The dog wouldn’t fetch. So, I pulled the Sunday newspaper from our rural mailbox. I lugged it to my father, who read the comics to me. The funny pages were a wonderland of color and wit. My father added voices that brought “Dennis the Menace,” “Marmaduke,” “Peanuts,” “Beetle Bailey,” “Mark Trail” and “Dick Tracy” to life. I enjoyed “Pogo” and “Li’l Abner,” but I didn’t … [Read more...]

Making smart choices that mix practical benefits with timeless wisdom from the past for a joyful and fulfilling lifestyle! In 1918, the phrase “Two hens in the backyard for every person” was popularized by Uncle Sam as part of a campaign to encourage citizens to raise backyard chickens during World War I. The U.S. government promoted this initiative to help individuals … [Read more...]

Before white settlers arrived, the Root River Valley was known as the “Land of Hokah,” and the Native Americans called the river, “Hokah.” They were nomadic hunters and gatherers, who also cultivated some crops. They moved from camp to camp, traveling mostly on foot, occasionally by canoe. Their horses, described by historian Alden O. Droivold as “round-bellied ponies,” were … [Read more...]

“There were no flies on Frank that morning.” A popular nonsensical poem titled “No Flies on Frank” starts that way in John Lennon’s book, “In His Own Write.” Frank didn’t have a good day, even without flies. I heard a store clerk, ringing up a purchase, ask a customer, “How’s it going?” “I’m having a little problem with my ears.” “Good to hear,” said the clerk. The clerk, … [Read more...]

Walls, a wood stove and even spectators were hazards; you might run or dribble into one – or someone. But it was too cold to play outside when high school basketball was first witnessed in Caledonia. The year was 1907; the venue was the Hundt Opera House, which built on North Badger Street, was originally intended to provide an indoor roller-skating rink. But that rolling … [Read more...]