View from the lobby of Orchestra Hall while enjoying a pre-concert glass of wine. Tonight the Minnesota Orchestra featured pieces by six black composers, including two women. The art form tends to be Eurocentric, sometimes stodgy; tonight was refreshing, mixing it up.
Category: In This Together
Never Give Up
First day of my new weekly ELL (English Language Learning) gig with adult learners. Three classes, great attitudes and determination, spiffiest facilities yet.
We Voted
Election Day is next Tuesday, but we already voted by mail today. This was the shortest ballot I’ve ever seen, with just one contest for a city council member. I’ve come around to Minneapolis’ ranked choice voting system.
Confirmation Selfie
I caught his attention by saying we needed a selfie to prove we were in church this Sunday morning. Of course it was a special occasion: our youngest nephew’s Confirmation at Faith Lutheran in Forest Lake, Minnesota.
Paella Journeys
I’m making paella for dinner with Dwight’s sister, a reminder of shared experiences in Nerja, Spain. We enjoyed paella cooked over an open fire of burning pallets in a restaurant by the beach. I’ve just made the sofritos base (in the pan) which fills our home with wonderful aromas.
Important Conversations
As I ate my lunch at the worker-owned Hard Times Cafe, I overheard nearby diners discussing labor history and class struggle. Later, I walked past double barriers outside Northrop Auditorium that symbolized the gulf between protesters and Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
A Beacon of Upward Mobility
From a conference room in a beautifully designed Minneapolis school that provides basic adult education, a view of the 1853 Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery. The school is in high demand, with a waitlist of people eager to learn. Below, Lake Street was the scene of protests that turned into riots in 2020.
Paracetamol Shortage in Canada Prompts International Aid
With children’s paracetamol in short supply in Canada, my friends in Newcastle, England, gave me some for their baby grandson in Toronto. Today, I mailed the medication from our art deco post office.
Towards the North Sea
Much of our route today followed St. Cuthbert’s Way, a trail named after the 7th-century monk, bishop, and hermit who is revered as the patron saint of Northumberland. We’re standing in front of a cave where legend says his coffin was temporarily hidden from Danish raiders in the 9th century.
Scoping Out a New Gig
The ESL teacher I assist is moving to a new job at this facility. It’s a joy working with her, so I’ve applied for a volunteer position in her new classroom. Today, I scoped out the building on Lake Street and determined it’s easily reached by bike or direct bus. (MPS is Minneapolis Public Schools.)