College Campus Fence

I saw this fence on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul.  The sign identified one of the Asian language houses.

The Japan House is the center of Japan-related activities for the Macalester community. During the 2015-16 academic year, the Japan House is home to the visiting native speaker Izumi Koyama and five Macalester students interested in improving their Japanese language skills and committed to a communal life with a focus on Japanese food, language, and culture. Residents plan Japan-related activities, such as movie nights and cooking parties, and invite community members to participate. Preference is given to students preparing for or returning from study away. The department reserves the right to select from the applicant pool. Students not involved in study away activities must stay in the Japan House for the academic year. (Credit: Check here for more information on Asian language houses at Mac)

Linking to Good Fences

Birthdays: 1596-Rene Descartes; 1621-Andrew Marvell; 1925 Flannery O'Connor

Cousins?

Sign seen at Como Park

Linked to Signs, Signs

Birthdays: 1844-Paul Verlaine; 1853-Vincent van Gogh; 1880 Sean O'Casey

John Lennon in Cuba

If I can find my photo of moi sitting next to John, I'll post it later.  Found in a park in Havana on a trip in 2012.

Linking to Travel Tuesday #20 and ABC Wednesday-"L"

Saluting Women #3-My Friend Mary!

Happy Easter!

I met Mary in Sante Fe, New Mexico in 1984 when we both attended a summer seminar for teachers at St. John's College. She moved from Schnectedy, New York to Taos, New Mexico shortly after she retired but  eventually returned to live permanently in Saratoga Springs, New York.  Mary was a great social studies teacher, is a terrific friend who loves her family, adores singing Irish songs and entertaining.  Recently she appeared on my blog when she and other friends came to the Twin Cities to see the fabulous Japanese art collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Click here for an explanation of my "Saluting Women" theme.

Sassy Sadi

Without my knowledge or consent, 31 years ago Sadi entered our home with my DH's grand gesture as a birthday gift to our son, Karl.  Sadi and I actually became quite good friends, and I fed her daily,  took her to have her bill shaped (not sharpened!) and wings clipped and took care of her when she got and survived lead poisoning from old wicker furniture. About 2 years ago I had had enough of her care and persuaded my son that since she is indeed his bird, Sadi needs to live with him.  Deed done.  Sadi occasionally visits but is just as content in her new digs with her rightful owner.

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters

Friday Field Trip #7-Conservatory

 Last Wednesday I promised that I would post some photos from the spring flower display at the conservatory in Como Park. The display in the Sunken Garden changes with the season and this one is spectacular, as all of them usually are!  In the cold, frigid season of winter, it is such a pleasure to go here and enjoy the warmth and humidity of the greenhouses; any time of the year the greenery, plants and flowers lift one's spirits.

Safeguarding

I suppose that there is a fine line between a fence and a railing.  This one qualifies for both, I believe. A nasty fall from the front yard to the driveway below is prevented by this handsome white fence.

Linking to Good Fences

Friday Field Trip #6-Conservatory

The Marjory McNeely Conservatory in Como Park in St Paul is a favorite place to visit.  Because we have to attend  a memorial service next Friday, we took our FFT yesterday on Tuesday.  We were surprised to see that all parking lots were filled with a steady steam of more autos looking for spaces.  Guess spring break is still going on plus there seems to be more retired people visiting these days.  We were anxious to see the spring flower show in The Sunken Garden and were not disappointed.  The lilies, tulips, crocuses, and pansies were all color coordinated in shades of yellows and oranges. . .a feast for the eyes. Come back Friday when I will post some of the flowers I photographed.

Click here for history of Como Park and Conservatory
Linking to Signs, Signs and Through My Lens

Station 14

After these four handsome firemen sat next to me I asked them how they felt about the fact that  St. Paul's first fire station located at the corner of Leech Street and Grand Aveue is in peril of being demolished. A developer plans to tear down the 145-year-old building and replace it with a 109-unit Marriott.  Jonathan, on the left, suggested that the new hotel could creatively incorporate the fire station into the design of the hotel.  Not a bad idea!  We should advise the developer of this good idea! I enjoyed the conversation with the other men: next to Jonathan and to the right are Bryan, Jim and Patrick (a 4th generation Irishman whose ancestors came from County Cork). Before I left, I thanked them for their service and hope to see them again. . .not at my home while they are on call but over another cup of coffee.

Photo of Oldest St. Paul Fire Station (Credit: Pioneer Press)
Linking to Our World Tuesday and Through My Lens

Added later:  Again my day begins with another  scene of horror --- this time in Brussels. The world we live in is not safe from terrorist. My heartfelt sympathy to the victims!

Tattered!

Not exactly a mural, but it is a large poster high on the wall of a building on University Avenue in St Paul.  Difficult to see and difficult to photograph, but very obvious from the street.I'm not sure what it is advertising or promoting, but it certainly is tattered.

Linking to Monday Murals

Saluting Women #2-Leon

Mystery Novelist, Donna Leon

Donna Leon is one of my favorite mystery novelist whom I photographed in April, 2011,  at Barnes and Noble, Southdale. She is a writer who lives in Italy, which is the setting for her novels. If you haven't already, read Leon's books, beginning with the first one published and proceeding through the rest of the 15 books she has written.  This way you get to know the main characters, watch their development and the dynamics among the ones who appear regularly in all of her novels. Following the growth of the family of Commissario Guido Brunetti's family is worth reading in chronological order.  Check here for more information about her.

Click here for an explanation of this new series of mine, Saluting Women.

Before and After

Boy, was I surprised when I picked up Wild Wendy after her first grooming.  Looks like an entirely different dog.  I think I like the shaggy look a little better.  Her undercoat was somewhat matted so she had to be shorn.  Now I think I'll know how to brush her better. She even acts a little differently. . . baby, it's cold outside, and she is reluctant to put her paws out the door.

Linked to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters

Friday Field Trip #5

Last week we took our Friday Field Trip to the iMax Theatre at the Science Museum in downtown Saint Paul to see the film on our national parks.  The scenery was spectacular with fabulous background music.  Narrated by Robert Redford it was a most enjoyable film although disappointingly short at just 45 minutes. It was fun to see some of the parks we have visited over the years, and, oh, how I would love to see more!  Our park system is possible because of visionaries like John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt.  I love living in a country that offers such beauties to enjoy as our National Parks!

Wearing of the Green

Holy Cow!  It's St. Patty's Day!!(Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) St Paul is a great city in which to celebrate this important date: parades and parties all over town. The best parade is the shortest.. .  around the bar in O'Gara's Bar and Grill on Snelling and Selby Avenues, led by the Brian Boru Pipe Band at 3:30 pm.  The 50th annual parade in downtown begins at noon. Many pubs and restaurants offer special fare on this important date.  Shamrocks, Emmets, The Dubliner and The Liffey are just a few that will help you celebrate.

My DH, "Seamus," whose ancestors came over from County Mayo during the Potato Famine and our daughter, Kati Kilbane honour and celebrate their name sakes on this important family day.

You previously have met this wonderful lawn sculpture on many important holidays, the most recent was posted just prior to Valentine's Day.  Next time I pass the house I think that I will ring the doorbell to meet and  find out a little more about the owners.

Lake Pepin

 Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake, and the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River, located approximately 60 miles downstream from Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is a widening of the river on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The formation of the lake was caused by the backup of water behind the sedimentary deposits of the Chippewa River's delta. It has a surface area of about 40 square miles and an average depth of 21 feet which makes it the largest Lake on the entire Mississippi River.(Credit: Wikepedia)

A gray day at Lake City, Minnesota, overlooking Lake Pepin, where the ice is slowly melting.  Before long people will be plying the lake waters on waterskis this coming summer.  A perfect place to celebrate the birthplace of waterskiing!

Linking to Travel Tuesday and Our World Tuesday plus Through My Lens

Liquor Store Mural

Well, it is pretty obvious what this mural is all about!  The store is located on Grand Avenue in
 St. Paul, it has periodic sales, which usually are very good bargains.  I love the dog in the photo below.  I wonder if he has imbibed in the contents of the kegs?

Linking to Monday Murals

Saluting Women #1-Cath

On Women's International Day (March 8th) I read an article  in a local paper called "Putting Women in Focus," that celebrates the lives of women, especially those in developing countries, who were photographed by Annie Griffiths. I decided that I, too, will honor women I either know or meet as I go about my daily life. Some of them will have a close relationship to me, others will be new-found friends or acquaintances or someone I find particularly interesting. I will post the pictures  one day a week on my Sunday blog and call it "Saluting Women." I am going to use photos in my archives as well as newly snapped portraits.

Catherine Grant Rohling-Carrier

1961-2014

I chose this portrait of Cath because she meant a great deal to our family. I watched her grow from a little girl into a beautiful woman who charmed everyone. Catherine died Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at the age of 51 after a courageous 5-year battle with multiple myeloma. She loved life and died too soon but was an inspiration to everyone who met and loved her. Cath's suffering and death broke our hearts but we cherish and celebrate the memories we have of her and the life she shared with us.

Friday Field Trip #4

 Last week when DH and I went to the Hennepin County Library in downtown Minneapolis  for our Friday Field Trip (see explanation), I noticed these colorful animals on the wall at the entrance to the Children's Section.

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters

 

Ducks

I like to go into Asian supermarkets because invariably I see items unavailable in markets where I normally shop.  I doubt that this image will appeal to vegans, but I am curious as how these might taste. I recently bought a wok and am on a roll with oriental recipes.  After a few more NOT run-of-the-mill Chinese recipes, I think I'll move on to Korean and try my hand at that.  As a friend of mine recently said about her own experimentation with different Asian recipes, I am smitten with cooking my new cuisine.

Vintage

The consignment shop I visited last week featured this lovely outfit.  The vintage jacket and hat would be "perfect" for Easter, which is only a little more than two weeks away.  Better get shopping!!

Juicy Sign!

Now this is a sign and mural that I really appreciate!
Linking to Signs, Signs

Innocent Childhood Delight-Travel Tuesday #1

For years I  have spent several winter months in Mazatlán, México.  One of the plazas in Centro Historico is visited by scores of pigeons, which I dislike because of the mess they leave behind.  Many people feed them regularly so there is no incentive for them to leave.  Often I wish that I had a handful of birth control pills to scatter among the bread crumbs to entice them.  After seeing this child's obvious delight in seeing them, I felt just a wee bit friendlier toward these birds.
Linking to Travel Tuesday and ABC WEDNESDAY

Train Platform Art-Monday Mural

This is part of a mural that can be seen on a wall at the Franklin Avenue station on the blue light rail route, which I saw on the way to downtown Minneapolis.  The stop was short, and the train quickly moved past the station so I could not see if it was signed.  A pleasant sight as we zipped down the track.
Linking to Monday Mural

Friday Field Trip #3

 On Friday DH, a friend and I took the blue light rail to downtown Minneapolis to the downtown Hennepin County library.  The green and blue lines of the light rail began operation in June of 2014, and this was the first time the three of us had ridden on it.  What took us so long?!  It is slick, fast, and sure beats driving, searching for a parking spot and paying parking fees. As my grandson said, riding it "is an experience."  On the way downtown a boisterous group of young adults dominated the train car with pretty stupid behaviour,  but another young man assisted us in confirming where we should embark and where to walk to find the library a block away.  Quite a contrast. The whole afternoon was enjoyable and educational.  Learned a lot on the light rail and in the library. We ended the field trip by stopping for cookies and coffee at a local cafe.

Trader Joe's Dogs

When I shop at Trader Joe's I inevitably park next to a car containing a dog.  This one talked to me, sang to me, and barked a wee bit as I took his photo.

Linked to Canine Critters, Saturday's Critters

Exploring Art-Friday Field Trip #2

Last Friday DH and I took our Friday Field trip to explore art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Two pieces of art that appeal to me in the current exhibit, "State of the Art" featuring art of American artists, were made by Gina Phillips, New Orleans Studio. Both figures are large life-size cut-outs that are made of fabric, thread, ink, and paint, and the jackets on both women shimmer and shine. The artist titled the woman in yellow, "Golda Greer"and the other one, "Mabel on Her Way to Mass."

Today we are taking the relatively new light rail, green line,  from St. Paul to see and use the outstanding downtown Minneapolis library.  That library has been remodeled and is a piece of art itself.

Rugged-Good Fences

I like the look of this old style rugged fence.  The photo was taken in Door County, Wisconsin on one of our family trips there about 4 years ago.  There's only one kind of fence that I like better, and that's a coyote fence, which is common in New Mexico, one of the states that I love to visit.

Linked to Good Fences

Super Tuesday in Minnesota

Pioneer Press and Star Tribune morning newspaper headlines! Minnesota makes me proud! Record turnout for both parties.  Results of our Super Tuesday caucuses: MINNESOTA DFL: Sanders scores win over Clinton for one of his four victories; MINNESOTA GOP: Amid record turnout, state Republicans give Rubio his first victory.

I will be one of the delegates at our district convention.  Woo! Hoo!

Geography, Body, or Soul? (March, 2016 Theme: Heimat)

Heimat

Geography seems to be a place of reference for many bloggers when heimat is considered.

My birth in a small community in Door County, Wisconsin,  on the shores of Lake Michigan marked my beginning. A place where my family and I regularly return and some members of my family still remain.

Adolescent and young adult life in Green Bay, Wi, did not leave a yearning to return after I left "to see the world" as a flight attendant, but it has left an indelible desire for frequent travel.
Later after college, marriage and living in Minnesota for almost half my life, I cannot claim heimat here although it has been a very good life.

For me, heimat is part of my spirit and soul wherever and whenever I can fulfill a desire for some form of education, formal or informal: art museums, schools, colleges and travel. The photo above is the art gallery, next to the library, in the school in which I taught for 30 years, only one  example of my 

Heimat

Click here to see how other CDP bloggers describe their heimat.