Grease At The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre

The musical Grease has been playing at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. And after quite a few back and forth texts over the last several months, Pa and I were finally able to find a time to see it together. The two of us have a history of loving back to the 50's music, listening for hours in her bedroom (Pa had a stereo!) to bands like Sha Na Na and American Graffiti. I would sometimes fall asleep while we were listening, and would end up sleeping on her floor until the morning. Mom would be furious that I didn't update her on my plans, even though I was just next door and she knew where I was, and though I didn't understand then why she should be so mad, I get it now that I have kids of my own.

The movie Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John came out in 1978, also around the time when I happened to be dating a guy named Dan. And with music from the movie playing over and over again on the radio and in my head, I would daydream about Danny and Sandy...

Bruschetta

We went to a matinee this time, and were able to book a table (there had been a cancellation) right up in front of the stage! For our food, I had the grilled sirloin, Pa had the fish, and we shared an appetizer of bruschetta, plus a fudge sundae. We both said it was kind of nice going at matinee time, something to remember for future shows. And thinking about future shows, if Cats ever comes back to the Chanhassen, you can bet that I'll try to be there. 

Boating With Shelley And Bob

Captain Shelley

What a beautiful day to be
on the lake!

Lord Fletcher's

The "bees" loved my lunch 

Supper Cruise On Lake Minnetonka

Our sailing buddies
Terry & Lee

A Tequila Sunrise

Thank you, Tom!

Beautiful Excelsior

 

Sparkle 2025

 

Corrine treated us to Culver's

Kathi's nighttime candle 💕

yummy, and gluten free!

hello

a time for supporting friends

Pastors Becca and Rob Ketterling

And a deliberate act, necessary 
for peace and healing

This year marked the 16th and final Sparkle Women's Conference in Apple Valley. Debbie was the one who first invited me to go, and was the one to organize all the details, thank you! And besides being a top notch production with amazing music and speakers, it was an opportunity to have sister time. 

I'm grateful to have been able to go these last three years. 

💕

Long Girls Weekend

Last weekend, both Gwen and I drove to Debbie's for a long girls weekend. I guess we could call it the Third Annual Sisters Sunflower Weekend.

some pretties of Debbie's

blankets to wear while binge
watching shows

a loaf of yummy
gluten free bread Debbie
picked up from the bakery

We planned on going out to eat at The Wheelhouse in Anoka Friday night, but stormy weather moved in, and we decided to stay home and eat the lasagna soup that I had brought. We then binge watched The Later Daters on Netflix and ate Sara Lee Chocolate Cream Pie.

Saturday we went to see a new field of sunflowers, this one on a farm in Rush City. It was a very quiet place, and we were pretty much the only ones there. After touring the flowers, we sat for a bit to just soak it all in. And, then stopped at the tent to buy a few sunflower things.

the sun is in my eyes

oh, yeah  😂

last weekend open for the season, but
there was still Field 8 to see

hi back!

sunflowers are beautiful even
when not open

they turn toward the sun

is this what tourists do?

or, this?

stop and sit awhile
why don't you 

moo

 In the evening, we finally made it to The Wheelhouse. I say finally because we've been talking about going there since a few years ago when we took a Walking Ghost Tour in Anoka. I was thrilled that they had a broasted chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies, and Gwen was even able to order a grilled cheese kids meal with tomatoes added. Our server Alexis was so sweet and accommodating that we had to leave her a huge tip. It would have been fun to be a fly on the wall to see her reaction to the tip, but we decided to just slip out the door unnoticed. Back at Debbie's, we watched Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. And ate ice cream.

my favorite kind of food

plus a cookie

We went to church on Sunday morning, and took a walk over the Coon Rapids Dam in the afternoon. We started out in Coon Rapids, and ended up in Brooklyn Park on the other side. There was also a new Treetop Trail that had evidently just opened that week. Thinking on it, I've never actually been to the Coon Rapids Dam before even though I lived in Coon Rapids for a number of years! 

bee there or bee square

Debbie made egg bake

We then watched the entire Back To The Frontier series, which was filmed "in the grassy plains outside of Calgary, Alberta, Canada." Which of course then inspired the idea of the three of us taking a road trip across the border and into Canada...