Born in a Barn

My brother, David, called me today with some news. It seems a column I did a few years back turned up at the Bonanzaville Museum in Fargo, North Dakota. It is on a plaque that sits next to the frist Steiger tractor ever built. Dave got the heads up from Gene Waterworth who works at …

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Freshly Shoveled

I love the look of a well shoveled sidewalk. There’s nothing that improves the “curb appeal” of a home during winter in Minnesota more than snow that knows its place. The act of removing snow welcomes people during the holidays, provides a little exercise (consult your doctor,) and creates the illusion that you are in …

Freshly Plowed

This weeks entry is a sister column to one I wrote a few weeks ago titled, “Freshly Shoveled.” This column at first may seem like more effort on my part to make the mundane seem even more mundane when written about but it is less about the act of plowing than the actor. This week …

Saturday Morning

I awake to the my shrill, cheap alarm clock. I purchased the alarm clock in 1987 as part of a package that came with a plug in phone; both pieces are pink but came from a time when I was more interested in cheap than in manly, I guess. On my week-end off, I will …

Reading is Fundamental

I used to read much more often than I do today. When I was younger, I read for pleasure and enjoyed the richly-detailed books of Stephen King. Today, I normally read for information instead of pleasure, but I still value reading as a valuable skill and a gift of my youth. We were surprised this …

What was that?

What was that? What is free and can make life easier and rewarding? What is something almost everyone can perform but few perform well? We all need to talk and we all need to listen; few of us do both well and most perform just one task with any success. The answer to the first …

Why I write

I like to analyze myself; asking questions about the motivation for doing what I do is fairly entertaining and it is cheaper than ordering HBO for the winter. I’ve spent a fair amount of time during the last nine years keeping track of life and my experiences in print. This week I want to explore …

Gran Torino

Lisa and I watch most movies at home. When we go to the theatre, it’s either we want the whole theatre experience (i.e. popcorn, big-screen, blueberry slushie, buttery hand-holding) or because we can’t wait the 3 months for the show to release on DVD. Last week we saw “Gran Torino” and during the next five …

My workplace

I just wanted to share a picture of where I write my column and producce my little radio program. Our cat, Magoo, regularly sits just in fronmt of the screen. He is very nice but is of no help in writing or producing and as such should not be offered either praise for the quality …

Love in a Lunch Pail

I like to eat; it’s a fact. I like food most often found at church potluck which is indicative of my upbringing both as it pertains to faith and to sustenance. There is something deeper about food, however, it’s more about safety and comfort and having enough than just being full. These are feelings most …