"...Some of my clients are still dealing with food insecurities, housing needs, mental health and chemical health support and language barriers, to name a few. The pandemic has made it harder for my clients to access services and get the support that they need..."

A year into the Pandemic and it's maybe more important than ever to take care of your whole person. Which means maintaining those yearly wellness checks. And asking for help if you're experiencing anxiety and/or depression.

I stopped by La Boulangerie Marguerite (fka PJ Murphy's Bakery) to support Francois Kiemde & family's neighborhood business. Their rebranding is beautiful and their treats divine.

"...we have a lot of work yet to do... I truly hope we can keep a focus on reenvisioning a true public safety system over our broken policing system, on equity and helping those in our community in need, and speaking out against injustice—and not go back to business as usual..."

"...When I completed my Master's in Public Health (MPH) degree at the U of MN School of Public Health in the mid-1980's, there was a lot of emphasis on prevention in healthcare... As more and more of our healthcare systems became privatized, less and less attention was paid to preventive health services..."

Sign Reads: Anonymous Gift. Pictures Welcome.

Took refuge in a ticketed walk-through at St. Paul's treasured Como Park Zoo & Conservatory this morning. It was so lovely I almost forgot to snap a photo!

"...I had the experience of having COVID and it was a difficult and painful time. But. I realized that there are wonderful people with noble hearts who are always there to help you in good and bad moments. Thank God I'm fine now and I already got my vaccine..."

* Photo courtesy of Ada Zepeda

"...2020 brought very little new challenges to our country, but dramatically exposed a set of deeply seeded challenges that were always there just below the surface, but barely recognized, let alone addressed..."

Editor's note: Every family is doing the best they can in an impossible situation. Thank you to the Futrell-Carters for sharing how they are making it work with By A Thread.

Polar Vortex Mystery Art Installation at the corner of Summit and Griggs in St. Paul, Minn.

Art is radical. Hope is radical.

"...We kids need to go and be in the world to be good people and we need to go to school to get jobs and we need to see friends so we can learn to be around people. All of these things help us kids to be good people and we can't do any of them right now..."

In The Vortex of '21, we bake. And the cookies make faces at us.

"...I wish that people knew that many teachers are working harder than they’ve ever worked right now. I’m easily putting in 60+ hours of work a week and still don’t feel like I’m doing enough..."

NO WORDS. By Ta-coumba T. Aiken, 2020. Acrylic on canvas. Anonymous gift to the Walker Art Center in memory of George Floyd (10/14/1973- 5/25/2020).

May the wrongs committed against The Communities of Color and Indigenous Peoples of Minnesota never be lost to history.

"...The coldest day of winter so far was a big day for our family, as I took my in-laws to get their first Covid vaccine dose. While their vaccination stories are their own to tell, I woke up today thinking of my mother..."

* Photo courtesy of Chris Howie

"...I'm hopeful that there is a vaccine. But I am dismayed that there are so many people who aren't able to get it as fast as I did..."

* Photo courtesy of Val Rubin-RaShaad

"...The pandemic shifted so many ideas around community and support. While the mechanics behind how we engage each other has been a challenging adjustment, the essence of why we engage has been amplified..."

"...I got it! I totally started tearing up in line! What a year... I'm so pumped to see the kids tomorrow..."

* Photo courtesy of Sarah Lightner

My family and I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art today. We were the 2nd group through since they shuttered last fall...

"...Whatever happens over the next few months, I hope that when we look back at this time we remember to analyze how the privatized system of health care in America affected the vaccine rollout - for better or for worse..."

* Photo courtesy of Jeff Digre

TAK OUTMOVIES ONLY.

"...I won't exaggerate and tell you that it feels like a new beginning. We still have a long way to go, but I am feeling more confident that we are heading in the right direction with far fewer obstacles..."

* Photo courtesy of Angie Haigh, RN

At Highland Park Elementary School, St. Paul, Minn.

"...I have never experienced the devastation that any disease has brought to people's lives as I have over the last 10+ months in dealing with COVID, even with my experience during the early days of AIDS..."

...Onward (with sheet cake)...