happy community pride day!

Yesterday was the 2nd annual Community Pride Day held at Windom Area Schools.  I couldn't be more excited that this wonderful event successfully took place on the last day of school for the second year! My hats go off to Claire Warner and Meredith Hentges for putting in countless hours to see the event happen--their teachers, peers, and community should be very proud of what they accomplished this year. 

Community Pride Day's mission is to teach our youth how important community service is, while giving back to a community that supports the school all year long.  And also, to show our youth the beauty and success that the community of Windom holds. 

As the new chamber director, Kelsey Carlson, said to hundreds of students yesterday during the Community Pride Day lycuem, "Our hope is that this room is full of future Windom business owners."

Thanks to everyone who not only helped and supported Claire and Meredith in planning the 2nd annual Community Pride Day, but to the community members who understand its importance and support its mission and efforts.  Long live Community Pride Day!

things are turning green!

With the arrival of spring, I get excited about all the wonderful opportunities and possibilities there are around Windom.  It's time to get outside and make our surroundings beautiful, and I couldn't be more excited to tell you that the Hillside Greenhouse is open again.  I want to extend my blessings, support, excitement and amazement at all the hard work new owners, Erin and Adam, have put into this spot.  WELCOME TO WINDOM and especially, WELCOME TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.  I can't tell you how exciting it is to have these young, ambitious people, with the perfect vision for Hillside Greenhouse, right here in Windom.  Living the dream, my friends, living the dream, in this small Minnesota town.  Go check it out people--it's real and it's green!

grand opening shindig and flying pigs.

So all month, okay, for a little bit longer, I've been planning a Grand Opening Shindig for River City Eatery.  I think it is finally the right time to do it, I'm feeling a little more comfortable being an owner, entrepreneur, employer, mom, wife, friend, and active community member all at the same time.  What a learning experience it has been and continues to be.  We are finally settling into a good groove here at River City Eatery, my employees or should I say, team is amazing here at River City Eatery, and we are throwing a huge bash to celebrate RIVER CITY EATERY.  Set for tomorrow, April 28th, ALL DAY LONG.  Hope to see you all there!

Here is the itinerary:

7:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m

All you can eat French toast for $6.  Check out a plethora of baked goods.  Rolls, scones, muffins, cupcakes...mmmm...

11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Check out some new menu items like our Chicken Brushetta Wrap, Chipotle Chicken Salad Wrap, and our Chips with Fresh Salsa new Shareable.

Get FREE chips and fresh salsa with your meal to jumpstart its addition to the Shareables portion of the menu!

2 p.m. -5 p.m.
Registration for EATING CONTEST begins at 1 p.m. Contest begins at 3 p.m. Enter the Spaghetti Eating Contest to win TWINS TICKETS or enter the Pie Eating Contest to win STEVE MILLER BAND TICKETS! And of course you’ll get the opportunity to brag to all your friends that you are the champion…must be at least 13 years of age to enter.

FREE Cookies

River City Root Beer Floats for $2

Bean Bag Toss, guessing games, door prizes, and oh so much fun!

Your coffee will come with a Wildflower Garden!  Our new coffee sleeves (while supplies last) are made with 100% recycled materials and come with seeds, so you can plant your coffee sleeve and watch a garden grow.  How cool is that?

For the kiddos:
Face painting, Noodle Necklace Makin’ Station, Ice Cream Samples (for big kids too).

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Live music by Betty and Ocho from Mankato, Minnesota—good stuff!

All you can eat Appetizer Bar for only $6.

And try a Prairie Stone Wine Float for only $3…must be 21 years of age to experience this float made with ice cream and, you guessed it, Prairie Stone Wine from Fieldstone Vineyards in Redwood Falls. MN.

I CAN'T WAIT to celebrate RIVER CITY EATERY.  The pigs are flying high, folks...I love flying pigs...

a good meeting.

I can’t believe it has been a month since my last post. I’m so sorry that there is so much to do around here that the weeks have slipped through my fingers. There are a million posts brewing in my head, so much to do, so much we’ve done and River City Eatery…just let me tell you, my love for this place keeps growing. I’m really looking forward to these upcoming warm months. Warm months unveil even more possibilities in this community, so exciting!


I was reading the Citizen this afternoon and was pleased to read about our City Council meeting with other entities within our community. It is so important to communicate with each other, so you can imagine my excitement when reading about this much needed collaborative meeting. Not only was this much needed meeting exciting because it shows the Council is acting on goals set in 2011, but the topic of how to attract younger people into our community and also reaching out to Windom Alum came up during the meeting. My hats go off to you, Windom City Council and Kelsey Fossing, for addressing this topic—a topic I am very passionate about. Cottonwood County has one of the highest outmigration populations in the country, a very serious matter, so it is wonderful that council members are bringing this subject to light and willing to try some new things to see younger people move to our wonderful community. I’m looking forward to seeing more!

happy birthday mr. robert remick.

Up until recently, the name Robert Remick was just that to me-a name. I’ve heard it once or twice around Windom. I’ve seen the name on a few signs, and I’ve read the name in a few programs. But I really want to know, who is Mr. Robert Remick and why is that name so familiar? The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name Bob Remick is the Remick Gallery at the Cottonwood County Historical Society. This gallery blesses our community with culture, art and the celebration of both and Mr. Remick made it happen, along with a countless number of things around our community.



Before this post begins to sound like an elementary report on some random historical figure, I want to stop telling you about his numerous accomplishments as a local artist and numerous contributions to our community of Windom and surrounding area, and I’d rather tell you that he was a very generous and very real person who had a vision for our community and made it happen.



This past fall, I had the honor of being introduced to some people who knew him best and are also on the board of the Remick Foundation. Through this very giving foundation, Mr. Remick and his wife have funded numerous, and I mean numerous projects around the community of Windom and surrounding counties. Knowing what an impact this man has made on my community, I was quickly and genuinely interested in knowing more about him. I asked them to share stories of him with me. I just love stories. I tell you, if I could just spend a day with Mr. Robert Remick, I sure would!



Just recently a scrapbook of his accomplishments as a local artist showed up at River City Eatery from one of the gals I met this past fall, and I couldn’t have been more excited to borrow and open this book. Inside are pictures of his artwork, newspaper clippings, and pictures of him, even some of his sketches. I can see the stroke of his pen over the paper. I could feel thought and imagination running through the ink. It is all so real. He was real in those pictures and he was a member of our community.



It is amazing to think that this man continues to help our community progress, even after his passing. What a blessing he has been to this community. We should be celebrating you, Mr. Robert Remick, thank you a million times over.



Robert Remick: February 29th,1903-July 12th, 1998 and forever.