Math was never my best subject. My high school algebra teacher, Ken Denny did his best. By the time I figured out how to balance equations, it was time for geometry. It seemed hopeless. Why did I have to figure out proofs? I was willing to accept whatever had been already been proven! I have memorized this formula: Family (friends) + delicious food (and plenty of it) = … [Read more...]
The wooden pencil and an orange weren’t in a Christmas bag
When my father was a boy, he got a wooden pencil and an orange for Christmas one year. If he’d had low expectations, they might not have been low enough. He was from a large family and Grandma didn’t give him a gift receipt so he could exchange the pencil and the orange for black licorice. He was forced to do his homework on orange peels. Years later, Grandma gave me an … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage
My “Milky Whey” day Today went quite well. Early in the morning, my husband gifted me with a bucket containing about three gallons of raw, chilled milk and its cream. He carried it from the milk house ready for my use. Since my refrigerator was already filled with all of the milk and cream I could use, I skimmed off the cream and dutifully began making butter. Mixing the … [Read more...]
Back when I was hot stuff and then some
“What are you looking at?” I heard the man’s voice when I was in Anzalduas County Park, nestled along the Rio Grande River in Mission, Tex. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I was having a swell time looking at birds — clay-colored thrush, vermillion flycatcher, northern beardless-tyrannulet, gray hawk and tropical parula. The park was filled with people cooking and … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Peddling while pedaling provided some money, plenty of hard work
Following World War II in the late 1940s and 1950s, the United States economy boomed, but not for many family farms and some farm communities. The business of family farming depended on all family members old enough to do chores. Sometimes, kids in town also had to help support the family. If the family did not have a business in town, the first childhood chore could be finding … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: We are in the season of Advent
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches Advent always falls at the darkest time of the year. In this part of the world, it is typically fully dark by supper time. Because of the darkness of night that arrives so early in Advent, a primary symbol of the season of Advent is LIGHT! We light Advent candles and talk about the coming of Christ, the … [Read more...]
Real Bites
Stellar 181 Taphouse There’s something pretty special happening in downtown Spring Valley, Minn. Stellar 181 Taphouse. But that’s not all. This has been years in the making. It started with a hair salon and spa, then a clothing boutique, then a dessert and cake specialty store... and then a restaurant. Chateau de Chic Salon & Spa, Chic by Chateau, Some Like It Hot, … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: Family, food, and funds
By Pastor Pam Seebach Harmony, Mabel, and Newburg United Methodist Churches How many of us sat down around our Thanksgiving table recently and professed to be thankful for our families? We ARE thankful for family, but where do we go from there? Thankfulness is a good start, but Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” when confronted by the crowd of people … [Read more...]
From mud pies to oatmeal within an eyeblink
It must have been the oatmeal that kept him going. A friend died recently. He was 101. He’d had a good run. I stayed at his place when I was a young fellow working around the Twin Cities. He and his wife were the kindest of our species. Breakfast was the same each morning. We’d sit at the kitchen table, surrounded by windows so we could watch the birds eat breakfast as we … [Read more...]
The Plant Lady: A magical vacation up north
As landscapers and flower farmers, folks are often curious as to what we do all winter long. Honestly, there is a lot of resting and healing our bodies. A vacation is often in order, especially if we have an exceptionally good year. While we typically travel south towards the warm weather, a few years back we were invited to a cooler destination to visit the North Pole. … [Read more...]