Grateful for book recommendations from friends

A friend recently recommended this book.  Although the subtitle is "Along the Alzheimer's Journey", I think a more accurate title would be "Along the Memory Care Journey" as dementia takes many different forms and not everyone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  The point of the book is that people with memory loss, remember moments and this is a guide on how to create moments of joy based on those memories.  The first example presented was to bring a fishing rod to the person with memory loss who had many happy memories of fishing.  Just putting the rod in his hands made him smile.   It is an interesting book and I wish I had had this when my mother was going through her journey with memory loss.  I have just started it, but for anyone dealing with someone close to you that is suffering from memory loss, this copy is the fifth edition.  It's been around a while and you can read a review of it here.  From the review:

 "Another quote from Jolene: 'With short-term memory loss, life is made up of moments. There are not perfectly wonderful days, there are perfectly wonderful moments—moments that put a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye. Five minutes later, the person will have forgotten what was said and done; the feeling, however, lingers on.' ”

Everyone's journey is different, but if there is an opportunity to create a happy feeling, no matter how brief or how quickly forgotten, isn't worth taking the risk to create that happy feeling?  If you have someone in your life dealing with memory loss issues, you might find this a worthwhile read. 

Grateful for unexpected joy

Last Friday I was able to tour the DeWitt Wallace Library and see the renovations that had been made on levels 1 and 3 this past summer.  I found this sign on one of the new office doors.  Inside the library on the main floor they had done a very nice change with the ceiling, adding a wooden feature.  Photo isn't so great, but the change gave the room a nice feel.  Change is hard for many people, but all the changes fit in the tradition of the library which was  continuously undergoing change for the entire time I spent there.  It was also great to spend time with Angi Faiks, Dave Collins, Katy Gabrio, and Paul Overvoorde.

And outside the library, the pillars had received some artwork that makes them stand out.  Another very nice addition.  It was just nice to see the library is getting attention in a good way.

After the visit to the library went out and spent a short time with a visit to Beth's bench.

I think Beth would approve the changes in the library.

 

Grateful for artists and visionaries

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to hear Brad Neary, Director of the Saint John's Bible Heritage Program, talk about the history of the Saint John's Bible.  The first illuminated, hand written (caligraphy) Bible to be produced in over 500 years.  Brad is passionate about this project and he kept an audience entralled for over an hour and a half.  He had one volume of the Heritage set and attendees could see and touch the pages.  It was a riveting talk and the photo does not even come close to the magnificence of the art.  The photo is of the Beatitudes.  If you have the opportunity to see this work at one of the locations or the original pages at St. John's in Collegeville, it is worth your time.  Very grateful for Brad's talk and the opportunity to see one of the volumes up close.  You can find more information as well as page turning version of the Bible at their website.

On the website you can look at individual pages of the Heritage edition and examples of how they "fixed" problems when they missed a line - remember all handwritten with quills, so getting creative when a mistake occurred see below with the bird with a string to a dangling sentence that was missed.  Pretty amazing!

 

Grateful for 70 degree day in November

 

We had a record break yesterday with a high of 72 in Saint Paul.  We have had 70 degrees in November in past years, but yesterday I was able to get out for one more round of golf for the season.  And I am very grateful that it was my very best round of golf, ever.  I hope my improvement this year carries over to next season. 😎

Grateful for groundwork being done to fight back against authoritarianism

There is a growing movement that you won't hear about in media for a while, if ever.  But it is something to pay attention to and I am grateful for the very young people who are leading this charge.  It is a faith based movement.  It is being led by a group in Minnesota, ISAIAH, a coalition of faith communities in Minnesota.  If you look at the team leading this group, you will notice the YOUNG faces.  So what are they doing?  They are starting a movement to fight back against authoritarianism.  Plans are being made for a march on Palm Sunday, followed by action working with county boards to address the needs of the vulnerable, followed by a proposed march in Washington on the 4th of July.  Their focus is on addressing the needs of the hungry, the poor, and the stranger.  In Minnesota over 5,000 people will be gathering at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  

"Saturday December 13th, “A Light in the Storm”                                                                 Event: A Light in the Storm will be a gathering of 5000 people from across Minnesota and delegations from other states from 1pm - 6pm at the Minneapolis Convention Center. We will launch an agenda and plan a path for protecting our states, families, and neighbors in the face of rising authoritarianism. Clergy and teams of lay leaders will be trained in moving the Palm Sunday Path to the next phase.

And this is part of a national movement, started here, in Minnesota.  It is our Civil Rights movement. Stay tuned for further updates as I plan to attend the December 13th meeting.  It gives me hope.

Image - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beacon-in-the-Night.jpg

Picked up my signed copy of Turtle Island by Sean Sherman, owner of the Owamni Restaurant

 I have had the pleasure of eating at his restaurant, the Owamni,  in Minneapolis twice.  I highly recommend it.  This is his newest publication, Turtle Island, which I picked up yesterday at Birchbark Books.

"On the surface, “Turtle Island” is a cookbook. Look a little deeper and it doubles as a history textbook and even a travel guide, one Sherman and a team of writers and photographers spent three years building. “It feels like an encyclopedia,” Sherman said.

The recipes, organized by regions such as the Great Plains, Great Lakes and Desert Lands, are touchpoints through North America’s landscapes and seasons, offering culinary histories that often have been erased."  From the Star Tribune - you can read more with this gift article. Read more about it here.

Grateful for people who show up in cold weather for Vigils at Whipple Bldg

The second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 a.m. is a Prayer Vigil at the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling where the Immigration Court is located along with a detention center.  I am grateful for the folks who showed up Tuesday morning in the cold, including a group of students from Bethel University.  It was good to see some young faces.  Organized by ICOM Minnesota (Interfaith Coalition on Immigration). It was Veterans Day so the facility was closed, but we got a chance to interact with our fellow community members and I got the chance to talk to Emily from Bethel.  Just being present makes a difference and I am grateful for all those who showed up.

 

Grateful for opportunity to hear Barbara Kingsolver as part of a RUBI Briefing

 Barbara Kingsolver was the featured speaker on November 7 with RUBI - the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative. It was a conversation about Appalachia and her most recent book, Demon Copperhead.  She also talked about her work fighting the opiod epidemic in her region. You can watch her conversation on YouTube.

Her conversation is very interesting in providing insights on the challenges people living in rural areas.  Definitely worth listening to.  Her project fighting addiction is Higher Ground Women's Recovery Residence.  This is the second conversation I have listened to and if you want to explore RUBI for future briefings, see their website.   https://ruralurbanbridge.org/

Grateful when SCOTUS makes the right decision

 

Don't think I need to explain why I am grateful for something unexpected from the Supreme Court.  

Grateful for people who are putting in the hard work to help immigrants

Attended an Indivisible Twin Cities session on Saturday on immigration.  Heard from a young man from El Salvador who explained his path to legal status and the fact his parents still do not have legal status.  More personal stories of families under extreme stress right now.  Learned more about the Immigrant Defense Network and local strategies including:

• Working with local city governments to keep police departments from working with ICE - contact your city council representative and ask for their support

• ACLU is working on a state level to unmask ICE. Our statutes are old and need to be updated.  Only California has passed a law, doesn’t go into effect until January 1, 2026 and Massachusetts and New York are working on bills.  Contact your state reps to ask for their support.

• No new detention facilities in Minnesota. Sherburne, Freeborn, and Kandiyohi counties have long-standing contracts for housing ICE detainees. Additionally, the former Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton is being considered for reopening as a potential future detention center. Working to stop Appleon from being reopened.

Indivisible Twin Cities is doing great work in addition to organizing and planning No Kings rallies as well as local daily protests. Grateful for all their work.

Grateful for strong women role models

 

Today I am grateful for strong women like Nancy Pelosi. She announced her retirement this week. I am grateful for all the hard work she put in to making life better for others.  As a woman of faith, her values shaped her political life and the choices she made.  She started her involvement as a representative from California because she wanted to do more to address AIDS in San Francisco.  As the first women to be Speaker of the House she worked to improve lives with the passage of the Affordable Care Act and she was always on the side of human rights and women’s rights.  I am truly grateful for her life of dedication to working to improve the lives of others.  Thank you House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi. May you have many years of happy retirement and enjoying the ability to spend more time with your family and friends.

Very grateful for good friends

 Day 7 - Happy Friday!

The end of the first week of 30 days of gratitude.  What am I grateful for today?  Good friends.  Last night I was able to attend a Westminster Town Hall with Steve Hahn who wrote Illiberal America and provides some hope that in this difficult time, all may not necessarily be lost. You can watch him with an interview with Gene Robinson here 

The session at Westminster was recorded by MPR and will appear eventually.  

Meeting two good friends at the Town Hall made for a great end of the day.  Relationships are so important for staying positive in these very difficult times.  And these two friends have been so kind in so many ways. I always enjoy their company, conversations, and just being in their presence that is always uplifting.

The Westminister Forum is in their 45th year and it is free.  Such a wonderful opportunity to hear speakers and be engaged in thoughtful discussion for free!  Mark your calendars now because Bishop Mariann Budde is coming on December 4th.   She stood up to Trump in his first administration (remember when he held up a Bible upside down outside a church?) and she spoke so eloquently at his inauguration service about having mercy.  

So I hope you have a very happy Friday and an even better weekend! May you spend some time with a good friend.   Closing with this quote on friendship:

“A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be.” - Winnie the Pooh

Lots to be grateful for today

  

On the politics side, election results show Democrats had some positive gains. NYC Mayoral Race, Proposition 50 in California, Dems still control the Senate in Minnesota, and more. On the school board elections in Minnesota, only one of 11 candidates who were endorsed by the conservative group Minnesota Parents Alliance was able to win on election day and he was an incumbent. That's good news. And I am grateful for some hope in how people voted.

And with hope, comes time to put on some music. 

 “Music has healing power.  It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” - Elton John 

One of my favorities is the Four Seasons - Autumn by Vivaldi.  MPR is doing a session on Friday, variations on the theme of gratitude at 3 p.m. on Friday.  " MPR Theme for November:

Our theme this month is GRATITUDE: What are you grateful for, and what music reminds you of it? Or even, what music are you grateful for and why? Send us your stories and music of gratitude.  MPR Webpage

 I submitted the Four Seasons as my pick.  You can submit your own recommendation for consideration here.  Now I just have to remember to listen at 3 p.m. on Friday.  

Have some music you want to share that you are grateful for? Please use the comments and let us know. In the meantime, may you have a joy-filled day today.

Grateful for the fabulous fall we are enjoying

 

”

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”  F. Scott Fitzgerald, from the Great Gatsby.

So very grateful for the beautiful fall we have had this year.  The leaves in all their glory, in the various shades in bright or dimming light, against a blue sky or a grey sky.  On a windy day, when the leaves are falling gracefully to the ground, I can hear in my head the song, “Autumn Leaves” by Nat King Cole which I am pretty sure was on some album owned by my parents.  So many colors and sometimes the beauty created by a carpet of red or yellow leaves is just stunning.

  

I hope you have had a chance to just walk around your neighborhood and take in all the glorious colors. Yesterday we reached the 60's and it was a perfect day for a stroll, or a walk with friends, or dogs, or just sitting by a lake and watching other people. I hope you get to enjoy these closing days of fall as we head into the holiday season.

Closing with a poem by Emily Dickinson -

Besides the Autumn Poets Sing (131)

Besides the Autumn poets sing,

A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow

And that side of the Haze -

  

A few incisive mornings -         

A few Ascetic eves -

Gone - Mr Bryant’s “Golden Rod” -

And Mr Thomson’s “sheaves.”

  

Still, is the bustle in the brook -

Sealed are the spicy valves -         

Mesmeric fingers softly touch

The eyes of many Elves -

  

Perhaps a squirrel may remain -

My sentiments to share -

Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind -        

Thy windy will to bear!

This poem is in the public domain. And Emily is one of my favorite poets. She'll probably pop up again soon.

Whimsy - something to be grateful for everyday

 

”Cultivating a whimsical life is a balm on the spirit while we are living in this age of darkness and anxiety.  It is also a wonderful way of expressing a nature-based spiritual path and connecting with the world around you.  I believe that especially today, working to balance ourselves to find happiness and to recognize what we have control over is part of successfully navigating this age.  “ Source

The photo is from an event I was at the day before Halloween. The creative whimsy of dressing like a flower pot made me smile and I hope makes you smile as well.  One of our participants in our Joy is an act of Resistance lunch group, again, no names, has engaged in acts of whimsy by purchasing inflatable costumes for her stints at protest events.  Seeing her  posts on Facebook always bring a smile. [And if you are reading this and ok with me posting some photos, please comment below and I’ll add them to this post.]  For a guide on cultivating a whimsical life see the post “cultivating a whimsical life” as it provides a much better guide than I could write. Her guide includes:

• Cultivating a sense of wonder

• Cultivating curiosity

• Play and unstructured time

• Playful interactions with animals

• Joy in simple things and simple living

• Creating a sense of enchantment 

• And more…

When I was working we often talked about how to add whimsy to our work surroundings. I think one of our students heard us and it resulted in this photo.

So, what kinds of whimsy have you encountered or are added to your daily life lately?

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life"

 I“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~ Melody Beattie [Melody Beattie was born in St. Paul and passed away in February of this year.] source

It is the beginning of November and this is a photo of my front perennial garden as of yesterday, in Minnesota.  The shrub roses are still blooming, the red coneflowers survived the original attack of the savage rabbits, and my purple sage seems to be happy.  And for all these things I am grateful.  I am also grateful for staying connected with friends via Facebook.  I did drop off of Facebook after the results of last year’s election because I didn’t want to support the evil owner.  However, now that Google, Comcast, Apple, and others all are supporting the evil empire, it is hard to completely disassociate with evil corporations.  I still am boycotting Target though.  Anyway, a Facebook friend (again, I won’t mention names, but if they read this, they will recognize themselves) reminded me of a site that our alma mater, Cal Berkeley offers.  Greater Good In Action offers “science based practices for a meaningful life.” As part of their Big Joy Project and Pathway to Happiness program, they offer a guide to starting a Gratitude Journal. I’ve been keeping a mostly daily journal since I was 16.  These journals will never reside in some historical society as they are mostly just a daily reflection and too many years were focused inwardly, not outwardly.  And too often when I do go in search of some year to re-read them, I find I completely missed some major event! Or I even failed to report on my being part of a major event.  However, I still write, maybe not every day, but I try to include things that have made me happy.  OK, I do sometimes vent about what is going on in the world, but again, trying not to dwell on what I can’t control.  Just adding my thoughts or actions on those things I can control.  So, whatever works for you, the above link may help you get started in a daily practice that may help you find a source of joy.  If you try it, come back and tell us how it went.  

"I choose joy over despair."

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”  Robin Wall Kimmerer. Source

I was first introduced to Robin Wall Kimmerer in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass.  I can’t remember how I was led to her work, but since reading it, I have given copies to several people, including the young adult version.  Robin Wall Kimmerer is a member of the Potawatomi nation, a botanist, founder and  director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York, a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor at th College of Environmental Science and Forestry, a mother, and an author.  I am most grateful that at one of our Joy is an act of Resistance lunch gatherings this year, her 4th book The Serviceberry was recommended.  (I won’t name names here, but I am grateful to the person and I do remember who suggested this title.)  The Serviceberry; Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World provides us with more of her wisdom using the serviceberry plant to demonstrate how sharing resources creates abundance and how communities can thrive by practicing a gift economy.  Her book demonstrates how reciprocity, gratitude and mutual support can lead to more healthy communities as welll as individuals.  This is a short book, 105 pages.  If you haven’t already read it, check it out from your local library.  I predict you will find it a book you will eventually want to add to your own personal collection. If you have read it, please add your comments on what you found most rewarding in reading this book.

 

A month of gratitude

November is traditionally a month to focus on gratitude.  I've decided today would be a good day to launch a new experiment.  I want to provide a post everyday in November focused on gratitude.  Studies show that just five minutes a day expressing gratitude can improve your mental health.  So, I'm going to start by sharing some possible practices, websites for more information, and then see how this garden grows.

"How to cultivate gratitude:

• Keep a gratitude journal and write down three things you're grateful for each day.
• Express gratitude to others verbally or in writing
• Volunteer your time to help others
• Focus on the positive aspects of your life
• Practice mindfulness and pay attention to the good things in your surroundings"
• Source:  the internet of course!  just Google "gratitude and mental health" and AI will provide you with a veritable plate of riches to choose from

Looking for ways to get started?  Check out these websites:

• National Gratitude Month
• Benefits of Gratitude - 31 reasons to be grateful
• Gratitude a radical approach to life

Source: https://grateful.org/practice/

Have some suggestions of your own? Please use the comments box to add.  And come back tomorrow for the next installment.