Besides the picnics, parades and fireworks that typically happen on the Fourth of July, I had the opportunity to attend the program event put on by the Fillmore County Historical Society. It provided its viewers with a window into the past. On July 5, at the site of the Fillmore County Museum located in Fountain, Minnesota, nearly 100 guests crowded the landscape to enjoy … [Read more...]
Start With Your Shopping Cart
By Sara Mensink Over the last two years, my husband and I have slowly been making small changes to live a more sustainable life. This new way of thinking started while I was pregnant with our son. Having a child made us stop and ask ourselves what changes we could make to create a healthier, more intentional life for our family. There’s so many ways to go about this and … [Read more...]
An American Classic
By Rose Korabek Which historic food has no reservations about being served at a Minnesota farm table or on prestigious Capitol Hill? Was a Minnesota senator behind this culinary staple being served almost daily at Senate restaurants for about the past 125 years? As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, let’s talk about an American classic, the humble but iconic bean soup, … [Read more...]
Happy Independence Cake!
Time and again, tastes change, and once beloved traditions fade to memory. In our modern 24/7 newsfeed societies, where we have social media misinformation and TikTok trends continually assaulting our senses, it’s a wonder anyone can recall what they had for breakfast, let alone what they read last week. Whether that’s by design or simply symptomatic of the Information Age we … [Read more...]
Hello? Do You Copy?
One of the biggest problems with flying a paramotor is that you can’t really share the experience with someone. Sure, you can take pictures. You can tell stories. You can point to the sunset and say, “You should have seen it from up there!” But it’s not quite the same. So I thought I had partially solved the problem. I bought a helmet with communications built in so I could … [Read more...]
Party of Seven!
And just like that - we are Gerdes, party of seven!! You know when you’re 4 and you’re excited about being a “whole handful” when you turn 5? Well, I feel like I just turned 5 - a whole handful of treasure! It’s quite the adventure having a baby within the same week as you get a teenager. Our oldest turned 13 and seven days later, our youngest was born. To say we’re having … [Read more...]
Twisted or Straight?
It all happened one evening in April when my husband was at his men’s Bible Study. Shadows lengthened as the springtime sun descended. Winds whistled past our windows. Trees branches bounced briskly in the strong breezes. But inside our over 100-year-old dwelling, it was calm and comfortable. This old farmhouse has stood strong against many harsh storms over its six … [Read more...]
Of Princesses and Peas
By Angela Denstad Time and again, life offers us opportunities to question what we thought we had already learned. We take as universal truth the stories we were told in childhood, or facts we were taught at school, and we fail to question them further. They remain fixed in our minds as the bricks out of which we construct reality. While it’s certainly helpful to have some … [Read more...]
A Ride on Sunday Afternoon
When a girl gets asked by her sweetheart to join him for a ride on Sunday afternoon, why not do it? My husband suggested we take a trip to view the Virginia Bluebells down in the river valley near our farm. On our way we were delighted to see pink puffs of apple blossoms. Along with that we spied dead, gray trees which made holes in the verdant spectacle to see through. … [Read more...]
Thyme & Again – Dressing for Success
By Angela Denstad Time and again, when life gets hard, little adages and bits of advice spring to mind. It’s tempting to gather them all together, reasoning there must be some greater truth to be compiled from all the individual bits of collective wisdom imparted to us over the course of our years. In difficult times, we seek solutions; in times of grief, we seek solace. And … [Read more...]