MARCH/APRIL 2023

“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”

Departments

12 — Bear Tracks

Driverless shuttle breaks transportation barriers for some area residents.

14 — Learning Together

Family literacy program gives families the opportunity to thrive.

16 — White Bear Lake by the Hour

Enjoy the best the area has to offer on your spring break staycation.

Features

18 — “Two is a Coincidence; Three is a Collection”

Retiree’s art collection takes shape and color.

24 — Misfit of Creation

Kassina Folstad is paving her own path with design studio and shop Hello Norden.

TASTEMAKERS

36 — Baking Bliss

One local turns love of baking into a business.

Why Be a Bear?

Spring always feels like art to me. More than any other season, it presents a fresh canvas, with pops of color—pinks, greens, blues— to be enjoyed and documented. This year is a big one for me, with my wedding coming up in June. And whether it’s something small, like taking a walk outside to observe daffodils springing forth or something significant like a vacation, family occasion or life transition, I’m sure you too, reader, have something to look forward to as we step into spring.

Though this is our homes, family and senior living issue, with each story fitting into these themes, I feel that, together, the stories within these pages are a gallery of creativity. As you flip through, you’ll find pieces on families learning English together, a retiree who has filled her home with art and spring break staycation inspiration.

Tune into my conversation with our cover star, interior designer Kassina Folstad, on page 24. Folstad is a Mahtomedi native who has a unique perspective on nervous system-informed design. And further in, you’ll find the incredible story of 19-year-old baker Elouise Suoja of 350 Degrees Bakery. Writer Emily Gedde speaks with Suoja about her upcoming return to White Bear Lake upon graduating college. Here’s to spreading love and uplifting others this spring!