Son-shine on Your Shoulders

Good Son-Day! Still Harvesting Leaves You’ll always find the Good News here! The Bodega and Tina Invoking the Name of the Lord Correctly — Love Intended A few weeks ago, my friends and I were enjoying another round of T-Wolves basketball. One buddy and his daughter stepped away to grab refreshments. While they were gone, a couple walked by and asked about the empty seats. We told them, “Sorry, those seats are taken by our buddies who are season ticket holders.” They left for a moment, then returned—this time demanding that  we  provide proof that we had the right to sit there. Their tone suggested they expected special treatment, advantages, or immunity from basic decency. Things started to escalate. I said calmly, “Ma’am, we’ve been season ticket holders in these seats for three years. Let’s go find an usher to help you.” They continued being loud, accusatory, and confrontational. I stood up to go find an usher, but one arrived just as I got to my feet. “Folks, he will help y...

Happy Son-Day!!! First Snowfall last night You will always find Good News here.  Richfield Run Holding Up Our Land - A Call to Conscience and Compassion Lyrics from the first two stanzas of “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie: This land is your land, this land is my land From California to the New York Island From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters This land was made for you and me As I was walking that ribbon of highway I saw above me that endless skyway I saw below me that golden valley This land was made for you and me Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1940, during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era. It was a direct response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which Guthrie felt painted an overly idealistic and unrealistic picture of the country—one that ignored the suffering of the working class and the poor. In the 1960s, This Land Is Your Land became an anthem for a more just, compassionate, and equitable America. Its message still resonates today. A Na...

Happy Son-Day!!! Autumn Colors in Full Bloom You will always find Good News here.  Autumn Antics Heaven’s Menu for Today’s Home Many of you know that I’m a pescatarian, someone who follows a vegetarian diet but includes fish and other seafood. It’s a lifestyle that works well for me, and one I’ve grown to really enjoy. Now, let me be clear: this isn’t a post about the dangers of red meat or a pitch for environmental or religious reasons. At this point, those aren’t my motivations. I chose this path because, truth be told, I was once a notorious red meat eater. Think burgers, steaks, ribs, you name it. Shifting to a pescatarian diet was a personal decision, a way to reset and find balance in how I nourish myself. And while I jokingly say this diet is “tres apostle” (a phrase I use with love and a wink), it’s really just about finding what feels right for me. This way of eating shifted my focus from meals that were once centered around meat to ones that now feel more balan...

Happy Son-Day!!! Autumn Colors in Full Bloom You will always find Good News here.  Alebrijes - Mexican Folk Art We Are the Champions of the Marginalized Marginalized: People who are pushed to the edge of society and don’t have the same access to opportunities, resources, or power as others. Last week, I shared that SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps or EBT) were at risk of ending by the end of this month. Unfortunately, that risk is now becoming reality.  WIC benefits (Women, Infants & Children) are also expected to end sometime in November. WIC is a federal nutrition program that provides healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health and social services for eligible families. And next on the chopping block? TANF cash assistance (Temporary Aid to Needy Families) or in Minnesota, MFIP – Minnesota Family Investment Program. To put this into perspective, here’s what families in Minnesot...