On the evening of Sunday, November 6, 2011, I hosted a small dinner party at my St. Paul home, Hare House. It was one of over 100 gatherings that took place across Minnesota as part of "One Day United for All Families," a consciousness-raising and fundraising initiative of Minnesotans United for All Families. As executive coordinator of Catholics for Marriage Equality MN I serve on the steering committee of this coalition, one that is playing a leading role in working to defeat the proposed "marriage amendment" which would amend the Minnesota constitution to ban civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Above: Clockwise from left: Jerry, Marcus, Freeman, Greg, Walter, Brian, Bob and Kathleen.
Left: Freeman, Marcus and Jerry – November 6, 2011.
Above: Honoring Tom Bottelene and Pepperwolf, key organizers and leaders in the AlliantACTION movement which for 15 years held non-violent vigils and actions outside the corporate headquarters of Alliant TechSystems. Before its recent relocation to Washington, D.C, Alliant TechSystems was the largest Minnesota-based weapons manufacturer and the primary supplier of landmines, cluster bombs, nuclear missile rocket motors, and depleted uranium munitions to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s I regularly attended the weekly AlliantACTION vigil. For images and commentary of this involvement, click here.
My friend Tom also maintains CircleVision.org, along with the websites of a number of Minnesota-based justice and peace groups, including Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and Catholics for Marriage Equality MN.
Right: My friend Marie Braun, pictured earlier this month at the special gathering in St. Paul to honor Tom and Pepper.In October, Marie was the recipient of The Courageous Woman Award from the Friends of the Anne Pederson Women’s Resource Center at Augsburg College. This award recognizes women who courageously strive for social justice and peace on campus or in the wider community and whose efforts make a difference to women. It's just one of numerous awards Marie has received over the years. In 2006, for instance, she and her husband John were the recipients of the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for Peace and Justice Honorary Award.
Above: Thanksgiving trifle! I was fortunate to be able to spend time and share food with two groups of friends this Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me when I enjoyed the company of Ken, Carol, Paul, Carrie, Cass, Oscar and SueAnn.
I did, however, get some snaps that night when at the home of the wonderful Jacquet-Morrison family!
I did, however, get some snaps that night when at the home of the wonderful Jacquet-Morrison family!Left: Liana and Curtis (with Eddie!).
Right: Phil and Ahmed.
Left: Hello, Quinny!
Above: Rosanne Cash in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra – Friday, November 18, 2011.
This concert was one of two great musical performances I saw in the space of two days. For more about my "musical weekend," click here.
Above: My friend Brian snapped this photo of me when we were recently at Butter Bakery Cafe in South Minneapolis. Next door is a great store called Present Moment Herbs and Books. Here I found two books that greatly interested me: Essential Sufism and The Art of Being and Becoming.
Above: I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to put up my Christmas Tree, but decided I'd do so instead while listening as soon as I could to Kate Bush's latest album, the winter-themed 50 Words for Snow. It was released Monday, November 21. And that evening seemed the perfect time to set up and decorate my tree! Plus, outside there was still snow on the ground from a weekend snowfall!For more about Kate's 50 Words for Snow, click here.
Above: The trees in front of my St. Paul home, aglow in the early morning light of the last day of November 2011.
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Out and About – November 2010
Out and About – November 2009
Out and About – November 2008
Out and About – November 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment