Notes from C: September

I'm one of those people that carries around a little pad of paper wherever I go. Don't you know someone like that? Well, you probably do and might not even realize it, because we "notetakers" like to keep our notes pretty secretive. Yes, we go to many lengths to protect them from the elements, but for the most part you won't see them emerge from the bag unless you peek into my cube at work and see me, head down, scribbling in the corner, or glance over at a stop light where I'm furiously jotting down the key points to my strain of thought.

Last spring I posted about my little note-taking habits {I just typed that like hobbit with a double B}, and decided that a regular blog post on some of my random thoughts might be a good way to put my notes to use. I mean, it's nice having stacks of notebooks filled with scribbles and makes me feel somewhat like Harriet the Spy, but hopefully posting regularly (monthly?) will help me someday turn these thoughts into something more productive. Some may be seasonal, some may be random, and some may be downright ridiculous ... but here we go!

Without further ado, my September Notes:

{1} Fall seems to always come as a surprise. "Oh, it's fall outside," people will exclaim as they quickly shuffle on their jackets. Maybe it's just in Minnesota where the weather changes quickly and fall is altogether rather short. Maybe it's because summer stretches out our days, our muscles, our routines, making the change a shock to our system. Whatever the reason, fall, more than any other season has this sense of urgency that sends us flying off to apple orchards; whipping up pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin-filled ravioli; lighting candles and bonfires; and trying to savor the last of the colorful trees. No other season does this to us - or at least to me. Sure, we get wrapped up in Christmas festivities, spring planting routines, and summer-loving activities, but there's no drastic switch. We slowly shift and drift into the next season: snow gradually melts, the trees start to bloom, humidity rises and the sun is high. But the moment you pull out the long sleeves and fall scarf, it's go time! That's why we're off to Vino in the Valley this weekend for a little fall wining and dining. If you're in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area, please make a trip down there sometime. It's delightful - our own little Napa, as we like to call it.

{2} Wouldn't it be fun to get all of the Carolyn's {insert your own name} together in one room? One big party with everyone who shares your name. You wouldn't have to introduce yourself to anyone, because obviously you're a Carolyn. No need to worry about forgetting someone's name either. "Sorry, and you are ...?" just doesn't exist. You could play the "favorite nickname game," all wear shirts that say "not Caroline," and sing "Sweet Carolyyyyyn da da da" because for as much as you are not a Caroline that song is still about you. There'd probably be a theme song or group choreographed dance at the Carolyn party. What would be at your party? (Just found out there's a new Carolyn at work and I would never guess that's her name. I mean, usually I can pick a Carolyn out of a crowd but this one surprised me.)


{3} Regarding the pumpkin photo above. Trader Joe's got the best of me. They were flaunting all that pumpkin stuff and I just couldn't resist. The pumpkin itself was a deal at $3.50, and the other items were total splurges. Turns out the ice cream is super sweet and won't ever make it to my bowl, but this morning I discovered that it's the perfect addition to a cup of coffee. Homemade pumpkin spice coffee! Sweetener and cream in one! I have big plans of making this granola with those pumpkin seeds.


{4} A quote from Moloka'i, by Alan Brennert
"Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master" (205).

And I'll close with a nature quote:

"How beautiful leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." --John Burroughs

... perhaps the same can be said for human life as well? With aches, pains and sickness, it is easy to overlook the beauty of aging, but I believe - and hope - those days may be some of the brightest in some way (so says the 28-year-old).

If I Were Up North ... {10 things to do north of Duluth}

The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not. ... 

~William Wordsworth

In Wildness is the preservation of the world

~Henry David Thoreau

I had intentions of blogging this morning from the shores of Lake Superior up in Duluth, Minn. Evan is taking a one-day class (for his Master of Environmental Education) up in Duluth, and had I gotten up and hit the road with him at 6:30 this morning, I could be typing away with views like this in front of me:

Well, I wouldn't exactly have views of Palisade Head in front of me from the Caribou Coffee on Canal Street, but I would know I was that much closer to one of my favorite places on earth ... the North Shore. I know, it's crazy to think a Jersey Girl would have such a sudden love affair with a place so far removed from the ocean, but I can't help it. Four short years as a Minnesotan has already given me the North Shore bug ... and especially around this time of year, it's hard to pass up a trip up there, even if just for a day. But there's lot to be done on the home front today, and I figured what's the next best thing to visiting the North Shore? Why, writing about it and enjoying some old photos of yore!

So I've compiled a collection of some of my favorite Up North memories for you, in hopes that it encourages everyone to take advantage of the beauty around us. Whether it means just going for a bike ride around a city lake (I hope to do that this afternoon!), rolling down the windows in the car, or trekking out on a big weekend adventure. As some of my favorite writers mentioned above (William and Henry ... we're on a first-name basis), it's high time we reconnect with nature because that's where life truly lies. So what if it's a little chilly out or the leaves aren't quite as vibrant as last year. Maybe it's even rainy and dull. There's something to be learned just by soaking that up (both figuratively and literally). And while we're on the topic of appreciating nature, let me recommend the book Last Child in the Woods - Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. There you'll find awesome quotes, such as:

"Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement ... everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually" (292).

"Nature is beautiful, but not always pretty" (56).

"Perhaps the eighth intelligence is the intelligence within nature, the lessons waiting to be delivered if anyone shows up" (78).

"The quiet wisdom of nature does not try to mislead you like the landscape of the city does, with billboards and ads everywhere. It doesn't make you feel like you have to conform to any image. It's just there, and it accepts everyone" (84).

"I have come to the conclusion that one's idea of nature is also their idea of a paradise or a heaven on earth" (306). -- what does your heaven look like? Mine might just look a little bit like the North Shore.

Without further ado ... If I were Up North today, here are some of the things I would love to do!

Top Ten Things to Do Along the North Shore:

1. Take a nap at Crystal Cove

A hidden landmark off the road of Highway 61, just at the base of the turn off to Wolf Ridge, Crystal Cove is the perfect place to soak up some sun (even if you have to wear a jacket!), go kayaking, or look for agates. (I might need Karrin to confirm the location as I can't find it online! I guess it really is hidden!) - photos from our recent trip, June 2011. It was actually just the original six Pearsons, no significant others (although they were invited - we aren't that exclusive!)

2. Collect birch bark

Birch (and Aspen) trees are abundant! Although I've heard they are a young-forest tree, so in the next 50 years or so many of these trees will die off and be replaced by larger evergreens. Don't pull the bark off of living trees, but if you scour the ground, you are bound to find sheets of Birch "paper".

3. Take a hike

So many hikes, so little time. I've climbed Marshall Mountain at Wolf Ridge maybe four or five times (more info on Wolf Ridge below). It's one of my favorites as it's a short yet steep hike with a great view - in any season!

Other popular hikes in the area include hiking along the Temperance River, hiking in Tettegouche State Park, exploring the Superior Hiking Trail, trails around Gooseberry Falls, and many more!

4. Explore the rocky coastline

The bottom right picture is right on the shores of Lake Superior right where the Temperance River flows in. The other photos are from the shoreline at the place we were staying in Tofte, Minn. Sarah was by far the best stone-thrower of us all. And by the way, the book Sarah is reading there is The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, it's very good - I just started reading it. There's something about a rocky coastline that is more soothing to me than say I sandy tropical beach. I think it has to do with the sound of the water as it laps up on shore, collecting between the jagged rocks.

5. Get Cozy in a Dome Home

Have you ever stayed in a house where all the walls are rounded? It is quite the experience! My grandpa had a dome home in the Black Hills of South Dakota when I was little. I have memories of playing in the snow there with cousins and both sets of grandparents. This was a much larger dome home with three floors! We (my parents, sister and I) stayed there this past June for a few days before heading to my cousin's wedding. We found it on Cascade Vacation Rentals.

6. Embrace the cold (if it were winter)

The only way to survive winter in Minnesota is to bundle up, put a smile on your face, and have some fun. You know you've been in northern Minnesota during the winter if you've had to sleep all bundled up in a hoodie and long underwear!

Although Minnesota isn't exactly known for it's downhill skiing, Lutzen mountain isn't half bad, and you can see Lake Superior from the top! (When it isn't snowing, that is). Cross-country skiing is also quite popular.

7. Visit a lighthouse

This is the lighthouse in Duluth in the Canal Park area, but there are other lighthouses, like Split Rock, and even one in Two Harbors.

8. Explore Wolf Ridge ... and learn something new!

My sister Karrin was a Naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minn. a couple of years ago, so when I visited her I always had my own tour guide. Although they most often host school groups during the year, I think families can sign up to visit during the summer and they hold various activities during the year. Here's my favorite nature guide teaching us all about trees, birds, and the Voyageurs (French explorers):

Challenge yourself to go both high and low ... literally! At Wolf Ridge you can go down (and up!) the "stairs of health and happiness" (aka the longest set of stairs known to man ... how long are they again Karrin?) and they have the Ropes Course, which boasts views of Lake Superior from the top!

Here's a post from Fall 2009 up north, you can watch a slideshow from our winter trip up north, and here's a slideshow from the Wolf Ridge commencement from 2010.

9. Have a bonfire on the beach

If you rent a home along the coast of Lake Superior, chances are you'll have access to the rocky beach! 

Or even better yet -- a wedding on the rocky beach!

10. Keep your eyes open ... to the little things and the grand views, the fast creatures and the slow.

If I felt like making this post longer, I'd share our stories of camping up north ... but you can read about that here. Needless to say, camping options abound when it comes to Northern Minnesota. I have yet to make it to the Boundary Waters. Also on my list of must-explore is Madeline Island and the rest of the Apostle Islands.

But enough chit-chat for today. I'm off to get my butt outside!

What are some of your favorite things to do along the North Shore? Or anywhere outside, for that matter. Do you have a favorite nature quote? I know my list is continually growing!

There's no such thing as Bad Weather

... only bad clothing.

This little motto that we've adopted for the month of January was put to the test this past weekend when we ventured out to Big Woods State Park in Nerstrand, Minn. to partake in the annual candlelight cross-country ski event. In negative 20 degree temperature, it is quite a challenge to prove our motto true. Here was our attempt to defy the "bad weather" that night:

Despite the cold that practically paralyzed my fingers for the first twenty minutes of our trip, Evan and I set out optimistically under a canopy of stars. Just outside the small college town of Northfield (where E and I attended St. Olaf College) lies Big Woods State Park. It is known for it's wooded trails, waterfall, vibrant fall foliage, camping sites, and ... candlelight ski event. But the anticipated cold scared away many of the regular candlelight participants, and we happened upon only one fellow xc-skier on the 1.5 mile stretch of trail. He approached us so silently, if it weren't for his headlamp we wouldn't have known he was coming. Like a mythic being so practiced in the art, he sailed silently by as if the snow itself was pulling him along. He gave a gentle nod and a cheery hello, then was gone, just as quickly as he came.

Although the luminaries remained flickering along the side of the trail, the further we got into the woods, the fewer luminaries we met and the darker it became. But I was actually thankful we didn't bring our headlamp along, for without it we were really able to enjoy the sky. I desperately wanted to pull my camera from my pocket to document the scene, or better yet, set up my SLR camera on a tripod (which I had left at home). But when it's negative 20 degrees outside, you don't expose your fingers to the cold, even for the sake of art. So I surpassed my urge and took a mental image instead of Evan pushing forward under a fortress of twisted trees that loomed over us with windows to the stars. I love how the world is contrastive under a blanket of snow; everything is either light or dark. There is no gray area, everything is clear cut and extreme. ... not to mention the extreme temperatures.

(the above photos were not taken that night, but the top and bottom right demonstrate the contrast I'm talking about, and the other is from a xc-ski outing on my birthday this year)

One of the best things about subjecting yourself to an outdoor adventure in such frigid temperatures? Going out for pizza afterwards! Basil's pizza was a college favorite and an automatic "must" whenever we're in town again. My sister and her boyfriend (who attend St. Olaf) met us there, along with Evan's mom and friends (who were snow-shoeing at Big Woods) and their husbands. What a perfect end to a freeezing wonderful night!


And by the way, I wasn't joking when I said we made this our motto:

This homemade calendar is hanging in our kitchen right now to remind us to be optimistic this winter. Want to make your own calendar? It's super cheap (just printer ink and basic white cardstock paper from a craft store - I went to Michaels). I think my calendar cost $6 total. Not too bad for something unique and personalized! I have a quote or line from a song for each of my months of the year, but you could do whatever you want.

If you want to make your own, check out this website.
Go here to see more xc-ski events throughout Minnesota!

Stay warm!
C&E

Adventures in Finland

"...We have joined the greatest of all communities, which is not that of man alone but of everything which shares with us the great adventure of being alive."

Joseph Wood Krutch

This past June my dad and I spent a weekend in Finland ... Finland, Minnesota, that is. My sister Karrin had just completed a year as a Student Naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, so it was a weekend filled with commencement celebrations, hiking and exploring, and fond farewells.

Below you'll find a little slideshow I put together of our weekend. If interested in hearing the story behind Karrin's photos with the canoe ... well, you better ask her ; )

You may notice some familiar scenes from our visits last August,


October (click link to see blog post); didn't make it to Marshall Mt. this trip,


and February (click link to see blog post).

And now in June (it was really foggy)!

My, how the landscape changes with the seasons!

As you will see, Wolf Ridge is a place where the word "adventure" is truly at home. I noticed it popping up in speeches, goodbyes, and casual conversations -- certainly these young naturalists have many more adventures in store for them.

(Once the video starts playing you can change it to higher resolution -- even HD if your computer can handle it!)

"It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy ... Let's go exploring!"

What is Success?

I am in the process of editing a little video from Evan's Variety Show at Lakeville North High School this past weekend, but since I am having some issues with my video-editing software and am unable to post the rather hilarious video at this time (which includes a boy-band dance and men's cheerleading!) I will leave you with something else -- equally as inspirational ; )

Earlier this year my mom gave me a magnet with a great quote on it. I love having it on my fridge to read and remember every day. When you hear about what others are "accomplishing" with their lives, especially in alumni updates and magazines, it is hard to feel that you are "doing" enough with your life. This quote reminds me that although those other accomplishments are important and striving to reach your goals has its value, these are the little things that really aren't that little; these are the things that really matter:

To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of

children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false

friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better,

whether by a healthy child, a garden patch... to know even one life has breathed easier

because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!

~Emerson

Have a wonderful, "successful" day -- and check back for some boy-band dancing soon!