from the publishers
Summers were meant for daydreaming and imagining
Here at Minnesota Moments we’re helping you with that task. This issue is filled with stories about daydreaming, dreams come true and imagination. We like to call this issue “The Imagination Express.”
Let’s start with our cover story. We asked several Minnesotans to tell us how they used their imaginations when they were children. It seems so many people today complain about how the advances in technology — computers and the Internet, iPods, TV, video games — keep children from spending time outdoors, playing and inventing games to play with their friends and family. Maybe, just maybe, this will give you some ideas and an opportunity to play outside with your family this summer.
In this issue there also is a story about Joyce and Richard LaVoie of Long Prairie. Joyce always dreamed of having a tree house. That’s not unusual. What kid hasn’t earmarked a tree in the back yard or grove for the perfect tree house? But the LaVoies may have gone a bit overboard. Their tree house is spacious and beautiful enough for people from around the world to visit.
Then there’s the story of Tonic Sol-fa, a local a capella group that is seeing its dream come true. The group has signed a national recording contract and will take its act on the road. They will continue to call Central Minnesota home, however, and will not forget their roots.
Speaking of dreams . . . visit Mike Nystrom’s garage and you’ll be transported back to a time when gas stations were full service, when kids played with pedal cars and neon signs lit the night sky like fireflies.
This issue also features a guest essay by Bill Kraft, who remembers as a child traveling to the Twin Cities. The story may conjure up memories for you of trips to “the big city.” Artist Lisa Webskowski’s illustration is a perfect complement to Kraft’s work.
So hop on board “The Imagination Express.” It’s leaving soon on a track near you.
Mike Nistler and Diane Wimmer