In our block (Burr Oak Drive) in Albert Lea over half of the homes have been bought in the last 3 years – some bought and sold again in the same three years. About 12 of the new owners are immigrants.
You could say “Burr Oak is an international block.”
Genie received the following from a retired classmate registered nurse living in Delaware that really summarized some of the feelings of the new resident home owners on Burr Oak Drive in Albert Lea.
Your car is German.
Your Vodka is Russian.
Your Pizza is Italian.
Your Kebab is Turkish.
Your Democracy is Greek. Your coffee is Brazilian.
Your Movies are American.
Your Tea is Tamil.
Your shirt is Indian.
Your oil is Saudi Arabian.
Your electronics are Chinese.
Your Numbers are all Arabic.
And you complain that your new neighbor is an immigrant??
Pull yourself together!!
P.S. I would like to add:
Many of “our” Twins Baseball team members are also immigrants!!
P.S.S.: In my family tree the parents plus children migrated to the United States through Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty with all their belongings in one big trunk. (I have seen the trunk with all kinds of stickers and words on the outside of the trunk. There are big bold letters on the trunk top – U.S.A.) They arrived on an ocean going vessel and settled in Minnesota. Their offspring were three sons: One medical doctor in Minneapolis, one a banker in Waseca, and my grandfather a farmer north of St. Olaf Lake.
In looking at the ads of local companies wanting to hire people, I noticed some interesting things. For example:
A. The lowest advertised wage was $20.00 per hour with the highest of $$32…per hour.
B. A sign-on bonus.
C. If presently employed send resume what it would take to move and why.
D. Clothing provided including dry cleaning.
E. Four day work week of 8 hours paid for 10 hours of work.
F. Employer provided free transportation to and from work.
G. Mileage allowance to and from work.
In the English language, a “toper” is one that drinks too much at each sitting. In bird language it is a bird that drinks too much at one sitting and goes into a stupor. The bird will set for minutes unmovable at the location where he was perched. (Usually at a feeder of water and red coloring in a glass that has fermented.) We have an adult male hummingbird that comes to a feeder early every morning drinks til in a stupor, flies away after recovering, then 2 or 3 times in the day til the last time just before dusk. Genie is in the process of making a very, very small flask of juice for the male hummer this October to be sure he makes it to his winger in South America.
P.S. The male hummer reminds me of the area Minnesotans flying south for the winter and returning about the same time ass the hummers.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.