The Weekend Itinerary

This last weekend when we were at Mille Lacs we missed the annual Windom Riverfest Celebration. There was street food, exhibitions, and parades and I was so bummed to miss the small town celebration.

But all is not lost. Two of our neighboring towns are hosting summer celebrations this weekend and I am so excited to go! Calhoun's only requirement is that he wants to attend at least three tractor shows. I have no idea what to expect but these schedules are pretty exciting! In anticipation I've been planning our itinerary and I wanted to share the planning materials with you, dear reader, in case you want to join in the fun!

Maybe we'll see you there?

My New Obsessions

I got a Kindle Touch for Christmas. I am obsessed. 

When I was in law school, then studying for the bar, I always knew that I was busy. But, I don't think I realized how busy I really was until I started working a 9-5 job (yay for a judicial clerkship!) and moved to, basically, the middle of nowhere that I re-discovered my love of reading!

This rediscovery of reading came hand in hand with re-discovering the beauty of the public library. I remember going to the library with my mom when I was a kid, getting the limit of books and always getting a puppet in one of those plastic bags. It was awesome. The big surprise is that the thrill of the public library is the same now, decades later. I have access to The Plum Creek Library System, where local libraries are part of a 26 library system and share their resources with their users. It is awesome. I've been able to request books and just stop in and find great ones - browsing for books is a very different experience in a small library as opposed to a huge library like the Minneapolis Central Library. 

I have restrained myself from checking out puppets, but I have a love for historical fiction (think The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory or The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette: A Novel by Carolly Erickson) and my  love for the books is heightened by the fact that I can check them out for free, enjoy them for a week and then give them back! Not only is checking books out easier on the budget, but it also means that I'm not cramming our bookshelves with one-time-only fun novels.

Once I remembered that I loved to read it just snowballed. More reading - novels, falconry books, cookbooks, knitting books...everything! The downside is that when your'e working on a few things at a time they're cumbersome to carry with you.

And here comes the Kindle. It was a long-shot present request for Christmas and mom really came through. I don't think I've been so excited about a present for years. And now that I've just started the fourth book of A Song of Fire And Ice series, by George R.R. Martin I cannot be without it! If you haven't picked up the series, now made more famous by the H.B.O. Series named for the first book, The Game of Thrones, you should. It is awesome.

I also got a new flannel shirt. I am obsessed.

I found it at Bomgaars. It is fabulous. Need I say more?

Minnesota Merchandise

I bought a Duluth Pack Mini Leather Haversack for my birthday! I can't wait to break it in on our trip to Chicago next weekend. I'm sure I will blog about the bag later but this blog post is about the Minnesota Merchandise featured in the Duluth Pack Catalog! It's amazing!

But first, a little history about Duluth Pack. On December 12, 1882, Camille Poirer patented the "Poirer Pack" - a canvas sack with buckle closures and newly designed sternum and shoulder straps. This Poirer Pack has come to be known as the Duluth Pack and is still made and used by canoers today. For two decades Poirer made and sold the packs out of a shop and in 1911 sold his business to the new Duluth Tent and Awning Company. Their website gives more history about the development of the Duluth Pack products, but I will say from my experience with other people's Duluth Pack products that they are a Minnesota staple. Duluth Pack is a brand that is more recognized amongst the South Minneapolis crowd than is Louie Vuitton or some other designer I don't care about and they are incredibly durable and timeless.

That said, their catalog is a hilarious and incredibly cliche collection of great and iconic Minnesota products - many of which I would like to own some day.

The spread of Minnesota Merchandise included in the Duluth Pack Catalog includes:

Red Wing Pottery

Red Wing Potter is based in Red Wing, Minnesota and has been in business for 140 years. They make a lot of different items, those advertised in the Duluth Pack catalog include a pitcher, casserole dish and chili bowl. My favorite Red Wing Pottery is their stoneware mugs, they are nice and heavy and keep your coffee hot. Red Wing Pottery is one of those great Minnesota products that I don't own but have gotten to put my hands on a mug here or there.

Smartwool

OK, so Smartwool is not actually a Minnesota company but they were started in Steamboat Springs, CO - and we all know that Minnesotans have an affinity for Colorado. Although it's not a Minnesota company, Smartwools are staples in my household. Wool socks are amazing! Have you worn a pair? They breathe better, they dry out faster when they're wet and Smartwools are always ridiculous and fun colors. Smartwools make getting dressed in cold weather more fun.

Steger Mukluks

These are awesome and I have absolutely no need for a pair. Will Steger is an arctic explorer, environmentalist, writer, lecturer, boot designer and all around badass! According to the Steger Mukluks website, Will wore his first pair of Mukluks while on an arctic expedition in 1982-83, courtesy of the Northern Cree Indians. He learned how to make them and upon returning to his hometown of Ely, began making them for friends and other explorers and his business has grown since then. I love Steger mukluks because I HATE having cold feet and I also really dislike gaudy, winter boots. Any good Minnesotan has had a pair of well loved Sorel boots and knows the value of a good boot, and although Sorels more than satisfy my winter boot needs, I have been obsessed with Steger Mukluks for a few years now. I think Steger Mukluks are extra awesome because you only get them if you need them and you're putting in serious outdoor hours, which in Minnesota, makes you awesome.

Ahh, Minnesota Merchandise. How I love things I cannot afford!