Good Friday Message & Spring Has Sprung!

This story is my Good Friday Message to everyone....Be more like Jesus!

A Faribault man walked to Northfield and back Thursday, carrying a cross loaded with the plight of the homeless.
Fidel Cortez, 58, of Faribault promised his wife, Anna Marie Cortez, 50, when she was dying in January, that he would do something to help the poor.
“People are hurting,” Cortez said. “People are losing their jobs, their homes, finding it hard to have a roof over their heads. I thought of doing this to help.”
His intention is to make people aware of homelessness and get them to give to a fund through the Faribault Eagles Club, where he works as a janitor.
He struck out around 7 a.m. Thursday from Faribault with a cross he made from eight-foot and five-foot 2-by-4s. He draped red material around it.
To make it possible to drag it the 26 miles of his round trip from Faribault to Northfield, he installed a buggy wheel at the end of the cross.
As Cortez walked, some cars pulled over, with people taking photos of him. Others waved and gave him a thumbs up for his efforts, even though they may not have known why he was walking with the cross.
Thursday was Holy Thursday — the night of Jesus’ last supper with his apostles — so someone walking with a cross during Holy Week might not have appeared out-of-place. For anyone who stopped and got out of the car to talk with him, Cortez said a prayer for them.
He knows about homelessness first-hand. He and his wife lived for nine years in an older mobile home in Faribault. Then, the owners of the trailer court they lived in reconfigured lots to make them larger.
Cortez had to tear down the older mobile home he and his wife lived in because he could not afford to move it, nor could he afford to buy a newer trailer. But he said, they were lucky to find an apartment they could afford to rent.
“Many people are having hard time finding a place they can afford, or they lost their jobs and can’t afford the place they have,” Cortez said.
He hopes his walk will make people aware, like Jesus, they should work to help the downtrodden.

DONAHUES GREENHOUSE!
Opening Day 2009
Wednesday, April 15th
In business for 36 years
Donahues Spring retail store is unbelievable. While it might be raining (snowing!) outside, it’s spring at Donahues! The color will amaze you! It even amazes me and I have seen it year after year.
On opening day I just want to come in to smell and feel spring. It’s the best kind of therapy for the “winter blues”.

At Farmer Seed & Nursery,in the early 1900
They have been serving America's gardeners for more than 120 years with their catalog!!

And the bare root stock is in....another sure sign spring is here (AT LAST)! Farmer Seed & Nursery in 2000

Still the same building...