To Renew or To Make New Again Between the harvests of several crops and caring for our animals, farming brings a lot of repair work. Many things on the farm age and need a helping hand to renew them to usefulness. This summer has been no different for us. My husband has been busy renovating, or bringing back to life, a shed which formerly served as a chicken house, a … [Read more...]
If Something Bites You and There’s Nothing There — It’s Fall
It was too dark too early too soon. Pumpkin spice lurked in a dark alley where hoodies make people look like walking chrysalises. September is a handy place to start fall. Autumn means it’s not winter yet, butterfly wings are tattered and the pickleball fantasy league comes to a screeching halt. I can see the seasons change in the birds. They’re wearing their work clothing … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Sugar Never Showed Up, Treasurer Ran Away
Part two of a series In 1861, the Houston County treasurer disappeared, and “the air was heavy with rumors. The fact that there was a defaulting treasurer spread over the county on the wings of the wind… the deficiency in the accounts of the late treasurer was found to be $3,890.00.” There were about 30 bondsmen, so the loss, if evenly divided, was not devastating for any. … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions: Everything is So Expensive
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free Have you noticed higher prices these days? Of course you have. This has been such a strange season and what things cost is hard to keep up with. It could be the price of eggs going up and then down. There are so many things we might pay attention to, some watch the price of gas like a hawk, while others bring their … [Read more...]
I Can No Longer Say I’m All Original Parts
My body’s check engine light came on. Eventually, we become like our old car or aging house – fix, fix, fix. I was taught to never sit until I was invited. That has led to uncomfortable times for me in waiting rooms, which stretched the concept of time. But soon, a nurse held my hand with her two strong ones. I was lightheaded. The room was spinning. I had heart palpitations. … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – What’s Your Today?
What’s Your Today? If today was the only memory your child would have, would you live it differently? Some of us would forget everything else and have a cake fest. Others would schedule things out to the minute. Maybe some wouldn’t leave the couch to allow for every last snuggle. I doubt any of us would carry on as usual. We always think we have tomorrow, but no one ever … [Read more...]
Streams, Bluffs, Snow and Parched Corn
There were 17 committees that worked in preparation for a three-day Houston County diamond anniversary (75 years) homecoming celebration in 1929. The Historical Booklet Committee produced a 48-page publication that included the information recounted here. Previously, there had been far more extensive county histories published in 1882 and 1919. The land that became Houston … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Christian, Who Are You?
By Pastor Stuart Weist First Baptist Church of Preston In our world today, many Christians seem to have lost who they are. Everywhere I look there is hatred, vanity and angst. People on social media often post comments they would never say to someone’s face and our youth get caught up in a desire for greed, lust and approval. I have been privileged to work with youth more … [Read more...]
Some Merles Remember Donald and the Mesmerizing Mural
I used to know a lot of people named Merle. I saw the name of one Merle I knew on a gravestone and thought, “No wonder I haven’t seen him around.” A Merle, who was part of a large family, told me he got his name because his mother had run out of other names. I still know a fair number of Merles, but not as many as I did. Maybe they’re making up in quality for what they lack … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Houston Welcomed a Hometown, National Hero
A half century ago, “The people of Houston figuratively rolled out the red carpet,” stated the Houston (Minn.) Signal newspaper on May 4, 1973. The occasion was a weekend celebration, welcoming home Robert Flynn. “At one time, the prospect of seeing Bob on the streets of Houston again seemed rather remote. Never underestimating the power of prayer, the people of Houston saw … [Read more...]
Incomprehensibility
By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist and Commissioned EarthKeeper of the UMC There are some things that are incomprehensible to me. Like the fact that helium is in short supply because there isn’t more helium that can be made. Isn’t helium just air that makes us talk funny and keep our balloons inflated? Can’t you just make it from regular air? Somehow? You … [Read more...]
The Monster Hiding Under My Bed Was a Family of Muskrats
I was on a chicken bus in Mexico. It was called that because chickens sometimes rode the bus to market. A woman seated in the rear of the bus I was on held a live chicken – a little red hen. The bus driver ground the gears on every shift as the vehicle struggled uphill. He couldn’t be blamed, as the shift lever on the floor was at an odd angle, indicating it had been … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer: How Do You Look When You Die?
“Turn on the dancing music!” yelled my 4-year-old son. We had decided it would be fun to learn a dance move called “the running man,” which is essentially a series of marching and sliding backwards in such a way where it looks like you’re walking but you’re staying in the same place. It hurts your brain at first because your legs are moving back and forth but you’re not going … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Winnebago Lived Peaceably Among White Settlers
Part two of a two-part series Around 1903, newlywed Grace Greener and her husband moved to Reno, Minn. Word spread that she owned a modern miracle – a sewing machine, and the Winnebago Indians living in the nearby river bottoms frequently brought clothing for her to mend. They often paid her with wild game and fish. During the last half of the 1800s, the European-heritage … [Read more...]
Happy Fall, Y’all!
By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Wykoff/Sumner Center UMC Peace and grace to you in the name of Jesus Christ our risen Savior! I hope you have had the oppor-tunities these last couple of months to find your way down many paths of adventures in the sun and /or days spent sitting on a porch, in a park or with a friend just enjoying all beauty that the wonderful season of summer … [Read more...]