I put my car into reverse. That took me back. I thought about dog names. I’d been listening to an audiobook that mentioned a dog’s name. Bella and Max are the most popular names for dogs today. I’ve been fortunate to hang out with a good number of dogs during my existence but none of whom were named Bella or Max. The reverse gear took me to a day before Christmas back … [Read more...]
A Little of This a Little of That
The adults were whispering, and when I entered the room, they were silent. That’s when children (whose parents swear that they are hard of hearing) really start to listen. Being exceptionally nosy and very good at hearing behind a closed door, I decided to investigate. The adults were talking about my Grandma Ruth, the matriarch of the family. What had my sainted … [Read more...]
Spring Valley woman crafts through pandemic
Linda Kruegel has enjoyed sewing and crafting for most of her life. As a child, she and her family lived with her grandma who was a quilter and a sewer. “I remember a good many days of sitting underneath the quilts while she and her sisters and friends were quilting,” she said. During Linda’s junior year of high school, she made her own wedding dress as a school home-ec project … [Read more...]
Historic memories of Fillmore County: The Daniel Dayton family – The Ravine House… A pioneer life in Big Spring, Minn., Part IV
The Daniel Dayton saga by “Flip” (Brian) Huggenvik continues and – to recap: The 1890s found both Dayton boys, Zara and Aaron hard working farmers. They raised beef cows, pigs, chicken, and even had some sheep. The crops were wheat, oats, barley, flax, and corn. And of course lots of hay... 60 tons a summer. They would sell their grain in Harmony, but hold back enough to get … [Read more...]
The junk drawer couldn’t hold it all
By Al Batt I woke up one morning. That’ was the good part. I woke up and realized I had too much junk and I’m the only one who wants the junk I don’t want anymore. Let me clarify that: I’m the only person in the world who ever wanted my junk and I no longer want it. That didn’t give me a euphoric feeling, but discernment doesn’t come just for my beatitude. Everyone in my … [Read more...]
November Stroll
I made my way this morning to my rural mailbox to send a gift to a friend. Its blistered paint reminded me that it needs some tender loving care. Mild temperatures called out and lured me to stroll around this old farm. I noticed the sights and sounds today that I have so long neglected. Horizon to horizon stretched a canopy of varied shades of gray. Naked tree … [Read more...]
Making the most of murals
Have you ever seen a mural larger than life and wondered how the artist was able to paint it? The enormity of mural painting is fascinating and you don’t have to go all the way to some big city to appreciate it because there is a mural artist close by. Meet Wanda Scheevel, age 46, from Harmony, Minn. Wanda has lived in Harmony most of her life. She moved here in 2nd … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – The elimination of ACT and SAT requirements: an excellent thing… right?
By Kaylee Arndt There seems to be no end to the stresses of high school: lengthy assignments, essays with looming deadlines, frightening pop quizzes, and... the dreaded ACT or SAT test. These two standardized tests play a major role in determining college acceptance and scholarship decisions, so high schoolers have a right to stress over them — well, they did have a right to … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Foster care
By Ryleigh Alery Currently, over 400,000 children are in the foster care system. Children are usually put into foster care when their guardians cannot provide the bare necessities such as shelter, food, or water. Children are also put into foster care when they have been orphaned, abandoned, abused, or neglected. Children can be in foster care for a couple of hours or until … [Read more...]
Historic memories of Fillmore County – The Daniel Dayton family – The Ravine House… A pioneer life in Big Spring, Minn., Part III
We left off last week in this fabulous story authored by “Flip” (Brian Huggenvik), where Daniel Dayton’s son, Aaron is writing a letter from the steamboat named Magenta to his brother Zara, who is contemplating fighting in the Civil War. The last lines of Aaron’s letter to Zara last week were: “If you don’t volunteer you will likely be drafted...” and thus we continue! Aaron … [Read more...]