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Minnesota Madness: Sunsets, Storms and a Misplaced computer

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The weather has turned crazy. After a painstakingly, long, grueling “sprinter” as we like to call it here in Minnesota (a winter than never ever ended and moved right into spring), we are now faced with one of the wettest, stormiest starts to summer that I can ever remember.

On Friday night, while we were out to dinner on the other side of town, a vicious maddening storm swept through the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul with a vengeance. I honestly had no idea it was coming save the loud beeping warning blinking on my cell phone saying “flash flood warning”. Within moments of that text, insane winds and torrential downpours of rain struck the streets of Northeast Minneapolis and I was about ready to look for the Arc. It was absolutely insane. The city streets were flowing like an angry river and the gutters had so much water that they were sputtering and shooting up water. The few brave (or stupid) cars tried to drive through the mess while I just stared out the huge glass windows of The Northeast Social wondering what on earth was going on with this crazy weather.

An hour after the storm, our drive back to Southwest Minneapolis would prove daunting. Street after street was flooded with water, cars were stuck, trees were down and traffic lights were out. The next morning we would realize how fortunate we were to not be one of the 590,000 homes and businesses around the Twin Cities without power.

My run around my beloved lake was filled with dismay. Enormous beautiful trees were uprooted and laying across the path. Severe straight-line winds up to 60-80 mph had torn through the Twin Cities tearing out thousands of trees. In fact, the estimate of downed trees is likely to surpass the 3,200 trees lost during the 2011 tornado that tore through North Minneapolis. My favorite Minneapolis weatherman Paul Douglas wrote in today’s Star Tribune that “Friday’s severe straight-line winds created a damage swath consistent with a 15 mile wide EF-0 to EF-1 tornado”. Just plain scary.

Meanwhile us hearty Minnesotans are enduring our crazy weather bracing for the next round of storms coming in soon. It is hard to be upset with Mother Nature. Now that it is finally summer, most of us Minnesotans are going to do what we love best: Enjoy our over 10,000 lakes. With all the storms, comes sensational sunsets late into the night, fresh lake air, birds singing, flowers blooming and the beauty of nature that keeps us here. There is no place like Minnesota in the summer.

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Stay tuned…My computer is in the Apple shop being repaired and may not be back soon as their other store has no power! There is a backlog. Once it is back, I hope to work on my photos from the South of France and share them here.

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A visual feast at Macy’s Painted Garden

Screen Shot 2013-03-28 at 9.41.47 AMThis year’s Macy’s Flower Show is a definite stunner to the senses. The theme is The Painted Garden and is inspired by the colorful, brilliant flowers, jewels and market hues of India and Southern Asia. For most Minnesotans like myself, who are literally starved of color right now, the rainbow hues of the Painted Garden offer a visual feast to our hungry eyes.

As you walk through the room, all at once you are at peace as you smell the fragrance of a thousand flowers. Gentle background music lightly hums in your ears, and the room is an elaborate display of colors ranging from a magnificent variety of tropical flowers to the brightly colored hanging umbrellas and gorgeous paintings along the walls.

I still can’t decide what my favorite flower or work of art is at the Painted Garden. But I’d have to vote either for the centerpiece of the show, the elaborate, exotic elephant sculpture which proudly wears a blanket made of 20 different species of dried and fresh plant material or the insanely surreal Phalaenopsis Blue Orchids which are out of this world.

Come, take a look for yourself at some of the gorgeous flowers that paint the 8th floor of Macy’s department store in downtown Minneapolis. You will not leave this post disappointed!

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Eye candy: A glimpse into the Painted Garden

Today I decided that I’d had it with winter. I picked my daughter Sophia up from Kindergarten and we headed to downtown Minneapolis for the Macy’s Painted Garden Orchid Show. It was exactly what the doctor had in order.

We stepped inside this tropical paradise on the 8th floor of the Macy’s department store and were transported into a tropical garden more likely found in India or Thailand. Of course, given how much I adore flowers I snapped away like mad and then we walked around the show another time so 6-year-old Sophia could take some shots.

Here is just a teaser of some of the gorgeous flowers we saw. Once I have a chance to process all the photos, I will for sure give you a full report filled with color….a post not to be missed.

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In honor of WordPress’ iPhonography month, all these photos were taken with my tiny iPhone and processed on Instagram. Hope you enjoyed them! 

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Living in a Winter Wonderland

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” 
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Ok…I said I was done posting but what can I do? Nature has serendipitously dropped a brilliant white wet snowstorm on us and it is magical outside. After gearing up the kids and putting on my snowshoes, I headed to my lovely lake and snapped away. It was utterly breathtaking outside.

We spent the rest of the afternoon reliving my youth by sledding down our neighborhood hill and throwing snowballs. It was a delightful day!

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DC and the missed opportunity

I’m here safe and sound in Washington DC and just had an amazing 12-hour day of conferences. I am here attending the RESULTS International Conference (a grassroots advocacy group focused on ending global poverty and hunger) on behalf of my advocacy work for the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign (an initiative to provide life-saving vaccines in poor countries).

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Photography: If a rose could last forever

Remember back in early and mid-Spring, I did a series of posts on the perennial gardens over near Lake Harriet?  (click here to see most recent post). I found some delightful surprises that captivated my soul and I’ve gone back several times since to see what new has come up.

The biggest attraction of all of course is the Rose Garden which blooms each summer in hundreds of colors and types of roses.  When it is in full bloom, it is perhaps one of the most beautiful places in the city.

I’d been watching the Rose Garden often during my daily runs around the lake and nothing  had transpired since the last time I’d checked.  However, Monday was entirely different.  Sophia and I set off on a bike ride along the lakes and on our way home I noticed a blur of color as we passed by the Rose Garden.  I wondered out loud….is it ready?

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We are the world. We are the children.

Why I support Shot@Life…..the children. 

By supporting and fundraising for Shot@Life, with the help of my friends we have raised over $1500 and counting which will be enough funds to vaccinate 72 children in developing countries for life. 

I am not finished.  There is still much work to be done and more money to be raised. 

I won’t give up.  

I have miles to walk before I sleep.

The number of children dying around the world due to lack of life-saving vaccines is equivalent to the half of the children in the United States entering Kindergarten this fall.

We are going to change this fact.

Here is a priceless video of Sophia’s practicing her song for yesterday’s preschool concert.  Click on link below to view.

We are the world.  We are the children.

We are the world.  We are the children.

We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s keep giving.

There’s a choice we’re making.  We’re saving our own lives.

It’s true, we’ll make a brighter day just you and me.

Stay tuned….this wraps up my series for the UN Global Immunization Week and the launch of Shot@Life.  I will still be working hard to advocate and raise money and awareness for this amazing program.  It has been quite an experience.  I’m heading back to my regular posts ASAP.  Thanks for your continued support and comments!  Nicole

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A springtime visit to the Bird Sanctuary and Trial Gardens

Last Friday, we finally had a sunny day!  As they love to say in Minnesota, April showers bring May flowers.  However, this year due to an extremely early arrival of Spring, things have played out a little bit differently. The flora that we would normally be seeing in mid-May has come about a month early and is peaking now.

Remember that post I did on the gorgeous Spring flowers I saw last month in Virginia?  Well, those same lovely flowers such as the crab apple and cherry trees, tulips, daffodils and irises are now blooming here.  Even the wonderfully, fragrant purple lilacs are in bloom sweeping a delicious, sweet smell into my house.  The only thing left to come are the peonies.

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Photography: From Minnesota with love

I couldn’t help myself. I am overwhelmed by the beauty of spring and the delightful array of colorful spring flowers.

I believe strongly that nature can heal you.  Enlighten you.  And brighten your soul.  I was drawn to visit the Minnesota Arboretum in the outlying suburbs for an afternoon of photo taking and embracing the beauty of mother nature’s rebirth and revival.

Hope you enjoy!  No worries, too.  After this post, I’m back to Guatemala with a visit to some of Antigua’s famous ruins!  

The tulips were so brilliant, they hurt my eyes. 

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The Power of Flowers: Spring in Minnesota

When I was planning out my travel schedule this year, it never occurred to me that I would have the fortuitous opportunity of experiencing three Springs.  Spring is one of my favorite times of year.  After a long, cold, brutal, colorless winter suddenly there is a huge rebirth of color and everything comes to life.  This rebirth of life brings so much joy to me that at times I find myself engulfed in absolute spring fever madness.

I can’t concentrate.  I can’t stand to be indoors.  My heart and soul are bursting with energy to be outside and to be alive once again.  I want to run faster.  I want to breathe freer.  My soul is begging me to be outside, experiencing the thrill of mother nature at her finest.

Photo of tulip bursting with color and brightness and growing towards the sun…

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