all that's past is prologue...

I started doing #yearplanner in 2020 — so let's just say that first year was a misfire. But a couple of years back Patrick and I started doing it together, and it's been really helpful (though I would argue the planning we did in late 2025 for 2026 was also...a little altered once we got into January.) One of the elements of it is to pick a word for the year. Last year, one was ATTEND, and it was pretty inspirational. My word for 2024 was BUILD, also a win. Based on what I *thought* 2026 was going to be like I almost picked "Grow," but I am glad I did not. My word for 2026 is RESILIENCE (Patrick has two, for what it's worth, ADJUST and ADAPT.) So when Playwrights Center did a panel about artists and resilience last night, I knew I had to be there. And I am so glad I went. Anytime you get Signe Harridan, Sarah Bellamy, Maija Garcia, Anh Thu Pham, Laura Zabel, and Mark Valdez in a room, it's going to be a provocative conversation. Here are my top things I put in...

Mondays are usually days to:      a)     dig deep into a project      b)    catch up on a lot of things      c)     schedule meetings      d)     all of the above So, in typical Monday fashion, I spent the morning paying bills, doing some bank reccs, listing things on the free board, and making phone calls. I hate phone calls. I then ran some errands, including mailing a certified mail piece and picking up some stamps From there, I grabbed some plastic bottles from someone because I want to do some winter seed sowing this week (I still need more bottles, so if I see you on a regular basis and you have some, let me know!) I had a meeting with a client about some new personnel policies at Yellowbird , which I love because I love their sense of community. I then headed to Springboard for the Arts to represent the Cultural STAR board at a community meeting convened by my councilmember....

My Facebook Memories reminded me that we used to do Small Project Sundays — so today, between yoga and choir, we took on the front hallway coat closet. This had become an area to toss basically everything that we were not using, so it was sorely needed. We always suck at remembering to take before pictures, but here's the "after." To imagine "before," just picture this entire closet piled almost knee high with stuff. We took an entire carload of stuff to Goodwill, we have a few things to list on the free board, and we have two large bags of coats and outerwear to donate to Haven Watch or someplace if they still need it now, or to save for a winter clothing drive next year. (If you know of any places, particularly ones serving refugees, that still need winter outdoor clothing now, please let me know!)

It was a long day, but ended in a fun night! First we grabbed a light dinner at Potsticker, which has been on our wish list for awhile. Then we picked up our friends Carrie and Jason so we could head to some Anoka speakeasies. We started at The Hardware Store . This had the added bonus of us getting in because we had a reservation, versus the randos from the street who did not. It was super-cozy, had a huge cocktail list, and was very chic. Also noisy and crowded. From there we headed to Nucky's which had a totally different vibe. The cocktail list was much smaller, and it was more hands-off, but also amazing in its own way (mostly being quieter and easier to talk). It felt like getting out of town and away from everyday troubles for the night, which was great. Highly recommended!

Going out is back! (pay no mind to the fact that it's 7:30 and I'm exhausted). We started out the evening by going to Empty Bowls at Saint Kate's. For a donation to their food justice organization you got a handmade bowl of your choice and delicious soup, plus the chance to feel fancy by eating in the O'Shag lobby. I've wanted to go to one of these for a long time and it did not disappoint! There's an ice cream one coming up in April... Then we went to the re-opening of my friend Rachael's gallery, The Grand Hand . It's been located at Grand and Dale for forever, since long before she bought it, but the rent went up. So she relocated to Grand and Hamline, where Treadle was (and Rexall Drugs before that). It was PACKED and so much fun! The new space is lovely, with lovely space to display seemingly a lot more art. We saw SO MANY people we know and like. I'm so proud of her and the store and know I will be there a lot. Then, because it's Friday, we...

With everything (waves arms wildly) going on here, I've not had a ton of capacity. But we have been able to effect some small changes around the house. We hung this print by the front door to gear up as we leave the house (but no one can see it from outside). While Beatrix and Patrick were visiting a college for Admitted Students Day, I touched up the bathroom ceiling, cleaned out the odds and ends of personal products, and added other elements. We got a new storage bench for our bedroom that continues the beach vibe. I even made some push pins for my bulletin board!

The last several days have had some heightened stress around here for any number of reasons. But key among them is that a disgruntled person (assumed parent) at my daughter's school decided to release some event safety protocols to a right-wing site that fancies itself a "news source," and that the kids at the school are now — at least to some extent — targeted. For the sake of argument here, I am going to put a lot of issues to the side, though that does not mean they are not constantly occupying my mind. If you know me, you already know how I feel about these. I'm putting aside feelings about ICE and the Minnesota occupation. I'm putting aside any issues I or anyone else might be having about the school's current administration. I'm putting aside some people's assumption that teenagers are somehow just mini-adults. I'm putting aside my own feelings about the final semester of my daughter's high school education. What someone did, for the appa...

I massively fed my soul with things that start with "W" over the weekend. Yesterday, Patrick and I (and the rest of the Twin Cities) made it over to the Walker to see the Dyani White Hawks exhibit, which closed today. The Walker was free all weekend, and it was glorious to see everyone there enjoying it. The exhibit itself was fantastic. I have never wanted to touch art so much in my life, sir it was good that they had a few stations where you could touch a porcupine quill bead and such. The colors she uses are amazing, the work meticulous and beautiful, and the video pieces, especially the one about language presented, truly revelatory. We also got to see Rosy Simas' installation, which went up on Thursday. It's also an incredible exhibit in a very different way, and another one not to miss. Both got me thinking a lot. Today, Patrick and Beatrix drove to Chicago to check out Lake Forest for their Admitted Students Day. I stayed home to take care of the animals. I...

I've had a lot of messages from out-of-Minnesota friends asking "What can I do to help?" Others, even here, are feeling like they don't know how to start making a difference on this. And the truth is, though thousands of Minnesotans are forming patrols around schools and daycares to protect our kids, or volunteering at immigrant-owner restaurants to be door people, or delivering groceries to those in need, there's plenty more that you can do that takes relatively little time. So here are my top tips: If you want to advocate, download the 5 Calls app. It's an easy way to reach out to your elected leaders (you know, the ones that are supposed to carry forward the will of the people). You can easily connect to your legislators any time of the day or night, and they provide a sample script in case you are calling before coffee and can't put your thoughts together. 5 Calls handles all sorts of topics, but right now it's mainly about ICE-related issues. If...

The MSHSL Competitive One-Acts are A Thing that did not exist when I was in high school. Every January, schools compete with 35-minute-or-less pieces with a whole set of rules about no food on stage, no curtain calls, no photos, etc., that somehow get ranked and scored and maybe make it to State. SPA sends one production to completion each year, plus does two student-directed pieces for fun and a general audience; Beatrix has been cast in the competition piece every year except her first year, when she was doing a professional show at that time. In general, they do well, though it's been awhile since they went to State. This year was different than usual. The long-time theater teacher, Seves, is still out on medical leave, so the amazing Jon Ferguson, who directed them in the fall, stayed on for the one-acts. He replaced the previously-announced piece ( Under Milkwood ), with a devised piece including newly-composed music that the kids would all write and create together (this usua...

I want you to know what Minnesota is usually like in January. Sure, it's cold, and snowy — so we take advantage of it. We're visiting the Art Shanties on local lakes. We're at the snow sculptures in Stillwater and the ice sculptures at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts. We're enjoying the Winter Carnival events. We're at the Great Northern Festival. We're doing beer pokes. We're inside seeing the plays that open after Christmas, or seeing the Spirit Award movies through FilmNorth at the Walker (the only place in the country where they still run all on the big screen). We're eating out, maybe even in igloos or at ice bars. Maybe there are pop-up events like the ice portal. We're snuggled by fireplaces, maybe with a hot toddy. We're visiting a community sauna and jumping through a hole in the ice. We're at the Ice Castles. We're dogsledding, or skiing. We're at the state One-Act competitions for high schools, or the winter basketbal...

Over the years, you have hear us wax rhapsodic about Yoga and a Pint. How awesome the teacher is, what a great community of people is there, how a beer after yoga is awesome — blah blah blah blah blah. You're probably sick of hearing about it. Here we are in a snowstorm just a few weeks ago. Since then, a lot has changed. On January 10, several of us witnessed an abduction in the parking lot as we were arriving for class. Yesterday, Alex Pretti was murdered just before class begin, and we all heard the news reports as we were arriving. In between, Viv has been running a donation drive for The Advocate for Human Rights, and even her children made hand-drawn buttons to raise money for the cause. We've been together trying to make sense of everything going on. We've had rage-filled core workouts. We've cried in child's pose, perhaps more often than I would like to admit. Viv's playlists have been on point. We've sat with our beers afterwards and tried to make s...

Wow, a lot has happened in the Twin Cities since my last post and it isn't very hopeful, so I'll stick to last week's work trip to Milwaukee! I very rarely go on work trips; plus, for this one, Patrick tagged along while Beatrix and Ximena stayed home to (wo)man the fort (another thing that almost never happens), so it was notable. We got a late start to Milwaukee because we wanted to wait until the student march to the capitol that Beatrix was part of was over. But that just meant we got to stop in the impossibly Hallmark-esque town of Lake Mills, WI to have dinner and a beer at Sunshine Brewing , and got checked in to our Milwaukee hotel with enough time to run to Leon's for a frozen custard. The next day was long, as I walked through multiple historic buildings — the job is with a historic insurance appraiser, so my task is to go through and evaluate and take pictures of significant historic aspects. In this case it means I got to explore six very distinctive buildin...