Carolyn (she/her)

@carolynlb

Minnesotan, Methodist, cook, cat lady, healthcare chaplain turned legislative staffer. Opinions = my own

794 Siguiendo569 Seguidores692 Publicaciones

Bluesky

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Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 2d

Hell yeah www.sos.mn.gov/about-the-of...

Screencap from Minnesota Secretary of State press release
SAINT PAUL – As of 9 a.m., Monday, August 10, 2026, local election officials have accepted 206,196 absentee and mail ballots for the August 11 Primary. Of the accepted ballots, 99,053 have been returned by mail and 107,143 ballots were cast in-person. This is the highest number of absentee and mail ballots cast before a primary in a non-presidential election year. Additional absentee voting statistics are available online.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 4d

To send everyone off to sweet dreams: A Mighty Purr-er is our Waffs

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 4d

They get even scrunchier when they both try to cram into the cat tree cubby!

Mostly black tuxedo cat with yellow eyes has head sticking out of round opening of a cat tree nook. You cat see Waffles, an orange tabby, crammed in the nook behind him

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 4d

As does Bear from the great beyond 💜

A large black cat lounges on his side on a blue and green rug

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 4d

Waffles and Dietrich wish you a blessed International Cat Day

Two large cats, an orange one (Waffles) and tuxedo (Dietrich) snuggle and cram into a round heated bed sitting on a blue and green area rug

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 10d

Without downloading new pics, what is it like dating you?

Screen grab from marymagdalenestan

Cartoon baby with big eyes wearing red overalls on white background
Top text reads”loving your enemies is hard
Bottom text reads “but loving annoying people is always harder”

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 14d

Made my first crop art this evening! thanks to @stpaulpublibrary.bsky.social for offering such a fun and low pressure way to explore this new-to-me medium.

Crop art mallard made by Carolyn. It includes black beans, light green peas, larger brown beans, and some ivory grains.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 14d

We voted early for @peggyflanagan.bsky.social 🗳️😎

Carolyn, on right, and her spouse, and left, stand smiling and wearing I Voted stickers outside their early voting location

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 17d

"We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God’s work."

God’s way of acting must also become the way in which we live, both as individuals and as the Church, amidst the reality that surrounds us. We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God’s work. As the then-Cardinal Ratzinger said, it is a matter of submitting ourselves to the logic of the seed — which is not that of success and greatness, but that of making ourselves small and serving others (cf. Address to Catechists and Religion Teachers, 10 December 2000). In this way, we will become like small seeds of the Gospel that sprout, and leavens of love that transform the dough of the world.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 17d

I think this message is so, so important given the growing (and terrifying) power of Christian nationalism, particularly here in the U.S.

Brothers and sisters, through these parables, Jesus reveals something important about the manner in which God works in our lives and in history. We sometimes expect God to do something spectacular; we want him to intervene from on high, immediately uprooting the weeds of evil. We imagine a strong and powerful God, and, unfortunately, we also model our way of being Christians and way of being the Church on this image. However, the Kingdom of God spreads even amidst the weeds, requiring us to train our vision so we can discern the good that sprouts despite the darkness of evil, and avoiding rash judgments. It comes like the smallest of seeds and thus calls for patience in accompanying these processes, so that we can recognize it in the little things of daily life and in the simplicity of ordinary existence. It grows invisibly like yeast in flour, and so we are freed from discouragement and invited to have faith even when it seems that God is absent. In fact, he is always with us, and his love is always ready to help us.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 23d

Pioneer Press now has a brief piece up noting it's a developing story. www.twincities.com/2026/07/20/l... One piece of new-to-me info:

Text from linked pioneer press article screencap: "An officer told residents outside they 'will be holding the scene for possibly a day or two days' and 'unfortunately, no one can go back inside.'ResidentS were allowed to go inside briefly if they needed to get a pet or essential prescription medication."

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· 28d

lol great

Screencap of Minnesota Pollution Control Agency website, with Current air quality conditions as main header. Instead of a map being displayed, it simply reads "502 Bad Gateway"

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jul 6

On less depressing topics…CHS Field is showing the game on the jumbotron. tix were free, concessions are open 😎

Photo of CHS Field with scoreboard showing USA-Belgium soccer game. There are many people with blankets on the baseball field, and several people sitting in the stands in the foreground.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jul 4

Respectfully pleading with @dieworkwear.bsky.social to provide commentary on Vatican ambassador Brian Burch’s 4th of July outfit to meet Pope Leo XIV

Screencap from VaticanNews on IG
Brian Burch, US ambassador to the Vatican, stands to the left of Pope Leo Xvi. Burch is wearing a checked royal blue suit jacket, white collared shirt, and reddish/pink tie. pope Leo is wearing a simple white robe, simple silver cross, and white skullcap

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jun 27

in Chicago for a friend‘s wedding this weekend and @metrotransitmn.bsky.social this is the kind of way finding I would like for temporary stops that are results of road closures

Photo of temporary CTA bus stop signage. Bus lines and direction (southbound) plus a QR code are clearly readable, with dates listed for when the temporary stop is active

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jun 25

Evergreen

Meme with dog as giant dust cloud slowly approaching a city. The dog/dust cloud is labeled as “the Supreme Court” and the city is labeled as “a thriving, modern society”

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jun 15

Given everything that’s happened in our state and our world since June 14 it sometimes feels like people have moved on, so I appreciated seeing that others had been to the Capitol grounds to remember them.

John Albert Anderson statue in front of Minnesota state capitol. Propped against the base is a sign that reads “in honor of Melissa Hortman.” There are a few candles and small bouquets as well

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jun 14

evergreen

Tweet by @agraybee
Every lifelong Catholic I've ever met is like "I think we're supposed to give this food to poor people" and every adult convert is like "the Archon of Constantinople's epistle on the Pentacostine rites of the eucharist clearly states women shouldn't have driver's licenses."

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· May 28

I second the "hell yes" to the State Fair. Spouse and I got our engagement photos taken there.

A short haired brunette white woman in a bright pink cardigan smiles while pressing her forehead to a slightly taller white man wearing a pink button up. they are standing in from of the Minnesota state fair entry gate

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Apr 12

So, uh, I guess Eric Roeper doesn’t pay much attention to Pioneer Press + other outlets’ coverage of the St Paul City Council’s ongoing messiness. www.startribune.com/minneapolis-...

To be sure, the Minneapolis council’s disfunction isn’t exactly some reflection of liberalism itself. St. Paul is also very liberal, with two democratic socialists on that council, but they sit in a U-shape facing each other and are generally respectful.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Apr 8

From Pope Leo's Easter homily Full text here: www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

The power with which Christ rose is entirely nonviolent. It is like that of a grain of wheat which, having rotted in the earth, grows, breaks through the clods, sprouts, and becomes a golden ear of wheat. It is even more like that of a human heart which, wounded by an offense, rejects the instinct for revenge and, filled with compassion, prays for the one who has committed the offense.

Brothers and sisters, this is the true strength that brings peace to humanity, because it fosters respectful relationships at every level: among individuals, families, social groups, and nations. It does not seek private interests, but the common good; it does not seek to impose its own plan, but to help design and carry out a plan together with others.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Apr 5

Dietrich’s like “have you considered that we are approaching snack time“

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Mar 30

We finally have results of the 65B endorsement: Ellefson wins on first ballot with 66.23%, Abshir Ali gets 27.19%, Schulender got 13.56%

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Mar 29

Gulley wins on first ballot for SD65 DFL endorsement — 61.88%. Lundy received 32.33% and Raeisha Williams got 3.64%

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Oct 13

Gradually working my way through "Dilexi Te" and was struck to find Pope Leo briefly touching on the connection between urban planning and justice for the poor. www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Exerpt from Dilexi Te
96. One structural issue that cannot realistically be resolved from above and needs to be addressed as quickly as possible has to do with the locations, neighborhoods, homes and cities where the poor live and spend their time. All of us appreciate the beauty of “those cities which overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this very integration a new factor of development! How attractive are those cities which, even in their architectural design, are full of spaces which connect, relate and favor the recognition of others!” [102] Yet, at the same time, “we cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture.” [103] For “the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet.” [104]

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Aug 21

throwback to when we literally got our engagement photos taken at the Fair --- I still love these!

Carolyn, woman on right in pink cardigan and striped dress, holds hands with her fiance wearing a pink button up shirt and black pants. They are looking at each other and smiling in front of the main entrance at the Minnesota State Fair.

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Jun 12

From Bishop Plambeck of the MN Annual conference of the UMC: www.minnesotaumc.org/newsdetail/2...

“Any movement—political or ecclesial—that trades the cross for the sword, that substitutes nationalism for the kingdom of God, that cloaks white supremacy in Christian language must be named for what it is: a distortion of the gospel,” she said. “As the Church, we must bear witness. We must resist not with fear, not with hatred, but with holy clarity about what God’s unrelenting, reckless grace is all about.”

Carolyn (she/her)@carolynlb· Aug 13

Me most of the time: Prohibition is an ineffective and usually harmful policy tool. Me after an on call shift when I'm confronted repeatedly with the impact of the disease of alcohol addiction: