We’ve all had brushes with fame. Maybe you’ve met a teacher or a nurse, or shook hands with a firefighter or a police officer. I sang with Tom Petty once. It’s a golden memory I’ve pressed into my little black book of golden memories. It was just the one song—”Runnin’ Down a Dream.” That was enough. Tom Petty was on the radio, and I was backing my car out of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Any Little Gopher Hole Might Start a Washout
Part two of a two-part series “Any little gopher hole could and did start washouts,” wrote Houston area historian Ingrid Julsrud. Washouts of train tracks were expensive mishaps for the railroads and inconvenient interruptions for the daily lives of residents. During the first two decades of the 1900s, the tracks around Mound Prairie were especially susceptible to washouts … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – “Lift Up Your Eyes Round About, and See”
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Herod was troubled at the news of the Christ Child’s birth, as were the religious leaders and all of Jerusalem. But the magi rejoiced and worshipped the Infant King, even as had the shepherds before them. God grant us the faith to join the magi and the shepherds! “For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep … [Read more...]
Thyme & Again – A Fresh Starter
By Angela Denstad Time and again a new year dawns and we’re urged to identify areas in which we might improve ourselves. And just as quickly, we’re presented with grim statistics of how few of us reach our goals. “Quitter’s Day” was last Friday and, if you failed to observe it, good for you! But are the majority of us just lazy and uninspired? I choose to believe … [Read more...]
The Running of the Noses Launches in January
January is the month of Mondays when puffer jackets proliferate. This is the year I’m going to change. I change every year, but this time, it’ll be for the better. That’s why I was in the binder organization aisle of an office supply store. I’d planned on picking up a few binders and becoming more organized than Marie Kondo was in her prime. Kondo was an expert in the … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – All Were Possible Passengers – Dead or Alive
Two young, probably teenage, cousins were on a passenger train from Houston, Minn., to visit relatives in Northfield, when they understood the conductor to say, “The coach is on fire.” But when the train stopped, they were the only ones to grab their coats and baggage in preparation to detrain. What the conductor had actually said was, “There’s a colt in the wire.” Two train … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Christmas is With You Every Day!
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches I was driving home from a Christmas celebration one year late at night. At 11:58 p.m. on December 25 the radio station played a Christmas song. And the very next song, starting at 12:01 a.m. on December 26, returned to classic rock. For much of the world, Christmas ends at midnight on the 25th. But for … [Read more...]
The Messy Apron Chronicles – It’s Nice to Meet You
Cooking is fundamentally about connections between people. Food possesses a unique power that transcends cultural boundaries, allowing individuals to gather and share moments together. As Guy Fieri eloquently stated, “Food is maybe the only thing that really has the power to bring everyone together.” He truly captures the essence of how universal and meaningful food can be; … [Read more...]
Billy the Kid Began as an Outlaw Young Goat
After I was here, I was there. I’ve been to St. Joseph, Mo., a few times. Each time, I’ve stopped at the Jesse James Home. The notorious outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed in the house on April 3, 1882, by Bob Ford, a member of the James gang, who wished to collect a $10,000 reward, of which he received little. Jesse died at the age of 34 after a career as an outlaw, bank … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Playing Cards for Ice Cream and Other Old-time Recreation
A large horse-drawn sled, packed with blankets, called robes, and warmers would make the rounds to pick up the neighbors on the way to the host farm. In winter, dances would be inside a farmhouse. Rugs would be rolled up. An older youth or two might come along to babysit the younger children. There would be a fiddler or two, who would play square dances, waltzes and foxtrots. … [Read more...]