Saluting Women #11

After meeting Chris Cutler through blogging on City Daily Photo nine years ago,  I finally got to met her in Minneapolis where Chris attended a convention for travel writers last month. When we first exchanged posts online Chris and her husband Mike lived in Nashville where she owned a shop called Blue Moon.  Eventually after Mike retired, they and their Welsh Terrier, Riley,  moved to Las Vegas.  Chis is a teacher, traveler, photographer, travel guide, and editor.  After finding the Italian village of her ancestors, Chris travels there as often as possible to research and write about her grandmother. 

Visit Chris' newest blog and Facebook page to see more photos and to learn more interesting details about her life !

• • • Me

Animal Cruelty

Last Thursday night DH and I attended an event sponsored by Animal Folks, a national group that has programs that oppose animal cruelty and use the justice system to work to protect animals.  We viewed a documentary, Dog By Dog,  exposing the states with the most  puppy mills.  After the film several people  from Minnesota, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, who are actively  engaged in animal law reform on many different levels, spoke about their roles (legislators, lawyers, volunteers and the film producer) and answered questions. Not confined to dogs and cats, the group is involved in protecting agricultural and farm animals, too.  The statistics are astounding and animals need our protection. To learn more, go to this MN Animal Folks site.

This sweet service animal quietly joined the group with her owner, sitting and then lying across the auditorium steps.

St Kate's Pond

There are many reasons why I love my neighbourhood in St. Paul, but probably the best perk is that St. Kate's campus is really my backyard.  My children grew up playing on the green plus watching and feeding the turtles and ducks in the pond.  My grandkids have enjoyed doing the same things and now Wild Wendy loves the squirrels, birds, flowers and the friendly students.

Linking to Weekend Reflections

Protective Fence

What a terrific marketing decision!

Located right next to the new Saints Baseball field in downtown St. Paul is Chuck and Don's Dog Park. The sturdy gate and enclosed entrance (2 gates) insure safety for the dogs,  and the park is a terrific convenience for the people with dogs who live downtown.

Linking to Good Fences

 

Shadow and Highlight: Theme Day-June, 2016

This has probably been the most difficult theme day for me. Neither one of the photos please me, but here they are!

Above:  I handed my iPhone to DH and asked him to snap this for me on Memorial Day.

I stopped in front of a yard on Summit Avenue where a talented gardener was cultivating her outstanding flower garden.  She invited me to go to the backyard to see her wildflowers, which were not yet in bloom.

To see more Shadow and Highlight from other CDP bloggers, go here.

Random Acts of Poetry

During the Little Free Library festivities last Saturday in Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis poetry readings were conducted throughout the day by young volunteers.  Of the three poems offered by this young woman, I chose one by Shel Silverstein. The following poem is not the one that was recited to me but since our weather this past week had not been terrific, I chose this one by Silverstein for you instead. (Tip: If you want to buy a book for a child, get Silverstein's poetry.  I guarantee that you gift will be a success!)

Rain by Shel Silverstein

I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Untitled

Fort Snelling Cemetery

The heroes of Flight 93 won the first battle in the War on Terror, and they should never be forgotten. 

Jim Ramstad

Taking care of the family gravesite for Memorial Day

Busy Young Woman

When she is not busy selling Deena's brand of hummus at the downtown St. Paul Farmer's Market, Danielle helps her brother take care of his child plus she also attends Concordia college, majoring in physical education. Although Danielle enjoys her time here in St. Paul, she misses her home town of Rossville, Georgia. Incidentally of all the varieties she is selling, my top choice is Lemon Thyme Feta Spread.  Excellent--both the product and Danielle's smile!!

Sleepy Sloth

Whenever I go to  Como Park I visit a tropical centre at the zoo to visit my favourite sloth.  Usually he is sleeping,  but I still am able to photograph him; however, this time his face was pretty well hidden.  If you look closely you can see his nose tucked up against the trunk of the tree on the left. 

Sweet little thing!!

Linking to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters

Flowers and Fences

I don't see many, if any, of those wonderful ranch fences and gates in this area, but my city streets have yards that are sporting lots of wrought iron black fences.  Now that flowers and shrubs are in bloom, the fences are enhanced by floral beauty.

Link to Good Fences

The Humane Economy

Wayne Pacelle, the CEO of the Humane Society of the United States spoke last night at Common Good Books at Snelling and Grand Avenues about progress and work needed to protect animals. Get his book, titled The Humane Economy and read it!

Summary of the Book: From the leader of the nation's most powerful animal-protection organization comes a frontline account of how conscience and creativity are driving a revolution in American business that is changing forever how we treat animals and create wealth. Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States reveals how entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 CEOs, world-class scientists, philanthropists, and a new class of political leaders are driving the burgeoning, unstoppable growth of the "humane economy."

Gordon Parks Photographic images

Because of the lights and the glare from the large picture windows in the three rooms of the Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis, it was impossible to get really good photos of the recent Gordon Parks exhibit.  It was a wonderful show of some of his photographic work, and even though the exhibit is over and my photos are not of good quality,  I feel that I need to mention it. One room had a collection entitled "Invisible Man," which had a number of extraordinary black and white images of men. The other two rooms were coloured photos of black people in Southern, mostly rural, communities. Many of the pieces were "untitled" and captions were unneeded as many of the images clearly showed the segregation and discrimination of the period.
Linking to Signs, Signs

Terrific Summer Sight

Isn't summer grand?!
A Lovely spiraea!!

Linking to ABC WEDNESDAY

Little Free Library Festival

Last Saturday there were large crowds throughout the day at the Little Free Library festival in Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis.  Volunteers built libraries during  the day to demonstrate their construction and some were raffled in the afternoon. Many books were available for free, and other activities included strolling musicians,  poetry readings and puppet shows.  To see what you missed, go here.

Saluting Women #10 Meet Laurie Hertzl

Laurie Hertzel is one busy woman! Yes, I have selected another writer to introduce to you for this Sunday series on special women.  Laurie Hertzel is not only the books editor for the Star Tribune newspaper where she has worked since 1996,  but she is also the author of three books, including "News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist," which won a 2011 Minnesota Book Award. Laurie has been a fellow at Duke University, a writer-in-residence at the James Thurber house in Columbus, Ohio and a faculty member and speaker at the Nieman Conferences on Narrative Writing and Editing at Harvard and at Boston University.  Laurie lives in St Paul, and, if you are lucky you might meet her sometime when she is walking her dogs around Como Park. If you want to know more about Laurie, check her bio here.

Unidentified Statue

Statue on a neighbour's lawn.  Not quite sure what it is! Looks a bit like our friendly squirrels.

Linking to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters

Delores

A '50's photo of my sister who died last week.  

I like to remember her  

as a carefree young woman about

to embark on life.

Heaven by Patrick Phillips

It will be the past
and we'll live there together.

Not as it was "to live"
but as it is remembered.

It will be the past.
We'll all go back together.

Everyone we ever loved,
and lost, and must remember.

It will be the past.
And it will be forever.

Memorial for My Sister

A MEMORIAL:  My sister, Delores Kane, who was under hospice care, died early in the morning of May 14, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, after suffering a massive stroke on Monday, May 9.  Visitation and funeral will be held this week.  It has been a short but exhausting and emotional experience.  I will not be posting for several days, but I want my blogging and FB friends to know the circumstance and ask that you keep my sister and our entire family in your thoughts and hearts.  Thank you!

Saluting Women # 9-Kana from Osaka

Kana is from Osaka, Japan, but is now a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota. How did she get here?  Romance does it every time.  While teaching English in Osaka she met her husband who was teaching English there, and Cupid did his work!  As a result, now she and her husband are both residents in his home state of Minnesota.  Currently she is working for Metronic as a technical writer. Kana says that she loves Minneapolis,  and after living here for 9 years, it looks like she is here to stay.  What a beautiful addition to our country!

Ceramic Critters

Last Saturday I and DH went on a Pottery Tour and saw many many beautiful pieces: bowls, vases, mugs, casseroles, plates and platters plus many other decorative and functional objects. These horses are particularly appealing and a bit more whimsical than the other pieces I saw. Perhaps we should have brought them home with us!
Linking to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters.