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...]
Pastor Devotions – Come, Jesus, and Come Again
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches A common phrase, when one doesn’t understand what the person in front of them just said is, “Come again?” In effect, you are asking them to repeat what they just said so that you might hear, and understand, the second time. We just experienced the coming of the Christ Child, a joyous event for those … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer – Brain Rot
Well, we did it again! How are we doing here at the end of 2024? I heard that the Oxford word of the year is “brain rot.” If the infant world of 2024 would have made a destination plan I don’t know that brain rot would have been on the itinerary. However, if we look at the ingredients being poured into the pot, our educated guess should have been like my brother who always knew … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Empty…
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free If your Christmas is different this year … the words caught my attention as I sat staring into the frost on the windowpane. I don’t know why my heart grabbed hold of this song; music had been playing all day long. Each tune a bliss filled sonnet of God’s great wonder, melodies saturated with the joy of the coming of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Nordic Nighttime Escapades of the Past (and Present?)
Julebukking, part three Kathleen Stokker, author of “Keeping Christmas; Juletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land” discovered that Norwegian-heritage settlements in the Midwest United States had widely engaged in julebukking (pronounced “YEW-luh-booking”), also known as “Christmas Fooling.” At the time, Stokker was not aware of any julebukking in her hometown of … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – “It’s Not Santa’s Job”
Excerpts from a play by Wenda Grabau©2014 Santa: “What a night! What a job! Everybody wants something from Santa Claus. Some kids are just out-right greedy. Some freeze when they get here and say nothing. Still others need a lot more than what they are asking for. (Sighs loudly and shakes his head.) I wish I could do more or those kids. I can say Santa will help, but he … [Read more...]
Nothing Says “Merry Christmas” Like Saying “Merry Christmas”
What child doesn’t love a tube of lip balm for Christmas? That’s because no child wants to miss a single minute of school because of chapped lips. Lip balm is better than bunny slippers. I received a pair as a gift one year and learned that they’re fiercely territorial. Some kids, after weeks of dedicated research, discover that if they really want something, they should … [Read more...]
Home Alone When “Creatures” Crowd the Kitchen
Part two of a series She was home alone that night when she heard some footsteps in the house. Her husband was away on a call as a veterinarian. No one in Spring Grove locked their doors back in the 1970s. Soon, 15 to 18 “creatures” entered the kitchen and formed a circle around her – surely alarming. No one said anything until finally, one approached and whispered that she … [Read more...]