Home Just Before the Holidays

You might think visiting at that time of year might mean lots of hiding in doors, visiting friends and avoiding getting out and doing things. You might want to think again.  We had a great time, and never let the weather slow us down. You just prepare for it, ferrcryin’outloud, and go about your plans.

 One night we went out to the Guthrie theatre to see a fabulous production of A Christmas Carol. My wife likes theatre more than I do (I’m a shameless fan of celluloid, err, film?) so we went more for her, but I was pretty impressed by the sets, the acting , and the whole production. After retirement, I could see enjoying theatre more often.

 We went to the James J. Hill mansion and enjoyed their holiday tour. The mansion is administered by the state historical society, which has access to letters and archives of the Hill family and staff who lived there a century ago, when James J. Hill still ran his railroad empire. As the twin cities has a thriving theatre community, present-day actors have read the letters, journals, and archives of servants of that time, and brought them back to life. During the holidays the historical society does their own version of upstairs, downstairs, as the “servants” of over a century ago lead the guests from room to room under the impression that the guests are job applicants who desire to be “in service,” too.

 It’s a beguiling device for involving visitors in the tour, and it was great fun to see the mansion’s interiors, art, and furnishings.

 The missus and I visited friends and family in Minneapolis, Arden Hills, Shoreview, St. Paul, Northfield, and Rochester.  Yeah, it was cold, but everywhere we went the car’s heater worked and the buildings had furnaces, you know?  I was amused that our rental car had Florida license plates, however.  As a pair of Californians were driving the thing in the winter wonderland, it seemed like fair warning for the locals. And only our last day the skies opened and it really snowed.

 I’d intended to take the missus on a ride around the city’s lakes, checking out the fine lakeside homes in their winter white with views opened up by bare trees, but the snow was coming down hard and fast. So fast that ridges of snow demarcated the lanes on the freeway. We decided it was better to not test the secondary roads in our Florida-registered vehicle, and headed straight to the airport. Even then, changing lanes involved enough fish-tailing to make it adventurous.

 The 35W freeway was crowded, even jammed, but people drive carefully. It was a fine little reminder of how, even in the cold and the snow, it doesn’t stop the locals from getting out and doing what they need to.