GOOD TIMES AT THE BALLPARK!

I hadn't been to a professional baseball game for over two years, until last Monday.  I had forgotten how much fun it is,

regardless of whether your team wins or loses.  The point is to enjoy the action, the fans, the music and surprises between innings, and the beautiful setting.  Target Field in downtown Minneapolis is a gorgeous ballpark which has been recognized nationally as one of the best ballparks in the U.S.  And this year, to everyone's surprise, the Twins are doing well and are currently in first place.  Last year they finished last among 28 teams.  Of course the season is long--162 games in all, so things could change a lot within a few weeks.  But for now the fans are loving it and Target Field is the place to be. 

Here are a few pictures which reflect a fun day with family at the ballpark and the beautiful stadium and city of Minneapolis. Enjoy!!

BLUE WATERS, LEMON RUST HUES, AND PEACEFUL HIKES THROUGH WOODS--FAR AWAY FROM POLITICS--TO MY DELIGHT!!!

Over the last two days I couldn't get far enough away from politics and presidential campaigns.  I had absorbed too much political discourse and had my fill of it. Like most Americans, I didn't like most of what I observed.  To be honest, it made me sad, and still does.  I'm wondering what happened to the country I've known and been a part of.  I need to work harder than ever to be positive, and that's not my style.  It's time to get back to the people and things I love. 

One thing I truly love is taking long walks along lakes and through the woods--in other words, getting away from the so-called "real world." It's the most calming thing I can do for myself.  I've been lucky to have a car for a few days so I can check out more parks and trails.  Minnesota has an abundance of them.  Have I mentioned what a beautiful state I'm lucky enough to live in, regardless of the season?  After 45 years of living here, I'm never bored with its natural beauty.  I love it here, and don't plan to leave anytime soon.

Here is a quote which sums it all up for me, as reflected by Lorraine Anderson in SISTERS OF THE EARTH.
    
     "Nature has been for me, for as long as I can remember, a

source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion."

Here are some photos from my

recent journeys. I hope they make your world a little calmer too, even if you haven't been absorbed in politics.  

"AUTUMN, THE YEAR'S LAST, LOVELIEST SMILE. (William Cullen Bryant)

Along comes my favorite time of the year--autumn-- and I just

stop and marvel at all the spectacular colors.  My small, inexpensive camera is having a field day!  I don't have to motivate myself to get out and enjoy it.  I just look out my window and the fall colors, in all their splendor, make me smile and feel glad to be alive.   Sometimes I can't resist picking up a bundle of leaves and bringing them home, intent on making a collage to remember them forever.

Here's to autumn and its magnificence, along with the words of

famous writers and poets who have deeply resonated with me. I hope my pictures will resonate with you. They are past and present reminders of the joy of autumn.

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."  (Emily Bronte,
                                                          English writer--19th century)

                                                          "No spring nor summer 
                                                          hath such grace as I have 
                                                          in one autumnal face."
                                                          (John Donne, English poet)

                                                           "Autumn carries more gold
                                                           in its pocket than all the 
                                                           other seasons."  (Jim Bishop,
                                                           American author and
                                                           journalist).

ON A SHOESTRING!

I recently returned home from a four and a half month stay in Germany, which was arranged by my good friends who live near Munich.  My friend Daniella had lived as a foreign exchange student for a year with my family in the U.S. over 25 years ago, and within the last few years she had often encouraged me to come for a long visit, all expenses paid.  I was never able to do it because I had a commitment to take care of my grandchildren. But times and circumstances do change. Sometimes heartbreak and depression lead to new opportunities and spiritual growth.  And a little humor goes a long way towards the healing.  

Having lived with three children five and under taught me a lot about adapting to change, staying calm when the going gets rough, and seeing the humor in everyday life whenever possible. And oh how kids love to laugh!

One of my favorite examples of that came from Moritz, the five-year old.  He knew that I was staying for a long visit, but he was trying to understand how I got to Germany from the U.S.  As you might guess, he also didn't really have a clue as to where the U.S. was located. When I told him that I came on a plane, which first landed in Iceland before coming to Germany, he took his questions to a different level. He asked, "Lynda, do you have a car?"  When I said "no," he was quite surprised and asked if I had a motorcycle.  Again I said no.  He then thought of things that he and his brother had, and said, "Do you have a bike?"The majority of people in Germany do have a bike.  When the answer was "no" once again, he asked me, "Lynda, do you have a scooter?"  He probably thought that I would say no, and he was right, but he decided to try one more time.  We were giggling along the way.  Question number five from a very special five-year old was, "Lynda, do you have a chair?"  At that I burst out laughing harder than I had in years.  There were no "put downs", as I might have experienced with adults, no judgments, just a lot of laughs and a realization, even as a young kid, that people are very different.  The best part he knew about me was that I loved being with kids, playing with them, and more than anything, reading to them.  Nearly every night I read to him and his younger brother and sister.  We read stories in German and in English and we often laughed heartily. I miss those kids and the special way we related.  I spent those four and a half months pretty much living on a shoestring--walking nearly everywhere, even when I took the train to get a little beyond the town where I was staying.  I walked along forests, villages, cities, mountain passes, and lovely beaches.  I spent very little money, but had "the time of my life."  When I got up in the morning my German family had the dining room table all set for me--complete with wonderful German bread, rolls, marmalade, honey, cheese, and delightfully strong coffee.  I was treated like a truly special person.  My friend called me her "Foreign Exchange Grandma."  I was inspired to write a memoir, and having nearly completed it, I dream of the day I might be able to publish it and share it with others around the globe.  And of course the price must be "on a shoestring" because that's how I spent the last four and a half months.  Whoever coined the phrase, "money isn't everything," was wiser than we might ever have imagined.  I'll never have a lot of money, but I'll have a million memories, and many of them will be about wise young kids! 

SWEET MEMORIES, MOVING ON, FOREVER CHANGED!

Within a short time, I'll be leaving Munich, Germany, and the surrounding towns and villages and heading home to the U.S.  After almost four months here, I'm ready to return home to Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.  But I'll never forget my time here in Bavaria with good friends.  They've been incredibly kind and generous, and this time has enabled me to do a lot of healing and soul searching, and at the same time to explore the magnificent beauty of southern Germany. More than twenty-five years have elapsed since my last visit to Germany, and more than anything, I feel gratitude for being granted this one-of-a-kind experience. I hope the pictures I've posted will reflect what a beautiful, scenic, and exciting area Bavaria is.  I've met wonderful people here from many different parts of Germany and had fascinating talks. Sometimes it's been hard to see my own country from a different perspective, but I've tried to stay "open," and have hoped that my old and new friends would do the same. We have much in common.

Here are just a few representative photos of my time here.  I hope they are as enjoyable to you as they are to me.

PLEASE MR., MS. PRESIDENT, CAN WE SHOW A LITTLE SIGN OF HUMOR??

About this time every four years when the U.S. is in the midst of a presidential campaign, things start heating up and passions start to boil over.  I can be as guilty as anyone else, but now and then I remind myself to step back a little and "lighten up."  Maybe this

array of sign photographs I've collected over the years will do the same for you, regardless of whether you're "invested" in the outcome of the U.S. election. Some of them might even help you cool off! 

Hope they bring a smile or two! I'm guessing that a few past presidents could agree with that idea. And one of my favorites, Harry Truman, had this to say:  "Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of this country as Wall Street and the railroads."

PLEASE MR., MS. PRESIDENT, CAN WE SHOW A LITTLE SIGN OF HUMOR??

About this time every four years when the U.S. is in the midst of a presidential campaign, things start heating up and passions start to boil over.  I can be as guilty as anyone else, but now and then I remind myself to step back a little and "lighten up."  Maybe this

array of sign photographs I've collected over the years will do the same for you, regardless of whether you're "invested" in the outcome of the U.S. election. Some of them might even help you cool off! 

Hope they bring a smile or two! I'm guessing that a few past presidents could agree with that idea. And one of my favorites, Harry Truman, had this to say:  "Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of this country as Wall Street and the railroads."