Now that is an interesting word, “Flekkefest”.  It is a celebration held each summer in the scenic little town of Elbow Lake, MN.  This past weekend I erected my yellow and white striped canopy tent on the courthouse lawn with the intention of selling books. The courthouse is a beautiful building, built in the late 1800’s and in later years added on t0 to make it handicap accessible while still retaining its original architecture.   It sits on a hill at the…..

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Last week’s visit to the Big Stone County Fair was nostalgic for me since Clinton was my hometown.  This week I attended the Grant County Fair and that carried with it some nostalgia too.  In 1980 my teaching job at the Wheaton High School was cut to .8 of its original position.  Fortunately that cut never came to pass for unknown to me Herman High School, 17 miles down the road, was functioning  without a biology teacher for that same year.  So…..

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I’m sitting in my lounge chair listening to the roar of raindrops bouncing off our patio blocks. It is a welcome sound as it has been a dry spring and the garden as well as the pumpkin crop are in need of a drink. The sound of falling rain has been music to my years for as long as I can remember. I was a farm kid so falling rain was usually a welcome sound. Of course there were occasions…..

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We watched the graduation of our first grandchild today. I confess I enjoyed it more than the graduation of our own three children. I’m not sure why. With our own children I think there is a need to be “in control” which is not always possible when dealing with teenagers. It’s easier to release grandchildren to live their lives. Hopefully we will be able to experience this seven more times as seven more grandchildren continue to progress through the school…..

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