EVENT SUMMARY: | ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.

Japan, Norway, and Sweden

January 22, 2025, at 10am
 
Wayne Potratz, Sculptor and Professor Emeritus-  Art Department, spoke and showed images about traditional iron and steel making in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.  The talk is called " Tetsu No Michi", roughly translated as "The Iron Road", though the phrase has spiritual and cultural connotations.
 
Lynn Anderson shared photos and insights into some little-known areas in and around Oslo, Norway and in Boshuslän (western) Sweden where she visited relatives in September and October 2024.  
Event recording
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ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Japan, Norway, and Sweden

Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 10am

Location
Event to be held via Zoom.
 

UMRA’s first Armchair Traveler program for the new year will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 22, via Zoom and will include two presentations featuring travels in Japan, Norway, and Sweden. 

Sculptor and professor emeritus Wayne “Ironwain” Potratz will speak and show images of traditional iron and steel making in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Potratz says, “The talk is called ‘Tetsu No Michi’—roughly translated as ‘The Iron Road,’ though the phrase has spiritual and cultural connotations.”
 

The tatara is a traditional Japanese furnace used for smelting iron and steel.
The tatara is a traditional Japanese furnace used for smeltng iron and steel.


Lynn Anderson will share photos and information about parts of Norway and Sweden. “We will see some stave churches, ‘hike’ Aurlandsdalen, and enjoy the amazing sculptures at Vigeland Park in Oslo,” she says. Her travelogue will also include The Twist—an architectural marvel that functions as both an art gallery and a bridge spanning a river in the middle of Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park north of Oslo, one of the largest sculpture parks in northern Europe.

A zoom invitation will be emailed to UMRA members in late December and again one week before the program. We hope you can join us.  

—Lynn C. Anderson, Armchair Traveler program chair 



Upcoming Events

Event Date: February 18, 2025, at 11am

Many life challenges that get in the way of quality of life and good health at home have little to do with medical issues. Cathy Lauring, our presenter for UMRA’s February 18 workshop, will explore a variety of resources to assist in keeping us healthy at home—including physical, emotional, cognitive, and financial services.


Event Date: February 21, 2025, at 2pm

John Bantle will lead the discussion of A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson when the UMRA book club meets via Zoom on February 21. 


Event Date: February 22, 2025, at 5pm

Join UMRA members to watch two of the best hockey teams in the nation. UMRA has negotiated a discounted ticket price of $33.


Event Date: February 25, 2025, at 11am

Barbara Klick, RN, MBA, the presenter for UMRA’s February 25 Forum, has decades of experience working in human and veterinary medicine, and will bring her wisdom and perspective to our discussion about what we can learn from our pets about facing end-of-life challenges and decisions.


Event Date: February 28, 2025, at 2pm

The Fourth Friday Book Club will meet via Zoom on February 28 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CST to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.


Event Date: March 3, 2025, at 9:30am

Join members of the UMRA Hiking Club for a hike on March 3 at the Holland Lake Trailhead in Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. It is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Our route will take us on an unpaved trail with some roots, rocks, and easy hills. It will be about 5 miles for 2 to 2.5 hours. We will meet for an optional lunch afterwards somewhere nearby (TBD).


Event Date: March 5, 2025, at 10am

You are invited to the March 5 meeting via Zoom of the Family History Interest Group (FHIG) for presentations by Will Craig and Laura Erickson on researching family history using local and virtual resources.


Event Date: March 11, 2025, at 12:30pm

The THEME is Insects

The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards.  

For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m. 


Event Date: April 7, 2025, at 9:30am

The UMRA Hiking Club will explore wildlife along the Mississippi River in Fort Snelling State Park. The 3.9-mile Pike Island Loop is generally considered an easy route and takes just over an hour. Hikers can leave at that point, or stay to add another short loop. The trail is located below the bluff on which the historic fort sits.  The last time we were there we saw a lot of deer, and the river always provides fascinating views.


Event Date: April 8, 2025, at 12:30pm

The UMRA Photo Club will meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library, in the small shopping center at New Brighton and St. Anthony Boulevards. 

For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 a.m.

Theme to be announced.


Event Date: April 8, 2025, at 1pm

The University of Minnesota Archives, with its major holdings largely tucked away in two huge underground caverns along the Mississippi River under the West Bank campus, holds the essential records of our University of Minnesota’s past. University Archivist Erik Moore will interpret the holdings and bring out a sampling of what it holds. We will also get a tour of the caverns (Minnesota Library Access Center), revealing where these precious materials are housed, including the original tapes of KUOM, now Radio K.


Event Date: April 21, 2025, at 10am

You are cordially invited to see Rick Huebsch, Associate VP for Research, Technology Commercialization at UMN, who will discuss UMN Technology Commercialization. Tech Comm facilitates the transfer of UMN innovation beyond the research lab, to benefit the public good, foster economic growth, and generate revenue to support the University's mission.


Event Date: May 5, 2025, at 10am

Do you have a box or several albums of old family pictures that you are not quite sure what to do with? Or perhaps you just want to find out more about your ancestors and are not sure where or how to begin. This meeting of the Family history group will be an open discussion.