It would be hard to enjoy Christmas present if one didn't reminisce about Christmases past. Everyone has different memories - some happy, some sad.  What is your most memorable Christmas event?

My dad was never one who wanted to go out and buy gifts for people because he said he never knew what to buy, but he did make many special gifts with his own two hands.

My dad was a carpenter by trade, and always seemed to have a hammer and nails in his hands and some ideas in his head. One of the first gifts that he made me for Christmas was a cradle for my baby doll. I rocked many baby dolls to sleep with my cradle. 

A few years later he made me a small kitchen cupboard, which I played “house" with for a number of years. That cupboard also provided some great times many years later for my girls, and now all four of my mother’s great-grandchildren play with that cupboard when they come to her house to visit.

I remember one year that my dad did go to the store to buy my sister and I Christmas presents. He bought new nighties for Kaye and I. Mine was pink and Kaye’s was blue. They were a little large for us at the time but we wore them anyway and we grew into them. I think I still have mine tucked away someplace.

The year we went to visit my sister, Kaye, in Arizona, he made small decorative cactus while we were on vacation out of barbed wire and then painted them with light aqua paint.

The trip to Arizona was always a treat and we marveled at the many houses that were so elaborately covered with Christmas scenes and decorations. In particular there were twin brothers who always tried to out do the other. At one of the brothers' homes we were invited to come inside to see the bears, trains, nativity sets, and Santa jumping into the swimming pool.

To our surprise, while my mother was visiting with their mother, who was also in Arizona for a visit at the time, my mother shared that we were from Minnesota.  The mother exclaimed, "When my husband was alive we used to go to St. Olaf Lake and camp."

Needless to say, it was a great day for all of us. How important is St. Olaf Lake that someone would come a half a continent away to camp there? 

Looking at the many beautiful homes decorated for Christmas this year I remember the year that my dad cut a life size nativity set out of plywood.  I believe that he had ordered a kit which provided life-size pictures/people and animals that he was able to glue on to plywood. Once that had been accomplished he cut around each of the figures and mounted bases on to them so that they would stand. He also made a cradle for the baby Jesus to sleep in. 

When it was time to put the nativity set out each Christmas he would visit one of the local farmers and pick up a few bales of straw that he would put around the nativity set on the front lawn below my sister and my bedroom window. He even cut a star out of wood and placed a light inside of it and placed that above the nativity scene. He also put speakers outside and we played Christmas music that people could listen to as they drove by our home each Christmas. (I really miss my dad.)

When my parents moved to St. Olaf Lake, and Daryl and I and our girls moved into the home that I grew up in, we put the nativity set out on our front lawn for a number of years at Christmas time too.

My mother was also crafty and she made my sister and me special handmade gifts in those early years. She made clothes for our dolls, and made sure each of us a new homemade Christmas dress each year.

I remember the first time that my mother didn't make my sister and I Christmas dresses for our Sunday school program. My grandmother had been in the hospital before Christmas and my mother wasn't able to make us dresses that year, so she brought home Christmas dresses for us that she had bought at Wallace’s in Albert Lea. Kaye and I were thrilled. We thought that would prevent my mother from having to make last minute stitches on our dresses as we were going out the door for our Christmas programs.  

Wait a minute, if memory serves me right the skirts on the dresses were too long and too big, so my mother decided at the last minute that she had better try and shorten them a bit.

The year that Queen Products in Albert Lea was on strike, which I believe was in the mid-1970s, members of the Union gave Christmas gifts to kids of those men who were on strike and weren't bringing home a weekly paycheck. Our daughter, Krista, was fortunate to get the baby doll that she had wished for from one of the members of the union and she thought that she had the best Christmas present ever. Ironically, the person who bought and then gave the doll to Krista was my mother’s cousin, Chuck Lee. He didn't realize at the time who the gift would be given to.

Christmas trees have always been an important part of Christmas for our family too, and we always wanted to make sure that we had the most beautiful tree.  For years we would visit one of the local tree farms so we could pick out the best Christmas tree we could find. If memory serves me right, the last live Christmas tree we had came from our dear friend, Clarice Pence. A tree she had on her lawn was getting too big and interfered with her neighbors’ view when backing out of their driveway. The tree had to go, so we bought it and used it for our Christmas tree that year. Slowly the Christmas needles started to fall off the tree and by the time Christmas arrived our Christmas tree had lost all its needles and we called it our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

Our family starting baking Christmas cookies back when the kids were young and once we had the cookies all baked, the kids would put them on plates and share them with our neighbors, family and friends. Years later when I got the news that I would have to have my leg amputated the first week in December, we baked our cookies a little bit earlier that year, more or less as a diversion so that we didn't have to think about what was ahead.

I was scared that my kids would think less of me because I wasn't going to be "all there," so to speak. Once the surgery was over, they came into my room at the hospital, climbed up on the bed, asked lots of questions, accepted what had taken place and wondered if I would be home in time for Christmas. Following the surgery, I begged my doctors to let me go home for Christmas, which they did, and our family has continued to have many special Christmases together.

Few of the valuable things in life "just happen." Whoever has a heart full of love always has something to give. Write a letter to your child or grandchild describing all the things you most love and enjoy about them and then present it as a special holiday gift.

I hope over the Christmas holiday you will share some of your Christmas memories with your family. No matter whether you are together or apart, all hearts go home for Christmas because love is always there.

This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:

• Thursday, December 18th: Mary Torgerson, Catherine Suzanne Olson, Scott Lang, Chris O'Byrne, Margaret (Mugsy) Swearingen, Gavyn Tlamka

• Friday, December 19th: LaJune Hagen, Kathy Peterson, Jerry Thompson, Sheryl Tracy, Loren Haroldson, Cheryl Utpadel, James & Barb Bremmer, Chris & Jennifer Paulson, Jerry & Bev White

• Saturday, December 20th: Corlyn Paulsen, Kyle Johnson, Laurie Swift, Deb Whelan, Odean & Andrea Johnson

• Sunday, December 21st: Audriene Nelson, Nancy Rich, Liz Wangness, Darin Rhodes, Brandon Hagen, Dave & Tammy Peterson, Duane & Cheryl Lembke

• Monday, December 22nd: Destiny Rita Hill, David Arends, Pam Cook, Gary Dobberstein, Tracy Dulas, Julie Jensen Wichman, Ed Nelson, Nikki Toft Schumaker, Barbara Zamora, Bryce Hanson, Jamie Jensen

• Tuesday, December 23rd: Vicki Richards, Jonika Otto Wing, Jess Dunlap, Paitin DuBois, Julie Cornelius, Keith Severson, Carol Schultz, Sophia Swift, Burt & Carla Scripture

• Wednesday, December 24th: Christmas Eve!  Barbara Mrotz, Brooke Reese, Craig Paulsen, Anna Louise Fuerniss, Susan Oolman

It is the time of year when I seem to get restless and start thinking about Christmas and all of the festivities. This was always my Mother’s favorite time of year and I still get that kid-like feeling whenever I hear the old standby Christmas carols being played in stores and over the radio. I really believe that the Christmas season brings out the kid in a lot of us.

As a kid I used to love walking along Broadway and seeing all the store windows nicely decorated for the season. You always knew it was that magical time of the year when the talking mechanical Santa would appear in the window of the Skinner-Chamberlain Department Store. Santa could be many places at once because there was another one that sat above the door at the Queen Stoves factory. You can actually see that same Santa today if you drive on Front Street because he is above the door of Lou-Rich waving just like he has done for years.

All the shopping was done Downtown and there were many stores to visit. Not only were JC Penney, Montgomery Wards and Sears located there but there were many clothing stores plus Gambles, Coast-to-Coast and of course the Skinner Chamberlain Department store. I can remember what an occasion it was when Skinner’s got that escalator put in. My friend Kenny asked his mom and dad if I could ride along with them to town to see the escalator. What a marvel that was and what a state of the art store it was for our little town. Not only did it have an elevator with an operator but now it had that escalator – just like the big cities. Us kids couldn’t get enough of that thing on that Friday night.

The stores were usually open late on Friday nights and before Christmas they would be also stay open late on Thursdays. Driving down Broadway at night during the Christmas season was always special because the colorful Christmas lights were crisscrossed across the intersections on Broadway and even on the Northside for a few years. It seems that like so many old traditions Christmas is more about “Black Friday” and the deals you can get than the celebration itself. Years ago you could drive around town and most houses had some sort of Christmas lights now it almost seems like Halloween has more lights than Christmas. I was lucky enough to attend country school (Hammer) where each year we had a Christmas program that I always looked forward to.

As a kid, the season, to me was about the music, the yummy goodies that you never got the rest of the year and of course the presents. I can remember my mother setting up the ironing board to use for wrapping presents and I always got that certain tingling of excitement whenever she would ask me to leave the room because I knew that she was wrapping a present for me.

Christmas isn’t all about presents but to a young child it is the more than likely the best part. The Sunday School Christmas program was our chance to celebrate the reason that we have this season in the first place. It was a big event and we would spend the Saturdays before the big day rehearsing our parts. Our little church would be filled to the point of overflowing and after the program we always got that brown paper sack of goodies which contained hard candy, cream chocolate drops, peanuts and an apple.

 I don’t believe that there is a better experience than hearing the laughter and the excitement in the voices of little children at Christmas. As a parent I always wanted to give the boys things that I would have wanted to get when I was a child. It’s never foolproof however especially with my oldest son Brian because it never seemed to fail that the present that he wanted most in the whole world would be discarded a day or two before the magical night and be replaced by something totally different. Unfortunately Santa already had the first gift in the bag so the new one would have to wait for the next year. Speaking of Santa, we had a visit from him one Christmas Eve at my Grandpa and Grandma Herfindahl’s. He came busting through the front door handing out goody bags of candy and apples to us kids all the while laughing a jolly laugh that reminded me a lot of Uncle Ben’s. Come to think of it, where was Uncle Ben?

Each year at about this time I start scouting the grocery stores looking to see who has my favorite delicacy, the cherished dish that we Norwegians call lutefisk. Yes I will be trolling the grocery aisles in search of that tasty morsel so that we can eat our fill on Christmas Eve.

I have told the story many times of my coming of age in the eyes of my elders by being permitted to sit at the “adult table” and partake of that tasty dish. My cousin Bill on my mother’s side liked to eat lutefisk but his wife Cleo would not let him fix it in their house because of the smell. I guess that I have become immune to any kind of odor that it may or may not give off while being boiled because it all smells like Christmas to me.

Until next time, be careful when venturing out on the thin ice and remember it’s always time well spent when you spend it in our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers; especially during this holiday season. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

Every Christmas, I suspect the same thing.

What’s that?

That the makers of clamshell packaging and the manufacturers of adhesive bandages are in cahoots.

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors—both named Bruce—who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: Each year, my Christmas tree gets smaller. Each year, my list of good wishes for others grows longer.

The cafe chronicles

I limped into the café.

Someone asked, “What happened to you?”

I didn’t know. I reckon I’ve reached the stage of life when I can limp for no apparent reason.

In a day when we like to be able to see another Starbucks from the Starbucks we’re standing in, I love small-town cafes, places where the food is so good, it could all be cheese.

I took a drink of water. As a clump of ice from the glass struck me in the face, I thought of something that comedian Jim Gaffigan had said, that mashed potatoes are the ice cream of potatoes.

The Village Inn had real mashed potatoes and it had the appreciation of a community. I’ve often said that I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like except for a potato salad that I once met in a dark alley. Real mashed potatoes are real good.

I don’t have many strong feelings about food. I like what I like, but I do believe that you can never go wrong with red Kool-Aid or red Jell-O—that goes without saying. There is no shortcut to town for me, but I went in for the Village Inn’s last day. I encountered Duane and Kathy Spooner of Hartland there. Kathy was eating a fish dinner as Duane watched. I asked why he wasn’t feeding at the trough. Duane replied, “It’s my turn to eat tomorrow.”

Some may say that marriage gives a man a woman who will stand behind him while rolling her eyes, but Duane knows that marriage is the art of compromise.

I’ll miss the Village Inn.

A doll for a doll

I was whittling down my Christmas shopping list. I write things down so that I won’t be troubled by rememories. Rememories are when I try to remember something I just remembered and then forgot. I love my family, but shopping makes me as happy as I was on the day the car wash shrunk my car. I figured coal would be a proper gift for most of those on my list. They’d be pleased that I’d consider them still capable of devilment. I’d get my brothers-in-law the usual lutefisk TV dinners, which include peas and mashed potatoes. Those dinners are the opposite of a rememory. They will try to forget them, but will be unable. A young girl in my family indicated that she wanted a specific doll for Christmas. The one she wanted had a price tag three times what I’d paid for my first car. And that included a spare tire. I suggested that we buy the head of the doll this Christmas and then each year, we buy another body part for the doll. My wife nixed that suggestion because of its macabre quality. She was right, of course. Wives have that disturbing habit. I’m giving my little granddaughter something she can use for Christmas—a brand new grease gun.

A day in the life

I’d visited at a nursing home after ringing the bells for the Salvation Army. I was feeling about as thankful as a fellow could feel. Later, I did a book signing at Book World. As I scribbled my name in a childish scrawl in the books, I asked, “How do you say ‘caramel.’” Is it CARE-uh-mell, KAR-ah-mehl or CAR-mull? Some people just call it that chewy, sweet candy.

How did Winston Churchill say it? If Winston Churchill were here today, I’d be surprised.

Caramel is like this holiday. People give different names to their good wishes. I appreciate them all, but I say a heartfelt, “Merry Christmas.”

Talking with the Holstein

The Holstein is a retired dairy cow, so she has time to talk. I groused about a mistake I’d made.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully before saying, “Sometimes you have to make a mistake or you’ll never know that it is one.”

Nature notes

A bird feeder and black oil sunflower seeds make an entertaining Christmas gift that keeps on giving.

Meeting adjourned

Maya Angelou said, “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

I’d add that a kind act or a kind word could be that rainbow.

Funeral services for Philip Hansen age 89 of rural Albert Lea, were held on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. from Central Freeborn Lutheran Church,  Pastor Matt Griggs officiating.  Burial was at North Freeborn Cemetery.  Online condolences are welcome at www.bayviewfuneral.com

Philip died on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014 at the Good Samaritan Center where he had lived the last year and a half.

Philip Hansen was born on Aug. 31, 1925 on a farm near Clarks Grove, the son of Manford and Stella (Pederson) Hansen. Philip grew up on his family’s farm and graduated from Albert Lea High School. On October 27, 1947 he married Verdelle M. Demmer at the Hartland Lutheran Church. Philip was a member of the North Freeborn Lutheran Church until it closed, and then became a member of Central Freeborn. He belonged to the Elks Lodge, the Eagles Club and was an active member

Funeral Services for Helen Katherine Pechacek (Miller), of Madison, WI, formerly of Ellendale, and Willmar, MN, were held at 1:30 P.M. on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale, MN.  The Reverend Richard Sliper officiating.  Interment was in Graceland Cemetery.  Bonnerup Funeral Service is assisting the family.

Helen died on Friday, December 12, 2014 at Oak Park Place in Madison, WI.  She was 95.

She was born on December 23, 1918, in Pickerel Lake Township, Minnesota, the daughter of Hans and Agnes (Sorenson) Miller.  She lived with the family on a farm and graduated from Albert Lea High School.  She moved to Owatonna to work as a live-in housekeeper and clerk in a sweet shop. She met her husband, Clayton at a church youth group.  During the war, she moved to Seattle to work as a welder in the shipyards.

Memorial services for Lorraine H. Haug were held at 11 A.M. Monday, December 8, 2014 at LeSueur River Lutheran Church near New Richland, MN.  Pastor Brian Gegel officiated. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at church.  A private committal service was held at the LeSueur River Lutheran Cemetery.

 Lorraine Harriet Haug passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at Homestead Hospice House in Owatonna.  She was 87.  Lorraine was born on April 29, 1927 to Hazel and John Hagen.  Lorraine grew up in the New Richland area.  She was baptized on June 5, 1927 and confirmed on June 22, 1941 at LeSueur River Lutheran Church.  Lorraine attended country school near the church and graduated from New Richland in 1944.

Jesse F. Rieck, age 93, of Waseca, MN, passed away Saturday, December 6, 2014, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis.

Memorial services were held on Friday, December 12, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. at the McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory of Waseca, with Rev. Roger Haug, officiating.  Interment with military honors will be at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Jesse Ferdinand was born on February 23, 1921 in Waseca to Lewis and Olga (Possin) Rieck.  He graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis and shortly thereafter enlisted in the U.S. Army.  Jesse served his country for 20 years, serving in the Army, Marines, and Air Force branches and was active during WWII and the Korean War.  Jesse completed his 26 year military career at the

Ruth Christine “Ruthie” Bently, of rural Waseca died Thursday, November 27 at Hillcrest Health Care Center in Mankato, after an eight-month battle with cancer. 

Ruthie was born July 27, 1955, in Chicago, IL, to John N. and Gladys R. Bently. She graduated from Deerfield High School in 1973. On July 25, 1981, at Zion Lutheran Church of Deerfield, IL, she married H. Clayton Summers of Conway, PA; the couple divorced in 1988.  Throughout her life, Ruthie was a knowledgeable and compassionate advocate for animals and animal rights; she held a number of jobs in the pet care industry, including managing the pet department at Chalet Nursery in Wilmette, Il., and  being on the writing team for various animal care broadcasts and on-line advice columns. She also worked for some local businesses, including Young America Keying and Duct Doctor Ltd of rural New Richland, MN.

Eldred “Buzz” Mitchell Sybilrud, 88, of Locust Grove, passed away at his home, Monday morning, November 17, 2014 with his family by his side. Eldred was born on August 9, 1926 to Edgar and Mabel (Larson) Sybilrud in Minnesota. He married Lois Elaine Esklund on June 26, 1948 in Waseca, Minnesota. Buzz worked at M B Electronics Co. Then became a regional technical manager for National Technical Systems in California for many years before retiring and moving to Lake of the Woods, Va. in 1989. He was a member of the Lake of the Woods church. Survivors include his wife Lois Elaine Esklund; sister, Audrey Jensen; sons, David and Jeffrey; daughter, Linda and husband Ed Boren; and four grandchildren.

Graveside services were held on Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 1 p.m. at Lauren Hill