Let's Play, Let's Dance, Let's Have a Blast

This book was inspired by the author's life in Minnesota and the adventures she has shared with her children and grandchildren.

Growing up in a small town, she spent much of her childhood visiting her grandparents and cousins on the farm. She always looked forward to the two-hour drive up north, and many of those sights remain etched in her memory-the rolling hills, red barns, blue silos, cows grazing in pastures, crooked fences, and trains carrying sugar beets to be refined.

As soon as she arrived at her grandparents' farm, she would run to the barn to see the albino cow. And the adventure never stopped there. She helped feed the chickens and ducks and watched the pigs, sheep, and cows graze. Once the chores were finished, there was always something more to discover-fishing, gathering around a bonfire, or building forts in the forest.

Although she doesn't live on a farm today, she lives in a Minneapolis suburb surrounded by lakes, marshes, and nature. Her home is nestled on a hill where deer, geese, and turkeys are frequent visitors, along with squirrels, rabbits, and countless birds. She looks forward to her daily walks because she never knows who-or what-she might discover along the way.

Her own children shared that same sense of curiosity and adventure. One once brought home a baby duck from a nearby pond to nurse it back to health and even caught a turtle that became a pet. The family also discovered a nearby bike trail, and many happy days were spent riding through the tunnel beneath the highway, past the marsh, and finally to Dairy Queen.

Today, she treasures experiencing those same kinds of adventures with her grandchildren. This book is inspired by things they have actually seen, discovered, and done together. Around every corner, there seems to be something new waiting to be found.

She feels blessed to call Minnesota-the Land of 10,000 Lakes-home. With its lakes, forests, wildlife, and changing seasons, it can feel like a little bit of heaven on earth.

This story celebrates their summertime adventures, but there are plenty more waiting when the snow begins to fall. Skiing, skating, building snowmen, and having snowball fights are all part of life up north.

And perhaps those winter adventures will inspire the next story.

After all, you never know what you'll find next!