Jane Newell and Don Roden's Wedding

Here are Jane and Don, with Don's son Ryan in the middle, at Mears Park in St Paul as we rehersed for the wedding Friday May 21. For me a great time to get to connect with my growing family of choice.


On a sunny afternoon, here are the bride and groom with flower girl Kiana in front with the water and trees of Mears Park in the background.



As Jane's brother of choice, I was honored to read Kahlil Gabran's, On Marriage, here with Susan Schoon, the minister, the bride and groom and the maidens of honor looking on. Thanks to Deborah Aurianivar for this photo and her healing support over this weekend. She came all the way from Arizona to provide her glowing healing energy! What a loving family!

Guthrie Theater May 8 M Butterfly David Hwang Wonderful International Show by the River

On a pleasant Saturday evening in May, here are Jane Newell and Don Roden (soon to marry), Xioasong Steven Liu, John Kowalczyk from Duluth, and John Nisja at the overview of the Mississippi at St Anthony Falls prior to going into the theater. I am honored to have seen this evocative play that captures much of international misunderstanding and the stories some of us to deceive us from the reality that we are "all related" as my D/Lakota teachers say. Thanks to Steven for his personal experience and understanding of Chinese culture and the language.



After the theater, some of us visited the Spaggetti Factory for food and merriment. Here are Steven Jane and Don, in a loving version of "we're off to see the Wizard". Thanks for your beauty love and joy. Live long and prosper!

Jesse and Amy enjoying the gifts of Nature at Pelican Lake

When I arrived at Pelican Lake, I heard Jesse talk about finding a "layer" down near the lake. What i heard was "layer", so as we were walking toward the lake, i was wondering if there was a layer of sand or other phenomena to see. Well, my hearing and seeing now create the language (I do create my reality through some of the language I use, right?) and sure enough there appeared a tunnel 1/2 into the hill of sand, and it is a "lair" of something. I wondered if it was a turtle who could have been a layer of eggs and voila, now turtle footprints. Hm, perhaps a burrowing critter like a badger might be there. We decided not to poke anything in there however.




Here Amy found a mint plant that is very fragrant, almost like a wild spearmint. Didn't have the time to key it out this time and we do have books for future reference. Nice to know there are few mints that are poisonous so here we go, a chance for a natural harvest. Fun curiosity Amy. More shall be revealed.

Heirloom Tomato Seeds from Jamie Wellik

The first weekend in April, I drove to the Schmidt farm outside of Winsted to work with Grey Schmidt to plant the germination flats. These are some of the eight varieties the Jamie picked out to supplement the varieties Grey grows for his commercial venture. I am so grateful for the support the Schmidt's have been over the years, to support the germination of tasty heirlooms as well as standard hybrids for gardens in the city. Last year, I supported tilling 11 gardens and I am on my way to a similar number this year. Soon we will be past frost time here in Minnesota and I hope to capture the process of planting in a future blog entry. Grey raises some 7.000 tomato plants to fullfill his contract with a grocery chain in the Twin Cities and I am grateful to have the energy to put sweat equity into his enterprise as well as mine. Green sustainable solutions, leading from behind. Empowerment to each garden!

Deborah Aurianivar on the Stone Bridge

My friend Deborah was in town from Arizona. Always attracted to the waters of life, here we share a brisk walk in the Minneapolis downtown along the Mississippi during the spring rush at the end of March! Thanks Deborah for our continued friendship. Perhaps soon we will be sharing stories around the fire and even in the desert of Arizona. She is one great acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine women too. More shall be revealed.

Mississippi River High Water- Grief and the waters of life

Here is this author on the Wabasha Bridge, photo taken by Steve or Charlie Borden, men I know through the Mankind Project MN. At the time of the spring thaw, I was dealing with some respiratory illness dealing with grief and tiredness. Grateful for the compassionate witnessing of my tears by both Charlie and Steve, two men I have learned to trust to witness the release of my deep grief work, whenever it comes up. Interesting how the grief can just well up from deep in my gut and the sounds come along with it. Trust the process. Thinking about the teaching of Martin Prechtel a Mayan teacher whom I have done some work with in the past. Ah, mother earth and the waters of life, continue to model with seasons of change. Pilamiya. Thanks in gratitude. All my relations!

Mother's Day 2010 Storage Move St Cloud

Nate, my oldest son, contacted me a while back to support him in storing the large computer game console he acquired back in the day at the Java Joint in downtown St Cloud. I remember visiting the place when it was quite smoke filled and Nate had an office for a computer and internet business across the street on St Germain. Anyway, some five years ago, his mom asked that he move the large console from the family garage. On Sunday, I met Sarah here at her garage with her friend from Winona, who was kind enough to store it for Nate in her garage across the Mississippi River in East St Cloud while we loaded it onto my utility trailer. I am so glad the trailer works so well to cart a variety of things around!

Here are Jesse and Nate, 25 and 29 unloading the console at our Waite Park storage area.