Greetings Sports Fans!

Debbie and I spent yesterday tooling down memory lane. We visited Northfield, MN--where we lived for 6 years following seminary and where I served in my first pastorate at Emmaus Church.

We walked downtown through this idyllic college town, home of Carlton and St. Olaf Colleges. "Cows, Colleges and Contentment" is the town's tagline on T-shirts sold at the local historical museum. The town's main historical claim to fame involves the Jesse James-Cole Younger gang's last attempted bank heist. The local citizens foiled the bank raid with the rallying cry, "Get your guns boys, they're robbing the bank!" Every September the town holds the annual "Defeat of Jesse James Days" festival and street fair. Hey--it works for them.

In Northfield yesterday Debbie and I walked downtown; walked the street past the house where we used to live--802 College Street. It is run down and shabby looking. Sad. The back yard is now torn up--looks like they are going to put in some kind of garden. I remember the yard as being the scene of hundreds of wiffle ball games with Mark and Mike when they were growing up.

Then we drove north to the Twin Cities and visited the campus of Bethel University and Seminary, where I went to seminary and graduated in 1980. We lived on campus in an apartment in Sem Village. We walked around the college and the seminary. Good memories.

After that we drove north two hours to Aitken, Minnesota. We have been visiting the home of Jim and Bev Mason. Jim was my mentor while in seminary and has been a good friend for 30 years. He and Bev live on Lone Lake outside Aitken. We have been catching up and sharing laughs and rants. Good times. This morning we went with them to their Wednesday morning breakfast group from church. The "Forever Old" group Jim calls it. Good people. Good food.

Signing off. Happy trails!

RM

It is good to be back in Minnesota.