this is bliss.

There is nothing better than watching my son enjoy all the beauty of a rural September Saturday.  We spent the afternoon under the perfectly warm sun among the granduer of nature at Shalom Hill Farm.  They hosted a fall festival of hospitality, food and music.  They created a perfect oppotunity to spend with family.  Not only is Shalom Hill Farm one of the Windom area's biggest assets, but the atmosphere is one where creativity and inspiration collide.  And then there is my son, my beautiful boy, taking it all in with me-enjoying the gifts of the earth.  The sunset, the colors of the season, the bright moon starting it's night shift.  The simplicity of spacious fields that roll for miles and the complexity of the living things in them.  Wow.

How can I deny the beauty, inspiration, and enjoyment rural gave us today?  How wonderful rural is and may Henrik always remember to take time to immerse himself in our beautiful surroundings.

He is trying to speak chicken.

Sheep!

He can't get enough of tractors.

Picture perfect at Shalom Hill Farm.

stop. no, go!

I am so excited to see the stop lights in town get a face lift!  Such little things like painting the stop lights, make a huge difference!  The rust is gone, and it looks like Windom is a great place to be by doing small things like this.  It's a good day to be waiting for the red light to turn green, but I'm hoping to see more red lights turn green (try not to be so literal when reading between these lines).   Let's keep it moving!

henrik wants pancakes.

Every weekend morning, Henrik wants pancakes.  I'm sure he wouldn't oppose having pancakes every morning or for every meal, but weekend mornings are special because I call my mom and together we take Henrik to McDonald's to get his 3 hotcakes and milk.  While Henrik eagerly waits to shove the next syrupy sponge of goodness into his tiny mouth (I often have to remind him to chew--that's how much he loves those pancakes), my mom and I catch up on what's new and converse with other patrons or other patrons try to start a conversation with the toddler whose blood type could quite possibly be syrup. 

But it is more than just pancakes, it has become a routine of conversation and togetherness.  I may be stretching it for an 18 month old's mind, but it is a chance for Henrik to socialize as well.  All those people who stop to say hello to him will be an important part of his life, just as many people were to me while growing up in this community.   

I'm hoping this is what River City Eatery becomes for others.  A place of routine, conversation and togetherness.  A place for Windom to gather and to show my son, Henrik, how wonderful it is to be part of this community.

gig.

Today, River City Eatery had its first "gig."  Okay, it wasn't a paying gig, more of a sampler.  We had the beautiful setting of Cottonwood Lake, the shade of a big Maple and a breeze that made the leaves of the Cottonwood's play sweet music at the Strom family home and David's art studio.  It was the perfect day to share a taste of River City Eatery at Cottonwood County Historical Society's Artists' Studio Tour.  Mixed Berry Bars, Chocolate Chip and Raspberry White Chocolate Scones, Tiger Brownies, and Caramel Squares were on the menu.  We were lucky to share such a wonderful space with such great people.  Thank you to local artist David Strom and his wife, Marilee, for being such wonderful hosts and to the historical society for thinking of River City Eatery. 

my beer is sweating.

I'm surprised and excited so many have taken interest or, should I say, debate over my recent adventure. This is how progression forward starts! Well, I'm a firm believer in getting all the facts straight before getting my undies in a bundle and taking a firm stance on something, so maybe I should share the exact words of the city ordinance and Minnesota state liquor licensing laws to help spread awareness of correct and true facts, so you can better understand what I'm going to be asking the city council.

Page 5 of the Introduction to Minnesota Liquor Laws and Rules:

    I. Wine On Sale licenses (340 A.404 Subd. 5.) and on sale of strong beer.
            2. A municipality may by ordinance authorize a holder of an on-sale wine license, who is also licensed to sell 3.2 beer on-sale and whose gross receipts are at least 60% attributable to the sale of food, to sell strong beer at on-sale without an additional license- no additional fee may be charged.

Now here is the definition of beer and wine (by ordinance of Windom) .

    Beer:  "Malt liquor containing not less than one-half of one percent alcohol by volume nor more than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight." 

    Wine: "Wine means the product made from the normal alcoholic fermentation of grapes, including still wine, sparkling and carbonated wine, wine made from condensed grape must, wine made from other agricultural products than sound, ripe grapes, imitation wine, compounds sold as wine, vermouth, cider, perry and sake.  For purposes of on sale wine licenses, 'wine' may contain up to 14 percent alcohol by volume for consumption with the sale of food.  For all other purposes, 'wine' is a product containing not less than one-half of one percent nor more than 24 percent alcohol by volume for nonindustrial use."

Now one must take into consideration that River City Eatery will not be a bar, River City Eatery is an establishment dedicated to the sale of food and where there is food, there shall always be drink.  This is not about selling intoxicating beverages- 3.2 beer, strong beer and/or wine will get anyone to that destination if he or she chooses that destination.  It is the choice, not the beverage, that intoxicates.

The purpose of "redefining" the municipal ordinance is to give my customers who wish to enjoy a wonderful evening in beautiful, historic downtown Windom a choice to enjoy some wonderful local products with some wonderful local food and to support local, small businesses--and in this case those small businesses are breweries.  I think of micro brews just like some think of wines, some kinds of beer just go better with some kinds of food.  I can sell those "some kinds of wines," but I can't sell those "some kinds of beers."  It just doesn't make complete sense to me.

It is important to point out that River City Eatery will still be a great place to eat regardless of my success redefining the municipal ordinance because, bottom line, we are an eatery, not a drinkery.  I have no ulterior motives with this adventure, I'm having a hard time figuring out what any ulterior motives would be in this case. I just think it would enhance the overall experience of River City Eatery and Windom all together, and I think many people, residents and/or guests, would conquer.

I'm not trying to move mountains or try something that has never been done before, this is nothing crazy or ridiculous to the world around us. I'm simply asking permission to sell a product that a great number of people have to presently leave the city limits to enjoy with a nice meal.  Why not allow them to enjoy it right here in Windom at River City Eatery? 

Cheers!