Out and About - July 2007

C’mon and, c’mon and
have a little downtime.
Drink a little fine wine.
Lose yourself in cloud formations
and good vibrations.

Downtime*
Jenny Morris

Above: South Center Lake, Minnesota – July 4, 2007.



Above and below: Summer in Minnesota!

These two photos were taken at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis on July 1st, 2007.




Above: Purple coneflowers (Echinacea) in full bloom in my front garden.

I’ve greatly enjoyed working in the garden since the return of spring – though with the “severe drought” conditions in Minnesota, such work has meant being very diligent about watering!



Above: My friend Dan. I love this photo as it totally captures Dan’s vibrant and positive spirit.

Dan and I met at the Twin Cities Gay Pride Festival at the end of June, when he and his friends Stephanie and Lynn stopped by the CPCSM informational booth I was staffing. I’ve appreciated and enjoyed his friendship ever since.

On the July 4th holiday we spent time with friends of his up at Center South Lake (near Center City, and part of Minnesota’s Chisago Lakes Chain). In was while on the lake that I snapped this great photograph of Dan.



Above: Dan and Lynn with Cosmo, Lynn’s partner Stephanie’s cute little dog – July 26, 2007.



Above: Honoring Dignity Twin Cities president and Rainbow Sash Alliance USA coordinator Brian McNeill with CPCSM’s 2007 Bishop Thomas Gumbleton Peace and Justice Award – July 13, 2007.

I’m standing at left with Jim Larson, Paul Fleege, Brian McNeill, and Pat & Jenny Downey. Sitting in front is Jeanne Cornish and Pat’s sister Theresa Downey from Louisiana.

For more images and information about this event, click here.

For an insightful article by Episcopal Bishop John Selby Spong about Dignity, click here.



Above: St. John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota – July 18, 2007.

I took this photo while attending a retreat at the nearby St. John’s University Episcopal House of Prayer. Entitled “Unity in Diversity,” this retreat explored the Old Catholic Church – its history, spirituality, and conciliar (non-hierarchal) approach to church governance.

Old Catholicism is based on Christian community life as it was practiced in the early, unified Church, before the first of several schisms tore Christianity apart. The church’s distinct identity as “Old Catholic” comes from its Catholic tradition and the history of Christianity in western Europe, which colors its church life.

For more information about the history of Old Catholicism, click here.



Above: Rev. Robert Caruso (left) of Cornerstone Old Catholic Church, St. Paul, Minnesota, facilitated the “Unity in Diversity” retreat.

Robert’s knowledge of Old Catholicism is quite extensive, and I hope to interview him about the Old Catholic Church and, among other things, its openness and acceptance of homosexuality for the next issue of The Rainbow Spirit, the journal of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM).

Pictured with Robert is fellow Cornerstone Old Catholic Church members Zilvinas and his daughter.



Above: A photograph taken in the beautiful and peaceful grounds of the Episcopal House of Prayer.



For many Minnesotans, summer is marked by innumerable cook-outs, barbeques, trips “up north,” and “downtime” either “by the lake” or “on the river” – basically any place outdoors so as to make the most of the season’s non-wintry weather.

So far this year it hasn’t been unbearably “buggy” – no doubt due to the aforementioned drought conditions that we’re experiencing here in the “land of ten thousand lakes.”

On Thursday, July 19, I shared in a wonderful meal in the back garden of the home of Ken and Carol, the couple I use to live with in the Seward neighborhood of South Minneapolis. Pictured above at this gathering are my friends Paul, Carol (with grandson Cass), Ken, and Kerry.



Above: Carol and her grandson Cass - July 19, 2007.



On Sunday, July 29, current and former members of the CPCSM board gathered on the back deck and in the garden of my home for some summer “downtime.”

Pictured above are (from left) Rita O’Brien, CSJ; Theresa O’Brien, CSJ; Craig Barrett; and Paul Fleege.



Above: From left: Paula Ruddy, Chuck Rice, and Brigid McDonald, CSJ.



Above: Theresa O'Brien, CSJ; Rita O'Brien, CSJ; and Mary Beckfeld enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of my garden during our CPCSM get-together on Sunday, July 29.


* “‘Downtime’ [from Jenny Morris’ 2002 album Hit and Myth] is essentially a pop song but with twists of jazz and world influences. An array of instruments lend their character to ‘Downtime,’ from eccentric string melodies to Cuban/South American percussion and flamenco guitar, while Morris confidently enacts a feel-good lyrical flow about the virtues of chilling out!” – The Music Network.

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Back in the USA
It Sure Was Cold!
An Energizing and Spirited Weekend
Out and About - April 2007
Out and About - May 2007
Out and About - June 2007