By Sara Mensink One of my goals this year was to find some new hobbies while rediscovering a few old ones. Now that my son is sleeping through the night (mostly), I have a little more “me” time and a whole lot more energy! Over these last few months I’ve thought to myself, what do I actually want to do with my free time? One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted something … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – A Warm Fuzzy or a Cold Prickly?
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) When I was in seminary, I had many blessed moments studying theology, Biblical studies, pastoral counseling, preaching, church administration and the various things needed in parish ministry. I had many talented and well-learned professors … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Everything is Free, Including the Teeth Extraction
In the latter decades of the 1800s, frontier settlers, including those in southeast Minnesota, were eager for entertainment that was not homegrown. There was not yet radio, motion pictures or television. Even if a more urban area was available, there were not yet automobiles or paved roads for convenient travel. Traveling entertainers made a living in rural areas be they … [Read more...]
Kenny Might Have Been Wearing Substandard Bowling Shoes
The tire blew. It was louder than loud. I was waiting to walk across a road when a truck pulling a flatbed trailer carrying a backhoe had a trailer tire blowout as it went past me. The world became quieter. It reminded me of bowling. Before pickleball, there was bowling. Our phy ed teacher, in an effort to oust us from our opaque corners, decided our steep learning … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: I am seeing more and more of these “J-turns” in Minnesota. Can you explain those to people who might not be familiar? Thank you. Answer: J-turns are used to decrease fatalities and injuries caused by broadside crashes on four-lane divided highways. At a J-turn, drivers on the side street approaching the divided highway always make a right turn. To cross the highway … [Read more...]
The Tastes of Summer
By Rose Korabek It’s wonderful living in the Driftless Region where the seasons change. Summer brings farmers markets and plentiful gardens. There are so many summer tastes to enjoy! Who doesn’t love a fresh ripened peach? You bite into it and the juicy peach drips all over, but it’s a little taste of heaven to savor as summer winds down. Restaurants offer peach milkshakes, … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – A Jealous God
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free Jealousy is a deep and very real emotion. It bubbles up in ways that so often we categorize as negative. Being jealous over possessions, over a physical trait, talents, relationships, over all kinds of things we long for and indeed God commands us not to covet anything. But, and this is the most beautiful caveat you can … [Read more...]
Ask a Trooper
Question: Can you talk about how people need to make proper turns? I see a lot of unsafe maneuvers when it comes to turning. Answer: Drivers who turn improperly cause many traffic crashes. Move safely into the correct lane well ahead of the place where you will make the actual turn. • Slow down before turning. Signal your intent at least 100 feet before the turn. Signals … [Read more...]
We’ll Weather the Weather Whether or Not We Like It
Everywhere I go, something is there waiting for me. It's called the weather. On this August day, a heaviness hung in the air, brought on by heat and humidity. It was stifling. Archie Bunker's famous catchphrase "Stifle yourself" was directed at his sweet wife Edith in the classic TV show "All in the Family." This August day would have stifled Edith without need of … [Read more...]
Time in a Bottle?
By Angela Denstad Time and again we talk about the weeks flying by, we compare the current weather to that of past seasons, we remark on the changes we notice from year to year. Whether small talk or the most profound poetical musings, it all amounts to more or less the same thing: Time passes. And as it does, there’s comfort in predictability, a familiar grounding of … [Read more...]