Last weekend CNN aired Anthony Bourdain’s final Parts Unknown episode. I’m all kinds of sad about his death. And recently binge watched more episodes I hadn’t seen before from other seasons. They’re all wonderful and bittersweet. In October I enjoyed another remarkable solo trip. To Ireland and Italy. It’s interesting and frustrating how I’m treated […]
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Eliminating the Unnecessary
Travel is important to me. Especially as a Minnesotan. The ability to take a break from the long dark winters, or at least to plan a trip (hypothetical or a trip that will be realized) is critical. This past winter went on for a long long stretch and I couldn’t help myself. I snapped up […]
Time In Common
Somewhere along the way I became a morning person. I can’t quite pinpoint it. Motherhood isn’t to blame, since my adult son is turning 19 in just a few days. Guess it’s just my advancing age. This season of my life finds me at work by 7am daily and in bed by 10pm. Hard to […]
Summer’s Long Shadow
This summer started off with so much promise, with my son’s high school graduation and subsequent party. But things quickly went downhill from there. There have been many missteps, some on my part, but mostly factors out of our control. We had to move suddenly from our home of 4+ years due to an unabated […]
Sun-Stopping
We marked the Summer Solstice last week and it’s been on my mind. Meteorological Summer has begun in Minnesota, but this was a particularly oddball year without a Spring. I’ve lived here all my life but I’m still taken aback often by the weather extremes. And my friends who live elsewhere are downright alarmed by […]
Hothouse Flowers
When I woke up Friday morning I checked my weather app then dressed in multiple layers, like a good Minnesotan. And left for work in the dark with temperatures of -10 and windchill -25. Not so great for the body or soul. Same goes for watching extra bleak Black Mirror episodes in the dead of […]
Strange Girls Holiday Night Market
Seems like there are holiday markets popping up all over the place these days. And a lot of them are super rad. But none of them are quite like ours! The Strange Girls will be back for another Night Market at Modist Brewing in Minneapolis this Saturday, December 16th from 6pm – midnight. I didn’t […]
Emerging Adulthood
To quote Douglas Adams, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Thankfully we just squeaked in ahead of one. My son is a high school senior this school year. How that happened so quickly, I don’t know. But I do know I’ve always planned to take his senior […]
The Tyranny of Distance
Over the years more and more of my favorite people have dispersed, around the country and the globe. We still have family and friends in the Twin Cities area but so many have gone elsewhere. I’ve met plenty of new friends and colleagues who are from and live in other parts of the world. I’ve […]
Summer is Fleeting
This happens more and more with each passing year, but it felt like the fast forward button was being held down all summer. Ready or not school already resumed this week, which was bittersweet. This summer break saw me scrambling more than most. My son’s annual trip with his paternal grandparents fell apart at the […]