pick of the week: Here's hoping that the folks at the Bruentrup Heritage Farm don't get their Lutherans mixed up. The next two weekends, the Maplewood facility is hosting "The Looney Lutherans in Livin' La Vida Lutheran," a comedy from the creators of the long-running satirical musical "Church Basement Ladies." It's a song-filled tale about three good Lutheran ladies who come up with wacky ways to promote their church cookbook. Shows are at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15 to $40. A "church style" meal is served 90 minutes before curtain time for an extra $10. Here's where the potential for confusion comes in: On Wednesdays, various Lutheran churches in the area take turns hosting legitimate worship services at the farm. Those start at 6:30 p.m., with a meal at 5:30 p.m. We're praying that the two groups keep their schedules straight. (maplewoodhistoricalsociety.org)
DAY BY DAY:Speaking of church dinners, Wednesday is national Eat Your Jell-O Day. Alas, national Tater Tot Day isn't until February. Obviously, the scheduling of these holidays was not overseen by a Minnesotan.
Life hack: If the collar of your shirt needs ironing but the rest of it is fine, a hair straightener does the touch-up job in a jiffy.
Recommended reading: Picture this — a rundown of the best kids' books of the summer. Check the list in Tuesday's Variety.
JEFF STRICKLER • jeff.strickler@startribune.com
