Diamonds At Solstice, June 2008, Minneapolis, Minnesota, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
At Diamonds they say, “Come for the caffeine, stay for the camaraderie.” Diamonds Coffee Shoppe — Your Atomic Coffee Stop — is located in the Arts District of Northeast Minneapolis. It’s a great place to write. To Dawn and Lucy, it’s not just coffee, it’s a philosophy.
Three of us were there last Wednesday evening to write and do art. It was our weekly creative project meeting, part of our dedication to our practice. Our small group of four alternate between the studio in the Casket Arts Building and Diamonds a few blocks away.
Last week the Pop-A-Lock guys were there; 8 of them formed a circle in the hall next to us (across from the vault), and had their business meeting. As fate would have it, one of them had helped me change a flat tire a month ago over in Brooklyn Park. The world gets smaller every day.
Diamonds Coffee Shoppe
1618 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 789-5282
Hours:
Mon through Thurs – 6 AM to 10 PM
Fridays 6 AM to 10 PM
Saturday 7 AM to 10 PM
Sunday 8 AM to 10PM
There were three things on my mind tonight. The first was an end of week meeting with my Gemini friend ybonesy. All went well; we are right on track. The second is Diamonds. I downloaded the photos I took last Wednesday. Maybe there will be a Fotoblog to follow. The third?
Summer Solstice. Liz and I are going to a Solstice celebration tomorrow night at a friend’s house. Fire and water. In Minneapolis, the longest day of the year passed a few hours ago at 5:59pm. When is Solstice in your part of the world?
Below are some links that might help. I was looking at archived photographs of the same date last year; the peonies were well on their way. This year the ants have opened only three blooms. Spring is late in coming. I welcome the light.
Time for Summer. Have a diamonds and light Solstice.
HELPFUL TIME LINKS FOR SOLSTICES & EQUINOXES
- Times listed for Winter & Summer Solstices (and the Equinoxes) beginning in 1900:
Holoscenes – Textures of the Earth: Seasons From 1900 To 2099 (LINK)
In the Midwest, we have to subtract 6 hours from UT to get Central Standard time (and 5 for Daylight Saving time (LINK). See also Holoscenes – Textures of the Earth – Special Projects (LINK)
- Here’s how to translate UT time to our time, wherever we are:
Earth & Sky: How Do I Translate Universal Time To My Time? (LINK)
- Here’s a final link to different systems of time:
U.S. Navy – Systems of Time (LINK)
Diamonds At Dusk, June 2008, Minneapolis, Minnesota, all photos © 2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
-posted on red Ravine, Friday, June 20th, Summer Solstice 2008
-related to posts: 8 Minutes, Winter Solstice – Making Light Of The Dark, Solstice Fire In Winter, 15 Hours, 36 Minutes Of Light
I love that sign, QM. I wonder if there was a company that made diner signs during a certain era; they all have a similar look and feel, don’t they?
Funny that you saw the tire guy in there. I remember when you had that flat tire. I had one this past week and sat reading in Goodyear. I thought of you. And the cost was only $14. That seemed reasonable to me.
I guess our longest day passed yesterday at 6:59 (18:59, according to the Solstice link). We went out to dinner around 7:00, then to a bookstore, then ice cream (we were kid-less), and it still seemed lightish driving home at 9:30-something.
QM, which is your favorite solstice?
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yb, I’m not sure where they got the sign. If it was vintage or what. The whole place feels kind of like walking back in time. Seems like they’ve collected a lot of vintage lamps and things. And they kept the vault from the original building. It’s a walk-in vault and you can sit in there and write. Cozy. We were in the large outside hall. There are artists’ studios in the building, too.
Hmmm. I like Winter Solstice better than Summer Solstice, I think. Mostly because I like how the fire lights up the dark and has to keep you warm. And I’m more of a winter person. I do like that Summer Solstice is going into my high time astrologically. I was born a Summer baby.
We need to go to the store and get the makings of a fruit salad. Will be heading over there in the late afternoon. The meal will be all Summer Salads. Yum!
What’s your favorite Solstice?
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May I wish you a Happy Winter Solstice from the southern hemisphere! I was invited to get up at 3am to go and watch the solistice sunrise at an ancient site nearby, but after a tough week I chickened out – apart from anything else it’s cold at night here! It is a lovely feeling knowing that things will get warmer and brighter from now on!
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lirone, I love that you checked in from the southern hemisphere! Just knowing it’s Winter Solstice there at the same time that it’s Summer Solstice here makes me feel connected to people, seasons, nature, across the world. We will think of you today at our Summer Solstice ritual here in Minnesota, USA.
BTW, Liz and I just pulled two cards from Susan Seddon Boulet deck of Animal Spirits. I pulled Crocodile. Liz pulled Panther. Beautiful illustrations. I have always loved Seddon Boulet’s work. We shall see what the day holds for water and air. 8)
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I like Winter Solstice, too. Something about entering darkness and stillness feeds the part of me that is always pulling in that direction.
I went to a Winter Solstice gathering a few years ago, and the host read something that has never left me, Solstice or not. It was along the lines of: “Out of the darkness, the seeds grow.” That soil analogy made sense to me. It lets me off the hook when I am in darkness, too.
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Sinclair, good to hear from you. I like that about Winter Solstice, too, that we are planting seeds in the dark that come to light in the brightness of summer.
It feels good to me to stay connected to the changing seasons and the Earth. It’s important to my writing and art, too, for grounding. Are you doing anything for Summer Solstice?
I looked for the moon last night but it was too cloudy. Did anyone see the Full Moon last week. Wow. Huge.
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My favorite is Fall Equinox for all that it relates to the Rio Grande Valley, the harvest, the harvest moon, farming and agriculture, and the beauty of that time of year.
Winter is my second favorite season. I value that solstice in that it brings a certain melancholy. In my family we’re prone to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), although it doesn’t hit me as hard as it does my sister. But I do feel some sadness, some pain, and as long as I don’t wallow in it, I can be especially creative at that time.
Summer is not bad. I mean, the days are gorgeous. My biggest complaint are the days when we’re close to 100 degrees, but I bet today is low 90s, which is more than bearable. Nights are cool. Smells like grass outside. I love the daylight. My other complaint of summer is the lingering sense that it used to be so much better when I was a kid.
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It’s 110 in Vegas! I will try to celebrate summer. If you are ever in Vegas, you must see the Neon Museum. If you like the Diamonds sign, you’ll love the Silver Slipper and some of the old Auto Court signs–remember those? Little rooms with a carport on the side?
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I am more than ready to celebrate summer. I’m spending the solstice ‘weekend’ in Door County, way up in the northeast corner of Wisconsin. It sticks out into Lake Michigan and it’s a perfect 72 degrees. I am SO happy to have summer here, after the forever winter and the late spring that almost wasn’t.
I love the cafe – neon lights are one of my all time favorites. Sounds like a perfect place of an artist date.
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QM, I was thinking about you & the Summer Soltice this week at camp, wondering about you & how you & Liz would celebrate the event.
The full moon was so clearly visible at the the river this week. Beautiful! And through the tree limbs looked at times like a never ending fireworks! D
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Franny, my niece just moved to Vegas. Hey, maybe I’ll get to come visit. If so, I’ll definitely avoid summer. Or I’ll head to where Bo is during summer, Vegas in winter. 8)
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Franny, I’d love to check out the Neon Museum in Vegas. I love the old neon signs, am drawn to them like a magnet. I’ve read a little about the history of the old Auto Court signs. Maybe I’ll make it back to Vegas one day. Only visited once, passing through on a road trip when I lived in Montana. We were heading down to L.A. packed into a white Subaru wagon. I was riding in the back cargo area. Oh, so much younger than I am now. 8)
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Bo, I’ve heard a lot about Door County, WI but have never visited there. Hope you had a good Summer Solstice there. We had a beautiful night last night, celebrating Solstice. Wisconsin really got bammed with winter last year. We had the cold, but you all had all those feet of snow! Summer is here.
diddy, thanks for thinking of us. So great that you saw the Solstice full moon on the Susquehanna this year. I can picture you in your little cabin on the river.
yb, winter is hard for those with SAD. Here the winters are pretty dark. There are a few clear, sunny winter days. But it seems like last year, very gray. I do love the light of summer. But I think I do my best work in the darkness of the colder seasons. Hope you had a great Solstice.
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QM, in this neck of the woods this months full moon is known as the Strawberry Moon. It was out of this world in beauty! We had some clear cool nights & actually had to break out the heater, but well worth it! D
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I love the sign QM…reminds me of the diners you see in the old movies. Anymore, you don’t see many like that. What a perfect place for your art meeting!
I wasn’t able to celebrate Summer Solstice, because we were traveling…hopefully next year!
Ah yes…’tis a small world…circles within circles. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this!
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diddy, why Strawberry Moon? Just curious.
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Actually QM, my last moments leading up to the summer solstice were… um … a little TOO interesting. Solstice was at 6:59pm – we hit a deer heading to our camp in the Door about 6:40 pm.
I am REALLY happy to be moving into a new turn of the year. Also have also duly noted my appreciation to the universe.
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yb, because this is the time of year we harvest strawberries in this area. We have festivals everywhere! I like the name, though the moon is not shaped like one. Wouldn’t that be cool? D
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diddy, ah, yes, the Strawberry Moon. It’s time for my moonwrite of the month. I’ve been thinking a lot about it this past week (coming soon to a blog near you). The nights have been cool here, too, and the days at about 80 degrees. I love the cool evenings.
Suz, thanks for the Solstice well wishes. And even though you were traveling, everything is connected, circles within circles. I’m always amazed at how small the world really is, how easy it is to bump into the same people in a large city, a large world. Happy Solstice week!
Bo, that’s quite scary, hitting a deer. And so close to Solstice. Strange. We heard on the local news yesterday that there are about 91 motorcycle riders that hit deer every year and a few of them die. I had no idea it was that prevalent. The stats are going up, too, because of increased deer populations, nowhere for them to go with increased human populations, and busier roads. Glad you and yours are all okay. Gratitude to the Universe.
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hey…I haven’t stopped by in while and WOW. YOu are all so prolific. I love the photos. That neon one is amazing.
Like a taunting poetry tease…its like, come on write a haiku..you know you want to…
xx
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cole, thanks so much for your comment. What can we do but keep going? Yes, write that haiku. 8)
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