Leonardo da VinciOkay, if you can read the caption under the portrait you will see this a copy to the honor of artist da Vinci's Mona Lisa. The true artist is my good friend Len Haabak. Len usually turns photographs into paintings and they are so realistic that we have to tell visitors to the gallery that his works are paintings. If you are interested in purchasing this piece are any other work by Len please go to his website at lenhaabak-art.com and let him know we (The Titus & Philemon Art Gallery) sent you. 01/08/2025

As much as one may wish there is no way a human can hibernate for the 6 months of a North Dakota Winter. If you could the last 3 days would have been a good time to start.The photo above was from Thursday morning after we received 4" to 6" of snow overnight. Then we received more snow and an abundance of wind that moved it all around. Believe me if you are a homeowner you can skip the gym on days like these.Of course if you are a guest to Minot courtesy of the United States Air Force  and you live on base you are going to love the new indoor facility at the Minot Air Force Base fitness center.If you are a new homeowner in Minot ND and you have never shoveled snow before be careful. Heart attacks happen.   12/20/2024

One weekend a year, prior to Christmas, the LDS Temple in Minot has a display of nativity scenes. It is the only time we visit this church because it is not the denomination we attend BUT Carol has her own nativity collection and we all enjoy going to this event to admire the creativity shown there. It's very difficult to pick out a few favorites as there are always hundreds of nativity sets on display. I like the one below (L) because we have one like it but ours is about 12" tall.I like the simplicity of this: The Lamb Of God.Because I love dogs.So detailedWrapped in an AngelMary gets a breakSavior of the world.Lighted Stained GlassThe TimmsMerry Christmas from the Timm's. 12/08/2024

The poster above really tells it all. No Christmas season is complete to our family until we have taken that drive through the park. At $5.00 a carload Sertoma does a lot of good like In October, Minot Sertoma Club donated $20,000 to Minot Public Schools to fund 50+ new classroom sound field amplification systems for use in the district as well as an accompanying research study to measure the impact of this technology on classroom teachers’ practices that will be conducted by Dr. Holly Pedersen at Minot State University. Sertoma’s mission is to improve the quality of life today for those at risk or impacted by hearing loss through education and support.This is a really fun light show so pack up the kids and come see it before it's over. 12/07/2024

Being disorientated can be a disaster. No matter where you are, being disorientated can also be a very scary. Behind the wheel, out in public, or even at home when you have to ask yourself "where am I?" there is real danger involved.I am sure all of us have had a moment of disorientation. As a senior citizen I can say that I have had an episode of disorientation one early morning (before the sun came up) while driving in town in an undeveloped part of town. It passed quickly but it was scary.If I had continuing episodes I would get myself checked out by a medical professional but that was several years ago and has not happened again.Back in the 60's my grandmother was diagnosed as being "senile" as they did not have any other name for it back then. Because of this you can bet I would ha... 11/19/2024

I am planning a trip to Fargo soon and I was surprised at how little community information is available on the City website or Chamber of Commerce website.I was raised in Fargo's sister city, Moorhead MN however that was forty years ago and things have changed a lot over the years. Most disappointing is that the bulk of friends that I was close to have passed on or like myself, moved on.I'm not one to spend much time in the past and that is why I have not been back to Fargo/Moorhead more than 6 times in 40 years.So why now? I am meeting my daughter and son-in-law halfway as she is returning a car I loaned her six years ago. We all thought it would be a good time to visit as we will not be able too over Thanksgiving.Through careful searching I did find some arts offerings I knew Timmothy... 11/13/2024

I can't say that I've ever seen leaves sticking to the wall with the exception of Oshibana which is an art form one of our guest artists uses to create wall art.The artist is Shayna Rodriquez, a young Navaho Native American lady from NM who moved here last year when her father took a job in the ND oil field.Changing the subject slightly there is a section of sidewalk at the zoo I love that looks like this:Now, as the title of my blog states, I wish the leaves in my yard would go away. It is always such a joy to see new leaves bud in the spring. It will be about 7 months before I see that again. 🤔 11/04/2024

Let's hope and pray for a safe Halloween day and evening for our children today. Despite all the evil out there every day our children have "sweet dreams" about this day looking forward to showing off their costumes and collecting candy. I didn't have any pics of my kids handy to use for the post so here is one of Tina in the play THE ADAMS FAMILY when she was in high school. Ironically she is the one in a brides costume, ironic as she was a Bride just two weeks ago.Halloween is a scary time for parents with young children and a fun time for the children. I ask we pray for both of them. For some great Halloween safety tips I recommend you check with the local police department for tips on how to be safe.  10/31/2024

I am a firm believer that beauty is all around us no matter where you live. I have also stated that God is the greatest artist of all and man's art is just an imitation of God's.Even in a very urban setting like where my office is in downtown Minot there is great beauty Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall. To make my point I just snapped these pictures on the block, my side of the street, of my office. Amazingly enough we have not yet had a "killer" frost yet. That is highly unusual for this time of year in Minot.  10/17/2024

Next Wednesday is the beginning of the largest Scandinavian festival in the Western hemisphere. Four days of FUN! I myself am German but during these four days I'm full blooded Scandinavian, it's so much fun! If you come early and stay late you may be able to take in most everything in one day BUT it's a lot more fun to take two or more days. Hotel/motel rooms are not always easy to find. I highly recommend The Clarion hotel as it is right across the street from the Hostfest. There are two hotels on North Hill you need to avoid so feel free to ask me which ones. 09/22/2024

The 1 mile walk/jog/roll in the park was in the Minot Air Force Base newspaper, The Northern Century. Regretfully I am a month late in getting this information out to you so you will have to wait until next year to participate. The event was put on by the Souris Valley Animal Shelter so of course you were to bring your pets to the event. Titus is correct, a one mile walk is a long walk for a guinea pig.If you remember/read an older post of mine I used to walk our birds.I hope to walk Baby (my dog) next year if they have it and if Baby lives to be 12 years old. 09/21/2024

We have all had frustrating experiences concerning our automobiles (I will get to Real Estate). Last week I called our local Big O Tires to get several things looked over. I called Big O because I know the owner and the service had been sterling, I even wrote a raving review last year. My appointment was a week away for today. I knew because of the length of the list they would need it all day.When I got to Big O I greeted the owner and the man I spoke to as they came around the corner from the shop. My friend asked "What can I do for you today". I told him I had an appointment and he should have the list. Immediately he became combative towards me and then looked over to the other guy asking him if he had notes. That fellows response, "I don't even know who he is". My patience and coun... 09/13/2024

The smoke from forest fires in Canada and the Western USA have/had been so bad last week children have not been let outside for recess due to it being a hazard to their health. This is not something I remember as a child and I am wondering why it is happening today.The only explanation I have heard is that environmentalists have pushed legislation forbidding the cleaning up the floor of the forests so there is a lot more flammable tinder on the floor of the forest then there ever has been before.  If this is true it's very ironic. Maybe forest specialist Bob Crane can let us know if it it true.What I do know is that the smoke is costing me money. On days I could turn off the AC at night and open a window the smoke is so bad I don't want it in my bedroom. 09/07/2024

Interesting cartoon being the author has never had a cup of coffee in his life. I used to drink two pots a day but now a days I limit myself to six cups and usually stop at four cups.     "You get to smell it and drink it" says one or both of Joe's pet guinea pigs. Ponder that as Michael Jacobs might say.As advanced as MLS & website listings have become there is nothing that takes the place of visiting a property in person. I have seen several posts in the last few days encouraging Buyers to research the neighborhood and the community. You can do these things on line and even look down neighborhood street via Google maps BUT nothing trumps driving to the location and physically walking through the house and the neighborhood. If you have children actually visit the school they will atten... 09/05/2024

Even when life is good it's still easy to complain... especially on a Monday. My health has been improving at a rapid pace lately. The attack by a pit bull is nearly healed, the movement in my shoulder is greatly improved as has the pain. The cracked rid is hardly noticeable and best of all I can now exercise, lift weights, and use my inversion table. So what do I have to complain about? The Minot International Airport Parking lot. More accurately LAZ Parking (dis)Service. Actually this rant has as much or more to do with the City of Minot & Minot's Airport Authority. The City constantly promotes doing business with Minot Businesses but over and over they themselves don't even though many/most of the out of town services they hire could have been hired right here in Minot.Here is my bee... 08/26/2024

If there is an artist in your home there is more than likely a stack of sketchbooks in your home as well. This stack, pictured below, is just a few of Timmothy's. Tina's stack is about 10 times the amount.Timmothy's cartoon above is in today's Base newspaper, "The Northern Sentry" the official newspaper of The Minot AFB and it is intended to let the people on the AFB know that there is an extensive collection of sketchbooks at the Taube Art Museum in downtown Minot.It is my understanding that all across the USA mini-sketchbook libraries are popping up like the past decades explosion of "Little Libraries" seen in nearly every town.I remember reading about this little sketchbook library on wheels years ago (below) but I never got to see it.I have to admit I miss seeing my kids works in th... 08/16/2024

Today's strip is nearly the same as yesterday's but here the focus is on your communities ordinances in regards to burning bans. Yes there are regulations as to what you put into your firepit even if its a metal firepit purchased at your local hardware store. Minot, North Dakota has several burning ordinances, including guidelines for recreational fires and open burning: A recreational fire has a maximum fuel area of 3 feet or less, in diameter by 2 feet or less, in height. A permit issued by the Minot Fire Department is required for fires of larger size or other uses. These fires can only be held on private property with approval from everyone involved. They must be at least 25 feet away from structures, dry grass, leaves, or other combustible materials. Fires can only be made with unt... 08/15/2024

I think Timmothy must have been under the influence of Pablo Picasso when he wrote this strip. I wish I could say that our art gallery was full of Picasso originals but I only have one small plaque and it is not an original but I like it.The comic strip above is not the only one Timmothy has penned about things being "off". Of course as a comic strip artist everything you create is just a little off. Besides a Picasso influence Timmothy is even more influenced by The Far Side and Calvin & Hobbs cartoons. The two cartoons above are sold at our gallery for $5.00 each for copies and $100.00 each for the original. Once an original is purchased we retire the comic. Both the original and the copies are printed on 11" X 17" ledger paper.  08/12/2024

It can be hard to get an appointment with your doctor and then to get a second opinion in a timely fashion may seem like a very daunting task. Cemetery's are full of people who otherwise may have lived longer had they seeked out a second opinion. Good RX has some very good information on second opinions. Many communities only have one hospital to choose from (Like Minot ND) but you may be able to get a second opinion from an independent clinic (we have many). I personally benefited from a second opinion just last month in regards to a dog bite.The inspiration for this post is I lost a good friend last week who failed to get a second opinion after she went to her Dr. due to pain in her arm and slurred speech. Her Dr. dismissed her saying "I don't think it's a heart attach". Hours later s... 08/12/2024

Minot's "Out of the Darkness Community Walk" will be held September 8th 2024 at Noon starting at Oak Park.Most of us have been effected by  a suicide. Many of us have even contemplated suicide at some point of our lives. This walk raises money to help raise awareness that there is help for those considering taking their own life and that help can be free and not a financial burden.     08/10/2024