River Walk

Walked with a friend who was visiting from the UK. Crossed the Mississippi, still swollen with snowmelt.

A Safe Place

On Tuesdays I’ve been missing my good friend Dave who’s laid up waiting for surgery. Instead, I was an ESL classroom assistant then a one-on-one tutor. People have tough lives, but their great attitudes and desire to learn are inspiring.

TOEFL

Worked throught TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exercises with an adult learner. It’s always a joy to work with people who want to learn.

Family-Style Sushi

After reviewing an upcoming trip to Japan with a nephew and his dad, the rest of the family joined us for a trip to a Japanese restaurant. With two teenagers in tow, this photo represents a fraction of what was eaten.

Normal Times

At the end of my walk, grade school kids had arrived on a yellow bus to play in the park, a sight we were denied during the height of the pandemic. Teachers were calling to them to collect their brown bag lunches. Later, I expect they were going to a classroom at the nearby Guthrie.

A Special Place

Dwight showed a friend and me around the University of Minnesota teaching and research greenhouse where he volunteers. This gorgeous space has four rooms, each with a different climate, including this desert room. The rainforest room smelled and felt wonderful on this frigid day.

Needs Must

Friends, visiting Minneapolis from Oregon, had to cancel our get-together because COVID hit. So, we opened bottles of wine and got together via Google Meet. The special bottle of New Zealand wine they’d brought for us was enjoyed remotely, but not by us.