Red Hat Resilience

February 8, 2026 annbh356Leave a comment

blue house with snow, Minnesota flag and wintery morning sun

In August 2024, I bought a Minnesota state flag to hang on our Kutzky Park front porch. It was a point of pride that my Governor was a vice-presidential candidate. I unfurled the flag again on that frigid Saturday last month, the day of the first of reoccurring ICE out of Minnesota NOW! marches. This time the flag on our front porch is a subtle sign of protest on a quiet street in a new neighborhood but also a sign of resilience; proud that Minnesota residents will not be bullied.

Like you, I am experiencing the challenge of how to watch the news and yet stay sane. How to be aware of the life and death actions happening in our community and just a few miles up the road, and around the country, as well as celebrate how good people are coming together. Since it is easy to get caught up in the onslaught of news, I am trying to avoid the trap of doomscrolling. As you know, that is tough when the most basic of American tenants are dismantled before our eyes. When those principles – literally written in stone – “Give me your tired and your poor…” are discarded.

I limit my morning routine to checking several reliable news sources but then shift to the arts – knitting sometime during each day and a daily dose of poetry, a gentle salve for a bruised soul. Simple words on paper (or a screen) that capture the complexity of modern emotions. There are times when the Poetry Foundation’s Poem for the Day is a good fit while other days, I dig a little deeper often returning to the words of former poet laureates Joy Harjo, Ted Kooser, or Amanda Gorman.

Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet, an award-winning author, a banned book author, is an accomplished writer who captured our angst within hours of the murder of Renee Nicole Good and again after the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti. Her words honoring Renee Good reminded us:

Change is only possible,
& all the greater,
When the labour
& bitter anger of our neighbors 
Is moved by the love
& better angels of our nature.

Some mornings, I listen as her lyrical voice recites poignant words that go with the quiet flow of fiber through my fingers; a meditative quality of one stitch after another, moving from skein to project to finished item which, at the moment, are red Melt the ICE hats.

I am an early participant in today’s red hat phenomenon. You may have heard how the owner of a small yarn store in St. Louis Park wanted to re-create the visual impact of the sea of pink hats seen worldwide at rallies in 2016. The design draws on Minnesota’s Norwegian heritage and that country’s resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II

The Norwegian Resistance Museum in Lillehammer has on display red beanies from that era and copies of the Nazi alert forbidding anyone, under threat of punishment, from possessing a red hat, regardless of age. Red hats have become a worldwide statement. Over 100,000 copies of the pattern have been sold to crafters in 43-countries and over $650,000 has been distributed to metro area non-profits supporting immigrants.

Today, whether we march, or sing, or knit, let’s follow Bruce Springsteen’s call to “take a stand for this land and the stranger in our midst.” Words that universally resonate and are making this new anthem a number one song in countries around the world. May love unfurl and lead us wherever we go: into the streets, into caucuses or voting booths, at public meetings or any place where love creates community, justice, art – and into a practice that makes the fibers of our hope into something strong enough to give us warmth, shelter, and resilience – much like red Melt the ICE beanies.

Knitting

Melt the ICE: Knit for Justice

January 26, 2026 annbh3562 Comments

red, handknitted beanie with straight sides, pointed top and a braided tassle

With a nod to Minnesota’s Norwegian heritage and honoring that country’s historic resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II, needle & skein, in St. Louis Park, is promoting a Melt the ICE Hat. Designed with versatility in mind, the beanie can be knit using fingering, DK, or worsted weight yarn. A crochet pattern is also available. A quick check of Ravelry projects reveals that since the pattern was released on January 16 thousands of fiber artists have already cast on this unique design.

The yarn store website describes the reason behind the flat, pointy, tasseled design this way: “In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute.”

For those a little less familiar with Minnesota geography, St. Louis Park is a close-in Twin Cities suburb just west of Minneapolis. Some of the news footage you have seen recently may be from those very streets. The yarn store has promised that “the proceeds from the sale of the pattern will go to the LynLake community of businesses who will distribute the funds to those impacted by the actions of ICE.”

Using a stashed skein of Kelbourne Woolens Germantown in a Persian Red, I finished the first of five (or maybe more) Melt the ICE Hats. As friends seek something rational to grasp onto after a nightmare week that revealed the best of Minnesotans who rallied in peaceful protest by the tens of thousands in sub-zero temperatures and the worst of America with the executions of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, I will use my knitting needles to proclaim:

Do justice. 
Love kindness. 
Abolish ICE.

Reading

For Renee Nicole Good

January 12, 2026 annbh3561 Comment

When the incomprehensible occurs (again) on a Minneapolis street, maybe the only solace can be found in poetry. The creative genius of Amanda Gorman provides gentle salve for my bruised soul.

For Renee Nicole Good 
Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026
 
by Amanda Gorman 

They say she is no more, 
That there her absence roars, 
Blood-blown like a rose. 
Iced wheels flinched & froze. 
Now, bare riot of candles, 
Dark fury of flowers, 
Pure howling of hymns. 

If for us she arose, 
Somewhere, in the pitched deep of our grief, 
Crouches our power, 
The howl where we begin, 
Straining upon the edge of the crooked crater 
Of the worst of what we’ve been. 

Change is only possible, 
& all the greater, 
When the labour 
& bitter anger of our neighbors 
Is moved by the love  
& better angels of our nature. 

What they call death & void, 
We know is breath & voice;  
In the end, gorgeously,  
Endures our enormity.  

You could believe departed to be the dawn 
When the blank night has so long stood. 
But our bright-fled angels will never be fully gone, 
When they forever are so fiercely Good.

Other items of interest · Spirituality

Christmas Eve Reflection

December 24, 2025 annbh356Leave a comment

deep blue background with frosted plants in the foreground

I try and fool myself into believing that I am skipping news broadcasts because of my busy calendar. A schedule that included months of preparation for a move and then unpacking our life here on Solstice Place. And, once those tasks were complete, I shifted into everyday routines of knitting, baking, cleaning and, sometimes, even writing. Activities that admittedly require a degree of concentration and therefore provide a quasi-believable excuse not to turn to 24/7 reporting. But, if I am honest, my lack of attention is not attributable to mundane tasks, rather a weary knowledge that once I turn on the radio or the TV I will learn of yet another unthinkable injustice.

With lifelong experience living in the Midwest, I know the briskness of December. This is why I bundle up for my daily walk down the block to the neighborhood mailbox. I know that the winter temperatures in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or other quadrants of Rochester are certainly no warmer than at my doorstep. Yet, news coverage shows early morning raids by masked ICE agents as they remove Minnesota residents from their homes without coats, hats, or mittens. The recent scenes of a woman pinned down in the snow and dragged through the street prompted a public statement from Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in which he said, “This egregious disregard for human dignity is appalling. It is deeply concerning that there appears to be a lack of accountability from our federal partners.”

Such masked behavior is not limited to Minnesota’s major cities; it also occurs in Rochester. Recently, an immigrant chef who, just months ago, prepared my dinner was taken into ICE custody. This is a man seeking asylum in order to escape Ecuadorian gang violence, violence that caused him to be shot in the head when, as an independent restaurateur, he refused to pay protection money. His location, well-being, and legal status are currently unknown to his family or to the church members who are sponsoring his legal efforts to navigate our complicated asylum process.

During this Christmas season when the gospels recount this ancient, yet well-known story, I can only wonder what might happen should there be another family seeking refuge on this oh holy night with stars brightly shining.

Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manager, because there was no room for them at the inn.
Luke 2:4-7

Photo credit: pexels-pixabay

Other items of interest

Hands Øff Rally

April 5, 2025April 6, 2025 annbh356Leave a comment

winter weather clothing with bright gold scarves — January 29, 2017

Practicing our right to assemble has morphed from an occasional occurrence triggered by an extraordinary event into a regular activity.

My first rally of 2025 was on a frigid, below zero, February day protesting the administration’s rough handling of local immigrants. It was Rochester’s reaction to an early morning ICE raid which removed two restaurant workers without any communication with their families or access to legal assistance. We eventually learned they were removed to a maximum security, for-profit prison in Louisianna despite being in the midst of asylum-seeking legal procedures.

Today’s demonstration was one of over 1,200 of Hands Øff rallies held around the country. Hundreds gathered in Rochester, tens-of-thousands at the Capitol in St. Paul with nearby events from Austin to Wabasha, as well as in every state capitol. This was about showing up, being seen, being heard, and not backing down. Some participants carried signs listing a range of worries, others held hand drawn poster boards focused on specific uncertainties ranging from Social Security to cancer research, from free speech to reproductive rights, from education to national parks; and, of course, hands off libraries. The list goes on and on as it seems nothing about American life is sacred or safe.

I find being aware of the administration’s latest shenanigans, whether I do a quick check or a deep dive, puts a bruise on my spirit and I must remind myself to look to beauty. Poet Lynn Ungar wrote this verse yesterday as we readied ourselves for today’s Hands Øff rally and the work yet to come.

April 5th

I don’t know how this all turns out, 
and neither do you,
but I have to confess it doesn’t look good.
I wish we were headed
for a picnic, for a waltz in the park.  I wish 
we were not ruled by broken men
who want to damage everything
that they cannot possess.  I wish
I could tell you what we do now.
The street is littered with the petals
of cherries that bloomed before
the big wind came.  Tonight
there will be frost, and tender buds
will burn.  But still, the woods 
are unfolding into green, 
and just outside my door some frog
is bellowing for all he’s worth.
Who knows what happens next?
All I can tell you is that the fields 
are ablaze with dandelions
who have never known 
the meaning of defeat.

     Lynn Ungar 4-4-25

Spirituality

Multifaith Lawsuit: Protecting Places of Worship

February 17, 2025April 4, 2025 annbh3561 Comment

Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al., as filed on February 11, seeks to protect houses of worship as places of grace without government interference. More than two dozen Christian and Jewish denominations, representing millions of Americans, are co-plaintiffs in this lawsuit which asserts that ICE policy violates First Amendment rights of freedom of religion.

Throughout our country’s history, including the first administration of the current President, law enforcement considered churches, schools, and hospitals as “sensitive locations” protected from immigration enforcement. Among the many decrees effective on Inauguration Day, was a memo from the Department of Homeland Security rescinding the “sensitive locations” designation. This change in ICE policy makes way for immigration raids in churches even during religious ceremonies when refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants might gather. The lawsuit confirms at least one such disruption during worship on a Sunday morning in Georgia.

As someone involved in liturgy, I want to focus on enriching the spiritual experience of participants; to lift the burden of a heavy heart, if only for a moment; to elicit inspiration through spoken words or sung lyrics. This change in government policy creates an unwelcome and unhealthy distraction. Now, I must shift my attention from the sacred to prepare for possible disruption.

The concept of sanctuary can be identified throughout history and across cultures, from Old Testament times to today. It saddens me that we must rely on the courts to determine that churches are different from coffee shops and strip malls. I sincerely hope Mennonite Church USA et al. v. United States Department of Homeland Security et al. is successful in protecting places of worship as holy and sanctified spaces.

For more information:

Press release from the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown Law, Georgetown Center for Faith & Justice

Press release from the Unitarian Universalist Association