Ancestry

 

The old photos in the shoeboxes at my Grandmother’s house and the old stories that my uncle told me at Christmas celebrations never really explained who my relatives were.  So when I spit in the test tube and waited for my test results to come back I couldn’t know what to expect.  My best guess was based on the derivation of my last name and my Mother’s maiden name (Ciszewski).  Also, blue eyes and sandy blond hair as a child were clues.

29% Poland & Lithuania, 25% England, 20% Baltics, 15% Sweden & Denmark, 6% Scotland, 3% Ireland, 1% Norway and 1% Jewish.

Unremarkable but interesting to know my ancestors crossed the Atlantic Ocean to get here.  I gratefully acknowledge (thank) the Native American people on whose ancestral homelands we live on as well as the diverse and vibrant native communities who make their home here today.

Mn Artists | Arts Writing from Mn, Beyond Mn

Jan 30, 2023 — Discover a captivating painting made out of blue and white tiles depicting a boat on Lake Superior by artist Richard Stryker.

“Flat Earth”

 

Photo from the shoebox

 Robin Lou, Wayne Curry, Rea Lou and Amy Fern

“The Center Holds”

 The Center Holds” refers to a phrase used in a poem “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats. In the poem the line says “ the center cannot hold” to express a sense of societal breakdown and chaos. The poem is known for its pessimistic tone. In contrast, “the center holds” is a hopeful phrase that suggests that despite the challenges of societal unrest, there is a core of stability and unity that remains intact.  Three stages in development of the 24” x 24”, oil on canvas painting.

The Calling by Andy Scott in St. Paul, Minnesota