Twin Cities Real Estate

Minneapolis is a Sweet City

Minneapolis has never been lacking for chocolate.  We have some fine, small chocolate companies in Minneapolis. If you are going to have cold winters, then you need the chocolate to help you build up your fat layers to stay warm.  Just Kidding.  We are not fat.  We play outdoors and work all those calories off.

 

Abdallah Chocolates has been on the corner of Lake Street and Hennepin in Minneapolis since 1909.  Albert, the founder, had a copper kettle he filled with the best ingredients he new.  He was an ambitious immigrant from Tripoli and had a new Swedish wife.  Both of them knew there was a growing demand for fine confections.  That chocolate is still made today and we eat it up.

 

Dragonfly Chocolate at 211 Washington Ave N. Is a private company that is made up of one employee in Minneapolis.  Made by hand the most perfect chocolate is created from Cacao Beans. His candies are sold in stores in Minneapolis or on line. There are no air bubbles in these chocolates. 

 

Chocolat Celeste is a small chocolate shop and factory that makes candies that awakens your senses.  Handmade truffles, bags of English toffee, and bars of chocolate wait for you to be tempted to buy them.  You will never be disappointed indulging in these rare items and making them a memory for life.

 

Custom Chocolate makes chocolate into thousand of shapes.  You can customize theme novelties for weddings, parties, corporate promotions, anything.  They take chocolate and make it  3D.  If you are going to eat chocolate, you might was well have it personalized.

 

Just Truffles hand-dips each truffle without preservatives and is wax-free.  This is a source for sumptuous, sensual, and  pleasure. They suggest you indulge yourself with one of their truffles and a glass of port for an ultimate desert.

 

February 2nd See's Candies will be coming to Minneapolis.  This manufacturer has been in the western United States.  Now they are dipping their toe in the Midwest.  They produce unusually high quality candy.  Mary See, the mother of the founder, has been the image this candy has had for years.  There is a cult like following for the chocolates, so its new location coming to Minneapolis by Valentine's Day is perfect.

 

When you come to see us in Minneapolis, leave your chocolate at home.  We have some fine samples for you to try here. 

Staying Nice

I was in New Hampshire for a family wedding this weekend and was flying back as the Vikings were playing the Dallas Cowboys.  I would stop and ask people if they knew the score, and they would say, "Who cares?  It's the Vikings."  Oh, I had forgotten I was in Detroit.  I guess they don't think nicely of the Vikings who resided in my city, Minneapolis.  I knew as I was boarding the plane that the Vikings had nicely won, but I stayed nice to the men around me making remarks.  You see, you can have more fun being nice at times like this than being cruel.  I tried to tell you last week that I thought those Cowboys might have to get on their horses and get out of Dodge.

So--this weekend the Vikings leave Minneapolis and go south to New Orleans.  They trade dome for dome.  It will be loud in there, but loud is the middle name of the Vikings.  After all, Vikings blow those awful horns, so noise does not bother them.  Saints fans, bring it on.  You have the tough Vikings and then you have the sweet Saints with their fleur-de-lis.  Really, don't you think our purple men will eat those white and gold guys up?  Their mascot is Gumbo the dog.  A dog winning against a Norseman with horns.  I think not.  We call our mascot Ragnar.  He shaves his beard with an ax.  Don't mess with the dude.  Our fight song is Skol, Vikings.  It is original and catchy.  Yes, the Saints have "When the Saints Go Marching In" but not original just to them.  Zygi Wilf owns the Vikings. What a name! Tom Benson and his wife own the Saints.  Right there the names say it all.

Okay--you need some more proof as to how the Vikings are going to win.  DEFENSE.  I don't think it will be a high scoring game, but the Viking's defense will take them to the Super Bowl. 

Yes--we are playing on the road and our road record is poor.  You know what they say, "Records are made to be broken."  Our big guys will pack their gear, special "blankies" and will meet the strangeness of the hotel and a different city with niceness.  They will stay nice until late afternoon, and then the saying, "Nice guys finish last." will rule. 

This is Minnesota, Wear Purple

Everything is lined up for a win for the Minnesota Vikings.  First, they are playing in their own dome stadium in Minneapolis. That means climate control.  Plus, the building is so loud when it is filled with Minnesota fans.  I personally cannot sit through a Viking game in the dome without getting a headache. 

Secondly, the Viking mascot of a hairy guy with horns will scare any Cowboy away.  Aren't cowboys the clean all American guys in our society that find stranded calves and respect women.  This Viking eats calves raw and I don't want to think what he does to women.  So we have a scare factor here.

Thirdly, we have our dancing girls who are wholesome yet sexy.  The Cowboys will be busy eyeing them and forgetting about the football.

Fourthly, have you met the Williams boys?  If those Cowboys like bulls, then they have a pair in the front line they will face often.  I don't know how much meat they pack, but I don't want to be the quarterback under them.  Jared Allen is on one mission.  To sack the Cowboy quarterback.  The buy looks so nice in interviews, but I know he has another side to him.  Defense will show those guys from the West why Vikings who claim Minneapolis are so tough.  They bath in frozen lakes.

My fifth point is our offense.  Adrian Peterson (what a name for a Minnesota player,) we call him A.P. eats up yards like we eat Sweet Martha Cookies at the Minnesota State Fair.  Sidney Rice and Chester Taylor rather get their hands on pigskin than any horse skin.  Then there is our old man Brett Favre.  He plays with his mind and his body.  Brett will tease those Cowboys until the fourth quarter.  Then those Cowboys will be looking for the fastest way back to Texas.

We will certainly miss EJ. Henderson who is injured.  I know those teammates will play for a win for him.

Those of us living in Minneapolis and the state say, "This is it. Do it boys." Let's forget all the times you get on national T.V. for the big game and fall on your faces.  Let's forget how you have let us down so many times.  Let's forget how we always love you though you don't get us to the big dance.  This will be different.  We'll be saying to those people from the Lone Star state,'Ya  all go home now and thanks for coming."

Give Us Moisture in Minneapolis

One of the side effects of having sunny, blue skies with cold weather is very dry skin.  There is little moisture in the air and then the heat that we run constantly to keep us warm, makes our skin even drier.  You can run a humidifier, put your face over steaming hot water, but you still  feel the pain of dry skin.

 

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and this is true for several home-grown companies that have created moisturizers for people who live in Minneapolis.  These are not costly remedies for dry skin, but relatively cheap alternatives manufactured in the state.  Thymes and Caldrea sell products that can be purchased on line or in gift shops. 

 

The two products often used by those of us who live in Minneapolis are Amlactin and Vanicream.  They are free of common irritants and scents.  Dermatologists find these creams to help those of us living in this dry climate at a smaller cost than other creams.

 

Can you imagine taking off you black socks and having a cupful of dry skin flakes come with them?  It happens here in Minneapolis.  I feel like a horse rubbing against a tree as I back-up to the door jam and scratch my back.  Dermatologists do tell us to take shorter showers, cooler showers, less soaking baths, and to rub on lots and lots of lotion without drying off to try to keep the moisture in our skin.  Picture a resident of Minneapolis standing wet but lathered in lotion in their 65 degree bathroom.  That is me. 

 

I never complain when it is humid in Minneapolis.  I figure my skin is drinking its fill of whatever.

Car Chunks

If you have to ask what a car chunk is, then you don't live in Minneapolis. 

 

A car chunk is what you get under the wheels of your car when the snow gets kicked up when driving.  It becomes a solid mass of ice and snow.  If you don't get rid of it, it will rub against the tire and you will wear the treed down.  Plus ,the sound is miserable. 

 

We get rid of them by kicking them with our shoes.  In doing so we can break our toes.  I am not kidding.  My husband always says to use my heal, but I don't listen to him.  My shoes have the famous "salt" look of Minneapolis shoes.  The salt that is dropped on the street so we don't skid is absorbed by the snow and then is absorbed by the leather on our shoes.  It is a nasty look and you try to get rid of it as soon as you can.  I don't advise spitting on the shoe, but some people do.

 

You can go through a car wash, but that is the easy way to get rid of them.  You do want them off or they will drop off in your garage during the night as the warmth of the garage allows the chunk to drop off.  You go through the parking ramps and parking lots of Minneapolis and see large chunks on the ground.  They are not very attractive.  I think I should start chunk throwing contests just to find a useful use for these things.  So------now you know that those of us who live in Minneapolis have car chunks.  Come July they will be a passing memory.

Mixing Preschoolers and Old Schoolers

 

Southwest Minneapolis is blessed with a no generation gap center for caring for preschoolers and senior citizens.  Mt. Olivet the largest Lutheran Church in the U. S., built this free standing center to combine the needs of people at both ends of their lives.  it is called Mount Olivet Day Services and Monday through Friday from 7 am-6pm it promotes the educational, social, intellectual and physical development for children.  At the same time it assists seniors with the joy of living life during your senior years.  It gives a break to caregivers of these seniors.

 

You will find these "kids" singing and dancing together.  They celebrate birthdays.  Some of the kids have many more candles on the cake than others.  The young ones entertain the older ones with their energy and laughter.  The kids get to see the world through some very wise eyes.  It really is a win win situation for all.

 

This mixing of young and old demonstrates the caring that goes on in Minneapolis.  We are a city that adopts children at a large rate, special needs children are accepted in classrooms, and our immigrant population is large for a quiet, Midwestern town.  Our corporations give generously to the community and with love and caring hands make this a wonderful Minneapolis to live in.

We really know how to go out and Eat Here

We just don’t get in cars in Minneapolis to grab a burger to eat.  Some guys actually get in air planes and land on frozen Lake Calhoun to grab the food.  Note, this is not legal and should not be attempted by anyone.

It was a sight to see today when during the lunch hour a 64 year old Aeronca 7AC registered to a man from LeSueur, Minnesota and a Champion 7FC  registered to a man from the Stillwater, Minnesota sat on their skis parked while their owners went across the street to eat. 

A police officer said in 30 plus years on the force he had never seen such a thing.  You cannot land on a lake in the city of Minneapolis without a permit.  It causes too much disruption with traffic and pedestrians.  You have to realize this lake is 401 acres in size.  It might be the largest lake in Minneapolis but it is in the heart of the city.  It is just a couple block from the quaint shopping district of Linden Hills. The people ice fishing at the time the planes landed must have been in shock.

What was the price of these burgers?  Most likely the meal will cost the men over $1,000.  There are those of you out there that don't think we in Minnesota know how to have fun.  This was big time fun.

In Minneapolis we are Hunger Heroes

 

In 1992 Minneapolis hosted the Super Bowl.  I think we were the joke of the sports world at the time.  After all, don't those who attend these events want warm weather?  Marilyn Carlson, daughter of Curt Carlson, founder of Radisson Corporation and more, convinced the NFL to allow the Super Bowl to be in Minneapolis.  Yes, it was nice and cold for those attending and we had snow.  We had people snow mobiling and ice fishing, taking pictures of themselves in parkas, and sending it all home saying they had survived the Super Bowl in Minneapolis. 

Planners were in need of creating events that would entertain people yet be inside and warm.  What was born was the Taste of the NFL.  Twenty-eight chefs from around the country, one for each NFL city, served up their specialties alongside an alumni player from each of the NFL teams.  All were volunteers.  The event was sold out and raised $90,000 with all proceeds going to local and national hunger organizations. 

This Taste of the NFL continues  today and is held in the Super Bowl city the night before the Super bowl.  This year the Barenaked Ladies will perform at the Taste of the NFL in Florida.  (It might feel like Minneapolis there this year!) More than  $6.8 million has been raised and distributed to hunger-relief groups since 1992.

The core of the Taste of the NFL team is a group of Minnesota-based volunteers and businesses that have built Taste of the NFL into a valuable brand to use in the fund-raising efforts for hunger relief.  This fund raiser is held in about 37 communities in the United States.  You can bet in Minneapolis we still make it a big thing.  At the Mall of America today they are accepting pledges for people to give all year long for hunger-relief.  Right now Cub Foods is matching those pledges. 

This idea that started in Minneapolis has grown to assist hunger throughout the United States.  It is one example of the caring that happens here in Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota.  Go ahead and tell jokes about us.  That laughter is what fuels are creativity for caring.

The Men of Minneapolis

The men of Minneapolis tend to be white.  It might be our Swedish, Norwegian, German, Finnish backgrounds.  These guys are as white as the snow.  Again, coming from those countries they tend to be tall and big.  Most of these men become obvious in November-March.  They hang out on the front lawns and backyards of the houses in the neighborhoods of Minneapolis.

 

I find that they like to dress alike.  Most wear big buttons, mittens, and fun hats.  Can you believe this? They go without shoes.

Their noses are orange.  I would think they might be red due to the cold.  They have big coal like eyes that stare at you.  They say really nothing and are almost frozen in place.  Kids get along better with these guys than adults.  Again, that Swedish background makes them shy.  There is a story in Minneapolis that a Swede once loved his wife so much that he almost told her.

 

You will see these guys all winter, but come spring they disappear.  Perhaps they go fishing.  One never knows.  Here in Minneapolis we are proud of them and take pictures of them, dance around them, and will even write songs about them.  I can't think of a kid that does not want one as a fixture in their yard.  Parents help form the friendships with their children and these men.  These guys are harmless.  They are the snowmen of Minneapolis!

        

Our Concern Goes Out to those Living in the South

Those of us who live in Minneapolis take a great deal of ribbing about our temperatures.  Everyone wants to know why we live in this popsicle city.  The truth is we have houses, cars, clothing and life styles that can handle this weather.  We plant trees, bushes, and flowers that can tolerate the temps.  We were a bit unhappy with the high's of -7 degrees, but it was sunny and the temp got up to 10 above today.  I walked around with my coat open!

I seriously am concerned about people who live in the South.  They do not have houses or life styles to handle cold weather.  It also destroys their economy with orange groves freezing and tourists running back to their winter city homes.   You don't go to Florida thinking you will be on the beach in 30 degrees weather.  They have it tough right now and we hold all of them in our prayers that they come through this with as little damage as possible.

We adapt to the climate of where we live.  It is when surprises like this happen,   something totally out of the control of the residents, that we feel at a lost as to what to do.  Each part of the country has these issues that are so damaging.  Here in Minneapolis it might be the spring floods or the summer droughts.  We have tornadoes that destroy more than we can imagine.  California has the fires that destroy lives and property.  The South has hurricanes.  The idea that there is a perfect place to live is not correct.  What we have are places in our country that we make the best of it.  Our jobs, our families, our health, our financial situation, and more keep us here or has us moving to where we live.

Minneapolis is home to me.  Blame it on my parents.  They are the ones who brought me when I was 8.  I went away to college, worked outside of Minneapolis, but in the end returned due to my family.  If I had not come home, I would not have met my husband.  We would not have created the wonderful daughter we have.  We would not have been blessed with our son being placed in our home and all the excitement he has brought to us.  Then we would not have had the grandkids we have.  The dogs we have raised would never have been in our lives.  Think of all the friends we never would have met.  Now you can understand why I live in Minneapolis.  It all makes sense does it not?