Bird Houses

Last year Harrison Park brought in an organization called Elpis Enterprises (http://www.elpisenterprises.org/a/j/). Once again Elpis Enterprises came to the Park and brought a fun project for the kids to attempt. Like last year the project used wood, nails and a power drill to make a birdhouse!

Using the forms to align the wooden pieces.

Elpis Enterprises brings homeless youth together with their communities while teaching them trades and leadership skills. When Elpis comes to Harrison they usually bring 2-3 youth who run the show and work hard.

Sometimes hammering can get tricky!

It's exciting to use tools and pound in nails but sometimes there needs to be a bit on finesse to get the nails to go all the way in. Patience was important as well attention to detail! I was very impressed with how well organized Elpis was and how they were able to troubleshoot any problem that arose!

Finished!

When the birdhouses were finished we got some free seed to feed the birds with a hanger to put them in a tree! I put mine up and within hours the squirrels were all over it! The plan is to cleverly devise a system to outsmart the squirrels. We will see how that goes!

 

 

Winston, myself and Simya

This is my third year working at Harrison Park! It's amazing how quickly these kids grow up and how much Harrison means to them . Harrison is a community park and there is no charge for the kids to be there nor is there a required attendance. The kids come and go as they please. The important part is that they WANT to be there. I have had a blast working with each of them and influencing how they view the world. Simya lives near me and I have really enjoyed seeing her at the park, at the library and at Theodore Wirth this winter!!! She truly takes advantage of the awesome opportunities around her!

Spring Time = Garden Time

Working in the garden

 

After a long season I am finally home again in Minneapolis. The end of the season was a bit of a disappointment with bad luck and exhaustion. I could think of no better way to recoup and relax then to see my family! It's been almost a year since I last saw them at our wedding and I was excited to catch up with everyone after one year of being a married woman and a homeowner! The trip was jam packed with fun and excitement and I wish we had more time to see everyone more. We did get to see my dad and his girlfriend Jeanie, my mom and my step-dad, my brother and his girlfriend, my grandmother,  Brian's sister and her boyfriend.

After such a mild winter I couldn't help but start thinking about starting a garden as soon as I got home to Minneapolis. Well, less then two seconds at the curb with our car Brian and I were greeted with hugs and warm welcoming by the neighborhood kids. They were genuinely ecstatic that we were home again.

 

We invited the kids to come over and start planning for the garden. We first assigned everyone a vegetable or fruit that could grow in the upper mid-west climate. There were a lot of requests for bananas but I had to explain that it was just too cold here for them to grow. We settled on greens, cucumbers, peppers. string beans, carrots, squash, and raspberries!!! We drew out a plan for the garden and decided to start the next day.

 

 

Garden Planning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day was perfect weather to start raking and digging. We found the area of the yard with the most sun and got to work clearing it a and preparing the ground for the plants to come. After almost 5 hours of work we had a beautiful section of earth awaiting the nest step.

After a long day of work it was time to celebrate with a marshmallow toasted over our burning brush pile! Yum!!!

Making the path to the garden!

 There is a frost advisory for tonight so I am glad that nothing is in the ground yet. I hope to get to the garden supply store this week to either get some seeds or some started plants! More pictures to come of the finished product!  The garden represents a great accomplishment for the kids in our neighborhood. They are excited about the ability to grow their own food and to learn about the benefits of composting and recycling.

Back in Vermont

It's late March and the end of the ski season is upon us. After racing (or cheering) in Italy Brian and I flew straight into Burlington, Vermont. We stayed with our (new) friends Tom and Anna in Burlington and reminisce about Minnesota before heading over the mountains to Craftsbury. When we arrived in Craftsbury the weather was sunny, clear and a balmy 77F. Brian and I moved into our home for the next two weeks with our wonderful hostesses Rebecca and Olivia. Every morning we are greeted with free-range eggs, beautiful views and the freshest and best tasting milk I have ever had. We are so lucky!!

Olivia is part of the after school running group called Run Girls Run. I joined her and her classmate Anna for a 3 mile run and then lead them through a routine of stretches and core exercises. 

After our run Olivia and I met with the younger Run Girls Run group and we talked to them about the Olympics and how far running can take you! The girls were psyched to have a new running partner and Olivia and I joined them as they ran aroung the common across from the school.

We have our first races tomorrow. We will both be racing the 3K prologue. The snow has been hit pretty hard here in the Northeast Kingdom. We are lucky to be skiing at all considering the warm weather from the past week. We will keep you updated on the remaining race schedule as we find out about it.

Thomas Ave Ski Party

One of the things we have been waiting all year to do is get out skiing with the neighborhood kids.  The last few weeks the kids have stopped over every few days to ask, "Can we go skiing today?"  With the Birkie coming up and battling a small flu bug we weren't able to make it happen.  Today though everything came together for a great day in the snow.

Rudy Project shades makes skiing way cooler

Finally there is snow on the ground in addition to the man made loop. 

Antja excited about her first time on snow. Is it better than street skiing?

This is fun.... .

...Sometimes this is really hard. I want to go as fast as you and Brian.

Athlete and Girls on The Run

Fun time at Athleta last night for girls on the run. Went for a run around Lake Harriet and then got our style on.

10 percent of sales last night went to support the Twin Cities Girls on the Run chapter.

Girls on the Run is a life changing non profit prevention program for girls in grades 3rd to 5th grade. The mission is "to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

I am missing Brian (who is in Switzerland), but it is fun to get out and have some fun with the girls.  A run and a visit to Athleta is a great start to any girls night.

The American Birkebeiner

This past weekend over 10,000 skiers made the pilgrimage to Telemark Lodge to start the 39th American Birkebeiner.  The race had the most participants ever in its history and although this was my third Birkie  it never ceases to amaze me how excited everyone is about the big race.  The enthusiasm is contagious and it is hard not to smile.

I had quite the scare the week before the race when I woke up feeling a little off.  I decided to take the day off from training but a cold had already found it's way into my system and into my lungs.  I drank fluids, slept as much as possible, took ZiCam, and hoped that I would be healthy for the big race.  Last year I won the race and it had a major impact on my life.  The American Birkebeiner is a really big deal, it is the largest marathon in North America.  In the Midwest it is focal point for many skiers season.  Additionally the race has the largest cash purse in North America.  Last year I used the winnings to pay off my debts from the Olympics and make the down payment on our first house. 

This year was the fantastic! On race day I woke up feeling great and excited to race.  With 20km to go I went to the front and picked up the pace.  After a few kilometers Holly Brooks told me that we had a gap on the rest of the field.  We worked together to increase the gap on our way to Hayward.  We rounded the last bend on to main street and gave everything we had for the final sprint to the line.  Although it is always good to win, there is no one else I would have rather finished second to than Holly.  A good friend Holly stood by me as my bridesmaid, was roommate at the Olympics.

 Women's Skate Podium: Caitlin Gregg (CXC), Holly Brooks (APU), Jennie Bender (CXC)

The City of Lakes Loppet

 Last weekend was the City of Lakes Loppet, which is our local Minneapolis ski marathon. The race is supposed to meander through the woods of Theodore Wirth and across the Lakes towards Uptown. However, this year we are experiencing our lowest snowfall EVER! in Minneapolis and the race had to be held on a 3.3K Snow-making loop!

On a positive note...having the race start and finish at Wirth meant that I could ride my bike to the start and back home. Brian and I live a short 6 blocks from the start line :)

Learning to ride with ski poles!

The City of Lakes Loppet brings lots of events to the area. The weekend is jam packed with winter outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, Broom-ball, ice biking, skijoring and of course cross country skiing. This year featured a sit ski race for both disabled and abled bodied skiers. There was a Paralympic World Cup held at Theodore Wirth Park the previous week and many of the athletes stayed to participate in the Loppet events too. Brian competed  in the sit ski race and quickly learned that these Paralympic athletes are incredibly strong and talented.

Simya, Tajee, Brian and I after the race. Brian was last!

 

 

 

 

Simya, Heather and Tajee came over to Theo Wirth from Harrison to participate in the events.

 

Brian and I after the race! Happy and Tired!

It was great to have the girls from Harrsion come to the Loppet. Lahti got a chance to race too and so they helped me work with him and the skier he was skijoring with. The girls had a blast and I can't wait to be in town a few more weeks to hang out with the new girls Youthline program at Harrison. It has been a while since we have had the girls group together and I can hardly wait!