[in the thick of things, think cooly, very cool}

We are definitely experiencing hard times in this economy. In March my place of work let go of four people, now being announced this upcoming week another twelve. It is hard to see dear people leave, people who have been coworkers or comrades of yours. The economy and recession are taking the hardest hit here in our areas because the majority of workers are in the mines, shipping, or recreation. Those people in healthcare and technology are protected by unions while the others aren't. It is hard to grasp the magnitude of something like this, especially to such a tight knit community of workers as I am a part of of. I am reminded to, "Smile... it can't be that bad."

Update: The weather has been so cold lately. Unseasonally so. Tonight we have a frost advisory and are being cautioned that if we don't cover our newly planted (and I mean very newly planted as of last week) plants than you can make sure that you will have little black shriveled ones in the morning. The evening low will be 20 degrees! Can you even fathom it? All of us here in Duluth don't remember ever having such a cool spring or beginning of summer. When they say El Nina is strutting her stuff, well she isn't doing it here. I think she got lost somewhere between Ohio and Iowa or something and forgot to swing up towards us. But honestly, maybe she shyed away when she saw that big, forboding lake. It can be quite a scary thing to behold, believe me.