Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/category/lifestyle/page/6/)
If you listen closely on the evening of December 5, you’ll hear the clip-clop of hooves and the jingle-jingle of bells. You’ll also hear laughter, great music and neighbors getting to know one another. Snow and cold weather mean it’s time for Northside residents to celebrate at Holiday on 44th, the free festival that brings horse-drawn wagons, twinkling lights and hot roasted chestnuts to the Camden Community.
Discover your inner superhero
As a child, superheroes were larger than life. Superheroes defeated villains, overcame impossible feats, and used their powers to advance the cause of justice. An untold story about the history of comic book superheroes is that they represented the very essence of gladiators for justice. They took a courageous stand to address issues like poverty and oppression while yet promoting liberty and justice for all. For example, Superman represented the ultimate the level of strength and power beyond the restraints of one’s imagination. While, Batman used his intellect and skills to overcome evil and promote the common good. Or better yet, Flash defied the limitations of time and space in his quest for justice. Like your favorite superhero, you too can take a courageous stand for justice. You can leverage your technical training and leadership skills as tools to leave the world a better place than how you found it. Continue Reading
Did I see you last week at one of the amazing happeningsin Saint Paul? Okay, maybe we were just too busy to cross paths, or maybe I was enjoying my mom’s food way too much, or maybe we just didn’t look up from one of the grooves we were in while an artist or two was laying it down for us. Yes, we are busy, but maybe this week we can catch some friends along this artists’ way. Continue Reading
Tuesday morning I attended the 30th Annual Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast. The event is sponsored by the Sons of Norway and is a charitable venture (donations were collected for Second Harvest Heartland and the Minnesota Military Family Foundation) loaded with local celebrities, politicians, and 963 guests. I sat at a table in the back dubbed The Johnson Table. Of ten at our table, seven of us were Johnsons. The event was, as 2014 Event Chair Bruce Karstadt observed, “Fika on steroids.” (Fika is a Swedish tradition meaning to take a break, most often with coffee, with colleagues, friends, or family. It is both a verb and a noun.) Continue Reading
Hotep. Kwame McDonald was a much-loved icon in the community. He was well traveled and well known across the country. My relationship with him—a relationship of associating and working together—lasted over thirty years, right up until the time he died. This is also a story about the manner in which he died, his whole attitude about life and death, and the acceptance of his fate. Never in my whole life have I seen, in the face of death, such a demonstration of courage, determination, and thoughtfulness—which not only affected him, but affected all of the people he knew and loved. He was careful to minimize any and all gestures of pity, sorrow, and grief; yet at the same time he did want people to know he was dying. Continue Reading
The Irish Fair’s site along the pewter-gray, spreading Mississippi beneath downtown Saint Paul on the ample greensward of Harriet Island is majestic and invites celebration. The bustling and music-crammed Irish Fair with its snowy canvas tents, its black-tinted signposts, and plentiful green turf offers an Ireland of the mind to its visitors. Whether Irish-American, native-born Irish, or simply a non-Irish person casually intrigued by the inviting complexity of Irish culture, the Fair’s lack of an admission charge, handsome location, and more than forty performing musical and dance groups gently stimulates the imagination. Continue Reading
Ready or not, the holiday season is here, with the trifecta of big shopping days Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday kicking off this weekend. Sure, Small Business Saturday may not create the frenzy as the other two, but for many, that’s part of the day’s charm. Aimed at boosting sales for local independent shops, the day gives smaller mom-and-pop stores a chance to shine and garner focused community support.Small Business Saturday received a boost in popularity with the sponsorship of American Express in 2010, offering a rebate for cardholders who spend $10+ on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Also, the American Express site and the Small Business Saturday Facebook page offer promotional tips (use hashtag #Shopsmall and #SmallBizSat on social media, for example) and other resources to help promote the day.Below we’ve placed a spotlight on a few shops and attractions around the Twin Cities that could use your support this Small Business Saturday and all year long! We invite you to add your favorites in the comment section.Related articles and blogs:Heads up Twin Cities, Plaid is the new Black FridayIndie First Day/Small Business Saturday, November 29<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/8482325/”>When is your fave time to shop for the holidays?</a>The Nicollet DinerHave you heard about the new 24-hour diner in Minneapolis? Continue Reading
My parents lived just three blocks away from me until a couple of months ago when we needed to move them. Their decline was gradual and because they lived close by I was able to keep an eye on them and help them stay in their home. Continue Reading
We are all shopping and chopping and flying and driving and working and studying and praying and worrying and hopinghopinghoping for a better day tomorrow. Continue Reading
I’ve completed my annual Excursion of Terror up and down our almost-big-enough aluminum ladder to place six strings of gigantic old energy-burning Christmas lights at the peaks of our gables. Each year another handful burn out and I replace them. Each year I think about the falling-off-a-ladder injury and death statistics for men in their ’50’s. Apparently we are oblivious to the rules of ladder safety, which for men in my age group, starts with “Stay Off The Ladder!” Continue Reading