Joe Biden and Kamala Harris WIN!

Taking our Joy and Relief to the streets in St. Paul, Minnesota for the best day in four years.

 I spent most of today checking in with my by_a.thread participants and telling their Election Day stories. 

Thank you. 

Be patient. We got this.

"...This fire is out of control. I can't think of a time in 15 years of working in ERs where hospitals are so overwhelmed. And I think this is just the beginning unless something changes...I have a simmering concern about ongoing surge of Covid in the community, without any apparent new efforts to curb spread. This is especially concerning as we have seen widespread lack of hospital bed availability in the broader metro area of the Twin Cities..."

*Photo courtesy of Dr. Frank Villaume, IV

Michelle says! Vote like your life depends on it.

Front yard in Crocus Hill, St. Paul, Minnesota. Thank you Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Gov Peggy Flanagan for your work to keep all Minnesotans safe and thriving during this difficult time.

"...This is my first year as an elementary school principal so sometimes It's hard to distinguish what unique to this year. What I find most challenging this year is the wide range of what parents and teachers want...Some folks are really ready to get back into the building and others are very scared and worried. The range of opinions and emotions is great..."

...I took it for granted, mainly. That it was always there (I had been going infrequently since I was an aspiring Gen Xer in the early 90s). And that it would remain...I'm not sure when we will be back inside, brushing an accidental shoulder with a stranger and smiling without masks concealing our hearts. So until then, I'm gonna do my damnedest to smile big with my eyes...

"...Just another day of not letting this virus dominate my life (Insert HEAVY sarcasm and dig at Trump)..."

"...I think one of the most important things this virus has given me is perspective. My father has a type of cancer that would not mix well with Corona, so my family has taken extra measures to stay inside and away from people. I have watched from afar as my friends and schoolmates hug, play with and hang out with each other, and it isn't the best feeling in the world..."

It's Indigenous Peoples Day! Who's land do you live on? What language do they speak? What was done to them? How are they now?

Educate yourselves. Here's a great resource: https://native-land.ca/

“...Salon life is starting to feel more and more normal. Which is a testament to how adaptable humans can become. Wearing masks and cleaning incessantly doesn’t feel like a big deal anymore. What does feel like a big deal though is how wonderful it is to see old and new clients smiling under their masks...”

Ruthless Event hosted by Wet Paint and Brandon Litman. 

Art as Protest. 
Art as Inspiration.
Art as Therapy.
Art seeing us through 2020 in all the ways. 

"...Due to COVID-19, I haven't spent much time with my family or friends for months, because of cross contamination worries and health issues. It's a very lonely existence. I message or phone friends, I write with online poetry groups of virtual friends all over the world, I read, I watch movies...I know I'm one of the lucky ones, as I still live in my own home with my husband..."

* Photograph of Marianne and her daughter Katie around 1991

Teaching my kids that Voting Counts! Make your plan, and vote!