Hello friends,We celebrated one year of living in Minnesota! Can you believe it? In some ways, it feels like we never left. I'm so grateful for reconnecting with friends and family. I used to come home about four times a year and this is about how often I see people - what's nice is that I'm not packing in 3-4 visits a day like I had done in the past.
What have I learned/relearned after a year? It's not just me... everyone talks about the weather. Having lived in several climates now I can say that the forecast is almost never right until the day. Last summer was hot and dry, this summer has been mild and rainy. The windows are open, and we get to hear birds and boat life all day. Just this morning I heard someone say "the water isn't as cold as I expected"... it's 61 chilly degrees.
MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY
My dad has been living with us for a year. There have been many ups and downs as we made this adjustment. The last few weeks have been good, he's happy which means the house is calm. He and I are going to put together a post on the happenings of his last year, if only for us to realize everything that happened (in the best way).
Back to his birthday... we threw a BBQ for friends and family. Andrew was home, Martha's sister and family, a few of my dad's friends, my brother's family, and our friends who have gotten to know my dad all gathered on a beautiful spring day. It was a lovely BBQ. For my dad's birthday, we went to the Banksy Exhibit and Sushi.
THE NEXT WEEKEND
We hosted a Wellness/Entrepreneur workshop at the house. It was a chilly day, just 49F when we started. Thankfully the sun was shining. We asked everyone to dress warm and bring a blanket... we were going to try to stay outside all day. (note: the photo above is from this event)
I will write a separate post on the workshop. Just imagine a morning spent with a Shaman blessing the land and the people, followed by meditation and yoga. Lunch was catered by The Grocer's Table and a workshop in the afternoon. It was the loveliest day (confession: the weather did dampen a few spirits, but we pressed on).
MAY READING
I read two books and put one down. One audio. One paper.
Flirting with Fifty (Porter): 3.5 stars. I was lucky enough to read this book for review. It's a fun, light read. I loved that Tanzania was part of the story, new love, insecurities of midlife reinvention, and motherhood were woven throughout the novel.
The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared (Jonasson): 4 stars. This book is our July book club selection. What a fun read! It's wildly fantastical... Allan surely lived a big life.
Cloud Cuckoo Land (Doerr): DNF. After recommending a book to a neighbor that she loved, she recommended this title. I listened for about an hour before deciding to stop. Should I try again? I wonder if I need to read it vs listen?
LOOKING AHEAD
AWP is coming back home in a few weeks! Just in time for the great celebration... July 4th in Minnesota. We are busy planning our second annual Adult Summer Camp, which starts in less than a month.
