Frost & Steam

136 Main Street West · Waconia, MN 55387
(952) 442-5551

Melanie and I drove into downtown Waconia last Sunday and we thought it was a wonderful place.  Waconia is about 30 minutes from the Twin Cities and is located on the shores of Lake Waconia, which is clearly a destination we intend to visit again when summer gets here. Many of the houses in Waconia have that turn-of-the-century look to them and I got the sense of driving through old, established neighborhoods.

The Frost and Steam Coffee House was packed when we got there and I can see why.  It was absolutely charming.  They serve sandwiches, baked goods and, of course, coffee. 

It's only a short hike from the coffee house to the lake where it appeared things were starting to get revved up for the coming season. 

After our visit to the U of M Landscape Arboretum, Melanie and I headed back into the city.  On our way, we stopped at the charming Cafe in the family owned General Store of Minnetonka.

I don't know much, but I know a good cup of coffee when I have one!  Not too bitter, not too weak - just right.  We also found the perfect bite to go with it in a huge, gooey, peanut and marshmallow laden bar.  (That's just so Minnesota, isn't it?)

The General Store of Minnetonka is huge and jam-packed with home decor, clothing, garden products, stem wear, kid's stuff, big people's stuff - you name it. 

The General Store of Minnetonka gets the Minnesota Country Mouse seal of approval for having a section devoted specifically to Minnesota products!

Is it spring yet?

I suppose we may have been jumping the gun a little bit by visiting the University of Minnesota Arboretum near Chanhassen, Minnesota in southeastern Minnesota before the weather has made up its mind about whether it's winter or spring, but it was just what the doctor ordered.

The new blossoms were putting up a good front, trying to stand their ground in the face of snow flurries, but it was cozy inside.

There was a bonsai collection on display, but my favorite stop was in their art gallery.  The paintings of flowers were captivating.  Really beautiful.  We'll be back when it warms up a little bit.  We've got a lot to see.

JUDIT NEILSDOTTIR'S

    "WOmanifestingDance(ataGlance)"
                    -solo ecstatic performance-

I attended Judith's performance at the Lower Town Lofts in Saint Paul, Minnesota last night and I have to say it has been my  favorite to date.  She moved to the vibration of music by Yoko Ono, The Spice Girls and a variety of other female performers celebrating womanhood.  The performance was dynamic, erotic, playful and spiritual.

 Look at those beautiful arms!  Oh yes.  One more thing.  What became of Eric???

What goes achoo-achoo-achoo plop?  Me sneezing my head off now that spring is here.

I sneezed six times in a row yesterday, which is unprecedented for me.    I'm not complaining about spring - I swear.  I'm complaining about the sneezing.  I recently discovered, however, that you can treat allergies with vitamin C.  Waaaay better than antihistimines.  Not only that, but if you have anything else that ails you, vitamin C can help with that too!  It takes a little longer to get results, but a couple of 1000 mg. tablets every few hours can make a world of difference.  How do you like me now?

***Newsflash***

More snow on the way.   That oughta settle the pollen.

Whatever.

Posted from the Angie Bergen Vintage Postcard Collection. For Sale.

This postcard is part of the Angie Bergen Vintage Postcard Collection

To see more postcards click here.

Just not to confuse anyone, I’m ManDa, a guest blogger on Minnesota Country Mouse. You may know me as the photographer of Jayvyn Turning into Kitty or from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandasisco

On Saturday, Beth, our beloved Country Mouse, my mom, and I decided to break from convention and visit a new coffeehouse. I’m a huge fan of street art; back in December, my favorite local artist,  had an art show at  The Beat in Uptown. When Beth asked if I knew of any coffeehouses we could go to, I was thrilled to suggest it.

I’m fairly new to city driving, but I think I did pretty well. I missed the parking lot entrance and got some well-needed practice parallel parking. While we were walking to The Beat, we saw a guy walking his cat on a leash! It’s always great to see people with the same interests I have. :]

The visual interest of our excursion didn’t end there. Hoodies and Twelvefingers have painted murals on the outside of the building. The colors are beautiful!

Inside, a gentleman named Dave greeted us. He made a very enthusiastic suggestion to which dessert we should enjoy and made us his favorite Mexican light roast French Pressed coffee. We waited four minutes for a perfect brew and had a life discussion. The coffee was better than any Caribou and the service was exceptional.

New photos posted to the Lake Harriet Photo Album

The parkway was bustling yesterday with joggers, strollers, dogs, ducks - you name it.

There is finally open water on Lake Harriet and that seems like a promise to me that spring might finally be here.    I mean, it has to arrive sooner or later, right?

Of course the wind was blowing so hard I thought the buds would blow right off the trees.  But that's Minnesota for you.

Minnesota Folk Artist Arnold Kramer (1882-1976)

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota will be hosting a collection of Kramer paintings during the 2008 tourism season.  The gift shop will carry Kramer gift items.  The collection is on loan from the County Center Historical Museum in Wabasso, Minnesota where Kramer lived after his retirement from farming.

Kramer's family moved to Redwood County from Iowa when he was nine years old.  This is the same county Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in 20 years earlier and wrote about in her book On the Banks of Plum Creek.   Kramer was nicknamed Minnesota's Grandpa Moses by the University of Minnesota.

Display of memorabilia from the TV show "Little House on the Prairie" set in Walnut Grove, Minnesota

Spinning Wheel

Click here for museum hours.

A replica of Laura's button-eyed doll can be purchased in the museum gift shop.

Visitors can visit local sites and attractions like the McCone Sod Houses near Sanborn, Minnesota, and the dugout site where the Ingalls' sod house stood on the banks of Plum Creek.

Row Boat Near Duluth, Minnesota

Performers at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Segway Tour Along the Mississippi River, Saint Anthony Main

A Porch in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Geese in Alexander Ramsey Park Zoo, Redwood Falls, Minnesota

Baby Goats at Petting Zoo Near Jordan, Minnesota

All the talk at the office today has been about the impending April blizzard.  It's raining right now and once it cools off it'll be ugly.  I admit, it was bringing my mood down a bit, when, what should I find in my mailbox, but a copy of Jerry Ostensoe's Just East of West CD.

When I heard the first notes of Jerry's guitar accompanied by harmonica, bass and fiddle, I knew I was going to like this CD.  Occasionally Jerry is joined in vocals by Malena Handeen rounding things out.   One of my favorites songs is He'll Do Better.

Some of his songs are sad and soulful, some funny, and some are, dare I say it?  Well, they're kind of sexy.   Small towns, women who have had too many men, and broken hearts.  Sounds like the blues to me. 

Oh heck.  What's one more snowfall?  Forget about it. I'm going to run a hot bath and listen to the rest of Just East of West. 

My brother Pete showed up with his kids, Allie and Jimmy, late Saturday afternoon.  They drove down from Brainerd and the kids were restless from being couped up in a car for hours, so here was my genious plan.  We called Kasey so Jayvyn could see his cousins, and had her meet us at the Dunn Brothers in Linden Hills because they have that nice little play area.

Then we headed over to Lakewood Cemetery at the end of Hennepin Avenue.  I know it sounds like a funny place to take guests, but no one's been disappointed yet. We've all lost people close to us, so there is naturally a reverence about visiting a cemetery.  Lakewood Cemetery is like an amazing, historic sculpture garden.  Pete and the kids were fascinated and intend to return again to see more of it at a later date.

We finished off the afternoon on the Minnehaha parkway trail just off of Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis.  Kids love bridges.  Jayvyn tore across the bridge with cousins in hot pursuit.  We took pictures and threw sticks and stones into the water.

I was proud of my little part of the Twin Cities and I have to admit, it made me someone they'd like to visit again!

I drove through lovely Olivia in southwestern Minnesota a couple of weekends ago and it occurred to me that this symbol of agronomy is more relevant than ever, based on recent newspaper articles about corn rationing.  Analysts are predicting farmers will raise less corn than last year.  Last year they raised the largest amount of corn since WWII.

The monument stands on the west end of town along Highway 212 as a tribute to people like my old dad who spent a lifetime eeking out a living as a member of the backbone of the country in the breadbasket of the nation.

Olivia has a stately courthouse that hasn't fallen victim to exterior remodeling and improvements. 

But corn isn't the only crop in this part of the country.  There are also soybeans and sugar beets.  On the west end of Olivia stands the Lakeland Bean Company.

This is truly rural Minnesota.  In the summertime, Olivia hangs gorgeous baskets of flowers from the lamp posts along Highway 212, celebrating the softer side of a farming community.  Click here to learn more about Corn Capital Days celebrated in Olivia every summer in July.

I've posted new photos to the Lakewood Cemetery Photo Album

I was just getting my daily dose of the Minnesota Moments Blog, when I read that there's a brewery in tiny Lucan, Minnesota called the Brau Brothers Brewing Company.  It's owned by the Brau family, a name that has been part of Lucan history in southwestern Minnesota for ages.

Painting of the Lucan Fire Department (1910) by Arnold Kramer - on loan at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota

The author of the article, Audrey Kletscher Helbling, mentions that the population of Lucan consists of 220 wholesome, upstanding and hardworking men, women and children.  And it must be true, because it's printed on the label!  I was reading their website and I have to admit, I almost wish I drank alcohol.  The names and descriptions of their specialty beers sound like dessert!

Sorry for stealing your topic, Audrey!