Heavenly Sleep

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Molly

Have you ever thought about your bed? What it means to have one? Or like me, do you take for granted the soft mattress, warm covers and comfy pillow? And even more importantly being off the floor? Just think what it would be like to sleep on the floor night after night. That discomfort would permeate your life. So how would it feel to be a kid in that situation? Lacking not only the comfort but the safety of having their own bed.

That might never have crossed my mind, if it were not for my long-time high school friend, Julie. Last year she and her husband, Craig, learned about Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nationwide non-profit organization that builds and delivers beds to local children who need them. It’s easy to think that it’s not a problem in our community. But the truth is that the estimated need in Duluth is 2,400 beds. They dove right in and started a new chapter in Duluth, the only one of 5 chapters in Minnesota north of the Twin Cities.

As a bit of background, SHP was started in 2012 when Luke Mickelson and his family built a bed for a family who needed it. That grew into a national movement to ensure that “No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.” There are now over 450 local chapters that build and deliver beds for their own community. Their second mission is to build community by hosting volunteer opportunities to build the beds.

I began hearing about this from Julie, when we baked our annual candy cane cookies, when we got our East High gals together for breakfast, whenever I saw her, actually. I might never have joined the cause had it not been for technology. Befuddled by the computer systems they were required to use, Julie began coming to me with questions. Then she asked if I’d be their IT consultant. From there it wasn’t a big leap to join the Core Team. There I learned that the biggest reward was not solving their technical issues, but joining in the real cause. Building beds to get children off the floor.

Last week we did a “Build” with First Lutheran Church volunteers. It was my first introduction to the full experience, from set-up to clean-up. Our SHP chapter provides all the lumber, tools, supplies, work tables and other materials, which we laid out in workstations in their parking lot. When the 30+ volunteers recruited by the church arrived, Julie held a short training session then they split up into teams to begin the sanding, drilling, stapling, pounding, and assembly work, with core team members overseeing each station. Soon it sounded like a busy beehive as the sanders buzzed, background music to the other tasks.

I was amazed at how quicky these volunteers learned their jobs and jumped into the work. There was something for everyone to do. Supervised youth assembled the slats or threaded washers on large screws. More experienced folks manned the drill press. Everyone else pitched in wherever there was a need.

As components moved down the line, we began stockpiling side rails, headboards, safety rails and slats. Then more fun began. The main parts required staining in custom-made troughs. I filled in at that station, donning the heavy rubber apron and gloves needed for the messy task, and soon found my rhythm lifting, dunking and wiping.

The final touch was branding the headboards with an SHP logo. The youth especially liked this part, taking the red-hot branding iron from the fire and burning in the logo.

In just over three hours, components for 20 beds were completed by this amazing crew!

But it doesn’t stop there. Every bed is delivered complete with mattress, mattress protector, sheets, pillow and quilt – ready to be slept in right away. All at no cost to the recipient. The church held a bedding drive, sewing quilts, donating sheets and pillows and ordering mattresses. So these beds are ready for delivery.

It was a long day’s work for the team, but more rewarding and energizing than I could ever have imagined. I didn’t think I could add much to the process, but was swept along to pitch in on various tasks. And I can’t wait for the next Build, including one at my own church later this year.

So far our chapter has delivered 17 beds – quite a feat for our start-up year. I have yet to go along on a delivery, but I’m told it is a heartwarming experience. Like the teen who called from school to thank them for his new bed. The smiles on the faces tell it all. In the words of the organization’s mission, “At SHP, we fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs.”

Our goal for this year is to build and deliver 80 beds. We find kids through social workers, schools, churches, first responders, or anyone who hears of a child who needs a bed. Any adult can apply for a bed for a child on our website if they meet these criteria: Ages 3-17, lives in our delivery area, does not have a bed. All applications are fully vetted then assigned to a delivery team. And before long, another child has a bed to call their own, a spot to snuggle and sleep, trade secrets with a best friend, or lie down and read a good book.

Funny how opportunities find us and enrich our lives. In this case I not only got drawn in to assist in a good cause, but now work with a team of amazing folks I’d never met before. Julie and I have regained the close relationship we had all through Jr and Sr High, along with our fellow Girl Scout friend, Sue. So many rewards.

There are so many ways to get involved. We are so thankful for all the grants we have received, and for donations made on our website. There are many ways to volunteer, including participating in public Builds. Bedding items can be purchased from our Amazon Wishlist, and sent to us directly with no tax or shipping. Wondering if there is a chapter in your area? Check this list. Have questions for us? Email us at mn-duluth@shpbeds.org. You never know, you might run into an old high school buddy!

Meet my new friends

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Molly

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my friends in Quebec recently. I’ve gotten to know them intimately, see them grow and change, and learn all about their little village of Three Pines. I am deeply attuned to the sound of their voices, their inflections, the nuances of their lives, the troubles they face, and their successes. I love the diversity of the townspeople, embracing their quirky character traits, the bonds of friendship they share, and how they care for one another.

And yet it’s all a work of fiction. Literally. These are the characters in Louise Penney‘s mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Gamache, delivered to me via my ear buds as I go about my day. They accompany me on walks, make long drives more interesting, keep me company while sewing (yes, Grammy Jammies!), and provide entertainment while I prepare dinner. With 20 books in the series (soon to be 21) it feels like an endless bounty.

It started with the first book in the series, Still Life. Back in 2015 I read it for my book club. I keep a list of books I’ve read, and short notes about them. At the time I wrote, “Easy read murder mystery about a small town in Quebec province involving a group of local artists and the nuances of small town life. It captured my interest but was not outstanding.” Oddly, the same book club read it again in 2021. I didn’t realize I’d read it before until I got into it, but as often happens I didn’t remember what was coming next so I finished it again.

It wasn’t until 2024 that I returned to Three Pines. I had adopted the habit of listening to audiobooks while I did menial tasks, and during my months of chemotherapy I indulged even more often. When stuck for a new book to listen to, I look for available audiobooks to borrow from the library on Libby. This time I found book #17 The Madness of Crowds and listened. A year later I tuned in to #18 A World of Curiosities. Still just one-off sessions. Last fall marked the beginning of my love affair with the characters who inhabit these stories.

I soon found myself specifically searching for audiobooks in the series. Instead of listening methodically from one to 20, I clung to the books nearest to those I just finished, flushing out characters as they were in that time period. I listened before and after, learning both what came before and happened after. Penny’s books each have self-contained mysteries, so they can be read independently, as I was doing. However, she does recommend reading sequentially in order to observe the character development through time.

Armand Gamache, the Chief Inspector and his second in command Inspector Jean-Guys Beauvoir naturally are prominent characters, along with Gamache’s beloved wife Reine-Marie. The remaining central cast of characters is comprised of individuals living in Three Pines, the small village in the province of Quebec, not found on any map and beyond the reach of cell towers. I laughed out loud at Ruth Zardo, the sarcastic and often profane old poet who dispenses hidden wisdom. I empathized with Clara Morrow and her lack of confidence in her ability as an artist and the worth of her paintings. I learned to trust Myrna Landers the bookseller, with her insights as a former psychologist.

The Bistro is always featured as the village meeting place as well as a favorite of Gamache. There confidences are exchanged, theories proposed, seemingly casual interviews conducted, and keen observations made. But the food is the real star. Every meal is sumptuously described, with fresh ingredients, pungent cheeses, strong coffees, fresh crusty bread or flaky pastries, and succulent casseroles – all infused with native Quebec cuisine. Even the meals served in the villagers’ homes rate as top culinary delights. How I’d love to sit at their tables!

The plots are always intriguing, never straightforward. What seems obvious is ultimately disproven with creative twists and new developments that send the story in a different direction. Just when I think it’s nearing the finish, I notice there are still several hours of narration left! Endings reveal new details and events that often lead to surprising conclusions. And to add to it all, Gamache is not infallible! But his “deep brown eyes” and kind nature will win over any listener or reader.

By this point I was solidly in the audiobook camp for this series. There was something about having someone read them to me and hearing the voices in my ears that brought them to life. And I soon fell in love with the narrator, Robert Bathurst. The resonance in his voice and his ability to distinguish each character orally led me to explore all 8 books he narrated (11-18). As it happened, the last one I listened to, book #11 The Nature of the Beast, was the first he narrated. I was fascinated by Penny’s introduction at the start of the recording that explained the difficulty of replacing the original narrator, Ralph Cosham, who had recently died. He was beloved by his listeners, and considered the “definitive voice of Armand Gamache.” She interviewed hundreds of candidates before selecting Bathurst as someone she trusted to carry on his legacy.

It was with some misgivings that I went back to the earlier books. This time I listened to them mostly in order, beginning with book #2, A Fatal Grace. I readily admit to having a hard time adjusting to the narration by Cosham. His quiet, soothing voice – often called “buttery” – puts a different flair on the characters and action, and I longed to hear Bathurst. But the more books I heard, the more I took to his style, his interpretation of Gamache, and his spin on the characters. Now that I have only a few left, I’m thoroughly under his spell. I can no longer hear Bathurst in my head. Both narrators have won top Audie awards for their performances, and now I hesitate to pick a favorite.

But I face a new challenge. The last two books in the series, #19 The Grey Wolf and #20 The Black Wolf, have yet another new narrator, Jean Brassard. As a native of Quebec, he is said to bring authentic regional accents and pronunciation to the prose. Their similar titles make these books stand apart from the others, and I wonder if Penny has changed something more than the narrator? While her other books came out at least annually, the first of these had a gap of two years. And I recently discovered that #21 Miss Wolcott’s Ghost is to be published in October. Who will narrate that?

Despite that, I rest assured that Gamache and my other old friends will continue to feature heavily in the remaining stories. I can count on their personality quirks and antics, their boundless appetites for good food, surprising elements of intrigue in the confines of their little village, and Gamache’s grace and warmth as well as his brilliant sense observation and deduction. Live on Chief Inspector Gamache, my friend.

From the Tropics to Winter Bliss

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Molly

We thought we’d timed it well, spending almost three weeks in Costa Rica to miss winter’s ugly exit. But the weather gods proved us wrong. We arrived home to dry streets and walkways, accumulations of snow only in the shadows. Then winter returned. The sharp contrast initially left me irritated, bracing myself to face strong winds laced with icy snow, a crusty glaze accumulating on my running path. This morning, however, awaking to a winter wonderland with sunshine glinting off at least six inches of pristine fresh snow outside my door, my attitude did a 180!

Abandoning my plans to avoid the outdoors and head to the Y to swim laps, I quickly donned jacket and boots and went out to enjoy this gift – regardless of the date on the calendar. It started out as a walk, going up 7 Bridges Road following snow covered tire tracks. The trees were flocked with snow and it muffled all the surrounding sounds. Breathing in the cool air, my senses heightened, I couldn’t help but relax into the scene.

When it became apparent there was a lot more snow than I realized, I returned home to do what I should have done in the first place – don snowshoes. One of my favorite things to do is plod down the mountain bike trails while they are still pristine, before they groom them. And this was my chance. Crossing over Amity Creek, I headed into the woods.

The narrow trail with trees in close proximity was a far more intimate experience. It reminded me of all the best things about winter. About what it feels like to lose track of time and just put one foot in front of the other. To live in the moment. To appreciate the snow.

I know it’s a fleeting moment. April snow soon turns to slush and we’ll be back to mud season. Which is why it’s so important to embrace it when it happens.

In contrast, our time in Costa Rica was marked by consistently clear and sunny skies, temps ranging from the 70s to mid-90s every day. We relished our time in Las Catalinas, a beautiful pedestrian village on the Pacific coast built around a pristine beach and surrounded by hills cross-crossed by mountain bike trails. Early mornings were best for being active. For Rich that meant birding, and a bounty of beautiful tropical species for him to photograph. For me it was hiking the trails, kayaking and swimming laps in the outdoor pool.

In the intense afternoon heat, Rich retreated to the air conditioned house to process his photos. I often took a book to the beach to read in the shade and run into the waves to cool off.

Evenings were delightful. The soft air kissed my skin as we watched the sunset, ate at beach-front restaurants or had dinner out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Reading outside in that soft warmth always completed my day.

But the highlight of our stay was sharing that paradise with our daughter Karen, her husband, Matt and their four children. Ranging from age eight to 15, there was something for everyone, and they were game to try it all! We took them on a boat trip with a guide on a river in a nature preserve. They loved seeing crocodiles, monkeys and birds up close!

Karen and Ben rode the mountain bike trails. And the bravest of them went ziplining through the treetops.

But most of all, they enjoyed just hanging around – boogie board and playing at the beach, cooling off in the pools, eating ice cream on a hot afternoon, paddleboarding, reading, chasing the water spouts on the splash pad, playing cards, watching sunsets and just being silly. And I loved every minute with them!