Photo © Sheldon Swenson
Farewell to summer: Mitzi Swenson writes in her journal.

We had the privilege of staying in Dave Kuettel's beautiful cabin in Wisconsin for five days. Dave, my former employer, made the comment that it is a magical place and I must say I agree with him. The word "cabin" does not do it justice; it is a lovely, three-level log home, which had ample room for our entire clan! No small feat!

To celebrate, we went to a Twins game. We decided to make a day of it and went to our favorite place down by the Dome for lunch. It's called Maxwell's and, for those from the area, you might remember that much of it burned up a few years back on a cold February day. Well, they're back and just as good as they ever were. I got the fish and chips, which was superb, and Leona had the Reuben.

With a big lunch in our stomachs, we made the walk to the Dome for the game. The Twins were playing the Cleveland Indians, a division opponent, so it should have been a great game. Unfortunately, after a three-run second inning, the Twins weren't able to put any additional runs on the board, while the Indians managed to put up seven in the next couple of innings. We got one more run in the latter part of the game, but it wasn't enough to bring us up. Kind of a bummer of a way to end our era of watching games at the Dome, but what happened in the 5th inning made up for that.

About half way through, Leona points to the big board over the stadium and I look up in time to see that she's gotten a message up there for me for our anniversary! It was really neat and made my day. All in all, it was a great anniversary.

It's a bit blurry and far away, but it says: Eric, to our first 6 years. Love Leona.

Keep up the great work on The Bulletin, you two!

Tami came with us on the boat ride and vaudeville performance of Is There a Doctor in the House? while Jason and Mazie went to an orchid shop and Cabela's. Melanie directed us to Brasa for supper and to a Caribou Coffee for dessert. (Brenda and Tami aren't into coffee, so they went to an ice cream parlour across the street!)

Then it was time (Brenda said!) for a relaxing evening at a motel where we would meet Jason and Mazie. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed were the water slides protruding from the side of the Ramada -- Aha! That's why I had been instructed to bring a swimsuit -- something I hadn't even owned for probably 25 years!

It WAS really fun -- inner tubes on the "lazy river" and two small water slides that were really fun. No, you aren't going to see pictures. You'll just have to take my word for it! Before going to bed, we spent a long time watching Mazie smile, although no one got a picture of the smiles!

Friday morning we woke up to rain. There had been a lot of whispering the night before about what time we needed to get up, so we could "get there" by 8 o'clock. After much driving, checking maps, etc. we never did find "there" -- "there" being neighborhood garage sales, that possibly had been canceled because of rain. So our next stop was IKEA -- one of my favorite stores! We spent hours there, including Swedish meatballs for lunch, of course!

Our last stop was a ride on the light rail from the Mall of America to downtown and back. A relaxing end to a very successful Mystery Trip! (Brenda dropped me off back home at about 10:30 that night.)

Thanks to all the kids -- and to Nathan, Eric, and Jason for all the "solo kid care" during the time we were gone!

I'll give you a one angle glimpse of the bedroom and save more for them to show later. I'll also give a peek at the bathroom.

Plus, what a feast they had prepared for us! One is never disappointed with the food at their house! We started with veggies and dips to nosh on when we first arrived.

The main course proved to be the best turkey I've ever eaten! Don did it on the grill with his special flair and seasonings. He also grilled mixed veggies that were absolutely scrumptious! They had fresh sweet corn, which always hits the spot. They also had an olive oil and tomato dish, with their fresh tomatoes, that I loved.

Of course, Patty had made fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and a blueberry dump cake with pecans on top, so we lacked in nothing!

Besides the food, we got a lot of catching up visiting done; seems it gets to be too long between visits!

I got the biggest kick out of Hannah, their dog. She eats green beans (even from the vine, if she spots them), tomatoes, bananas etc. I have never seen a dog that eats the things she does!

I also enjoyed checking out their garden; it encircles the house and includes flowers on a couple sides. I enjoyed the use of the old chairs. I might have to copy that idea next year!

I applaud their hospitality!

Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so, we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.

(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn. The Matriarch supplied last week's mystery photo.

Tom Miller
Madera, CA

Ruth Weiland Kitto
Apache Junction, AZ

The picture includes Uncle Jim and Aunt Blanche, Uncle Leroy and Aunt Vonnie, Uncle Don and you (Aunt Dorothy), Aunt Gert, and another gentleman that I can't seem to put a name to, but probably should be able to, because he looks familiar.

Adriana Stahlecker Brown
Granbury, TX

Editor's comment: I really think if Aunt Blanche were here she would tell you what we were doing. This picture was taken the year after Grandma Dake passed away. We, as her children and their mates, had gathered at Gert's after visiting the grave, and so forth ... then, at the end of the visit, we went in to The Norseman Restaurant in Cokato and had lunch together. We decided we should do this more often. But it never happened. So I am glad we have this nice picture of the occasion. --Aunt Dorothy (the Editor)

The GUESS picture is easy again, I THINK. Looks like Don Pettit, Jim Miller, Blanche Miller, Dorothy (our Editor), Gert, Vonnie, LeRoy, and Don Anderson. I have no idea what's going on, though. Maybe Gert's birthday. Those old pictures are precious, aren't they?

A series of recollections, of the five years when Bill and Lois Dake and their family lived in Minnesota, began with the episode in Bulletin 343. It's too soon to tell just how many parts there will be in this series, just after World War II. In Bulletin 349, I told more about polio (once called Infantile Paralysis) via two links, Polio and Sister Kenny, to minimize disruption of the narrative flow. Both documents are posted as a series of scanned images. We can't edit them or correct typos and they will not respond to font changes or printer settings as regular Bulletin pages do.

Dorothy Dake, 20, hand tinted portrait, 1946.

As we gain altitude, the oxygen continues to be less available and our rest stops become more frequent. Once again I resort to taking frequent pictures (a less obvious way to rest and catch my breath) as there is spectacular scenery to photograph. There is no snow on the trail and we are glad we didn't start in the dark at 5 a.m., like many of the other groups.

Photo © Kjirsten Swenson
Climbing toward Thorong La pass, elevation 5,416 meters (17,700 feet).

After about five hours of steady climbing, labored breathing and a few false summits, we reach a tiny stone shack (probably the highest tea house in the world), a bunch of prayer flags and realize we have reached the top of one of the highest passes in the world, Thorong La pass, elevation 5,416 meters, or about 17,700 feet.

The wind is howling up and over the pass from the west, with an extremely cold wind chill, so we retreat into the tea house for a quick rest and some hot lemon tea. I think this is just like home, below zero temperatures and 40 MPH wind from the northwest, but the scenery is more interesting.

We take a few photos and scurry down the west slope, knowing the wind will die down and it will become warmer as we descend. In a couple of hours, we reach the first group of tea houses on the other side. By now, the wind has stopped and it is much warmer. We enjoy a nice, relaxing meal, outdoors in warm sunshine, relieved to have the pass and what should be our most strenuous day mostly behind us.

Little do I know that Kjirsten has more ideas.

To be continued...

This Week's Birthdays
August 30---Jessica Myron Gauderman
August 30---Ethan Wallace Horne (7 years old)
August 31---Devan Alexander Seaman (7 years old)
September 2---Patty Anderson
September 2---Vicki Anderson
September 2---Stanley Wm. Dake
September 3---Jacob Mendoza Dake
September 3---Eric Printz
September 3---Charles Quick
September 4---Wiley Nelson
September 5---Genelle Mogck
September 5---Lori Chap Ostendorf
September 5---Gabriella Ruth Boltz (1 year)
Happy Birthday!

This Week's Anniversaries
August 30---Chris and Jennie Dake Horne (12 years)
September 2---Michael and Sarah Dake Steinhauer (7 years)
September 4---Ernie and Carolyn Miller Dake (38 years)
Congratulations!

More September Birthdays
' 
September 7---Brendan Aydelotte (10 years)
September 12---Lindsay Dawn Hellevang
September 15---Carolyn Miller Dake
September 15---Shari Miller Larson
September 19---Nathanial Kurtis Seaman
September 21---Jessica Aydelotte
September 23---Abigail Mae Henderson (1 year)
September 24---Wyatt Johnson
September 25---Keith Mason
September 26---Jaxon Dwight Hill (3 years)
September 26---Alexa Ann Gauderman (1 year)
September 28---Donald L. Anderson
September 30---Sheldon Swenson

More September Anniversaries
Z
September 7---Tim and Colette Huseby (13 years)
September 18---Jay and Sandy Miller Smith (10 years)

September Special Days 2009
September 7---Labor Day
September 11---Patriot Day
September 13---Grandparents' Day
September 22---First Day of Autumn

Miss Hetty's Mailbox:

Sneak Preview: Shalana & Krista got kittens! The calico in the buggy is called Cinnamon. Her black & white brother's name is Cookies & Cream. Check back next week for more.

I could hardly believe that this is the 375th edition of The Bulletin when I checked it out today. How time has passed by! I know it has taken a lot of dedication and time consuming work and effort on your part, Editor, but I also know it couldn't be possible without Jerrianne's enthusiasm and expertise in getting it out each week. You both are to be commended!

The Berndt Family Reunion pictures are some the family will prize for many years. It was well covered with all the folks that attended, and the activity, and the entertainment by Ryan and his old friend. That would have been so much fun to see and hear. We don't hear of ventriloquists much; it would have been great to hear him. That would have gone over big. It is so nice that the Anderson and Dake clan get together often like they do. Each year brings more and more changes as we become "Old Timers," too.

I was curious as to what the prizes were that they presented? DeLoris never seems to age. Always the prim, serene looking, caring person she has always been.

It was so easy to click over to the additional pictures of the reunion as our Photo Editor provided it, and then to click back to The Bulletin 375. I wonder if we realize how much editing experience it would take to make that work so easily? I doubt anyone I know could do The Bulletin photo editing and editing just like our Editors do. With those extra pictures, it gave us a whole view of the event, which will make a very valued keepsake to them all.

Jordan turned six years old. How can that be? At that age, a birthday party is very exciting, and it doesn't take much to thrill the little people. Just so there is a cute cake involved and, of course, some pretty packages. Aunt Kelly is one special aunt. I love being a devoted aunt and great aunt, too. I don't have any horses, though.

We need to keep in mind these darling pictures of the Henderson children, as all too soon they will be growing and changing and these days of babyhood and toddlers will be over. Those little boys look ecstatic over having baby sister, Brienna.

I loved reading about Janie's Mystery Trip. I am familiar with that old Trolley, not only having ridden on it now, but all through my growing up years we went by streetcar. I have never eaten at The Egg and I. Sounds very tempting, though, and someday, when we run out of ideas, we could try to locate that place. We live on the opposite end of the city. That took a lot of planning, but sounds like it was a wonderful day.

Day to Day with Donna Mae usually brings us up to date on family events. Was that at the Johnson's in the new room? The windows look like it, but not the log walls. Happy Birthday, Chris. You are in the prime of life years. Make the best use of them.

I am so thrilled to learn that The Bulletin has lots of material to use for the next issues. It takes contributors furnishing their stories and pictures to make this work, and it sounds like folks are doing their part. I, for one, would be so lost if we couldn't look forward to The Bulletin on Saturday morning. I know sometimes lately material has been scarce. We can always depend on certain continued stories for a while yet.

Then Memory Lane scrolled up next. I dearly love that part of The Bulletin. I was living in that era and knew so many of the people mentioned, which makes it very interesting. Oh, Dorothy, don't worry. You don't have to apologize for the little bit of fiction you include to illustrate the facts. Anyone knows a person could never remember so vividly the minute details in the letters and occasions, and we go into this fantasy world, visualizing every happening as though we were a part of it. The dinner with the bosses wouldn't happen every day, so that was a major excitement. Maybe for them too, not knowing just how to conduct themselves with this lovely employee of theirs.

Honestly, I was shocked and disappointed. Here I was reading along, expecting to find out all about this dinner experience and whatever that was that his mom wanted to give you, Dorothy, and then it quit right there. I do hope there is another chapter to that. You know how to keep us anxious for the next Bulletin.

The Travelogue is always a welcome story that comes next. I had to laugh at Sheldon there in front of that stove, dressed so warm, and tried to picture him in his sterile garments in the hospital environment when he is at work. Might have been fun to rough it for awhile. Oh mercy, that mouse would have done it right there for me. Let me outtahere ... at least you weren't out on the ground in a sleeping bag in the cold.

Because you worked up an appetite, that noodle soup would have been welcome, but it seems it was the same stove and pretty cups as we saw two weeks ago. You must have stayed there overnite. (Oops! That was just me, shifting photos around wherever they work best, because I often can't tell which pictures are supposed to match with any given episode. --Photo Ed.)

The CHUCKLES picture actually made me laugh to look at it. Most kids scream, but Alex laughed. Has Doug given up entirely on the CHUCKLES? Too bad.

The Quotation for the day is so true. Seven wonders should be re-researched with so many wonderful places and things. Not only the children think there are seven million - plus.

I know there were many long hours spent to meet the deadline for this Bulletin, but it was worth every moment of it. Thank you for knowing just how to do it, and what to do to bring out the best of the photos and the stories we submit just as is. I don't think we thank you often enough for all you put into publishing The Bulletin for our enjoyment every Saturday morning.

Betty Droel