Goldfinch Estates

This was to be our second visit to Goldfinch Retirement in Fairmont, Minnesota, so Nancy and I were especially pleased to be invited. We had performed for the residents in August of 2009 and after the show many of them stopped to chat with us and share stories. They were a fun bunch and we expected more of the same on our second visit, February 18, 2010.
We set up in a larger room this time because Marilyn Oelke, the activities director for the Goldfinch facility, had invited some 5th and 6th graders. I especially like it when the audience is mixed with senior folks and elementary school kids. As soon as the kids arrive Marilyn begins the introduction.

It's always a pleasure to be introduced by Marilyn because she is always full of energy and ready to tell some stories about her experiences growing up on the farm.  Just a little sidebar here: Nancy and I first met Marilyn while I was signing books at Barnes & Noble at Mankato, and she had us laughing in no time with her story about when she tried to help her mom clean eggs to prepare them for sale in town. It seems Marilyn had seen the terrific results her mom got with laundry by adding a Bluing agent to the whites. Always aiming to please her folks, young Marilyn thought she would help her mom out by putting eggs into water and adding the Bluing agent. Marilyn thought it a reasonable analogy that if it worked for laundry, it would work for eggs.
To her horror the eggs turned blue! Of course, the produce in town would only accept blue eggs if they paid a lower price.

As I perform, I love to see the mix of old and young in the audience because I witness first-hand that regardless of the gap in years, people of all ages share interests and laugh at some of the same things.

As I explain how to teach a newborn calf how to drink out of a pail, both the young and old chuckle, though, perhaps, for different reasons.

As usual, after the show we sell some books and listen to some stories as we pack up to leave. Once again we are sad to leave the friendly people who have welcomed us into their home. We hope to return again soon.

Photographs by Nancy A. Fredrickson