My mom is a former teacher and a graduate of St. Catherine's College in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  She is a voracious reader in her retirement.  You can hear it in her descriptions of everyday life.  For instance, one day this spring she saw a deer come "kiting" across the bean field.  Another time she complained that she was "winged" against the car door when my dad took a corner too fast.  I think my favorite description, though, is when she told me she saw a short, little friend of mine just "popping" along the street one summer afternoon.

When I visited the farm recently, my mom sent a bunch of books home with me, and one of those was Main Street by Minnesota author Sinclair Lewis which she definitely wants back again.  It's a story about a big-city girl who marries a small-town doctor and moves with him to the fictional rural community of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota. 

Sinclair Lewis House on Summit Avenue in Saint Paul

My mom has always told me not to try and tell other people about the TV show I saw the night before because it's painful to listen to. I am going to assume the same would hold true if I were to try and give you a report about Main Street.  So, let me just say this . . .  City girls, always think twice before you marry a small-town doctor from Minnesota.  It's not going to be easy.  And you can take that to the bank.