Lately

I promise I have been doing other things besides visiting the garden!

First: lots of Twins baseball last week for Josh and me. They were fun nights with friends and a fitting way to kick off July, which is All-Star month in Minnesota! I am so excited for next week's All-Star festivities. Also: after most of the All-Star selections were announced yesterday, I voted for Justin Morneau in the Final Vote because (besides the fact that he's having a great season) I would love to see him back at Target Field on Tuesday night.

On the Fourth of July, I began the day by volunteering with the Twin Cities in Motion committee at the organization's Red, White & Boom event. The finish line is just past the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, and the skyline was so pretty in the early morning light. (This is before the race, and the people walking toward me are heading to the start line. The finish line atmosphere is much more exciting!)

Later in the day, Josh grilled hamburgers and we ate dinner on the patio. We stayed home that evening with Wish, who is no fan of fireworks. (But we did see a great fireworks display at Target Field the previous night!)

On Saturday morning, I stopped by the farmer's market for some flowers and then swung by the garden for a visit:

Saturday also featured a walk around Lake of the Isles with my friend Katie and her baby boy and then my visit to Sara's garden. The day concluded with dinner and a round of mini-golf with Josh and two friends at the Walker Art Center's artist-designed mini-golf course! We meant to play golf and then go out to dinner, but with the mini-golf wait time at 90 minutes, we got on the list and then went to dinner first. (Thumbs up to Lago Tacos in Uptown!)

The mini-golf course was wonderfully creative and unique, with many of the holes accompanied by little twists and obstacles, and reading the instructions for each one felt not unlike a scavenger hunt. This was the first hole, with a curling motif very appropriate to Minnesota.

Thanks to a love of astronomy since childhood, one of my favorite stops was the constellation-themed hole, with Polaris as the destination:

And on Sunday, the Twin Cities hit 90 degrees for the first time this year (almost a month later than average) and Josh and I started refinishing a small cabinet I bought on Craigslist. I am okay with not seeing the putty knife for a little while, but I am happy those first steps are done! Onward with the week (and maybe sanding!).