping your fingers from sending a hurtful text or email… It is about calling a friend or family member who needs support. It’s about asking, “How are you?” and really meaning it.

 

A snippet of the valentine my 22-month-old granddaughter, with the help of her mama, crafted for me and her grandpa. I love it.

 

This Valentine’s Day, I hope we can all be a little kinder to one another. I hope we can show love in ways that extend beyond chocolate and flowers and dinner out. I hope we can truly be there for one another in ways that surpass some Hollywood version of love. I hope we can listen and believe and care. I hope we can love how we were meant to love.

Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers. I value and appreciate you.

© Copyright 2018 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Celebrating Valentine’s Day every day February 14, 2017

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You can't go wrong with chocolate, like this box from my daughter Miranda on Mother's Day.

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

VALENTINE’S DAY BRINGS expectations of love expressed in some perhaps grand way. It’s a great day for florists and chocolate shops and restaurants. And that’s alright. Both flowers and candy are visual reminders of love. Dining out allows time to connect and celebrate. I have a half-dozen red roses on my dining room table. And I appreciate them.

But even more important are the everyday moments of love. You know, those little things you take for granted in your life. Or the surprises that cause your heart to surge joy.

What does that look like for you?

 

homemade-valentine

 

For me, love has shown itself recently in these ways:

  •  a handcrafted valentine from friends
  •  the giggle of my granddaughter
  •  a bag of macadamia nuts, a gift from my eldest and her husband who recently vacationed in Hawaii, a place I will never visit.
  •  my husband washing the dinner dishes every Sunday so I can phone my mom at 6:30 p.m.
  •  a friend buying valentine books for my 10-month-old granddaughter whom she’s never met.
  •  an unexpected call from my second daughter
A view of the 300 block on North Broadway, including signage for the Fargo Theatre, built in 1926 as a cinema and vaudeville theatre. The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a venue for independent and foreign films, concerts, plays and more.

Downtown Fargo, North Dakota, the real Fargo, not as depicted in the movie or TV series. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

  •  my husband binge-watching Fargo (the TV show) with me on DVD
  •  skyping with my son in Boston
  •  seeing my great nephew Landon with his face pressed to the patio door watching and waiting for my husband (Papa Two) and me to arrive
  •  texts from a friend asking, “How are you?”

Today, please express your care and appreciation for your friends, your family, and, yes, even for those outside your closest circle. Try to make that a practice every day.

Birthday roses from my husband, Randy.

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Happy Valentine’s Day, dear readers! I appreciate you.

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Valentine’s Day love at Sunday School February 14, 2016

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SS Valentine's Day, 48 stack of valentines

 

HOW WAS YOUR Valentine’s Day?

Except for the hour I spent photographing Sunday School students and their families, mine would have been just another Sunday. Early to church, followed by bible study. Then brunch at home prepared by my husband.

But because I’ve recently become the go-to person to document happenings at my church, Trinity Lutheran, I pulled photography duty this morning. And I’m fine with that because I enjoy photography. Now if I was asked to give a minute-man speech (which I’ve been asked to do) or count money or serve on a board (which I’ve been asked to do), I wouldn’t do it. My talents and interests don’t lie in those areas.

Ask me to bring my camera, however, and I will likely be there.

In the one hour I covered the Sunday School’s Valentine’s Day event, I shot some 200 photos.  But, because these images are for church use, I can only share a few generic photos with you.

 

SS Valentine's Day, 16 close-up hands making valentine

 

I can tell you, though, what I witnessed. And that was kids and parents, and, yes, even some grandparents, celebrating the gift of love. Kids made valentines, stacked candy hearts and unwrapped Hershey’s kisses with mittened hands. But the most memorable moment came when parents applied sticker dots to their children’s faces—each dot representing a quality they love about their children. I heard words like beautiful, smart, kind, my first-born…

 

SS Valentine's Day, 138 I love God because dots

 

After those professions of love, the kids stuck the dots to portraits of Jesus with the children, expressing their love for Jesus.

 

Valentine's Day Trinity SS 039 - Copy

 

I left feeling like I’d gotten the perfect Valentine’s Day gift—a reminder that I am—we are—loved.

TELL ME, what made your Valentine’s Day special/memorable?

© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Planning a Valentine’s Day heart attack February 12, 2016

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WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING for Valentine’s Day?

Birthday roses from my husband, Randy.

Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Roses?

You can't go wrong with chocolate, like this box from my daughter Miranda on Mother's Day.

You can’t go wrong with a box of chocolates. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Chocolates?

Some creative mind (not mine) came up with the "You've been heart attacked" idea.

Some creative mind (not mine) came up with the “You’ve been heart attacked” idea. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

How about a heart attack? No, not the medical emergency that threatens your life. But rather a staged attack that plants paper hearts in your yard.

Image three times-plus this number of hearts placed in our friends' yards.

Imagine three times-plus this number of hearts placed in our friends’ yards. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Two years ago, my husband and I crept into the front yards of two friends on the evening of February 13. There we stuck colorful paper hearts into snowbanks with the message, Happy Valentine’s Day! You’ve been heart attacked! Then we fled into the darkness of a cold Minnesota night, hoping to elude barking dogs and porch lights. We succeeded.

The two young families awoke the next morning to find dozens of hearts scattered across the snow. It didn’t take them long to determine who’d done this. And then, because they have such giving hearts, these families plucked up the hearts and heart attacked two more families.

My husband and I got as much joy out of giving this Valentine’s Day gift to families we treasure as they did out of receiving.

Piling up the hearts in anticipation of Operation Heart Attack.

Piling up the hearts in anticipation of Operation Heart Attack. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

There’s still time to plan a heart attack. Click here for details.

If you carry out a heart attack, please report back here in the comments section. I’d love to hear about your experience.

© Copyright 2016 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Valentine’s Day love in a poem February 14, 2015

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WHEN IS THE LAST TIME you received a handcrafted valentine?

Mine arrived this week via 13-year-old Hannah’s dad handing her homemade valentine to my husband at a church meeting. Randy in turn delivered a yellow construction paper envelope to me.

What a sweet surprise to receive a valentine greeting from this creative teen.

See, I really was busy taking photos, here of Hannah. She's quite the artist who not only paints, but also sews. Plus, she writes poetry.

A photo I snapped of Hannah several years ago as she painted a block on a basement wall. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Hannah, the daughter of dear friends, and I share a special connection. We are creative types. Specifically, we write poetry, the reason Hannah addressed the envelope to “My Poet Pal.” Ah. Melted my heart right then and there.

Hannah's poem, "Snow."

Hannah’s poem, “Snow,” posted in Sibley Park in Mankato.

Several years ago I began mentoring Hannah in poetry. She loves words and rhythm as much as I do. And, like me, she had a poem selected last spring for inclusion in the Mankato Poetry Walk and Ride. You can read all about that by clicking here.

When I lifted the flap on the yellow envelope where Hannah had glittered my name in silver, I was not surprised to find she had penned a valentine poem:

Hannah's poem is especially fitting since I donated blood recently via the American Red Cross. Hannah had no way of knowing this.

Hannah’s poem is especially fitting since I donated blood recently via the American Red Cross. Hannah had no way of knowing this.

Ah…

But wait, there’s more. My valentine is green, not red. Hannah knows that green is my favorite color.

Ah…

If you’ve ever mentored a young person, you know that this nurturing and encouraging and caring blesses you as much as the recipient. To connect, to share a passion—whether in poetry, gardening, crafting, photography—is a gift. A gift.

The valentine Hannah created just for me.

The valentine Hannah created just for me.

This Valentine’s Day, I received more than a handcrafted valentine from Hannah. I received a heart full of love.

IF YOU’VE MENTORED a young person, I’d like to hear about it. Or if you’ve received a handcrafted valentine, I’d like to hear about that, too.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends!

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Poem is copyrighted by Hannah.

 

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

 

Planning a heart attack February 10, 2015

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Birthday roses from my husband, Randy.

Roses from my husband, Randy. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

WITH VALENTINE’S DAY only days away, I hope you’re thinking sweet surprises for those you love.

You can't go wrong with chocolate, like this box from my daughter Miranda on Mother's Day.

Chocolates from my daughter Miranda. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.

Flowers/chocolate/a fun evening out with my sweetie all work for me. Most of all, I just want a reminder of how much I am loved.

If you’re looking for a really fun, and non-traditional, way to share the love, consider Operation Heart Attack. Those of you who have followed me for awhile may remember this operation carried out by my husband and me on the evening of February 13, 2014.

A test run in my backyard as, obviously, I could not photograph the heart attack in progress.

A test run in my backyard as, obviously, I could not photograph the heart attack in progress. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo, February 2014

We parked near the houses of two friends and, in the cover of darkness, planted paper hearts in their front yards. Yes, in the snow. Thirty-five hearts in each yard. Two hearts included the messages: “Happy Valentine’s Day!” and “You’ve been heart attacked!”

We purposely chose young families to heart attack, knowing their kids would love this special Valentine’s Day greeting. They did.

I think we got as much out of giving as they did receiving. Yes, our friends figured out that we had heart attacked them.

I’d encourage you to share the love this Valentine’s Day in this creative way. I guarantee, you will make someone surprisingly happy.

Click here to read details on this project.

Bonus: The families we heart attacked pulled the paper hearts from their yards and heart attacked two more families.

© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The best roll-out cookie recipe ever February 16, 2014

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I’VE ALWAYS ENJOYED BAKING.

Tempting sweets...

Tempting sweets…

But now that the kids are grown and gone, I seldom bake. I don’t need sweets in the kitchen to tempt me.

This past week, though, I baked three days in a row as I’d been asked to bring treats for fellowship hour at church this morning.

I pulled out my vintage heart shaped cookie cutter.

I used my vintage heart-shaped cookie cutter.

I decided heart-shaped cookies would be perfect given the date. And so I pulled out my favorite roll-out cookie recipe, the one my mom used when I was growing up. It’s my go-to “sugar cookie” recipe.

This dough, though, far surpasses the bland taste of most sugar cookies.

Cream cheese is the secret savory ingredient.

Ready to put in the oven.

Ready to put in the oven.

I prefer to roll the dough nearly paper thin and to sprinkle with colored sugar before baking. I don’t want icing to mask the flavor.

Stacked on a pretty vintage plate.

Stacked on a pretty vintage plate.

I’ve never tasted a better roll-out sugar cookie.

A perfect Valentine's Day weekend treat.

A perfect Valentine’s Day weekend treat.

Cream Cheese Cookies

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg yolk
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ cups flour

Cream butter, shortening, cream cheese and sugar. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix. Chill covered or wrapped dough for several hours or overnight. Roll out on lightly-floured board and cut with cookie cutters. Bake 6 – 10 minutes, depending on dough thickness, at 350 degrees.

© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling