Sacred Water

“Discovered” Cold Water Spring which supplied Fort Snelling and is considered to be sacred by some Native Americans. The National Park Service administers the spring and surrounding restored prairie.

Russia in Minneapolis

A strange thing happened as I was jogging around a lake a few days before the 2016 US presidential election. In my November 1, 2016 post I wrote: A diminutive older woman was trying to catch my attention. She announced proudly in a Russian accent that she was voting for the Republican candidate for President. “Very…… Continue reading Russia in Minneapolis

The Time I Was Summoned to “The Kremlin”

My beautiful picture

It’s 1960. My maternal grandfather, my Aunt Madge, my brother, and I had been summoned to “the Kremlin.” Madge consistently referred to her brother’s Glasgow home as “the Kremlin.” This reflected her disconnect with her brother, Malcolm. He was clearly keeping his distance from the rest of the family, possibly for good reasons. The backstory…… Continue reading The Time I Was Summoned to “The Kremlin”

Taking It to the Streets

It took an invitation from a friend for us to do it. Last week, Dwight and I found ourselves picking up trash from a main drag that runs through our neighborhood. All the way back to childhood, I’m grateful for friends appealing to my better instincts. Sometimes appeals to people’s worst instincts are strong motivators.…… Continue reading Taking It to the Streets

The Show Had to Go On

When she was a child, my mother was acting up. My grandmother pointed to a little girl sitting passively across the room: “Why can’t you be like her?” My mother retorted: “Nobody is paying attention to her.” She was probably a little older than the toddler uncomfortably propped on the chair in the photograph at…… Continue reading The Show Had to Go On

Speaking to Our Times

Every time I look up from my reading, I see rainbows rising up the Guthrie Theater marquee. We go there to escape, but also for plays that speak to our times from earlier times: themes of race (1968), the rise of fascism (1941), and a polluted water suppl