Third and Final Self-Published Book

Here is my final eBook!  It is a memoir of my first 40 so years.  I decided to write it as I saw so many stupid memoirs written by people who think they are actors but not, and thought, why not me?  If people are willing to shell out money for stupidity, mine at least isn't as stupid. I'm just not famous. So here it is.  I am taking a break from my writing now to spend a year getting a certificate in Adult Basic Education/English as a Second Language, hopefully to get a job doing this afterwards.  I am sick of writing, and my left arm/hand has been in constant pain for three months, I think due to it.  So I need a break.  Writing is a lonely hobby and a a seeming exercise in futility.  I will still be posting to this blog, and managing my other sites.  But I need a break.  The link about the book will be on the left.  But you can just go to Amazon to see it, if you want.  Thank you for following this blog, especially my mom, and members of my KFS group, who always writes something about it every time.  My mom is a good mommy, who believes in her daughters even if they fail.  I am blessed to have such great parents who always believe in me and have helped me throughout my life.  I would not be here without them.

The Village Of Yesteryear

This turn of the century village is in the town of Owatonna, MN, about 1.5 hours south of the Twin Cities, right off I-35.  The circular village has 10 or so buildings that are what one would see in a small town in the early 1900s.  The house in the top picture was built by Mark Hill Dunnell, a U.S. representative from Minnesota. The lower picture is of central park, where all the buildings surround.  

You meet the tour guide and other tourists at the nearby Steele History Center Tuesday through Sunday at 1:30 pm in the summer.  Our tour guide was very informative and made the tour interesting, telling us little tidbits of trivia throughout the village, without boring us with too many details.  It was a nice day trip to do on a weekend, and I enjoyed it.  I had been through other like villages in the country but I was pleased to find one so close to home.  I was amazed at how much the community has given to this project, with both time and donation of antiquities.  There is a community feel there, and I was glad to be a part of it for a time.  If you like to see what life was like for your ancestors, I highly recommend this place.  I think  the more I learn about life back then, the more I appreciate life right now!  We are rather spoiled here, I know I am!  I never would have survived in those days!  

Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

This museum and trading post are about 1.5 hours north of the twin cities on 169.  It is a small museum about the history and culture of the Ojibwa Indians in the area, and the trading post is from the turn of the century when a couple built it to trade with the them.  Through the years, they collected local artifacts to start the idea of the museum.  From there, the local tribes people built the museum, including a four seasons diorama of life for the tribe in the 18th century.  The little houses on the lower picture are cabins that used to be available to the public to rent, when the couple owned the trading post.  The post was restored to early 1900s period.  

I came here a few years ago with my family to watch a powwow.  Now I came back on my own to see it again, spending more time there.  If you are interested in the local Indian culture, this might be an interesting day trip for you.  Across the street is the casino, in case you are interested in that!  Otherwise, it is part of the Great River Road Scenic Byway.  It is also a part of the Minnesota Historical Society, which is an excellent resource to learn about our great state!