Notebook
July 29th, 2011 by admin
Good morning from Collegeville,
 
Today is forecasted to be a perfect summer day.  Sunshine, warm and not too humid.  It is hard to believe that this is the last weekend of July.  So much to do and so little time to do it.  I have yet to water the new St. Joe garden.  It seems to rain right on schedule.  Too much moisture has created some sort of root rot on the squash, so they may not produce.  And these are the special seeds from Connecticut from the oldest seed house in the United States.  The cucumbers seem to be ok and the cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen on a daily basis.  There may even be some sweet corn.
 
Last night I attended the Celebration of Life for Tom Ritsche.  It was held at the Eastside Boys & Girls Club next to Raymond Park.  Tom’s was a very successful business man as the CEO of Woodcraft Industries in St. Cloud.  Tragedy struck when he lost two of his three children to automobile accidents ten years apart and later on he was stricken by Parkinson’s disease.  In spite of the difficulties in his life, Tom was known as a very generous giver.  He actively supported the Boys & Girls Club, the Tri-County Humane Society and the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.  The Kimberly Ritsche Auditorium on the campus of St. Cloud State University stands as a memorial to his daughter. 
Contibutions in memory of Tom can be made to Central Minnesota Community Foundation, 101 South 7th Avenue. St. Cloud 56301.
 
Later on last evening, Barby and I attended the final Sunset Stage concert at the Darnall Amphitheater on the campus of CSB.  Prudence Johnson brought a cellist and a guitar player along to entertain us with folk songs, some of which were written hundreds of years ago.  This will be the third time that I have had a root beer float at a summer outdoor concert.  These concerts were free due to the Legacy Amendment.  Let’s hope that the folks at CSB/SJU Fine Arts can bring these concerts back next summer.
 
Today and tomorrow the River Song Music Festival is at the Masonic West River Park in Hutchinson.  This is a great event that the whole family can enjoy.  There are multiple stages and lots of great food booths.  Check it out at
www.riversongfestival.org  I hope to see you there.
 
The APHC show this week is another summertime compilation featuring bits and pieces from the shows run last fall at the Fitzgerald Theater.  Special guests include Ricky Skaggs, Heather Masse, Storyhill and Butch Thompson.  Enjoy the show.
 
“When I come to the end of the road and the sun has set for me, I want no rites in a gloom filled room.  Why cry for a soul set free?  Miss me a little, but not too long, and not with your head bowed low.   Remember the love that we once shared, miss me but let me go.  For this is a journey we all must take, and each must go alone. It’s all part of the master plan, a step on the road to home.  When you are lonely and sick of heart, go to the friends we know and bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.  Miss me but let me go”   from the service for Tom Ritsche   July 28, 2011
 

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