Day 565

I absolutely and honestly love my home town! Tonight, hundreds of people gathered for the tree lighting and it was worth the chilly wait! Live music, bonfires, horse-drawn wagons and much more were part of the festivities as well. It truly was a wonderful evening!

I am a fourth-generation dweller in this town founded in 1844. Being the third generation to actually live in The Big White House, I know my great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers also lived in or near the city.

Farmers, icemen, theater owners, land owners and even a Dairy Queen franchise thrown in for good measure are all a part of my history. My roots run deep and the stories from the past rich and remarkable.

*My grandmother saw some of the last wagon trains roll through the town.

*My great grandparents saw the fire of 1884 destroy a portion of the downtown.

*My grandmother played the piano at the Green Theater before there were "talkies".

*My parents witnessed the tornado of 1939. Mom was at the theater and Dad was at the corner of 2nd and Main.

*My great-grandparents came from Sweden and Germany to settle in Minnesota for a similar climate.

I could go on forever!

At my 50th reunion, a few weeks ago, I marveled at how many classmates loved their memories of the town and school...yet many couldn't wait to move away after graduation. The wistfulness in their voices, when they shared their longing for those days-gone-by, seemed to suggest that some might have been just as happy in their hometown instead of searching for happiness in parts unknown.

People often ask me why I never moved away from my hometown. My response is always, "Why would I move when I live in Lake Wobegon?"

This is home...always has been and always will be. It is a wonderful town full of history, friendly neighbors and my roots. As Garrison Keillor once said,

"Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

Also, there are dogs EVERYWHERE! Why would anyone leave?