With Waseca Relay for Life June 21, ACS representative reminds us

I don't know who said it - or what the exact words are - but it goes something like this: "We don't inherit our land from our forefathers, we borrow it from our children."

Children have definitely come to mind at this time of year, with our college students graduating after years of intensive study, and high school graduates looking ahead to their continuing education. And fifth graders, who seem to attain a new found maturity when they realize next year they will be in "middle school.” Yes, it is on the lower level of high school, but they are eager to do their best until they can say they are seniors.

And then there are those five- and six-year-olds who have learned to read, write, spell and know figures. Their excitement and enthusiasm say, "I've made it!” "I can do these things," "I've passed the first step and now I know I can do it," "I've graduated.”

They don't set out to beat the world – they set out to do their best.

The tie that binds children to parents will be stretched to the limit as they now know the world and say “Here I come!” This "child of mine" is now a young man or lady who can read and write and knows the difference between a nickel and a quarter. Why shouldn't they feel self-confident?

It is amazing how much they know compared to what grandma or grandpa knew back when. There is more curiosity, self-confidence, and ability, and it seems to surface quicker. They are a product (or a victim) of a progressive, demanding civilization. 

There is a story about someone who thought they could help the butterfly emerge from its cocoon by helping it open. They crippled it instead. 

One can communicate expectations and make suggestions – but the child needs to do it on his own, in his way and in his own time.

Butterflies drink nectar from flowers for food. Children "drink" in knowledge, behavior, attitude, perseverance, patience, understanding and love, from experiences with others. Then they emerge as butterflies, ready to spread their wings and soar away.

If both parents work out of the home, their children do for themselves things that parents once thought they had to do for them. However, they will always want to know you are there, whether they’re babies or full grown adults.  You may clash on things you feel they should do or be - but the fact remains they are always your child, you’re their parent, and we know who is right. Right? 

Like a tree, the family branches in many directions – the leaves and blossoms may be different and spread out in different ways, but they still come from their family roots. Their growth depends upon what "foods" they are given.

Treasure your children. Enjoy their baby days; they grow up so fast. You'd have it no other way, but they will outgrow you. They will change the world and you along with it.

When I was a child I read a poem about a caterpillar and a butterfly.

A fuzzy caterpillar wiggled down a tree. 

He wiggled long, he wiggled short,

he wiggled right at me.

I put him in a box. "Don't go away," I said.

But when I looked again I saw a butterfly instead.

Now I could never make one, even if I tried.

Cause only Mother Nature can make a butterfly.

I didn't know then what it meant, but now I do! It refers to our children, who are grown up suddenly, like butterflies. They must grow in their own way, and in their own time.

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings. 

–Hodding Carter, Jr

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, June 5: Marcia Vermedahl, Shawn Johnson, Paul Krull, David Reistad, Mike Rossing, Lisa Jensen Nord, Jack Butler, Greg Oswald, Michael Schmidt, Ron & Jolee Johnson, Stacy (Osmundson) & Trevor Titus, Erica (Van Kampen) & Jacob McClaskay, Elzo & Joy Peterson

• Friday, June 6: Steve & Kari Vanden Heuvel, Stacy & Shannon Wobschall, Dean & Roberta Lembke, Hope Kilian, Eric Sorenson, Cheryl Louks, Steve Lonning, Todd Born, Owen James Wheeler, Blake Rolland Baudoin, Isiah DuBois

• Saturday, June 7: Chris Blouin, Daniel Eliason, Jesse Langlie, Roger Sommers, Faye Thompson, Paul Stollard, Trisha (Gross) Gilbertson, Brandon Gross, Katie & Kevin Knudson, Holly & Jake Dau, Richard & Karen Holmes, Irvin & Joan Diderrich, Jeff & Lynne Draayer, Jim & Joanne Pichner

• Sunday, June 8: Deb Wallace, Steve Hagen, Owen Ryan Krueger, Monty Miller, Sandi Meyer, Rodney Wayne, Steve Lembke, Morgan Hutchinson, Michelle & Damon Gowlland

• Monday, June 9: Torsten & Melissa Wayne, Rhonda (Lund) & Troy Thevenot, LeRoy & Gladys Peterson, Lexi Wayne, Ahinka Jensen, Sharon Lageson, Bennett Ver Hey, Carrie Paulson, Karen Swearingen Cox, Dana Waltz, Greg Smith, Tait Ingvaldson

• Tuesday, June 10: Arnold Lund, his 94th; Warren Wayne, Samantha Mae Schumacher, Kathy Allard, David Ellis, Chuck Groth, Jamie Weller, Margaret Reese, Forest Peterson, Adam Wacek, London Avery, Sarah (Cornelius) & Rob Routh, Marv & Pat Schulz, Missy (Lonning) & Paul Richards

• Wednesday, June 11: Angie & Thad Aaseth, Rick & Becky Johnson, Andy Lerberg, Zoie Marie Jensen, Diana Ritz, Matthew Horan, John Xavier, Mary Simon, and Karen Carlsen

Wishing you quiet moments of beauty on your special day!

I always seem to get a good feeling inside whenever I see a kid that gets excited about fishing. In these fast times of technology there just don’t seem to be as many youth that want to commit to having a little outdoors fun. Lucky for me, I have grandchildren that have been exposed to outdoors activities and actually enjoy fishing and hunting. I like to think that I had a hand in exposing them to fishing and have actually taught them a thing or two along the way.

Trevor, my oldest grandson has been a fisherman for about as long as he was able to hold a fishing pole. As he grew into a young man he has actually turned the tables and has been teaching the old teacher a trick or two about fishing. Over the last couple of years he has expanded his interests to bow fishing for carp. His brothers Taylor and Grant are right there alongside him trying their luck. I can see where that can actually be a sort of hunt-fish combination because you have to walk the creek banks in search of the fish.

Their cousin Dylan on the other hand is strictly a hook and line guy when it comes to fishing. This past weekend he and his dad had gotten the boat ready to go on Friday night. On Saturday morning grandpa picked him up bright and early and we headed to Fountain Lake. Once the boat was in the water Dylan drove and old grandpa sat up front and concentrated on fishing. I told him that this was how it should be; he is now the skipper and I am just along for the ride. I have a picture of him driving my boat when he was just 4 years old – he thought that it was pretty big stuff back then. What an enjoyable morning it was – spending time with my grandson and both of us caught a few fish to boot. It was one of those times spent making memories that I will always cherish.

Dylan has always enjoyed fishing and we are definitely going to take a trip or two to the cabin this summer. Dylan not only enjoys fishing but he also seems right at home being the skipper. Trolling is what he likes to do best so I guess grandpa must have taught him well. When he was younger he would change lures just about every ten minutes but now he has a favorite or two and pretty much sticks with what works for him. Having confidence in your presentation and in your lure is a big part of what keeps a person excited about the sport and it also helps you catch fish.

I can’t help but feel proud that all of my grandsons like to fish and hunt. When it comes to waterfowl Trevor may be just a little over-the-top because there is early goose, spring goose and the regular fall waterfowl seasons that take up almost all of his spare time. His brothers and Cousin Dylan are also into all types of fall bird hunting. Dylan’s sisters Emma and Ava will be the next ones that I want to introduce to fishing. Emma already loves being outdoors and getting her to come inside can sometimes be a challenge.

We must remember that these generations and the ones that follow are the future of hunting and fishing and if we want to preserve it for these generations we must get the youth involved. There are many good sportsmen’s groups that are doing their part to promote their sport by getting the youth involved. Locally there is the Fountain Lake Sportsman’s Club which has the Take a Kid fishing day which now includes an ice fishing event. The Minnesota Deer Hunters, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Turkey Federation, Pheasant & Habitat, Minnesota Waterfowl Association and many more that I am no doubt forgetting.

We are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to trying to get the kids outdoors and away from the electronic world that we have surrounded ourselves with. I usually go for a walk every morning but on Saturdays I may not start until around 8:00 am or so, I call that sleeping in. A few years ago I began to notice what I didn’t notice; kids outside playing. In looking back on the days when my sons were young   watching cartoons was the only thing that kept them inside and that wasn’t for very long. They had to be outside doing something whether it was riding the “Big Wheel” or “Green Machine” and later when they graduated to bikes they became more mobile. Both of them played some organized sports like hockey, baseball and football but I know that the most fun they had was playing hockey at the park or baseball and football in the back yard. I believe that kids need time to just be kids and not have all of their activities mapped out for them. When was the last time that you saw a group of kids playing a pickup baseball game at a park?

Until next time; any time is a great time to enjoy a little fishing and now is a perfect time to introduce a kid to fishing.  Remember to play safe and if you’re in a boat be sure to wear your life jacket.

It doesn’t have to be a special holiday to remember those who served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today. 

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I've been thinking.

About what?

Nothing yet.

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: bacon is the candy of meats.

I’ve learned

Dodge good. Ram bad.

The quality of a mirror diminishes with age.

Once you clean out the belongings of a deceased friend or relative, you see your own stuff in a different way.

Why Ole is still serving detention

I was teaching some writing classes to young folks, working with the future overlords of this planet, when I thought of Ole.

Mrs. Swenson saw that Little Ole was making faces at other kids on the school playground.

Mrs. Swenson decided to gently admonish the child. Smiling sweetly, the veteran teacher said, "Ole, when I was your age, I was told that if I made ugly faces, my face would freeze and I’d look like that for the rest of my life."

Little Ole replied, "Well, Mrs. Swenson, you can't say that you weren't warned."

Shopping shenanigans

I moved about the supermarket, looking up one aisle and then down the next. I was trying to find things on my list. The store moves things around. It's part of the supermarket’s plan to get me to buy things not on my list. It's fiendishly clever. As I looked up and down, the store’s manager came to my aid. He could tell I needed help because I was goose necking.

An older fellow bumped into my cart with his cart with a "Whoopsiedaisy! I'm looking for a bottle of dried beef about yay big," he said. "They’ve changed the store all around."

I knew that and nodded in agreement toward my fellow shopping cart demolition derby contestant.

I compared apples to oranges. I purchased some Pink Lady apples. My favorite apple is the Honeycrisp, but it wasn’t available. Johnny Honeycrisp needs to get busy.

"Did you find everything?" The happy cashier asked me.

"Well, not everything. I wasn't looking for everything," I replied.

"Do you have our gas reward card? If you don't have a gas reward card, would you like to apply for one? Would you like to participate in an online survey? Would you want to donate to a charity? Paper or plastic?"

I felt as if I were up a tree without a paddle.

I’d brought my own bag. I’d hoped that would be enough.

A peregrination

I was in Ghent. It's the rolle bolle capital of the world. Rolle bolle is like lawn bowling or horseshoes on wheels. Sort of. It has been compared to bocce ball, bowling, curling, horseshoes, and shuffleboard. It's none of those things. It’s rolle bolle.

In Boyd, I was informed that Good Time Days is the longest continuous celebration in the United States, covering 109 years. That’s reason for celebration.

In Milbank, S.D. I was at the birthplace of American Legion Baseball.

It was in Milbank where I was bitten by my first mosquito of the year on May 24. That seemed about right. I didn’t celebrate.

Poor man’s shoes

Tracy Rosenberg of Marvin, S.D. told me that while in Nepal she encountered a young porter with bad shoes. No shoes might have been an improvement. Tracy felt sorry for him and bought him some new shoes. She saw him a few days later. He was wearing his old shoes. She asked about the ones she’d purchased for him. He’d sold them. Nepal is a very poor country. The young man’s family needed the money more than he needed new shoes

Kith and kin

She was my people, part of my tribe. She was good at golf and bowling. I don't know how to do either. She spoke fluent Iowan. I can barely understand it. Each day, I resolve to be a better person. That should be easy, but it's not. Her example inspired me. She enhanced my existence. My cousin Jackie Muller of Whittemore, Iowa died. I cope with her loss by missing her dearly.

Customer comments

Gary Crumb also saw the snowy owl in the greater Matawan area.

Did you know?

About 10 percent of people spell "dilemma" as "dilemna."

Kellogg’s revealed that all the colors of Fruit Loops taste the same. What next? Captain Crunch admits that he never served in the military?

Nature notes

"Why do birds stand on one leg?" Tucking a leg against the body prevents heat loss. Birds stand on one leg in warm weather, too, so thermoregulation isn’t the only function. It gives the leg muscles a rest, plus it looks cool.

Meeting adjourned

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness, it returns to you.

This week’s column is another “hopscotch” column.

As most of you know, Johnson is the most common last name in Minnesota, per the last census. One of the many VIP Johnsons lives in the Beaver Lake area. Her name is Margella Johnson.

When we moved from Beaver Lake to Albert Lea the year around, I took the weather stick with us. When it points up – no rain, down – rain, in the middle – maybe rain. It has been 100 percent accurate this spring.

Many thanks to St Theodore’s Catholic School in Albert Lea for inviting Genie and me to their Volunteer Mass and Brunch. Mandy Grzybowski and staff were excellent hosts.

Wayne Indrellie might have a problem. He is worried that he might lose his “man cave” or else build onto the house. Wife Bev’s team took first place in bowling to add to her many bowling trophies. The question Bev has is where to display all the trophies in one location. Good luck, Wayne.

Genie received a very interesting letter in the mail. By filling out a form, which she did, she might be eligible to vote in the primary and general election of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe at Bena, Minnesota.

Once again Liz LaFrance and Dr. Salazar in Urgent Care at Mayo in Albert Lea treated this old Norwegian like royalty. Liz even met me at the gift shop (along with a helper) to make sure I found my way to the front exit.

Modern technology is great. Most households have a computer but many households don’t use it much beyond email. Our household is most certainly of the “email usage only” variety. Even where Genie and I volunteer to teach Vacation Bible School in remote northern Canada villages, most households have a computer.

Did you know the scammers now have what they call a “Sucker’s List?” This is a listing of names that have been suckered into some sort of scam. This list is then available to anyone via the computer. It seems once scammed, a person is a good candidate to be scammed again. Thus the term “Sucker’s List.”

We think Genie might be on that list. The latest was a telephone call to her to renew her Guideposts subscription by giving her credit card number over the phone. Genie balked and asked for a billing in the mail, which they supplied, with an address in Virginia to send payment to. I called Guideposts in Harlan, Iowa, and was informed this was a scam. Now the scammers are threatening to turn Genie in for collection. Magazine subscribers beware.

Do you like the taste of fresh caught fish? If so, nice sized bluegills are biting on night crawlers at Beaver Lake in front of the beach in about eight feet of water over sandy bottom. I’m referring to 8” and bigger. Evening or a cloudy day is the best. The smaller bluegills are biting in shallow water by weeds.

Do fishermen lie? Only when they get caught!

———

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 Vermont. 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.