Minnesota Friends

I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with one of my oldest friends while at home, she lives just a few blocks up the road.  We share a love of The Tenth Kingdom, sheep, and Redwall, and if we were in the same city, I daresay we'd get together often to cook down summer fruits into delicious jams, make homemade butternut squash ravioli, and belt out "We Will Shear You!" at the top of our lungs and joke about zoop while drinking aquavit and pine tree cocktails.  Like you do.

Sadly, we don't get a chance to hang out often, but I'm hoping she can make it out here soon for a Boston weekend of fun and food!

I was also able to hang out with one of my roommates from the Gnome House! 

She's now hitched and has her own cute little house in Minneapolis, complete with a golden retriever that does a splendid imitation of Bambi with his long spindly legs.  

We visited Ingebretson's, a Scandinavian grocery and home goods store, and it was practically mobbed with folks looking to pick up their sill, sausage, and cookies for the holidays. 

The wait time during the holidays is no joke.

So much red and white for Christmas! 

This man was outside working on his beautiful wooden bowls in 5ºF weather (-10ºF windchill).  I asked him how it was working in the cold, and he said, "Oh, I love it!  There's no mosquitos!"  

Spoken like a true Minnesotan!