Witch's Hat Tower

Jarad & I checked out the "Witch's Hat Tower" in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis. This historic landmark is an old water tower that was built on the highest peak of land in Minneapolis in 1913, and it is awesome!! They open it up to the public once per year, on the Friday following Memorial Day weekend. Its name comes from the unique top, which resembles a traditional witch's hat.

We climbed up this narrow staircase to get to the top, and then we could see both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul from the observation deck. Great view - although it was a bit hazy so our pics aren't great. Maybe another year it'll be clearer...but for now, it was fun seeing a landmark in our own city!

Hard to tell, but that is downtown Minneapolis behind us.

It's Official!

Jarad & I went out to dinner at Murray's last night to celebrate our 2-year anniversary. Before the most delicious steak I've ever had arrived, Jarad asked me to be his wife. I, of course, said YES!

Happiest day of my life, bar none. We are now waiting for E-Harmony to call, as they can now feature us on one of their "success stories" commercials. Who knew a cup of coffee on a cold January day would lead us here?

My Birthday

I had a great birthday - thanks to so many people

who remembered me! My cards were hilarious,

starting with this one from my friend & neighbor, Allie:

Then, my cards took on a definite theme:

All said, I'd say this is a nice pictoral of my cards,

and tells me something -

my friends sure know me well!!

Holiday Fun

Just a few pictures from Christmas 2010...

Livia spends some quality time with her new pets!

Jarad & I stop along Hwy 61 to see Splitrock Lighthouse.

Not sure who's cuter, Livia or Auntie Lora!!

Our Trip to Colorado

Jarad and I ventured west...to Estes Park, CO, in August. Jarad's grandma, Betty, is an alum of the University of CO, and a member of their hiking club. This club has met for reunions every 5 years (and sometimes more often) since the '40's!! We were happy to escort Betty out there and to and from various destinations. We stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies, a beautiful location. Below are pictures from our trip...

The three of us at a picnic site in Rocky Mountain National Park...

The lodge we stayed at in the YMCA of the Rockies...

The three of us at Bear Lake, one of the most popular destinations for hiking and sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park...


I made some new friends when I spotted these elk at the entrance to the YMCA. They were pretty content in their meadow, and didn't seem to mind intrusive people with cameras (like me!)...

Jarad & I stop for a quick pic at Bear Lake...you just can't beat the view! Oh, and the mountains are nice, as well!!

Fun Happenings

We've been having fun this summer! On July 6, we attended the John Hiatt & Levon Helm show at the MN Zoo Ampitheatre - good times!!

We cheered on our friend, Joy, at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth on June 19th. This is us, waiting on the final turn near the finish line.

We made it to Target Field for the first time on June 12th (Twins vs. Atlanta). It was part of my TCF branch's "Best Branch" award...totally a blast!!

Random Happenings

Just some random pics...nothing too crazy happening lately. Enjoy!

Pudder, in full lounging mode...

Tulips growing outside in Dickinson, North Dakota...

Jarad & Di in Wadena, MN a few weekends ago.

A Touch of Spring

Jarad got me the most beautiful get-well tulips recently - they were this wonderful, rich shade of pink, and were just amazing!! I caught them in some of the nearly-springtime sunlight coming through the window a week ago...I can almost feel spring when I look at them!!

Music Therapy

Jarad's friend, Rick, asked if he could come jam with him at his mother-in-law's senior care home last weekend. I asked to come along, and ended up really enjoying the experience. The guys (and Rick's son Alec) played a nice mix of tunes, and the residents and staff really had a good time. It felt good to do something nice for others, just to do it. I think we'll go back for an encore!

True Love

The Vikings beat Dallas on Sunday (our 1-year anniversary). It must be true love.

Christmas Fun

So we ventured up north this week to celebrate Christmas with my vast array of relatives. A winter storm hampered travel conditions quite a bit, but we made it. Jarad & I stopped in the east end of Duluth, near Lester River, to get some pics of Lake Superior and the snow. Self portrait below:



We made it to my brother's house in Two Harbors, then carpooled back to Hermantown for the Christmas Eve feast at Mom & Bob's. Opening gifts came after stuffing ourselves - and what do we have here, but some damn good-looking siblings in some damn nice Vikes jersies? Heck yeah! (Mine was a birthday gift, the boys got theirs for Xmas.)

We were pretty much snowed in on Christmas Day, so we spent it just hanging at Brian & Jessica's. Intermittent trips outdoors to shovel proved to be plenty - that stuff was heavy!

The day after Christmas, we made it to Dad & Colleen's, where we once again stuffed ourselves with good food. All seven Gjerdahl/Beck/Dugas siblings were present, so a family picture was demanded (by me, of course). It's been 15 years since we last accomplished this feat - it seemed like a good time!

We headed back to the Cities on Saturday night. It wasn't too bad, but I was glad Jarad was driving - he took very good care of us on the roads! Pudder was ecstatic to have us back, and our own bed was a welcome sight. Now, to get ready for New Year's...

Vikings Visit

No, I wasn't visited by Vikings - football Vikings or other Vikings. (Although, Jared Allen could visit and I wouldn't be too upset!)

My brother Brian & his wife Jessica went to the Vikings game last Sunday against Seattle, so I got to host them and my niece, Livia, on Saturday night. Come game day, it was Auntie Di's chance to babysit!!

Fun was had by all - the Vikes won, Auntie Di & Livia played and had an indoor "picnic" and fed the ducks...it just made my weekend to see them!!

Now, only a month 'til Christmas, when I get to see them all again!!

Love Me, Love My Cat

Without a doubt, I think cats are excellent judges of character. They fluff up and hiss when something isn't right, they purr when things are fine and dandy, and they seek out those with whom they are comfortable and safe.

Pudder has definitely found someone else she can cuddle up with, and they seem to get along just fine. She is even allowed to bed down in the empty guitar case when Jarad is practicing a new tune...yep, love me, love my cat!

Minnehaha Creek Adventures

Just this past weekend, with a bit of sunshine and some late-fall temperatures on our side, Jarad & I took some time to walk along Minnehaha Creek. What a beautiful gem, right within the Cities! We will definitely be back, possibly with bikes, to explore some more.

Self-portrait on a bridge passing over the creek...

...just a great day altogether!!

Autumn

"Autumn is a second spring when

every leaf is a flower."

~ Albert Camus

A quick visit to Lakefront Park in Prior Lake this week turned up some beautiful fall colors. I wish we'd had more of these images this autumn, but for now, I will take what I can get. And...

...there's always next year!

Nine Month Anniversary

Saturday marked nine months since a very special person came into my life. I could get sappy, but sufficed to say, I'm a lucky gal.

We went to Maynard's in Excelsior for dinner, then out to Dunn Bros. to listen to some live acoustic music. It was a great night to be out with the one I love.

Fall Fun at the Corn Maze!!

So I finally got to visit Sever's Corn Maze - this totally random fall attraction in the Cities. This farm near Canterbury makes a maze out of their cornfield - awesome! They also have a pumpkin catapult called "The Slinger", pig races, a petting zoo, and all kinds of fun. I convinced Jarad, Joy, and Scot to come with me - good times were had by all!! (Well, by me for sure - I think everyone else enjoyed it, too!)


Jarad and I get acquainted with our agricultural sides...

Joy and I bask in our cuteness...

and I wind up for the pumpkin catapult...way too much fun!

My Family is Awesome

This weekend, we held the 2nd annual Smoger/Dugas/Otten/Rubesch fall picnic in Lester Park (Duluth, MN). My brother Jeff, his wife Sarah, and their son Ben were in attendance - I finally got to meet this cutie nephew of mine! We had a beautiful day and really got to enjoy one another!

Sunday brought a chance to watch the Vikings season opener together, which is always a treat. Jarad & I stayed through the 3rd quarter - the Vikes had it in the bag by then! My mom sported her Adrian Peterson jersey, and Bob enjoyed an amazing Skyline Bloody Mary - check that bad boy out, people!!

Weekend Getaway

This weekend, I took a few days off from TCF so Jarad & I could head up north for a little getaway. Destination: Leech Lake. Along the way, Jarad made a special trip into St. Cloud so I could see the Munsinger Clemens Gardens. This beautiful garden features various sections of beautiful flowers, foliage, and fountains. I particularly liked the hibiscus:


And there are several working fountains that just begged me to take pictures:


After this delightful pit stop, we were on our way up to Leech Lake. Jarad's mom and stepdad have a sailboat, The Renaissance, which they keep in a Marina at the Shores of Leech Lake. We were able to get up there and out on the water for a lovely sail. We anchored in a shallow end of the the bay, and had a great lunch cooked on the grill. Jarad and I both took turns sailing - I even learned a bit of sailor language (not the dirty kind - I already knew that!). But I think I figured out which side is "port" and what it means to "tack". Very exciting!!

Sunday morning, Jarad & I woke up early enough to see the sun rise over Leech Lake. There was a beautiful fog on the water, and the clouds were just striated enough for a really cool effect. It was chilly - down in the lower 40's - but it was worth it to get this view!

After a nice breakfast and some coffee, we took a bike ride of about 7 miles, seeing some more of the lake shore and enjoying the great trails that run around the lake. All in all, a wonderful little weekend getaway - I felt refreshed and ready to face Monday when we got back to town!