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My wife and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and now that the kids are gone, we decided to take a mini-vacation with just the two of us.  Let me begin by saying how much easier on the pocketbook renting a one bedroom cabin is.  We ended up staying in Orr Minnesota, which is west of Lake Vermillion.  We have driven by the lake a bunch of times prior but never stopped to take a look.  Pelican Lake is a stunningly beautiful lake that is dotted with islands.  We stayed for four days and had such a great time.  If you have thought about visiting Pelican, I would urge you to do so.  The people in the community are so nice.  One thing I did notice was the use of masks is almost non-existent.  The only people I noticed wearing masks were waitresses and cooks.

As I wrote last week, Chisago Lake Lutheran Church has kindly stepped up to assist Relay for Life this year.  

While the event was virtual (online) and not physically taking place due to COVID-19 precautions, the church has graciously agreed to display the luminaries along the  outside of the church walkway.  The public is invited to drive by or take a socially-distanced stroll August 26 to view the luminaries and reflect on those being honored.  
If you would like to purchase a luminary for a loved one or a friend to be honored  you are encouraged to contact the church office at 651-257-6300 or email them at [email protected].

My baby brother recently sold his South Minneapolis home.  Big deal I know, people sell and buy houses all the time. True, but do they sell houses in neighborhoods that just experienced the worst riots the state has ever seen and hopefully ever will.  

In fact, it’s kind of mind-blowing that houses sell just a block or two from burnt-out buildings as far as the eye can see.  When I sat back and reflected on the state of real estate down there, one thing kind of sticks out to me.  People are not moving out of the inner city out of fear. Rather people are investing in the city with the vision that it will be bigger and better than before.  Not the result I was expecting, but very cool nonetheless.

St. Bridget of Sweden Church in Lindstrom will be holding an alternative to their annual block party.

From August 29 until September 6 you will be able to bid on some fantastic items in an online silent auction. Items are going to be bigger and better than ever!  The block party raffle will still take place with prizes being $1,000 for first place, four $500 winners and eight $250 winners.  You can contact the church’s parish office to purchase at 651-257-2474. Save your money, I am going to win. I’m joking, but hopefully not.

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