This Thanksgiving we should collectively be thankful for at least one thing: Thanksgiving. When Thanksgiving was first experimented with going back to President George Washington, the intent was that Americans should pause and give thanks for a day when harvest season is over. That actual date was Thursday, November 26, 1789. In 1863 President Abraham … Continue reading "Thanksgiving for Thanksgiving’s Sake"

Strange and even scary events, things we wouldn’t normally think twice about, have been occurring in these parts and Halloween had nothing to do with them. For instance, maybe it isn’t odd anymore but going days without mail service is really amazing to me. We recently received Saturday’s mail on Sunday night about 7 pm. … Continue reading "Current Events Are Scarier Than Halloween "

The first time I heard the joke was years ago on WCCO radio between Boone and Erickson. Boone: “So, what did you do last weekend?” Erickson: “Oh, we went up north to the cabin.” Boone: “What did you do up there? Did you go fishing?” Erickson: “No, we mowed, raked, painted some trim and cleaned … Continue reading "Cottage Closing Caps Summer Splendor "

It’s funny how, once Labor Day is behind us, we start thinking about winter. It doesn’t matter that fall hasn’t even started yet. We notice the shorter days. We turn off the air conditioner and replace the furnace filter. Sweaters are retrieved from storage. Outside water is turned off. We practically hold a vigil for … Continue reading "Passing Through One Last Door Before Winter  "

Summer is over. That’s an indisputable fact. It’s my favorite season. Always has been. But that doesn’t mean I can make it continue. There is no conspiracy theory that summer didn’t exist or that it hasn’t really ended. At least I haven’t heard of one. Yet. Somehow, though, this summer has left me worn out. … Continue reading "Can Seasonal Change Fix Our Battles? "

“OK, kiddos, now that we’re back at school, your first assignment is to write a report about what you did this summer.” This obligatory tradition was something I grew to expect each year of elementary school starting about second grade when we could write complete sentences. And I looked forward to it. I wanted to … Continue reading "What We Did On Our Summer Vacations"

If you’re hoping to catch COVID-19 just to be over it forever, think again. Because the virus mutates often, we may never entirely escape it. We could catch a new version of it every year. Stay current on vaccinations, doctors say, because they can still help prevent serious complications if we catch a variant. I … Continue reading "COVID Case Causes Cautious Concern"

I can now check a few more things off my bucket list. This is due to the second pre-class reunion get-together of some of the boys from the Red Wing Central High School Class of 1973. With our 50-year reunion next year, we were supposed to start planning it. I didn’t think it also meant … Continue reading "The Boys of 1973 Take On Colorado"

When telephones were first demonstrated, callers weren’t sure what to say to someone they couldn’t see. In one such demonstration one side said, “How’s the weather there?” The excited reply was “Oh, we’re not having any!” OK, we know that even warm and sunny summer days are weather. We do, however, retain the right to … Continue reading "How’s Weather in Your Personal Microclimate? "

It was the July 4 holiday at the family summer cottage. What could go wrong over just three or four days? Plenty, as it turns out. Let’s just get the weather out of the way. We were stuck in a pattern of almost everything – warm, hot, cool and cold. We had it all. Not … Continue reading "Real Life Adventures of a Holiday Weekend "