New Coffee Offering at Points North Studio

We love coffee at Points North Studio.  Drink a lot of coffee.  I like mine with 1/2 & 1/2, no special flavorings.  yummmmm...

As a young adult I never even wanted to taste coffee.  Didn't even enjoy the smell of it perking away.  That all changed when I moved to the Mesabi Iron Range of Minnesota.  Moving in day was December 31st and the temps that night got to 42 degrees below zero.  My brother helped with the move and brought along a bag of fresh ground.  It smelled heavenly; I drank a cup willingly and have been enjoying coffee ever since!  I can't even image starting a day without coffee now.

We just added our first special blend of coffee at Points North Studio; a delicious, organic, medium dark roast blend of SHB Central Americans, South American and Indonesian.  A rich, aromatic, full-bodied, smooth, low-acidic blend. This is a delicious, high impact cup.  Available now in 14 oz. resealable vacuum packed bags; whole bean or auto-drip grind.  ahhhhh....just love it!

 

We will be adding a dark roast (we like it dark) in the near future so be sure to watch for it.  We will also most likely switch to 12 oz. bags.

Back to the Mesabi Iron Range.  I really wasn't sure I would survive that brutal winter on the range.  Sadly, all my record albums didn't make it.  One day shortly after the move as I was still unpacking I kept saying "Where are all my albums?".  No one seemed to know.  It was like they had vanished into thin air.  About a week later they were discovered, still in the cabinet they had been moved in.  That cabinet ended up in the barn (never knew why) and all my beautiful albums were warped!  Oh, my Moody Blues, The Doors, all my Beatles, Jethro Tull, everything warped.  I believe I cried.  It was a sad finding.  I most likely sat down and had a good cup of coffee with that cry. 

Lily and Hope Tree of Life

By now you know I have a passion for bears, especially the black bears of the North American Bear Center and the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, Minnesota.  On January 22, 2010, Lily the Black Bear gave birth to her first cub Hope.  Lily gave us Hope.  I call this new  3" pendant piece "Lily and Hope Tree of Life".  Look for this and other Tree of Life pendants, including custom made with birthstone gemstones, coming soon to Points North Studio (www.pointsnorthstudio.com).  You can also email me at janice@pointsnorthstudio.com for details.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Brrrr...Can't seem to warm up today in MINNE"OHSO"COLDA!

 

We received our first real snowfall this past Saturday.  Looks like it is here to stay as the sun is not shining and therefore no rays to melt the snow.

I was not ready for this.  I am having trouble putting my sandels away in exchange for winter boots and wool socks.

My brother came by the studio today to help with some screen printing.  As he was leaving he stopped by the snow bank and left me a little suprise.  No, not yellow snow....He made the world's smallest snowman.  Very special.  Wonder how long the little guy will hang around.  I am hopeful the sun will soon come out and beat down the little guy..is that cruel?  No.......

We are looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday as I am sure you all are.  Time to enjoy friends and family without any pressures of gift giving and/or receiving.  Just good food and plenty of it.  I am responsible for the green bean casserole and crock pot stuffing this year.....yummmmmmmmm.

My favorite has always been the stuffing/dressing.  Love it right out of the bird.  Guess we're really not supposed to do that are we?!  And now we have to get the bird right back into the frig too after people have filled their plates or it is supposed to go funky.

I still thaw my bird in a paper grocery sack on the counter.  Okay, I do thaw it in the frig for a couple days first, but then in the bag and on the counter it goes.  And if it is really slow I will even put it into cold water in the sink, wrapped, of course, wouldn't want it to go bad..hehe..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM MINNE"OHSO"COLDA! 

Black Bear Hunting Ends Tonight!

Soon the sun will set over Northern Minnesota and with that the black bear hunting season will end.  Ahhhh......collective sigh of relief will be felt by thousands of Lily The Black Bear fans.  This has been a very long six weeks.

I cannot believe it is already mid-October.  The weather has been very warm and dry.  I feel the change coming today though.  It is windy and cloudy and it just feels like winter is just around the corner.  There is still much to do to prepare for the very long cold Minnesota months.  MINNEOHSOCOLDA!

We are stocking up on the comfort type foods; condensed soups for those casseroles and hot dishes, as well as the pastas and rices for the goulash and "no peek" dishes.  Spring bulbs for forcing in December and January are in the frig.  Homemade kraut and this season's raspberries are in the freezer.  Yesterday we made a gallon of kaluha.  It should be ready by Christmas!

Summer clothes are stored away now; sweaters, gloves, hats, scarves and the heavy winter jackets are at the ready:)  I imagine if we don't do some winterizing for the vehicles they will be letting us know they are unhappy.  Okay, just made a post-it to remind me.

Off now to watch the end of the Vikings/Dallas game and get some dinner before I join my "bearhead" friends on Lily's facebook page for the end of bear hunting celebration.

Yes, it has been a very long six weeks, here in MINNEOHSOCOLDA!

September - A time for those "Minne-oh-so-colda" temps to start dropping!

I love September.  The temperatures are now dropping to a more comfortable level and the humidity vanishes.  I can breathe better in September.  I can get out in the gardens more and get all the work done that needs to be done before winter sets in.  I love September.

Except this year I am more cognizant of MN Bear Hunting season.  I fear for the bears near Ely, MN that I have come to know and love.  I fear for the researchers who walk with these bears.  I am hopeful the hunters will "Spare the Radio Collared Research Bears".  I don't want to hear any bad news about these bears I now know by name.

If you are interested in learning more about the MN Black Bear I invite you to visit the North American Bear Center's website at: http://www.bear.org

and the Wildlife Research Institute's website at: http://www.bearstudy.com

Both sites are loaded with so much information and are valuable education tools.

You may have already heard of Lily the Black Bear through newsprint, radio and television,
ex: http://www.twincities.com/minnesota/ci_15939256?nclick_check=1.
She and the NABC/WRI have become stars this year after Lily gave birth to her first cub Hope, all witnessed by thousands of fans viewing the live den cam.  I hope you take time to visit the websites and learn more about these gentle creatures.

Meanwhile, I will be out in the gardens, pruning and deadheading and transplanting...getting ready for the thick winter snow.

Fall Bear Hunting Season

I have been following Lily the Black Bear since mid January 2010.  It has been one roller coaster of a ride that I wouldn't trade for anything!  And along the way I have learned so much about black bears in Minnesota and around the world.  I also have made a lot of new virtual friends, some now I have even met at the First Annual Lilypad Picnic in Ely, Minnesota.  One thing I learned that amazes me about bears....they are having a lot of fun in those north woods!  The are very timid, gentle creatures, who love to play.  I have always loved bears, but even now so.  If you are interested in learning more about black bears and other bears please visit www.bear.org.  There is a ton of information to read and a lot of great videos to watch.  Then come on over to the Lily the Bear facebook page and make some new friends who all share an interest in the North American Bear Center's three resident bears as well as the research bears we have come to love.

And one more important message.  Minnesota black bear hunting season starts Sept. 1, 2010.  I am not making any judgment here, but I would ask that hunters please not shoot any of the collared research bears.  The will be wearing bright colored ribbons so it would be hard not to notice they are research bears.  Dr. Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfield will also be out in the Ely area woods walking with these research bears to help protect them.  It isn't against the law to shoot a research bear unless a researcher is walking with it.  But if you do see a collared and ribboned research bear without a researcher I just ask that you use restraint.  There are a lot of bears in the Minnesota forests.  Thank you.

Custom Screen Printed Tshirts

Just wanted to add a picture of the most recent tshirts we screen printed for the "Girls of Summer".  Front and back artwork by Alison Harms for the "Girls"...

Agates and Jade and Tigers Eye...Oh My!

I have to thank Julie for showing me how to make these beautiful leather knotted bracelets.  They are a joy to make and actually kinda therapeutic hand crafting.  I want to keep and wear them all..hehe..I like to wear one alone or a bunch of 'em too.  Just pull the loop over the end bead and it is secure!  All of the semi-precious gemstones are beautiful and hold special healing and spiritual properties.  Great for yourself or as a gift.  Like Krinklekut said....Christmas is coming. 

Life is great at the lake!

Life is great at the lake!
The girls are headed to the lake for "girls weekend" and will be wearing the custom tshirts I just finished today.  Mary created the front and back designs and chose key lime tshirts with black ink.  I have to say, they really turned out nice.  Love these custom jobs:)