As the boy crawled on his stomach with his face near the ground, there were about four inches of clean air below the smoke. No, he was not escaping a burning building. The building was not on fire, but it contained a fire. It was just one of many chores for young Warren Lange during the early 1930s on the family farm on South Ridge in Houston County. In the smoke house, there … [Read more...]
Spiritual affective disorder
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley You may have heard of “seasonal affective disorder,” a condition in which the shorter hours of sunlight during the winter months may affect a person’s moods and ability to cope with life effectively. I had an uncle who suffered from this disorder and … [Read more...]
I’ve decided to stop dancing on marbles and kicking snard
New Year’s Resolutions are something we hope other people make. There’s another year in the past. A riotous New Year’s Eve filled with hot and iced tea caused me to fall asleep before midnight. As my wife woke me for a kiss, I heard a crunching sound. That’s seldom a good thing. My wife mumbled she’d stepped on a cat toy. The cat toy turned out to be my eyeglasses that the new … [Read more...]
Avalanche
Have you ever had a project that grew and grew? Perhaps it was a job that had to be dealt with eventually, but you just did not have the right amount of time to get to it? Does that sound familiar? I had such a job awaiting my attention. Fortunately, I had set it aside in a remote room in my house. The saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” fits the situation. My job of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past In a hurry? Avoid the “milk runs”
Butter was a staple for the early settlers of southeast Minnesota. Before cooking oil, there was lard and butter for cooking and baking. Butter was on every dinner table for use with many foods. However, butter did not become a major commercial enterprise until dairying became a major agricultural pursuit in the 1880s. Raising hogs was the first large-scale livestock operation … [Read more...]
Love is in the air
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches Today I bought Valentine’s cards for my kid’s school classes- because if I don’t buy them early, I’m making a frantic shopping trip Febuary 12 and nobody wants that. And even over a month before Valentine’s day, there was a whole aisle of red and pink choices — because the world is ready to talk about … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project How the arts help student achievement
By Grace Torgerson When a school has budget cuts, often it is the arts that are the first activities to be cut. But why? The arts activities are often the ones that are most beneficial to high school students. Arts teach teamwork and cooperation, as well as many more specific skills, like playing an instrument or painting. When a student is involved in the arts there is a … [Read more...]
It’s snow joke — no day for a snow day
Have you ever had one of those days when everything went right? I haven’t either. A friend claims winter is a joke and the punchline is too long. Back when solitaire was played with actual cards, I was a newly minted teenager who was sure we wouldn’t have school because of a storm. I didn’t mind blizzards much in those olden days because they led to snow days. I like … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Theater superstitions
By Claire Solberg For many centuries people have enjoyed the art of the theater. In fact, the history of theater can be traced back to the 6th century B.C. where ancient Greeks were the first to enjoy a good show. Nowadays people can see theater almost anywhere they go, ranging from a small community theater production of “Annie” to a huge Broadway production of “Wicked.” … [Read more...]
Life of a puppy
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches My husband and I have a 1 ½-year-old black Labrador retriever; his name is Haka. Haka loves to do many things: play in the snow, play in the creek, play with the neighbor’s dog, … play just about anywhere and anytime! But Haka also loves to sleep. This morning, before he left for work, my husband … [Read more...]