Grandma/Mom/Judy had a very warm and big heart this year because of a visit from her children and grandchildren. From left: Mark Frye, Ann Marie Nordby, Oliver Nordby Frye,Emmett Nordby Frye, Grandma, Todd Nordby, Cully Nordby and Bob Pike at the Lake Elmo Inn.

Yes that is our bird feeder in the back yard — kind of a tight fit under the squirrel deflector.

lots of these around here!

This book, Barabara Kingsolver’s new one, is a gripping tale about climate change and the study of an unexpected change in nature. The monarchs, instead of flying on to Mexico, stop off in Appalachia. Our hero is a feisty, brilliant young wife and mother, held down by poverty and the expectations of her community. It is the story of how the world can change, and how people still have to live the lives they are given. Great book, Kingsolver did it again. (remember The Poisonwood Bible?”

This year I learned a new word when I read “The Hunger Games,” dystopia (the opposite of utopia) where everything goes bad and wrong instead of being a lovely ideal. This book tells of a time following increasing climate change when the earth has been purged of most of the population because of a fatal flu epidemic plus another vicious disease “the blood” that sounds similar to AIDS. Hig, who survives, lives with his dog and another man in a small FBO (airport) in Colorado outside Denver. (Yes, Bob really liked this book too) It is a Mad Max kind of world and Hig’s journey to survive and retain some semblance of humanity is told in first person. I came away with a huge and heavy heart. I won’t spoil it by saying more.

Finally, “Arcadia,” which takes us from the hippie days of commune living, through a present and on into a near future, which has some elements of a dystopia. We grow up with Bit who was born in a hippie caravan and was raised by his mother and father in a large commune. It is another story of survival in odd circumstances, against many odds, and the struggle to love and be a good person.

After we took all the signs down, Bob couldn’t resist a little statement about the war(s).

This is my car — people don’t do the bumper stickers here so much — but I sure did — all these people won, except for Tom DeGree — first time candidate running against the Republican incumbent in this conservative district. He made a good showing — and maybe next time. He is gay, a teacher and the owner, with his partner, of Wilde Roast Cafe. On Wednesday we picked up political signs we were assigned and I took all these stickers off my car. It is over. Feels like a new beginning.

Now, he is working on another sign that will stay up awhile. It will say, “End the Madness. Bring our troops home now.”

The maples

We have a great location for political signs

Two horrible constitutional amendments are on the ballot in Minnesota

We modified our Obama Biden ’08 banner.