Making Lemonade

There is an expression that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Certainly a similar expression may exist in other cultures and languages, too.

I need to make invitations of an important family event coming up. I bought a kit to do this myself, only to discover yesterday that the weight of the paper in the kit is incompatible with my printer. So I went on quest to find some professional printing help.

I started out this morning to one place, having to get myself around the light rail construction and road construction going on in St. Paul. The web page for this company said they had office hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 - 2. I arrived a bit after 10 and found no one there. Another person who works in the same building said the office is often closed "when they are not busy." I left a voice mail message, and now nearly 10 hours later, no one has returned a call. Got myself out of the light rail construction and went to restaurant to get a late breakfast.

Pulled out my Kindle and got on the internet and looked up a couple of other places. One gave me an appointment for 11:45, so I headed over to Minneapolis. We got the invitation business all sorted out and then I headed home.

I was driving along 50th Street in Minneapolis, a street I've driven on many, many times. Suddenly I saw the top of a tower a bit to the right. I turned off 50th and found this.

I walked up the hill and around the building. Here is a closer view of the figures around the bottom edge.

 But what is this? Finally on the opposite I found a sign explaining this is the Washburn Water Tower. The sign explained this is the second water tower on this hill -- this one built in 1912. It stands 110 feet high (33.5 meters) and can hold 1.35 million gallons of water! The structure is now in the Historic Register.

Here is a glimpse of the landscaping around the tower, now with a very late autumn view.

So here is one glass of lemonade for a day that started out somewhat frustrating! Notice no snow, but we did a bit of rain during the morning. I always say, "One doesn't have to shovel rain!"

Here are the berries close-up.


As I continued towards home the sun came out -- a nice change after gray and foggy days. But it's December, time when we start to see sunshine again in Minnesota.

I went by a small park area that I've passed many times and getting out in the sunshine seemed like a good idea. I went investigating what this sculpture is.

On the back of the sculpture I found the artist's name, S. Hammond and a note the he is from Egypt and the sculpture done in 2006. Then I remembered back to when huge blocks of stone were placed on the lawn of St. Paul Technical College and artists were given the opportunity to make whatever they wished.

Another nice glass of lemonade.

Hope you enjoyed these surprises from the Twin cities.