Minnesota Dreaming, Pt. 1
Minnesota has always had a special place in my heart; even though I have never lived there, I feel familiar with it because of hearing so much about it from my mom. I love that Scandinavian culture can still be felt through the descendants of 19th and 20th century immigrants. My grandfather was a Norwegian immigrant who arrived in Minnesota in 1903 with his parents and siblings. The special times when I have rutabaga or lefse, buttered and sprinkled with sugar, I like to think of those relatives, long ago, enjoying the same things in a new country. It makes me feel connected to people whom I’ve never met, yet are a part of who I am.
As a small child, one of my first memories of Minnesota was looking way, way down at Rochester from the window of my grandmother’s apartment building. A few years ago, while visiting my brother in Fargo, we took a day trip to Itasca State Park to see the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Most recently, in June 2015, my husband and I took a road trip to visit Minneapolis/St. Paul.
On the way, we stopped in my mom’s hometown of Rochester at an evergreen-shaded house she used to live in. It was so peaceful. We also stopped by my dad’s old house, which was just a few blocks away.
This design is inspired by the plants and flowers that grew around my mom’s house mentioned above. She described peonies, bridal wreath, jack-in-the-pulpit, plum blossoms, and currants, all included below.