Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/category/lifestyle/page/17/)
Roberta and I did a lot of sketching of the flooding in Downtown Saint Paul. We wanted to document the changing landscape as water gradually replaced land. There’s a slideshow of our flood sketches at the PiPress. Here’s one of the sketches I did from the Robert Street Bridge of the Port of Saint Paul’s Lowertown Landing submerged beneath the roiling Mississippi River [above]. Continue Reading
I enjoy the work of Gretchen Rubin– the happiness guru who packages ideas about living well in tidy lists and chapters. Maybe that sounds kind of treacly, but because she is up front about her own limits, bad habits and preferences, the reader may embrace his or her own preferences, recognize limits, and challenge – and even change – bad habits that contribute to crankiness and a less joyful life. Continue Reading
The Fourth of July used to mean a BBQ with friends, then fireworks later in the night (if I could stand the Minnesota mosquitos). Some time in the past few years, however, my husband Bryan has taken over the way we celebrate so that we can teach our kids how grateful we are to live freely as Jews in this country. It’s not that we don’t feel that gratitude during other times of the year, but the Fourth of July is the most natural time to express it. Continue Reading
Because “freedom” is as American as God and apple pie, it’s surprising that the editors of the MIT Technology Review have not been charged with treason. In one of the MIT articles titled “Hacking the Soul,” Gabriel Kreiman, neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School, says that studies suggest, “all actions are the result of neural computations and nothing more.” So “there is nothing really free about free will.” Continue Reading
Wow! We made it through our TV Takeover. Thanks to everyone who came to the party and everyone who saw our edition on the airwaves. Kudos to anyone who made it to last week’s Lowertown Reading Jam, Soul Sounds Open Mic and Almanac’s TV Takeover. We love the support. We love showing off Saint Paul in all its glory and the panorama of stories that make our town great. Continue Reading
My kid: “I’m bored.”
Me: “Well it is summer. Did you drop off that application at the ice cream place down by the Guthrie where your friend works?”
Walking around the valley on a spring day used to be so peaceful. A bird chirped, a car idled past me, and occasionally the faint muffled cry of a baby drifted through the air. Most often I was lost in thought and these thirty minutes were my favorite time of day. Continue Reading
For 81 years a bunch of American Swedes have congregated at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis to celebrate their heritage with music, dance, and food. Svenskaranas Dag (Swedish Heritage Day) used to draw as many as twenty thousand people who danced around the maypole and picnicked along The Falls. Honored guests included politicians and celebrities. Fewer folks attend the event these days, although we still get the occasional politician, but we are no less enthusiastic than those who came before us. Continue Reading
On Saturday, June 21 the The Great Bull Run and the Tomato Royale riled up the Twin Cities. Continue Reading
We have been busy this summer. We have only just begun. You might think we would be all tuckered out, but we have a great bunch of young people pulling the Storymobile, fueled by a decade’s worth of your stories, so our sprint to September’s Book Release Party (keep your eyes open for details in coming days) might leave us winded but nicely traveled. Here are a few ideas on where you can join our trek. Continue Reading