June 26-27 Walmart Resort in Willmar, Minn

I love this banner that was behind the podium at the second nursing home

first nursing home where he sang

Saturday
We are driving from Mnpls to western MN. to spend the weekend with Tom's cousin, Teresa, who is a Lutheran pastor and is now serving as a chaplain for 2 nursing homes and an assisted living center.  She loves this small town and is so pleased to be back here.

I have a terrible migraine, so the weather must be going to change.  Luckily it is only the 2nd one of our trip.  Taking a beta blocker daily for the last several years has sure helped me.

There are several farms per mile on each side of the highway.  I'm glad they are surviving.  In WA State the big conglomerate farms and the Mormon Church have bought up so many of the small ones and are huge.  We saw the second bean plant within a few miles and presume it is soybeans that they process.  Olivia was a nice small town.  We haven't seen any deer, dead or alive.  His cousin said last weekend she saw 10 carcasses on the highway within 3 miles.

Our first WM stay!  There were 2 campgrounds 15-20 miles away, but we needed to come on Sat so couldn't get in.  We went in for a couple of things.  There were several Somalians who live in Willmar now shopping and working in WM.  The largest employer here is the Jennie O Turkey plant.  Jennie was Mr. Olsen's daughter and that's how he named it.  We ate at her apt in the nursing home complex and visited all afternoon before dinner at a Greek/Italian restaurant.  She didn't want to quit visiting so went with us to do a couple loads of laundry.  It rained 4 hours this evening, as it had a little bit during the day.

Sunday
Tom sang several songs during the services at both nursing homes since there was communion and he could keep singing while she distributed it to all the patients-most in wheelchairs.  They were old hymns, so many sang along and those who could, thanked him.  We drove around town a bit and saw such beautiful flowers and no dandelions in yards.  It is a beautiful day with blue skies.  We are headed down the road to South Dakota.