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...]
My 2023 marriage needs this. Does yours?
Sneaking down the creaky stairs of my old farmhouse, I popped my earbuds in for a few quiet minutes of the Family Life Today podcast before my kids were roused. I wasn’t expecting what I heard but it was exactly what my marriage needed… maybe yours does too? (I’ll share it below!) My husband and I are actually doing something new in 2023. We’re making a vision board for our … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Watchdog a better solution than a train ticket to North Dakota
Second of a series Referred to as vagrants, bums or tramps, these men on the move often moved through southeastern Minnesota during the early years of settlement in the mid-to-late 1800s. Some were heavy drinkers, disheveled in appearance and possibly ill mannered. Even some who were obviously well bred and highly educated preferred an existence through charity rather than … [Read more...]
You couldn’t buy a single green Dot in the outhouse
By Al Batt It was back when rocks were soft and coffee came in only one size — a cup. The old house creaked and groaned in the cold weather. The house exists only in my memory. It fell to age. Leonard Cohen wrote and sang in “Anthem,” “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” It’s hard to argue with that, but our old house had enough … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Don’t sleep on recycling
By Maggie Lile As many of us know, climate change and environmental protection are both headlining issues of today. Landfills, a tool originally put in place to combat pollution put into our environment, have actually resulted in some pretty negative side effects; harmful gas is released into our atmosphere, as well as natural habitats are often destroyed in order to put … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Harmful never, mysterious ever
First of a series They were not thieves or vandals, recalled Ingrid Julsrud abut the vagabonds she encountered during her youth in the village of Houston. Called tramps, hoboes and bums, they were regarded as harmless or at worst, a nuisance “They never harmed anyone. To us kids, they were a source of wonder, curiosity and mystery.” It was all during an era before public … [Read more...]
New year, new goals…
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free Everyone runs to the gym, memberships spike, diet plans soar, fitness coaches, life coaches, all kinds of new year’s resolutions are being planned right now as I type. Those are all good things; do them, stick to them. But what if this year, instead of a new goal, we all grabbed hold of an ancient promise, a past … [Read more...]
My dirty Nativity
They’re still stuck in my head: “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Joy to the World,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Is it really over? Christmas 2022 is history and the New Year has dropped. Does that mean all we have left is ice and gloom? It might feel a bit like sailors who reach the stretch of water where they get stuck in the doldrums. There’s nothing to move … [Read more...]