After a good night’s sleep, we went upstairs and our hosts, Patti & Hunter, had the coffee pot and hot water ready for us. Â We talked for a little while as we waited for the other guests to arrive. Â The table was already set for breakfast.
Scrambled eggs, Cinnamon French Toast Strata and Oatmeal Banana Muffins with Jam were served along with fresh strawberries, juice, coffee, and tea. Â It was lovely, simple and there was plenty of food for all.
The Cinnamon French Toast Strata was so moist.  I told Patti she really needs to have a blog where she posts her recipes.
After a leisure breakfast (no rushing here), we headed out for the day with no plans whatsoever.
Driving through the countryside, I said out loud “this would be a good place to ride a bike.” Â The setting was so peaceful. Â While driving, we ran across a couple of interesting items next to the road.
This was so funny. Â I almost missed it except that the “green” stood out so much.
As we continued on, I remembered that there was a Seventh-day Adventist church somewhere nearby and decided to attend the service. Â Not knowing where we were and with no cell coverage, we guessed our way to a town called Rice Lake. Â We expected it to be small but it was a fairly large town of over 8400 people.
Although late, and not wearing “proper” church clothes, we quickly found a seat in the back.
What a surprise to see that the church was full. Â Lots of people and lots of children. Â After the service, the people were genuinely happy to have us there. Â No judgment about wearing jeans to church — lots of people were “just like us.”
I’m finding that people in the country live more simple lifestyles and they have an acceptance of people regardless of their outward appearance. Â I see this more and more as I continue my search in the Minnesota area for a “home” church.
I think I could be happy at this little church — a wee bit too far but it has a lot going for it.
When we left the church building, we noticed that they have a school that are on the same grounds.
After the church service, we drove around the town of Rice Lake, population approximately 8400. Â It’s a very large small town.
Pulling into a road that led to the lake, we came across a World War II memorial.
The pavers on the ground were memorials for different groups and individuals.
When a picture is attached to the name, it feels more personal to me.
So many died. Â So many still die.
A constant reminder that we live in an imperfect world.
