Peace, hope + love filled New Year

St. Croix River
Hudson, Wisconsin

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. – JOHN MUIR

This past year has been both renewing and challenging. Perhaps you can’t have one without the other. We completed our studio and are busy painting + creating. We gathered for our first Open Studio event in October and held several creativity workshops. We hung our first art exhibition since our move and have more in the works. It feels like we’re finally getting a bit of traction in our new life in the Twin Cities and in our sweet little historic town of Hudson.

The year seemed to fly by. We tried to make up as much lost Covid time as we could with family and friends. We are terribly proud of all our 6 adult children and their spouses. They humble us with their kindness, generosity, and good will. Unsurprisingly, our 5 grandkiddos are growing into incredible humans. Where there are not grandkids there are granddogs whom we adore as well. Hudson sits right in the middle of reasonable access to family and friends alike and after our remote years at Holden, that feels deeply satisfying.

We finally found Mira, our new Mini Australian Shepherd. After two rescue dogs, we opted for a puppy. She’s adorably cute and loving, full of energy and smarter than we are, heaven help us. She will either keep us young or be the death of us. Right now, at 5 months, it’s a toss up. One important criterion for taking on a puppy is the ability to climb over a baby gate perched on the first step of a stairway. We are proud we both can still do that, up and down. She takes up a big chunk of the space Rudy left in our hearts. Mira is a great studio and hiking dog and we’re over the moon about her.

We had a fantastic time with the many cherished friends who came to visit last year. We explored Minnesota and Wisconsin and did some camping in the National Forests. We spent time investigating some of those dirt paths mentioned above, as well as our own St. Croix River Valley, from here to Duluth. In December we lost a creative partner, peace activist and beloved friend, Gary Marx. Losing someone you love is always hard, this one especially.

The year ahead will not be without its own gifts and challenges. We tend to go to borders and edges to find new perspectives. In those places of tension, we often find the power of divine love at work. Experiences of relationship have the potential to reshape us into something more beautiful than we might have imagined. In this coming year we hope to look with new eyes and fresh hearts, and see what has not been realized, together. May peace, hope and love be our guiding star throughout the New Year.