Post #13: Happy Midsummer! 🌞
Wishing you a happy Summer Solstice, plus show updates and an excerpt from my forthcoming memoir about my fond memories of Mesaba Co-Op Park!
Happy Midsummer, Friends!
The concept of "Midsummer" in Northern Minnesota is a little bit hilarious, especially along the shores of Lake Superior. Realistically, summer hasn't actually started yet. We are still having 60° days with lots of rain. It's more like the first day of summer, if anything! But still, this time of year holds many fond memories for me.
CELEBRATING THE CHANGING SEASONS
I was first introduced to the concept of Midsummer after my senior year of high school. That was when I met a very special person named Walter, who was one of my first young loves (of course I met Paul a few years later, and the rest is history).
Walter and I have remained close friends all these years, and his impact on my life far exceeds the crush I had on him during my formative years. Not only did he introduce me to traditional fiddle music (quite huge!), but he also brought me to his beloved Mesaba Co-Op Park to experience their annual Midsummer Celebration. This is a magical place — I am including an excerpt about it below, for paid subscribers.
I love commemorating the changing seasons. Especially growing up in a locale with such drastically-varied weather, building in traditions that are tied to the natural world make me feel more connected and whole. I now identify as loosely Quaker (I would attend services more frequently, if only they had church in the afternoons!), but I have also found myself drawn to Earth-energy spiritual traditions over the years. I love reading about the different seasonal rituals from around the world... Harvest Fests, hygge, May Day, Midsummer. That's one big reason Paul and I got married on the Winter Solstice - the day is energetically special (because, as explained in Doctor Who, "We're halfway out of the dark"). What are your favorite seasonal traditions? How do you connect your life to the natural world at different points of the year?
UPCOMING SUMMER-Y SHOWS:
To celebrate Midsummer this week, I am playing two extra summer-y gigs. First, I'm performing at the Summer Solstice Block Party in Duluth, Minnesota at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night (Thursday, June 20th). Here are the details for that event: https://www.perfectduluthday.com/the-event/summer-solstice-block-party
Secondly, I am playing an outdoor patio show at Brookside Bar and Grill in Marine on St. Croix, MN (about 30 minutes North of Minneapolis) at 4:00pm this Sunday (June 23rd). This will be a full band show, and there will be an ASL interpreter! I'd love to see you there: https://www.brooksidebarandgrill.com/events-1/gaelynn-lea-full-band
However the weather is faring in your hometown, I hope you are able to find a ray of sun on Solstice to help you celebrate this turning point in the year. May the green leaves and the blooming plants and the veggie gardens and the bird calls to remind you that abundance is everywhere, if you're only willing to see it. 💗
With Love,
Gaelynn Lea
P.S. MEMOIR EXCERPT ABOUT CELEBRATING SUMMER SOLSTICE:
Paid Subscribers, keep on reading for a memoir excerpt! Not yet a subscriber? Why, that is quite easy to remedy! Join here today: