So far in 2024, I have been showing up for more meetings and events in-person or via Zoom. In person showing up has been enabled by three factors. 1) The mild winter weather enabling me to be out and …

Mark your calendars for an anniversary celebration, Thursday, May 2 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Vine Arts Center in the Ivy Building. Stop by for food, drinks, updates about SLRJ, and to view a gallery …

It’s a 60 degree day in March, and I’ve just returned from a walk along West River Parkway. The signs of spring have begun to awaken along the path – budding flowers and grasses, …

Nokomis East is proud to call itself home to many women-owned and operated organizations, both storefront and home-based.  We don’t know if this phenomenon is unique to the Nokomis …

Dear Reader, you have continued to tell me your Medicare stories via tesha@longfellownokomismessenger.com .  A Southwest Connector reader, Judy M., has written to tell me her Medicare …

The Greater Longfellow Neighborhood is known for its charming bungalows and craftsman-style homes. These old homes are embedded into the character of our neighborhood, but as any property owner …

When people talk about bikes, I used to think of fun commutes or quick after work rides that provide short bursts of freedom on an otherwise humdrum day. I never thought about big adventures or using …

Being a small business owner has its good and bad days. In late December 2023, we got some tough news. Independent Delivery Service (IDS), a staple in the Twin Cities for 40 years, was shutting down …

Welcome to the start of year three for Stories and Journeys. Welcome to the start of year eight of my retirement journey including Medicare plus supplement. Another reader has told me their take on …

  I'm sharing information Nokomis Pride FC provided this month: Established in 2022, Nokomis Pride FC is a soccer team made up of players aged 30 and above, mainly residing in the …

A typical Minnesota winter has more snow than what we’ve seen this year (which is almost none). Personally, the snow is what I love most about the cold winter months – the trees sparkle …

My counselor recently asked if I thought I was lonely. I'd been doing virtual visits with him for the past year, maybe once a month, for depression. It had never occurred to me to think of myself as …

Dec. 7 has come and gone. Medicare Open Enrollment has ended for 2023. Yet it feels like the engagement with me and Medicare has just begun again. So, if you have read this far you have taken the …

It’s that time of year where we all look back at what we’ve done and get excited about new beginnings. It’s one of my favorite times of year. When people ask me what I do, and I say …

MORE ON MEDICARE DURING  OPEN ENROLLMENT This is more about what I am thinking, learning experiencing in my life as an elder. In the interest of full disclosure, as I write I am wearing my …

Power is generated: electric power, community power, people power. This past August, a delegation of fifteen Minnesotans visited the island of Puerto Rico to learn from communities on the frontlines …

Debbie Beck created a book swap for her kids’ school years ago when her two kids were only in kindergarten and first grade. “We knew there were children who didn’t have books, and …

Did you know that a number of members of the Nokomis East Business Association (NEBA) both live and operate their businesses within the Nokomis community?   NEIL OXENDALE Neil …

Although it’s been a mild fall so far, winter is rapidly approaching. Something that has always helped me maintain a good attitude despite Minnesota’s cold, snow, and short days, is …

The City of Minneapolis is perpetuating a humanitarian crisis against our neighbors who cannot afford housing. We are all witnesses to the tragedy. Instead of enacting common sense programs to …