IOCP - Inter Faith Outreach + Community Partners - Celebates Give to the Max Day at Lunds + Byerly's Kitchen in Wayzata, MN.

"Give to the Max Day" is history now. By all accounts Minnesotans  contributed record $$ to a record number of worthy causes.  The generosity was unparallelled.

A deserving and popular destination for more than a half-million dollars in donations was Inter Faith Outreach and Community Partners.

This Plymouth-based organization been going strong for well over a quarter-century, serving multiple needs of a still-growing client base.

IOCP Executive Director LaDonna Hoy is legendary.  Her quiet, confident, positive leadership of IOCP continues to set the bar for "service."   But all work and no play is not LaDonna's style.  And so IOCP hosted a thanks-for-your-contribution party once the giving was done.

Venue was the new "Kitchen" of Lunds + Byerly's in Wayzata. Music was playing, speeches being given. Toasts and tears of gratitude abounded.  Thin-crust pizza .  Friends reconnecting.  All there at the Kitchen, and then some.  What a show;  the only requirement for attendance was a gift to the most deserving organization one can imagine.

From Mpls Conference Center Skyway this Morning.

Don't let the cold, snow, gloom and doom fool you.  It's always comfortable in the Skyway.  And any day is a good day to have your camera along for the ride.

I was on my way into the Mpls Conference Center, traveling down the Skyway, and couldn't help
noticing the Timberwolves kiosk.  That's the reaction the 'Wolves hope for.  I was running late so I didn't make the effort to set up a nice time exposure.  Instead (and thank goodness for a handrail on which to rest the SONY) I set 'er on auto and fired away.

The seminar I attended on "Turning Heads with Urban Public Art" was boffo -- fascinating and inspiring.  I was one of 50-60 in the audience.  Most attendees were architects practicing in Minnesota.  Speaker and leader was Jack Becker, Executive Director of Forecast Public Art.

Forecast publishes Public Art Review twice a year.  I help Jack and his staff sell ads into the magazine. We're having a good year, and a helluva lot of fun.

Let me know if you'd like to see a copy -- glad to send it along.

Sue Knaup's New Book Aids Struggling Nonprofits.

New Book Aids Struggling Nonprofits

Prescott, Arizona – November 12, 2014 – Published this week through One Street Press, Cures for Ailing Organizations guides struggling nonprofits out of common problems that hinder their work. Unlike other books that avoid unpleasant group digressions, this book takes them head-on. Readers will not find quick fixes or isolated exercises. Instead, they will gain skills to reconnect warring factions and attract many types of people to engage in their work. By learning these proven processes, readers will realize that restoring health to important organizations is worth the effort.

“I wrote Cures for Ailing Organizations because I have seen far too many nonprofits and social enterprises crippled by the same problems—infighting, communication breakdowns, self-serving individuals, and vague policies,” said author and One Street executive director Sue Knaup. “All are easily remedied through simple, consecutive steps that reverse harm and prevent reoccurrence. I tapped my more than 40 years working with organizations as well as my emergency medical training to show how anyone can revive an organization and return it to its important work.”

The book’s 210 pages are laid out much like a first aid manual, starting with diagnosis to discover the causes of organization ailments. Readers are then guided through the first aid and remedy section to find solutions to their unique troubles. The last section demonstrates how to regain health and prevent troubles in the future. In August, the book’s publication costs were funded through a Kickstarter campaign.

Cures for Ailing Organizations is now available worldwide and can be purchased through One Street’s online store, most local bookstores, and major online book vendors. For the United States, Barnes and Noble offers the best online availability. Online vendors in other countries also offer it for sale.

One Street Press is the publishing program of One Street, an international bicycle advocacy organization. The press publishes books that inspire people to improve our world, preferably through bicycles. Find out more at www.onestreet.org .

For more information, please contact Sue Knaup, Executive Director: +1- 928-541-9841, sue{at}onestreet.org

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Cabinet Makers Check Out Tools Here.

My cousin Richard is a skilled cabinetmaker. Actually he's a table maker, cupboard maker, counter maker -- Richard is an old-fashioned craftsman in the most patient, admirable sense.

Richard did all the design and work on a neighbor's kitchen.  I've never seen such attention to detail, such use of wood.  And then my nephew is studying to be a ship wright, and you just know he's going to build some awesome wooden boats.

Any wood-working pro, cousin,nephew, anyone; he trust his tools, and treats them w/care and respect.  And when I saw these on display in the 3100 California Co-op I recognized many of the implements, and couldn't resist taking a photo.

Little out of sharp focus, and I apologize for that.  Know now what I might have done differently.  Live and learn. And learn and learn and learn.  Just like the cabinet maker. 

Kari + Dave ready to take ArtOrg on the Road.

Dave and Kari are a movable art feast. The heart of ArtOrg beats strong in Northfield, MN.  And these guys can take it all on the road.  We'll fill in the post later, but wanted to acknowledge these remarkably creative friends and colleagues in the meantime.

Dan Cramer at 3100 California Woodworker Co-op.

Chair-maker, designer, mentor, entrepreneur and visionary Dan Cramer pays things forward at this impressive work-shop-studio in Northeast Minneapolis. 

The 6000-square foot space plays host to architects, carpenters, furniture makers, jewelery designers: working artists all who share equipment, ideas and inspiration.

Rent is reasonable, by design. Anything left over after expenses pays forward into an "equipment fund," so that the Guild continues to meet the needs of its artists.

After all the oohhhing and aaahhing Dan and I headed off to his  favorite java joint in NE Minnie for about the most scrumptious lemon-raspberry-banana bread a guy could ever hope to find.

Tony Jaros Welcomes you to Marshall Terrace 'Hood.

Just before you cross the River in NE Minneapolis, you run into the Marshall Terrace Neighborhood.

Denizens of the Twin Cities know this catechism by heart.

Newbies like me continue to rejoice in discovery. And on this chilly Fall morning I came face to face with the Marshall Terrace Ferris Wheel.  

Lucky me. Found a parking spot in he River Garden lot. Tony Jaros didn't seem to mind.  I included his bar + grill for context.

Looks like there will be plenty of velo venturing awaiting me next Spring.  The Mississippi River is so close you can touch it!    

The Statuesque Dom Perignon - Since 1638.

And you thought YOU discovered "Dom."

Shoot, man, he's been around since the mid-1600's.

Bubbly, statuesque and so very French, as always.

Pedaling the Dordogne, Missing only the Baguettes.

Classic French cycling bi-way. You've likely seen B + W shots of the original for years. Only things different in this recent foto are the cyclist (no longer anonymous: it's my nephew Christian, aka, Kermit).  

Plus, the panniers are missing a baguette or two.

Country road, take me home indeed!  What fun this ride must have been.

Anthony Bourdain Can't Hold Candle to Alan Nakagawa.

My friend Alan Nakagawa is an LA-based food blogger/velo enthusiast. He has pedaled through most of LA County sampling the ever-changing food and drink fare.  Alan's taste buds are finely honed from experience and passion, and I think he does a better job spreading the news than CNN's Anthony Bourdain (my opinion).  Turns out Alan's folks were in the restaurant biz themselves, so our roving reporter comes by his bona fides organically.

In the post below our intrepid cyclists visit a neighborhood watering hole, two blocks from Alan's house. Nakagawa hadn't been through the door in 30 years.  Imagine his surprise when he ......   well, read below for details. 

"I asked some friends and my daughter to accompany me to a restaurant I have not visited for over 30 years. Well, more specifically, this Korean restaurant was once a Japanese restaurant called Beni Basha. This was my parents restaurant, which they ran for 15 years. It was the restaurant my brother and I grew up in, worked in and eventually said goodbye to. Although it is located only two blocks away from my house, I haven't had the emotional will to enter till recently. The interior is somewhat different now, so it essentially did not feel like the old restaurant. Noel Korten, Sheila Schoonhoven, Kyungmi Shin and my daughter ordered a pork belly dish and Korean BBQ. The bancha was spectacular. My friends Koh and Sojung (Document Coffee Bar) frequent this place often, i found out later, and know the owner, Sue. Kyungmi explained my connection with their restaurant and they allowed me to view the kitchen. i was shocked to see the dish washing sinks and the main stove top/oven (by Wolf) were the same units my Father purchased decades ago. it was like seeing old friends or maybe even ghosts from the past.

Femme Fatale - Public Art Rocks a Belgian Bridge.

My nephew Kermit was on a bike trip in France and Belgium not long ago.  En route to a bucolic campsite outside the Belgian capital, sharp-eyed veloster that he is, Kermie snapped this public art foto. Uncle Seth understood I'd attempt to secure permission from the artist before posting his handiwork on the Poppy Blog.  Well, at least I tried

St. Paul's Chatterbox Cafe Knows Halloween.

Lunch yesterday with Coxie and Jean the Queen at Chatterbox Cafe on Cleveland Ave. in St. Paul.  Our server only LOOKS like a spooky cat-eyed feline. It was Halloween after all.  The eyes? Check out the eyes.  Ewwwwhhhhh.

The Cove - Order Lobster Rolls from Here!

For years The Cove in Mystic, CT has served the most delicious lobster rolls along the Eastern Seaboard.  Locals and visitors alike concur:  none tastes better.  And your server in her window, will take your order and get it to you before you can say:  "How 'bout some extra mayo!"

The Cove changed hands last year. Before the 2014 summer season began, new owners applied coats of paint to every square inch of the restaurant.  Picnic tables (outside seating) were replaced with patio furniture and big umbrellas. Shade trees were pruned. Lawns were seeded and flower pots placed in strategically welcoming positions.

Next time you're on Route 1A between Mystic and Stonington, stop for a lobster roll (I think the place is open all year).  See if you don't agree that the taste is something to blog home about.

Sun sets over Raspberry Lake, Medina, MN

Had to trespass on farmer's land to get this shot of the sun going down over Raspberry Lake.  The sky had been overcast all day, and it was late in the afternoon when even a hint of sun appeared amid the clouds.  Hand held, under-exposed by a stop+ and all in all, an enchanting reflection of God's Glory.  Very pleased to have come upon the scene.

Two Pony Gardens Prepares for Change of Seasons.

Heavy-duty canvas "tarps" are a sure sign that a garden is nearby. Hanging on the fence as these cloths do suggests that the beds -- primarily organic vegetables -- will be covered up soon, " 'ere the winter storms begin," as the iconic hymn goes.

Anna and Caitlin run the gardens here, and they are exceptionally competent at what they do.  Take a little loose hay from the wagon to the left in the foto, and spread over the tarps once in place, and the crops are likely to come up next Spring, stronger, healthier and more abundant than before.