We went to Winona, cultural center of the Universe

The LSW and I were invited once again to the smallish southwestern town of Winona on the mighty Mississippi river. We always get invited to hear and watch the latest concerts of our fantastic grandaughters. Elizabeth, a senior in HS, plays the violin as she has since about age 8 and has gotten so good she is first chair in the Winona HS string orchestra, and twice in the MN orchestra. She also plays for fun in the great group called the Winona Fiddlers which is all done by menory and is so much fun to hear and watch. She also got accepted with a very fine scholorship to St. Catherine's College in St. Paul for Nursing. What a girl---and such a good person, too.
The other one, Claire, who is a Sophmore is a Dancer (with a capital D). She has taken about four lessons a week for years in ballet there in Winona and we got to see her in The NUTCRACKER BALLET on that same weekend. She was a snowflake, a Russian Baba, and a Chinese dancer,soloing in two dances! She is so slim and beautiful, it nearly always brings tears to my eyes to watch her. Good thing the house lights are down and the music is loud enough to cover a proud Grandpa's sniffling. If caught, I just say it's the Winter weather. It WAS only 11 degrees.
Their parents have done such a good job of raising these two wonderful girls, that I don't think the LSW and I could have done any better!!! My wife did remind me that we had had a large hand in raising their mother and she was sort of just following through. True, but there is much more of Margaret and Tom in the girls. Without great parents who love and nuture, a child can turn out to be a skunk. I am positive we will never smell a bad odor from either of our Winona "Grands"!!!