Another Tuesday is upon us. I swear that Monday is a lost day for me. I have great intentions of getting something ready early but something seems to get in the way.

Yesterday was a teacher workshop day so the kids were home. Mini-me and I went to the mall to spend some of her Christmas and birthday money. She’s such a thrifty shopper…I love it. Goes straight for the clearance racks like a pro. Not that she doesn’t ever pay full price but it’s got to be the thing that she wants/needs and can’t wait for it. I am happy to say that isn’t the norm…more like the exception.

Did you know that indoor shopping malls were born here in Minnesota? The very first one was built in Edina MN which opened in 1956.

Here’s an excerpt from an article on MNopedia.org:

Southdale Center was built at a cost of $20 million and had eighty thousand square feet; it opened with seventy-two stores and two anchors, Dayton’s and Donaldson’s. Seventy-five thousand people attended the gala opening on October 8, 1956. Another 188,000 visited the complex the following weekend, most taking advantage of the mall’s five thousand free parking spaces (organized into lots identified by clever animal symbols—an innovation, like the mall itself, that would inspire countless imitators). What did visitors see? Gruen’s interpretation of the best of European cities: “streets,” cafes, two department stores, and many smaller boutiques surrounding a “town square” with a garden court spotlighted by an enormous skylight. A fishpond, mature trees, and a twenty-one-foot cage filled with brightly colored birds. In short, a prototype for the malls that would fuel suburban growth throughout the country. 

Then, of course, there is the monstrosity called Mall of America built across from the MSP airport. Most Minnesotans hate the thing. I haven’t been there in well over 10 years even though its less than a 20 min drive.

I’m not really sure how I got off on a tangent about shopping malls but there you have it.

This was my view a little earlier this morning.  Lunches were made, everyone was up and moving on their morning routines…it was time for a cup of coffee and a little browsing on my iPad before moving forward with the day.

I wish it were light enough to take a decent photo of the journal pages I completed the last couple of days but we’ve had nothing but grey skies so I have to wait until later in the day to get any natural light.

Today I’m planning to do a bit of crafting and continue work on our taxes. Fun stuff…blech.

What are you doing today?