By Sara Mensink Over the last two years, my husband and I have slowly been making small changes to live a more sustainable life. This new way of thinking started while I was pregnant with our son. Having a child made us stop and ask ourselves what changes we could make to create a healthier, more intentional life for our family. There’s so many ways to go about this and … [Read more...]
FaceTime
By Mark Geselle Valley Christian Center My grandson Tate is 3 1/2 and is already a master at using his mom’s phone. My phone will go off quite regularly around 4 o’clock many afternoons while I’m at the office, showing his mom’s picture and that she’s FaceTiming me. I know it’s Tate, so I answer it and say, “Hi Tate! How are you doing?” He says, “Hi Bumpa” and goes on to … [Read more...]
Ask A Trooper
Question: I bought a boat and the width is 10 feet wide, how can I legally haul it to different lakes? Answer: The maximum length cannot exceed the width of 8 feet 6 inches. This is the maximum dimension that may be operated on Minnesota roadways without a special permit. The maximum height is 13 feet 6 inches. If you exceed the height or width, then you would have to … [Read more...]
You Cannot Put a Saddle on Slobber
We had attended a baptism. The baby was the best I'd ever seen at being baptized. My father wore a suit, tie and wingtips. He polished the shoes before taking a step and polished them again before putting them away. As an in-law, his job was chauffeuring, eating and then standing around at a relative's home, sighing deeply until it was time to leave. A fellow in-law told … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – ‘Olde’ Barn Has Hosted Horses and Hoofers for 46 Summers
Revised from his first two columns in 2020 “Ye Olde Gray Barn” is not gray, but black. However, it is the “Gray barn” because the functional facility for draft horses was loaned by Dr. Jim and Karen Gray to an ambitious group of citizens, who in 1979 staged “Annie Get Your Gun,” the first of the often-acclaimed 46 summer musicals in Spring Grove - believed to be the … [Read more...]
An American Classic
Which historic food has no reservations about being served at a Minnesota farm table or on prestigious Capitol Hill? Was a Minnesota senator behind this culinary staple being served almost daily at Senate restaurants for about the past 125 years? As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, let’s talk about an American classic, the humble but iconic bean soup, best served with … [Read more...]
On Taking a Walk in the Woods
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) Recently, public broadcasting has presented an insightful documentary on the life of Henry David Thoreau. Produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley, the program offers an informative picture of Thoreau as an author, naturalist and American … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Five Snafus on the Fourth of July, 1887
The morning train brought Judge Wells and the cornet band from Preston along with other citizens from that and nearby towns. The occasion was a Fourth of July celebration at Caledonia in 1887, the nation’s 111th birthday. A lot had been planned, but something unplanned would save the day. Mother Nature furnished the first of five snafus or mishaps. According to the Caledonia … [Read more...]
Happy Independence Cake!
Time and again, tastes change, and once beloved traditions fade to memory. In our modern 24/7 newsfeed societies, where we have social media misinformation and TikTok trends continually assaulting our senses, it’s a wonder anyone can recall what they had for breakfast, let alone what they read last week. Whether that’s by design or simply symptomatic of the Information Age we … [Read more...]
Better Angels
By Pastor Jeff Jacobs Unity Lutheran Parish - St. Paul, Saetersdal and St. Matthew’s, Granger I was 16 when our nation celebrated its Bicentennial, and now at 66 another milestone comes, this Semiquincentennial, 250th anniversary of these United States. A lot has happened in 50 years: home computers, cell phones, internet and AI…the Columbine school tragedy and subsequent … [Read more...]