WINGS (Women in Northfield Giving Support) held its 2026 annual grants celebration this week. Twenty-one grant recipients set up displays to show off their organizations, and members of WINGS and the community came to look and see, and to celebrate them. We heard from two of the grantees during the short program.
A short program honoring the grantees.
WINGS is an organization that offers grants to non-profit organizations that aims specifically to improve lives of women and youth in the Northfield area. It also “champions the growth of women in philanthropy, strengthens community bonds through collective investments, and profoundly improves the lives of women and youth in the Northfield area through strategic, focused grants funding basic needs including programs which support housing and food stability, physical and mental health and education.”
Chairperson of the grants committee.
Last year WINGS celebrated its 25th anniversary. In the beginning (in 2000), a small group of women pooled their money together thinking they could make more of an impact together. This proved to be successful and WINGS began… and continues to grow and grow. This year $111,000 was given out in grants, giving support to organizations that help support women and youth. A total of $1,756,087 has been awarded to date!
The list of grant recipients.
More history off the WINGS website: “The enthusiasm we generated in the first year really sparked the success of WINGS. Having both an annual fund and an endowment fund made a huge impact because we gave grants the first year and we became a major player in town quickly. The goal was to collaborate, not compete, with existing nonprofits, and members were encouraged to expand, not divert, their giving. WINGS funds are invested with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, which shares expertise and operational efficiency…”
A proverb: “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings.” The above quote, author unknown, was on display at each table.
I became a member of WINGS last year and am now serving on the board. I am excited to be a part of this worthy, nonprofit organization.
“Santorini is famous for its dramatic volcanic caldera, iconic cliffside villages of whitewashed buildings and blue-domed churches, and breathtaking Aegean sunsets.” (Google) And we got to spend four nights on this romantic island.
Upon arrival at the airport in Santorini, our pre-arranged driver transferred us to our resort in the city of Oia (locally pronounced Ee-ah) in the north, away from the cruise ship docks in Fira. He dropped us at the parking lot which was several hundred yards from the resort’s office, so a strong, young employee from the resort met us with a dolly.
The hotel employee pulling our luggage on a dolly.
He loaded our heavy luggage (there were four of us) and pulled and pushed the dolly to the resort. It was impressive. These are narrow, uneven brick lanes, going both uphill and down…and down…and down. I’m not sure I could have carried my own luggage if I had to.
Our hotel – our room on left. photo by gb.
Our balcony.
We checked in to our lovely room…with a view, and a balcony… with a hot tub.
Look at the blue water out the window!
Very fun and interesting shapes.
As on the other islands, the resort and hotels, houses and most buildings on the island are painted white…some with blue trim. Churches have blue domes. The buildings are cubical and some cave-like, to imitate the original cave homes on the volcanic island. We were told that in order to confuse the pirates all the homes were painted white and the small lanes created a maze.
Another view from our balcony.
The volcano erupted about 1600 BC and created a caldera (a large, cauldron-shaped depression that forms from the explosion or collapse of the center of a volcano). The island of Santorini is one part of the edge of this caldera and therefore is a crescent shape. Thousands of years ago this caldera filled with water… the most exquisite crystal- clear blue water I’ve ever seen ~ the Aegean Sea which flows into the Mediterranean.
The buildings built on the hillside.
The resort we stayed at was built into a hillside and, as I mentioned, has a lot of steps. This is not a place for those who cannot handle steps or have balance issues.
The narrow, inlaid, bumpy rock sidewalks.
From the office of our hotel to our room there are about 75-80 steps (I lost count). We walked up them every time we left the resort. Our friend’s room was about 15 steps further down from our room. And the swimming pool and breakfast buffet and restaurant was down further still. The streets are a labyrinth… you needed to pay attention to where you were going. We used our phone’s GPS system often.
Along the sea. photo by gb.
Santorini is an amazing place. On this magnificent island we had four days to play. Besides enjoying our balconies and the pool and the restaurant, we left daily for different activities.
For our first day, the activity we planned was a 6 mile hike from the town of Fira to where we were staying in Oia, but it was misty (the only day it rained on our trip), so we just relaxed and delayed our hike until the next morning.
On our hike…this way to Oia. photo by dh.
The next day we decided to shorten the hike to 4 miles or so; we hired a driver to take us to our selected hiking starting point and hiked the trail along the edge of the Caldera. It was very picturesque.
Looking back at the shape of the caldera we were waling along.
Another beautiful seascape.
Several people were hiking this popular and spectacular trail. We learned about the hike from our son and his wife who walked the trail a few years ago.
There were stunning views of the sea, and many varieties of wildflowers along the way.
That afternoon we went horseback riding. It was a short ride down to the beach, but it was fun, and a new and different activity for us.
photo by tour guide.
My horse’s name was Georgia. photo by gb.
One day we sailed around the other islands in the caldera, on a 45’ catamaran.
The 45′ catamaran. photo by gb.
There was only one other couple for our four-hour time slot, so it felt like a personal tour. They crew served us a delicious grilled fish lunch. The boat stopped in two different areas where we were able to jump in and swim. The water was cold!!
Swimming in 64* water! Burr! photo by gb.
Island of lava chunks. Photo by gb.
We all enjoyed sitting in front of the catamaran to watch the world go by.
While on Santorini, we had a delicious meal at the restaurant in our hotel. It was a wonderful place, but what made it so special was first, the seating arrangement…always outside…facing west because Santorini is noted for their gorgeous sunsets.
The Aspa Restaurant, in our hotel. photo by waitress.
And second, we mentioned to our tour director on the cruise ship that we were staying at this resort in Santorini and he told us it is owned by one of his best friends, and he would give him a call. When we checked-in they told us we were gifted with a complimentary dinner at the restaurant. What a fun surprise.
Amoudi Bay. A popular fishing port, nestled below our hotel. I love colors of the night on this pier.
The hotel(s) lite up at night looked lovely too.
A sunset view from our balcony. photo by gb.
It was a splurge for us to stay on this magical island for four nights, but it was memorable, and we all felt it was worth it.
Santorini is a wonderful place to view sunsets.
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” Katie Thurmes
We woke up to another beautiful day in Greece, at a port in Rhodes.
Our balcony on the ship.
Before our trip we had prearranged a 4+ mile hike along the sea with a tour company. They picked us up at the dock and drove us several miles away to the start of a trail along the rocky coast.
Chapels are everywhere. This was St. Agatha chapel located at the beginning of our hike on Rhodes.
We had a wonderful guide, and the views of the sea were stunning.
Look at that water!!! photo by dh
It took several hours, and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Apparently this photo was added to her company’s website.
Photo by our guide, Marguerite. Beach in this photo is Agatha Beach.
We stopped at Limni Beach to swim in the cool, refreshing, clear waters.
Swimming in the Mediterranean. photo by dh
Anthony Quinn Bay ~ made famous because of the 1961 movie Guns of Navarone he starred in.
The next day we disembarked on the isle of Crete where we went to a local family organic farm where they grow olive trees and grapes. We tasted the wine and had some cheese and bread and tomatoes while watching traditional Greek dancers performed for us. It was delightful.
We also had a chance to dance with the dancers at the end. It was fun.
photo by gb
The last stop on our cruise was Santorini. We opted to stay onboard because the next day we would fly to Santorini for a four-night stay on our own. It was very pleasant to be on the ship with so many passengers disembarked. We had the hot tub to ourselves and a nice relaxing experience.
photo by gb
The cruise went quickly. We had a lovely dinner on board, on our last night.
A super-sweet flower arrangement tucked away in the corner of the winery.
"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling." Shanti
Chihuly’s Collection in St. Petersburg, features the “Glass Garden” a 40-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, and 15-foot-tall installation of vibrant glass art.
I can relate to this quote. I have a fondness for colored glass. I have been collecting colored glass for years. And although my collection of colored mini-vases is small, it makes me happy every time I see it. In addition, I have multiple colored glass dishes that I like to use. I still enjoy scouting out antique and thrift shops for my next find.
My small colored-glass collection.
Dale Chihuly is an internationally renowned artist, known for his colored glass sculptures (and many other creations with colored glass). His art can be found in over 200 museums in the US, with major installations in Tacoma, WA and Oklahoma City, OK and St. Petersburg FL.
A colorful Chihuly chandelier.
I was first introduced to Chihuly’s art several years ago, by attending a special art exhibit of his works. I immediately was captivated with his work.
Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier.
While visiting friends in Florida, I was excited to go to St. Petersburg to tour the Chihuly Collection there. It’s spectacular to stroll in and out of the rooms and visually take in all the bold colors and whimsical designs of this Chihuly Collection.
Another perspective of the Glass Garden.
And another perspective of this large glass garden.
We did attend a glass blowing demonstration before touring the museum, included in the ticket price. It was fascinating to see what a delicate, and fine-art, glass blowing is. It was fun to watch, and interesting to apply what we learned to how some of the art work was created as we looked at the variety of glass works in the museum.
Chihuly also renowned for his glass bowls… asymmetrical forms, bold color combinations, and vibrant.
A room full of striking bowls.
Chihuly’s work is usually recognizable for its unique and whimsical designs, and bold colors. There is a Chihuly chandelier hanging in the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre lobby.
I recognized this piece as Chihuly’s when we toured the Kennedy Performing Arts building in Washington DC last November.
I also noticed a Chihuly chandelier in the Kennedy performing Arts Center last fall while in Washington DC.
Look up to see this “Glass Flower Ceiling”
It warmed my heart to be able to tour this Chihuly collection in St. Petersburg Florida, on one of the coldest days in Florida this season.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love; it will not lead you astray.” Rumi 1207-1273
“You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Robin Williams
“Have I gone mad?” asked the Mad Hatter “I’m afraid so,” replied Alice “You’re entirely bonkers, but I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” Lewis Carroll
Somehow these quotes speak to me of enjoying wonders of ordinary living. Living with abandon and paying attention to all that surrounds us.
One of a “nide” of pheasants that gather in the field in back of our house. I learned a group of pheasants are called a nide.
I do love nature…oh so much. Recently I have enjoyed seeing up to 15 pheasants in the field behind our house. There is so much beauty in nature, and its proven to help our mental acuity when we stop to appreciate it.
Then there are made-made public artworks. I’ve taken more notice in the past few weeks as I’ve tried to be more in tune with my surroundings.
I had an appointment at the Park Nicollet Clinic in Burnsville recently. It is a fairly large facility so there is some walking involved to get from the parking garage, through the covered walkway into the building. There is a wall of posters hanging in the entry hallway. Many people walk on right by this display…I have before. But once I noticed the posters, I enjoyed looking at different Minnesota lakes on this cold winter day, when the lakes are frozen over now.
I’m posting four of the eight posters depicting different lakes in Minnesota.
As I stood admiring them an employee walked by and said to me, “I claim this one” pointing to the Lake of the Woods poster. I replied, “OK, I’ll take the Lake Superior poster.”
I took notice of several other works of arts on display throughout the clinic that day.
Other public artworks that caught my attention these past few weeks were huge (approx. 4 feet X 8 feet) photos printed on metal and posted along an antique store parking lot in Mantorville, of all places…
Rio Grande No. 5771 Photo by Brian Hindal, a local Mantorville resident.
Each photo is taken by a local person with a description next to the photo. There were ten huge photos and a variety of subjects… I’ve included three favorites…
Americana Photo by Cory Ingram, a local photographer, writer, fisherman, and physician.
Sunflower Photo by Annemieke van der Werff
These public artworks are a wonderful way to display local artists and create a warm and welcoming space…even in parking lots!
Also, there is a wonderful exhibit on display at the MSP airport, entitled The Felt Menagerie;
The bird is all made of felt…flowers, feathers, feet and beak.
A collection of unusual creatures by Dustin Black.
Felt fish and felt pebbles.
These pieces were so whimsical. They made me smile…and made me marvel at the work involved using all felt material.
Whimsical felt fishes.
Once you start looking…it’s amazing what you see all around on ordinary days.
The dawning of a new day….7:32 am, January 15, 2026
“To begin, begin”
and
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
Both quotes are from William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
These two quotes resonate with me as a writer. I call myself a writer loosely…I like to write and I write, therefore I am a writer. Maybe not a great one, but it is a creative outlet for me.
Sometimes I get stuck…and I’m feeling that way now. But many “successful” writers offer the same advice as Wordsworth…To begin, begin. Just begin to starting writing. And it usually works…words flow!
My friend, who is a very good writer, expresses herself succinctly all the time, even during times of trials, and she finds it therapeutic. I also find writing therapeutic, to “fill my paper with the breathings of my heart” and sometimes that means to vent frustrations, but I do it for myself and not for others to read.
And that’s where I’m at during these turbulent days we’re experiencing in Minnesota, with killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE. I felt the need to post something on my blog…as to why I’m not posting something on my blog. 😉
Today we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by honoring the civil rights leader’s birthday and legacy. He had many wonderful quotes…so going along with my quote theme…I’m posting a few of his quotes today.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. April 2025
This is one of his most popular and a favorite, which goes along with my word for the year (light)…
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
From his 1963 book Strength to Love.
One about peace and justice…
"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
From his 1957 book Stride Toward Freedom.
Here’s one about not giving up…
"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
From his April 1960 address at Spelman College.
On the side of MLK Jr. Memorial is another quote etched into the stone. It reads “…out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
And one more about love and hate…
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear"
From his 1963 book Strength to Love
These quotes are timeless. They ring as true today as they did when they were spoken or written. May we take them to heart.
I read a book recently that included many quotes scattered throughout its pages. What does one do with all these interesting quotes? I decided to occasionally post different quotes that I’ve enjoyed over the years on my blog. 😉
I’ve included two quotes on this post. They are very different from each other (and were not included in the book I read recently), but they have hung around me for a long time and are two of my favorites. So I’ll start with these.
The Azores in the Atlantic Ocean…
“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
Isak Dinesen
While I understand salt water, sweat and tears do not cure everything, especially diseases, I do believe they can be good cures for emotional ailments. For me, I think escaping to the sea (or any body of water) is beneficial; “There’s no place I would rather be than by the shore or on the sea” is a line from a poem I wrote, years ago.
Tears are also cleaning for me. They don’t come easily, but when they do, it’s significant.
And then, there’s this quote on listening:
I like this beautiful picture of Two Sisters, caught unaware, and listening. (photo used with permission).
To “listen” another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another.
Douglas V. Steere
Listening was the main focus of a ministry I was involved in years ago: Stephen Ministries. I try to continue to practice to this day, the lessons I learned back then.
Along that line – although not a quote – someone pointed this out:
Silent has the same letters as the word listen.
It’s a good reminder… to take time… to be silent (so we can hear) and listen to one another.
We are spending a few weeks with our grandchildren in Virginia. One of the activities we like to do together is bake. We found the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies in the cupboards so we decided to make a batch.
It’s a team effort…the three of us… our oldest granddaughter, her brother and myself. We don aprons, wash our hands, and always take turns measuring the different ingredients, adding them to the mixer, stirring them all together and rolling the cookie dough into balls to drop on the cookie sheet.
Into the oven they went…one cookie sheet at a time. We checked them after nine minutes, the lowest time of the suggested 9-11 minute time check. As we opened the oven door, all three of us were there to inspect. And what we saw was not what we expected. Hmmm…
They don’t look like they normally do…what did we do wrong?
Let’s go over the ingredient list...
Sugar – check Flour – check Baking soda – check Salt – check Butter – check
Wait...oops...the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter. Oh, Oh...we only added one stick of butter when it called for one cup, which is two sticks.
Darn! I’m sorry kiddos, I told us the wrong amount of butter to use.
“It’s OK grandma…they’ll probably still taste good.” (They’re so sweet!)
And, surprisingly the cookies were tasty! We finished baking all the cookie dough and ate them all up over the next two days. In fact, I may use only one stick of butter the next time I use this recipe…they were that good!
It reminded me of a Thomas Edison quote: “I have not failed. I have successfully discovered twelve hundred ideas that don’t work”
