Things to note about traveling through Southern Minnesota: every "family restaurant" no matter what ethnic origin--Irish, Greek, Polish, German--has the same chicken noodle soup. Entering said restaurant between 2 and 3:30 means you are the youngest there. Yes, you are. Starbucks has not yet infiltrated small town America--and I am shocked to find I am sad for it. Nice housewives can work at gas stations, and they give you free coffee. You can be famous just by being unknown and walking into a school wearing striped knees socks from Target. When people ask, "Are you visiting?" they already know you are. What they really want to know is what you're doing there.

Goodness--the new fruit. Haven't read too much on it. The thesaurus has a hard time pinning it down. Virtue, friendliness, generosity, honesty, integrity, morality, nourishment (THAT is an interesting one), kindness, mercy. I am reminded of CS Lewis' dilemma--two men drowning and you can only save one. So you are good to one and not the other. Goodness can seem sort of objective. And is goodness in the intent or in the product? Can you do something good and it be taken badly, or do something and it turn out to be a good thing? Hmmm....