If there's one thing I've learned about writing, it's that a good story should have a good setting. I believe the same is true for a good life and that's why I've chosen to live in Minnesota. It's a beautiful state and a wonderful place to live and raise a family. As you heard in my vlog, I was dubbed Miss Minnesota by my co-workers in Iowa because I talked so highly and frequently about my favorite state (this is no reflection on the great state of Iowa, however, as I speak highly of that place, as well!). So here are a few pictures from our week and, as you can see, there really is no place like home (if you live in Minnesota, that is...)
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| The Mississippi River is very high this year - check out the trees that are under water! |
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| We went with my parents and my brother's family to a bike & walking trail which crosses the Mississippi on this old train trestle. The dam is to the left and the water rushes under the bridge at a dizzying pace. |
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| Our oldest twin pointing to the rushing water from the dam |
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| The sun was setting as we packed up to leave |
This is the same beach I played on as a child!
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| And last, but not least, the current corn report: Knee high by the Fourth of July! All is well. (This was taken from the car) |
What about you? What state (or country) do you live in? What are some things you love about your setting? Have you ever been to Minnesota?
HA!! I'm first!!! I ;ll comment tomorrow when I can see the keyborad.
ReplyDeleteTip of the Week-don't leave comments at 1am local time.
DeleteI've driven near Minnesota, maybe even in it, but it was so long ago, I can't remember.
I live in New Brunswick...
BUT, I'm FROM Vancouver. Ahhhhhhhhh. The most beautiful city on the planet. Google it. It's gorgeous. And a nice 2 bedroom house in the city will only run you, ohhhh, 800,000$. American.
Here, where I live, that same house will maybe cost 150,000$. And people wonder why we live here?
I've never been to Minnesota, but now I think I should. I've always lived in Oklahoma. I love everything except the tornadoes!
ReplyDeleteI have an aunt and uncle in Tulsa and they love it - they don't miss the winters in Minnesota, but they come home to visit all the time. We also have tornadoes, but I don't think they are as common in Minnesota as they are in other parts of the mid-west. Minnesota is a beautiful state - as all states are in their own way. :)
DeleteYou are so adorable and don't look old enough to have 4 kids. I listen to your accent and I think of the movie Fargo! Minnesota looks beautiful, but I think the winter would get me. :)
ReplyDeleteYay for more vlogs!
Jessica...you would be FINE in the winter. Fine. What does it get to there Gabrilee, -40F? Seriously, that's just a bracing chill. People think we had bad winters here, what with snow drifts ABOVE the stop signs. Oh, sorry, a "snow drift" is when the plow makes a pile of snow so high, you lose your minivan. 2 winters ago, in a town 90 minutes from here, there were 15 foot snow drifts in the mall parking lot and they had to dump the snow INTO THE OCEAN!!
Deleteops, I pre-clicked. That being said, Canadians will actually say, "at least we don't live in Minnesota". THAT is how tough Gabrielle is. ':)
DeleteAhh, Jessica, you said the "F" word on my blog! Minnesotans are not fans of the movie Fargo. :) But, I have to admit, the older I get the more I slip into the accent. But it can't be that bad!!! The winters in Minnesota can be tough, but every once in a while we get a mild one. This past winter we didn't have enough snow to slide more than twice the whole season and the temps stayed pretty decent. But that's why we love the summer so much! Some people are surprised, but it gets very hot here in the summer. It's not uncommon to reach into the mid 90's in July and August.
DeleteHa! In Minnesota we pick on the Iowans and when we lived in Iowa I learned that they pick on the people who live in Missouri! I wonder who Missouri picks on? I've always wondered if the good people of Canada picked on us. Now I know! :)
DeletePick on you? Noooo. I'm just saying we all think your winters are worse than ours. If I wanted to pick on you, I'd mention Fargo. You know that town in North Dakota, Fargo? I wonder if they say Neargo just to make fun of Fargo? Have you seen that movie...Last of the Mohicans?
DeleteHa! Gotcha!
You thought I was gonna say Fargo.
Boo, you're vlog isn't working for me! :(
ReplyDeleteI live in Arizona, which is actually an incredibly diverse state. I'm in Phoenix--the desert--but go two hours north and there are pine trees and snow in the winter. It is a different kind of beauty in the desert. I probably would move to California or somewhere with a beach if I had a choice...but only if I could take all my friends and family with me. Because this is simply home. And I love it because it is.
That's a bummer, Lindsay! Arizona is diverse, I've been to many places there. Minnesota is also diverse, from the wind swept prairies in the southern portion to the hills and bluffs of the river country, through the deep woods of central and northern MN to the vast lake Superior region, there are many differnt ways to enjoy the state.
DeleteI'm from Indiana. When I was young, I remember my family trips to Minnesota every summer. We always spent it on a lake. One year we stayed on a island in the middle of a big lake - I think it was called Big Island, but I don't remember the name of the lake. I also remember taking a paddle boat ride down the Mississippi.
ReplyDeleteI have a real fond memory of my family floating down the Apple River on inner tubes - We rented the inner tubes up river, and we floated about 5 miles on the current. Then, you come to rapids. We shot the rapids over and over at the end of the tour. Such a great afternoon! Fun memories.
I do love your Fargo accent - You bettcha!
Ha! I'd like to think I don't sound as bad as the Fargo people - but one never knows... I'll have to do a vlog with a strong Fargo accent to show you the difference. :)
DeleteI'm curious where you went in Minnesota as a child. I live on the banks of the Mississippi (it's out my back door!). There are so many wonderful places to visit in Minnesota - it really is a great destination.
I'm a Texas girl. What I love is all the blue bonnet flowers in the spring. It's the state flower and there are seeds planted everywhere along the highways. So there are masses of blue bonnets in the spring....love it.
ReplyDeleteWe do have some great sunsets, though I must say, I haven't seen any as orange as yours! That's awesome!
I bet the blue bonnets are beautiful along the highways. We have wildflowers planted along some of our highways and the most common flower I usually see nodding its head is the black eyed susan.
DeleteI love our sunsets, I haven't seen many in other places, but I've always felt ours are breathtaking. Every sunset is different. I have a handful of sunsets in my WIP and I love trying to capture the beauty with my words. It's a challenge!
Gabrielle,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the pics of your kids in the water! There's nothing so endearing as baby pudgies all clean and shiny in the water.
I live in Southern California and although I complain (I admit it, I do) about the heat, I love the mild winters. We live in a valley that might get ONE or TWO snowflakes but we usually get good rainfall and we're an hour or less away from everything - mountains one direction, beach another, desert, still another, and Los Angeles/Hollywood/Disneyland/Knots Berry Farm/etc. another.
Our home is actually on top of a knoll so even in the hottest part of summer, we usually get an evening breeze that sweeps up the hillside to our house and rustles the cornstalks in the garden - a lovely sound I always listen for at the end of the day.
Becky, your home sounds beautiful and enchanting. It's always encouraging to me when someone loves their home like you do. I believe we're planted somewhere for a reason and we should embrace that reason (and have fun while we're there!). One of my favorite things I've ever seen was a sign in front of a big beautiful home on a lake near where we live and it says: "Dick & Marjean's home, on loan from God." Doesn't that just about sum it up?
DeleteHi Gabe!
ReplyDeleteI love the Northern Lights, all the lakes and the trees of Minnesota, but alas, I am in Texas. Thankfully, we are East Texas which has trees, but at our old house we had pine trees and cactus growing in the same soil. What? I miss the color of the dirt in MN, here it is red. And rocks! MN has awesome rocks, agates that is. we could walk outside and return with a handful of agates, not where we live. And I still have those rocks, they are now apart of the decor in my kitchen :)
I'm sure you have wonderful memories of the beauty of Minnesota, Jennette, but thankfully every state has a beauty of its own. Cool how you've incorporated the agates into your decor. Dave collects agates and I find them all over the house!!
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