Artists are creating a festive environment for the Farmers Market! Mark Stillman plays accordion!
brings some festive Cuban Salsa!
You never know who you will meet downtown on a Thursday!
Meet the families bringing us fresh flowers!
Live music with Siama and Dallas!
Ms Grape and Ms Pineapple
MacIntosh, Zestar, Viking, Hazen, and many more varieties direct from the farmer at the Hennepin Farmers Market!
Insults one dollar, Compliments only two dollars, at the Hennepin Farmers Market!
The Nicollet Mall Farmers Market has indeed been moved to Hennepin Avenue between 5th and 10th Streets due to construction. Every Thursday in June and July and even August Blue Lady steps out with a variety of fruits or flowers spreading the word to support our local farmers! Costumes were created by Blue Lady. Originally the Fruits were made for the New York Halloween parade, but one never knows when a Fruit will have a calling !
A portion of the Fruits at the NYC Halloween Parade!
Blue Lady and the Fishies mingled with the artists and art lovers who showed up to see the storefront windows full of new art on Hennepin Avenue. We were honored to be part of the Made Here Intersections launch bringing artist's work into downtown and creating a Cultural District!!
Two Fishy friends let Blue Lady know there's a storm brewing!
Perfect weather for the outdoor International Children's Festival in beautiful Rice Park, the scene of circuses, celebrations, and concerts, and seven years older than New York's famous Central Park! There were lot's of mermaids and pirates under the age of 12, as well as over! Eartha and the Elements created fantastic musical storms and the Fishies made the entire journey with Blue Lady! Blue Lady sang, told stories, and had the pleasure of dancing salsa with Cuban dancer extraordinaire, Rene Thompson.
Afterwards, Blue Lady had the pleasure of meeting many people. One small girl asked, "So you used to be a mermaid and then you came to land and grew land legs?" Her mother laughed and tried to dissuade her from asking questions. "That's right" said Blue Lady. "How, did you do that?" she persisted. Blue Lady leaned down and whispered, "One day, I will tell you all about it!" Her shoulders dropped and a look came over her face of real satisfaction. Blue Lady sure looks forward to that day!
I am quite sure of my mermaid heritage. How do I know for sure?
Because I long for the sea.
Because I feel more alive in it than out of it.
I am attracted to large flippers and reflective surfaces under the water.
And I often find myself singing songs of the ocean and her mysterious and powerful qualities.
People often laugh at merforlklore, but then are fascinated by historical sightings. I don’t think the question is “Do mermaids exist?” I think it is crucially important, that if you have longings such as I have mentioned, that you discover your own ways of relating to the qualities of the ocean with which you have lost touch.
Yemaya is the goddess of the ocean in the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. Yemaya embodies the qualities of the ocean. There are songs, dances and drumming dedicated to her, and by performing these rituals, one can be empowered by the same qualities of Yemaya and the ocean. What a good idea!
You can go to Cuba and study this. You can study Afro-Brasilian Candomble, which has the same African roots but Yemaya is called Yemanja. You can find good teachers in New York and many other places too.
I hope to see you in the deep blue water. I hope you find your way back to the glory of the ocean. Whatever way you do it,
PLEASE HONOR YOUR MERFOLK HERITAGE!!
