They were checking to see if I were an alien life form. I appreciated their efforts because I’d always wondered if I might be one. I was placed on my back and slid headfirst into a magnetic tube. It looked as if it’d be possible to get a tan while I was in there. I’d never been in a luge, but I felt as if I was in a sled on which one races in a supine position. By … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – In the Valley, There Was a Village Named Winnebago Valley
Winnebago Creek flows through a valley in Winnebago Township and before it crosses into Jefferson Township (southeasternmost township in Houston County), there once was a town in the winding valley called Winnebago Valley. The town, about five miles (as the crow flies) west of the Mississippi River, has long since faded away; all that remains is a privately-owned National … [Read more...]
Butter and Mud
As I write this, I find myself skating across a thin layer of frozen mud, propelled by 3,500 gallons of manure. No, this is not an attempt at extreme sports; it’s just another day on the farm. Don’t try this at home, friends, but yes, I often write in the field, while driving a tractor and hauling manure. It’s one of the quirky perks of farm life – where multitasking is a … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Come Back to the Table
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free I sometimes get angry at God. With the twists and turns of life, over the mountains and valleys that we all must transverse I have accumulated a myriad of tears and trials that can weigh like lead on my heart. Questions that seem lost in a vast abyss of silence … why not just run away; rail on God’s big powerful … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Churners, Chinners and Red Brick Dust
By Lee Epps Her oldest sibling, 14-year-old Walter, was understandably disappointed when she was born. After all, he already had five younger sisters. But young Adelia Schumacher would be tomboy enough to catch and shag the baseballs cousin Julius “swatted when Walt honed his pitching skills.” Adelia (Schumacher) Sievert (1913-2001) left a written account of growing up on a … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – The Lenten Experience, Together
By Rev. Anders Nelson Mabel-Henrytown Tri-Point Parish - Mabel First Lutheran Church, Scheie Lutheran Church and Henrytown Lutheran Church For many Christians around the world, these weeks are the beginning of the Lenten season, a season that might be most recognized by the cross of ash many people wear on Ash Wednesday to start the season and, for many people, a Lenten fast … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – Jack’s Story (continued)
Howdy, folks! It is good to be with you one more time. To review, my name is Jack. I am a German Shepherd. I was invited to live in southern Wisconsin, and I adopted a boy. He comes with a mom and a dad, so they are mine, too. I grew up there, and I am the king. I am three years old. Folks remark at how handsome I am. I have silver-sable coloring. But that is not my … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Naming Oneself Christian is No Small Thing
By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist Teaching and leading a group of young people towards the day when they confirm their commit-ment to Christianity is a challenge and a privilege for clergy. I take this role very seriously. In this world of ours, naming oneself Christian is no longer a given. And it never should be. Naming oneself Christian comes with a … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – AI – and it’s Not What You Think
Long before the current AI craze, farmers were knee-deep in “AI” every single day – but this was a whole different kind of artificial intelligence. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could run algorithms to predict the stock market, or write you a Shakespearean sonnet on demand. Nope, this was the real deal: Artificial Insemination. And I’ll tell you what, if they’re giving out … [Read more...]
The Table of Infinite Knowledge at the Eat Around It Cafe
I’d walked by one of those little free libraries on my way to the cafe. It shushed me. We needed one of those libraries when The Table of Infinite Knowledge gathered at the Eat Around It Cafe. It’s a playground during recess. It’s a place where the world sometimes makes sense. That’s all we ask. It was right smart weather we were having. “Right smart” means … [Read more...]