Published: February 08, 2008 12:32 pm            

Land Minds: Make the best of where you are

Originally published in the February 8, 2008, print edition.

Do you ever wonder how you ended up here?

Not where you are right this moment, but how our ancestors ended up in Minnesota.

I know that not all of our readers were born in Minnesota but for those who were, don’t you sometimes think “why Minnesota?” I ask this question because I just got in from outside and half my body is frozen and the other half is almost there.

More than 12 million people entered the United States through Ellis Island during its time of operation and some of my relatives were among those immigrants. They were entering the “land of opportunity.”

They could choose where they wanted to live, what they wanted to do and who they wanted to be. There was a lot to consider and dream about, but how did the frozen tundra of Minnesota in January ever enter into that picture?

I have to believe that the pioneering spirit was alive and well in those who chose Minnesota as their home. They didn’t have AstroStart, moisture-wick long johns, handwarmers or any other luxury that we take for granted in the winter. But for some reason they stuck it out and made this state and its land, their home.

Is it just me or does this winter feel especially frigid and brutal; it seems that if it isn’t the snow and ice, then it’s the wind and most importantly the windchill. Having two little girls to bundle up, take out to the car, put in the car seats without losing a single mitten, hat or scarf along the way is a task that I feel burns so many calories that I allow myself a little chocolate each day as nourishment for the energy that I use up.

There are plenty of things you can do in this state if you enjoy winter’s splendor. I have tried them all and found no pleasure in any of them.

There is the unofficial Minnesota state sport of ice fishing, but I find that too boring at times and when the ice cracks, I find it down right frightening. So I am definitely not a grab-a-fishing-pole-and-head-to-the-ice kind of gal.

There is ice skating but I have been cursed with weak ankles, and what I lack in ankle strength I make up for in clumsiness.

While we are not Colorado, Minnesota does boast some pretty nice downhill skiing, though I boast zero agility so that makes skiing purely a spectator sport for me.

No, I think that this winter I will stay inside taking care of my girls and dreaming of warmer months to come.

Thanks to my ancestors, Minnesota is in my blood; even with the ugliness of winter it is still a great place to call home. But Florida wouldn’t be too bad either.

        

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