Jan, my mother-in-law’s, art supplies now fill a good portion of my office space. They were given to me after she needed to be moved from her independent living apartment to nursing care due to significant health issues. I got them because many years ago she and I had taken a weeklong, Split Rock Watercolor…

Last Sunday we were part of the Hands Across the Bong Bridge event to mark the 250th anniversary of Flag Day. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we parked our car near the base of the bridge on the Duluth side. People were gathering on both sides of this bridge that links Duluth and…

I learned about the music of J. Cole, an American Rapper and social activist, on Monday afternoon at the Bible study I lead at the St. Louis County Jail. The women and I had just finished reading John 20: 19- 30. This is the story of the resurrected Jesus returning to the fear-filled disciples who…

Today is an e-learning/snow day for Duluth Public Schools. Another blizzard has closed the schools. I’m liking a day off, but I keep wondering about the kids.  As an old bumper sticker read, “So, how are the children?” After retirement as a local church pastor for 36 years, I’ve been working as a paraprofessional in…

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”                   Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr King’s words rang out this morning at the MLK Holiday Breakfast. The windchill was -27 and yet well over…

We made our way to Northfield last Sunday. Our granddaughter, Rosie, had the role of baby Jesus in First UCC’s annual Christmas pageant. She did great smiling at all the shepherds, angels and creatures. In additions to the usual sheep and cows, the animals included a hamster, a chicken and a narwal. I always loved…

I found it intriguing to be traveling in Ireland at the end of October, so close to Halloween. Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. This time of year, is considered by many to be a liminal time when the…

“Make me a nest in the branches of your arms.” – Gary Boehlhower I thought of these words as I went through the photos Tim took on Sunday at my mom’s 90th birthday party. This photo of my mom with her 3-month-old great granddaughter, Rosie is one my favorite pictures.   Rosie is held in her…

What can I say that I have not said before? So I’ll say it again. The leaf has a song in it. Stone is face of patience. Inside the river there is an unfinishable story and you are somewhere in it and it will never end until all ends.         I thought of this poem by…

This Mother’s Day marks the first time I celebrate it as a grandmother. The experience of being a nana like motherhood itself has been beautiful and complicated. Our daughter Maddie delivered baby Rosie three weeks early amidst concerns about her growth rate. A few days after giving birth, Maddie developed a severe infection and had…