“I am my own muse, the subject I know best” – Frida Kahlo We were fortunate enough to spend an entire month in Mexico this year. My travels to Mexico span over 30 years, and I absolutely love the climate, the people, the culture and of course… the food! Mexican food, or at least the flavors and ingredients, are one of the anchors of my culinary style and tastes. Mexico is … [Read more...]
Spring Comes From a Long Line of Winters
I’d promised myself I wouldn’t cry. And I didn’t shed a tear at winter’s passing. It had no last words. My fath-er’s last dying word was “Robert.” Robert was my uncle, my father’s brother, who had died as a young man. They were close. When I was a boy, my elders told me of someone who had said “Hello” with his last dying breath. I believed them. With all the … [Read more...]
Properly Planting Trees
By Katie Drewitz Trees provide many things for our communities; beauty, energy conservation, reduction of soil erosion, filtering air pollutants, raising property values, a home for wildlife and so much more. Trees are an integral part of our home landscapes, neighborhoods and countryside. If you are looking to plant a tree for the upcoming Arbor Day or any time this year, … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – One Got Out!
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches Pastor Phil Callaway tells of driving his 5-year-old son past a local cemetery. Of course, 5-year-olds sometimes have an interesting perspective on things. Noticing a large pile of dirt beside a newly excavated grave, the boy pointed and said, “Look, Dad, one got out!!!” Calloway laughed at the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – The Springs, The Groves, A Bully and Big Ole
If the intent was to encourage rural settlement by newcomers, the name “Spring Grove” was inviting as it was accurate. The availability of land was widely understood, but the name promises the other two agricultural essentials – water and wood. Emphasizing the importance of all three, Jane Briggs Palen entitled her history book “Soil, Timber & A Spring; The Story of Spring … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – Do Not Forget
I had a pile of old calendars in my office. They stretched over several decades. I just could not destroy them since they documented so many little details I preferred to not forget. Some have great photos from which I might get some use. But the dates and the events we have participated in bring back special memories. So in an effort to “spring clean” the office, I decided … [Read more...]
Not Seeing a Violet-Green Isn’t Easy to Swallow
I needed to be getting ready when I heard the bubbly, gurgling sounds made by a purple martin in our home. It wasn’t an actual bird, but the authentic recorded sound of a purple martin coming from a bird clock. My father-in-law gave me one that lasted over 30 years. My wife gave me a replacement clock last year. The purple martin sounds off at 8. I was off to see the … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Wesley’s Great Hymn “And Can It Be That I Should Gain”
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) I believe many of my readers know that I appreciate the depth, integrity and theology of traditional Christian hymns. I often use my hymnbook as a devotional resource in my life. As we approach Easter and come down the homestretch of the … [Read more...]
Fresh Off the Farm – Are You Stuck in a Hamster Ball?
I have an inquisitive 6-year-old who thinks the best way to get my attention is to repeatedly ask me the exact same question without even pausing for a breath. Even if I heard him the first time, there is literally not a moment of silence to respond to his question before he’s asking it again, and again, and again, and again. It’s frustratingly ridiculous in the moment when … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Grandma Vogel Disappeared Without a Trace
A 7-year-old boy stood in Hokah Hardware where the owner handed him flowers to take to his grandma. On December 11, 1928, Anna Vogel was 68 when she headed off on foot with those flowers to a nearby cemetery. “I’m going to talk to Pa,” she reportedly said. John Vogel had died 11 months before (January 15, 1928). Before placing flowers on her husband’s grave, the mother of 10 … [Read more...]