Bells of the Bluffs
BoB Scrapbook
Discovering Inspiration Around Every Corner!
Our 'Christmas in January” concert was such a joy! On January 18, 2025, we bravely ignored the calendar, dusted off our holiday music, and rang in the season again—this time for a full and enthusiastic crowd on a particularly wintry afternoon at St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church in Cannon Falls. One of our ringers, Aaron Penn, brought his daughter along—and she may have been the most productive person in the room. During the concert, she created the delightful storyboard you see above capturing the performance as it unfolded—possibly more accurately than we remember it ourselves.We loved her take on the concert so much that we had to share it with you here. Take a look and enjoy! And who knows—if we’re lucky, we may have a new official concert illustrator in the making for future performances.
A Bob By Any Other Name
Bells of the Bluffs fans know we often shorten the group name to an affectionate and pithy "BoB." Little did we know that short-cut was causing confusion with one important person at our First Lutheran Church home.
Bob Smith, a (former) First Lutheran custodial staffer, kept wondering why he was out on the church calendar on Thursdays at 5 p.m. Most Thursdays, the church is pretty quiet about then -- just the last of the preschool families heading out and the beginnings of our weekly bell rehearsal.
Luckily, Bob's wife, Barb, was able to use her detective skills to put his concerns to rest. She let him know that "BoB" meant Bells of the Bluffs, not a call for extra janitorial support. Barb let Marilee in on the secret and there was a few laughs about it at the next church staff meeting. Always a good sport, Bob gladly accepted a BoB Mob shirt to thank him for keeping our space clean and being a BoB supporter. Barb got one, too.
Watch for the Smiths in their well-deserved BoB Mob shirts at our next BoB concert!
Bob has since moved on to a new job but this story will live in their memories (and ours).
Strange (!) but Fun (!!)
A Session with BoB Lite!
Ringing with Scarves???
Flipping balls in the air???
Serious ring ???
Yes, they all work towards learning handbells.
Contact us for a workshop of your own led by BoBLiTe. Use the form below to contact us.
Eight of us journeyed to St. Peter, MN, perform for worship and teach handbell techniques. The event's theme was "What can be done with fewer bells?" We conducted an entire worship service using 12 bells or fewer, followed by a session on handbell ringing that was filled with laughter and learning.