A cow chip is no chocolate chip. I don’t see many cow chip cookies where I hang out. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I was floating happily on the raft of life when I was voluntold to take part in a cow chip throwing contest—a crazy sport that has gone platinum. Voluntold is when someone volunteers you to do something. In a weak moment, I agreed to do it. I … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Lord, to whom shall we go?
Rev. Peter J. Haugen St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Whenever death openly invades our lives, it is a violently painful experience. Death is always present for us in this vale of tears, though we typically blind ourselves to his presence. Life here moves inevitably towards death, whether it is sudden and catastrophic or lingering and agonizing, and we are all of us … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Something sinister? The four legends of Ghost Hollow
Was it just the wind or something more sinister? “Never would I venture alone into the dreaded Ghost Hollow,” wrote David Beckman about his 1940s boyhood on a farm between Houston and La Crescent. His father told him the story of a hanging in Ghost Hollow, where the man’s ghost still roamed throughout that coulee, “spooking all who dared intrude into his domain.” David’s uncle … [Read more...]
Feel free to sing along even if you’re not in the shower
“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometime you’ll find. You get what you need.” Those words were written by the noted philosophers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. One year, I wanted a Rolling Stones record album. I liked the Stones. Still do. I believed in the triumph of hope over experience, but no one must have heard my constant … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – A wonderful October
Again we have come through a time of year that when it is passed, brings a sense of relief and rest. The deadlines of processing foods from the garden before spoilage sets in have been reached. The fresh garden vegetables are settled on the cellar shelves, or they are at rest in the deep freeze. Now I can look forward to equally-pressing work that has been set aside while … [Read more...]
Trying to survive mom-life on empty? This recipe changed everything for me!
Mom-life is no joke; but we often don’t take it seriously. Sure, keeping little people alive is serious, but the person who holds the “mom” title is often an afterthought. For many years, I ignored my mom-nutrition, and my whole family suffered for it. I’ve learned the hard way, that there is a better way. Recovering from my first daughter’s birth nine years ago was … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Many-colored grace
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley Fall is a favorite time of year for me and for many. There is nothing that surpasses a cool fall evening followed by a warm fall day, low humidity, and the sight of brilliant multi-colored leaves against a bright blue sky. I look forward to going on … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past From farmland to gold fields and back again
It was a life-changing journey for those of European descent who first settled southeast Minnesota in the 1850s, especially for those having recently immigrated across the Atlantic Ocean. But one of the most colorful journeys was that of eventual Spring Grove resident Anders Brynildsen Foss, who before crossing the Mississippi River in 1854 had not only crossed the Atlantic but … [Read more...]
Real Bites: Saxon Hall along The Great River Road
As travelers gaze at the beauty and wonder of Historic Bluff Country – chiseled bluffs, winding roads, deer crossing roads in angst, the peacefulness of farmscapes, and waterways pushing toward the storied Mississippi River – they may find themselves in a traffic jam in a town of less than 700 people. A Saturday night in the little town of Brownsville, Minn., attracts a crowd … [Read more...]
A Bigfoot saw me but nobody believes him
My name is Batt. I’m a private investigator. I get $5 a day minus expenses. I’ve been meaning to write a business plan. I sat in my smoke-filled office located in my obscure corner of the world. I don’t smoke, but some things shouldn’t be reheated in a microwave. The leisure suit I wore matched any gravy stain. I’d learned plenty from the patter of tough talkers … [Read more...]