By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states.

This year, mindful there are people in the area who may be alone as they don't have family in the area to celebrate the day with a special dinner, fellowship and fun is being planned at the Victory Life Church in Geneva.

The members of the church hope that people will join them for a Community Thanksgiving Dinner of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries, pumpkin pie and all the fixings starting at noon and continuing until around 2 on Thanksgiving Day.

Fall sports award winners were announced at the annual ceremony Tuesday, Nov. 12 in the NRHEG High School gymnasium.

They are, by sport:

Football

• Most Valuable — Dillon Parpart

• Most Valuable Lineman — Noah Krell

• Most Valuable Offense — Parpart

• Most Valuable Defense — Krell, Parpart

• Lunch Pail Award — Nick Goette

• All-conference — Parpart, Krell, Goette, Keith Maxon, Preston Peterson

• All-conference honorable mention — Spencer Tollefson, Nick Bartness, Zeke Erickson, Trevor Tracy

• 2013 Captains — Parpart, Krell, Goette

There are those who will remember the Armistice Day Storm of 1940. And there are those who have heard of it, but didn't endure the fury of the weather that changed a more-than-warm, beautiful autumn day into an intense storm. 

What comes to mind is how symbolic that storm was on that day.

When instilled as Armistice Day, it was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month at 11 o'clock, to remember November 11, 1918. 

We take this time each year to close our eyes and say a prayer, not only to commemorate the "war to end all wars," but also to remember people who lived and died because of war. 

Today we honor all branches of the service, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard, and we also honor those families who paid a price for a war that should never have been.

This comes to mind: while attending a veterans program at an Albert Lea elementary school, we saw one young man proudly display his dad’s military picture because his dad couldn't be there in person to hear him sing and see his display project in person. Sometimes we forget the time that goes by for our servicemen and women and their families, and kids grow up fast.

In 1926 this special day was made an official legal holiday. In 1954 the holiday was changed to Veterans Day. 

We are not the only country to commemorate this day. Other countries too remember and respect Remembrance Day, Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday. 

During the first official Armistice Day, President Woodrow Wilson invited the World War I veterans to the White House. 

Today, it is a federal holiday. Many veterans groups, businesses and particularly dining establishments invite and honor the Veterans with a free breakfast or luncheon as a Thank You. What a fitting and filling blessing to our living veterans. Government offices are closed. Some schools are, too, but many choose to use this day to instill patriotism in the minds of our children and to help them realize how important our country and government are. It is hoped that the day brings the realization that it is important for all of us to defend that constitution, to be active in enforcing it, and not assume that someone else will take care of it as wisely as it should. 

The presenting of the colors, the pledge of allegiance to the flag and the respect given to our country’s patriotic songs like "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" are not run-of-the-mill fluff, but traditionally important. These songs have meaning one should not forget. 

Just as weather can change a peaceful beautiful day into a tragic, chaotic event, so can war and the peace we all seek can be changed in almost a blink of an eye. 

I, for one, value our servicemen and women and our veterans. The things they have done to give us the freedoms we have should not be forgotten. Those freedoms should in fact be fought for, not just on a battlefield, but in our everyday living. We all share in that responsibility. 

Wars are fought, won or lost by the attitude of the ordinary person who believes in equality and intelligent, unselfish agreement as well. Striving to do the right things for everyone and not just a favored few is not unlike any war, and should be treated as such.

I believe those who run the government or those who have different outlooks should not be exempt or have priority over the ordinary taxpaying citizen. They should be expected to share the same laws.

Glad to be an American? Now and at any time we should further the cause not on a battlefield but by the way we vote, expectations of what the government does or does not do for those who need it most.

We honor our Veterans and servicemen and women when we stand up for equality and intelligent strength in government. We owe it to them to protect what they have saved for us.

We can fight without ammunition and destruction by doing our part here on the home front. It is important that we let our opinions be known, not just complain and leave it up to the other guy. We can make a difference to protect what our service people have fought and died for.

Look to where help is really coming from and people who share. Honor and take part in aid given by our churches, schools or other organizations. They are there in support in times of need - emotional and for practical purposes. It's time. Take a stand. 

Mark Twain said, "Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

Every day - not just Veterans Day! NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, Nov. 21: Paul Wallace, Angie Johnson, Paul Kasper, Desirae Farr, Cheryl Harpel, Greg Schimek, Leah Leak, Leah Maddox Larson, Abby Underland, Dustin Burshem, Robin & Jan Jepson

• Friday, Nov. 22: Mallory Luhring, her 11th; Whitney McCamish, Jodell Hanson, Keven Larson, Donna Maixner, Jane Tappe, David L. Hanson, Jason Peterson, Jacki Shadden, Elzo Peterson

• Saturday, Nov. 23: Amy Hunnicutt Kromminga, Lisa Holmes Rietsema, Margaret Loven, Marietta Sommers Rupe, Rick Thompson, Sara Anderson, Joyce Ditlveson, Amanda Farr, George & Diana Ritz

• Sunday, Nov. 24: Blaine Boverhuis, Deb Peterson Schmidt, Bea Bunn, Ellen Pearl LaFave, Heather Snow, Lisa Hunnicutt Vreeman, Bob Hanson, Rita Glynn, Abraham Ladlie, Kyle Layland, Scott & Lisa Reitsema

• Monday, Nov. 25: Scott Groth, Calista Lerum, Randy Born, Mitchel Hill, Joel Langlie, Brian Vogt, Gideon Jude Long, Daryl & Kathy Paulsen, Ken & Iva Sletten

• Tuesday, Nov. 26: Darlene Krohnberg, Cody Christensen, Robert Gasner, Linda Stieglbauer, Drew Vangen, Ashley Bergerson, Al & Diane Lee, Jamie & Kate Cameron, Brian & Heather Schember

• Wednesday, Nov. 27: Kyle Goslee, Olivia Rae Kohn, Paul Kasper, Cyrstal Spurr, Mike Draayer, Lorna Berg, Sandra Tonsing

Wishing you quiet moments of beauty on your special day! 

During this past week I have heard some mixed reports from some of our area deer hunters. There seems to be a healthy deer population in our area and a few of the hunters that I know of have gotten their deer. Although I am not a deer hunter I still enjoy hearing the stories.

I was invited to attend the first Governor’s deer Hunting Opener in the Brainerd area a few years back and that is where I was introduced to “deer camps” and what they mean to hunters and their families. It is not all about shooting a deer but the whole package. On that opener I had the opportunity to accompany a couple of DNR officials as they drove from deer camp to deer camp checking with hunters to see how their hunt was going. The one thing that I noticed was the camaraderie between the hunters and after speaking with a few of them I knew there was a special bond that made this annual event a huge part of their lives.

We stopped and spoke with one young girl who had just turned fifteen who said that she had been allowed to go to deer camps in the past but this was the first year she was allowed to hunt. She was really excited to be on her first hunt which I believe was like “a coming of age” thing for her.

I had attended many of the Governor’s fishing openers in the past but the deer hunting opener introduced me to a whole different ball game. Deer hunters are a very close knit group of folks and the deer camp was a way of bringing friends and families together for the traditional hunt.

My son Brian likes to bow hunt for deer and in looking back at it, his interest in archery started at a fairly young age. If you are an archery hunter, the season lasts from September through the end of the year, so there is more time to hunt but the degree of difficulty is greater. His Uncle Lynn got him started deer hunting with a bow at a fairly young age. He was invited to go along with Lynn and some of his hunting buddies to Colorado to bow hunt for elk. I’d have to say that this was probably his acceptance into that circle of friends that enjoy the sport of bow hunting.

One cool crisp sunny fall day Brian asked me if I’d like to take a ride with him to the Bricelyn area so he could show me where he did most of his bow hunting and do a little scouting at the same time. After spending time with him that day I could see why he got so much enjoyment out of spending time in the woods waiting for that special time when that big buck would appear. I don’t believe that there is a more peaceful feeling than when you spend time in the woods watching nature at work.        

Minnesota hunters harvested 77,008 deer during the first three days of the firearms season, down 8 percent from 2012, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader, said a slightly smaller harvest over the first three days is not surprising.

“Last year, opening weekend weather was almost ideal and the state’s corn harvest was virtually complete, she said. “So given Saturday’s roaring winds of up to 30 miles per hour, which tends to restrict deer movement, and more available deer refuge areas due to pockets of standing corn, the harvest is about what you’d expect.” In some areas, she said, about a quarter of the corn crop was not yet harvested.

Around the state, opening day hunting conditions included snow in the north and gusty winds and overcast skies most everywhere, turning nicer on Sunday. The harvest was down 19 percent in the northeast, 4 percent in the southeast and 6 percent for the remainder of the state. Because hunters have 48 hours to register a harvested deer, final opening weekend numbers for 2013 will be greater than those reported today.

With improving weather conditions this week, the DNR still expects the final 2013 harvest to be similar to last year when about 185,000 deer were taken.

The firearms season continued through last Sunday for all but northeast Minnesota, which extends until Nov. 24. There is also a late southeast firearms season that runs Nov. 23-Dec. 1.

The cold weather we experienced this past week put a temporary damper on the area fishing. With a warmup I am sure we will once again see a few hardy folks fishing the channel between the lakes. The perch and walleye bite had been pretty good up until the cold spell hit.

Until next time, “hunt safe” and enjoy some of our areas many natural resources. 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 because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes From the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"Someone stole the chicken eggs I had for sale."

"Do you know who stole them?"

"I'm not sure, but I suspect they were poachers."

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: if it weren't for keychains, we'd have to lose our keys one at a time.

The headlines from Hartland

• Late musician leaves his regards to Broadway.

• The Eat Around It Cafe declares edible silverware to be a failed experiment.

• Grounds For Divorce Coffee Shop closes. People saw the trouble brewing.

Scenes from a marriage

I have difficulty telling black socks from navy blue socks. I need a good natural light to do so.

I used to have a pair of red socks. I could tell them from black or navy blue socks.

One day, I wore a Hawaiian-type shirt, only brighter and gaudier. It was a cheap shirt. My clothes match my wallet.

I wanted my wife to know that I wasn’t colorbland.

A peregrination

I was on a flight to Seattle.

A young girl, her mother, and her grandmother were taking their seats just in front of me.

The girl said, "I’ll sit in the middle. I know both of you want to sit by me."

In Haines, Alaska

I talked with a nice woman who had taken a tumble on the ice. That was bad luck. The good news was that she’d fallen in front of the medical clinic. The bad news was that she fractured her arm. The good news was that the arm in a sling made for the perfect support for her camera as she snapped photos of bald eagles.

The muse

I was in an area never once considered for a Monopoly board. There, I encountered a fellow with a beard covering several states. He was wearing a hat that read, "I’m perfect, you adjust," pink Crocs, and a T-shirt showing food stains from his youth that tried to cover the words, "I’m not lazy, I’m cat-like," told me, "The only thing that works in this country is gravity." He groused a bit about his daughter who was buying pajamas while wearing pajamas. He said that one day, she’d been talking on her cellphone while eating an ice cream cone. She licked the phone by mistake. He’d found relief from his migraines by placing his daughter’s purring cat next to his head. He added that he lived at the Wrinkle Ranch, his name for a retirement community, and then said, "I like reading what you write. Where do you get your ideas?"

I didn’t tell him.

Overheard

• At the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, "I checked on our plant near Bergen. It’s difficult to get much work out of the Norwegians. They have a government pension that kicks in at age 62 that makes them all millionaires."

• In a cellphone store, "It’s like getting a free phone that you have to pay for."

• Myself saying to a friend, "We stopped at a large store. I won’t say the name, but it began with 'W' and ended with 'almart.'"

I’ve been reading

This from "Made in America" by Bill Bryson, "Just a month after the completion of the Declaration of Independence, at a time when the delegates might have been expected to occupy themselves with more pressing concerns — like how they were going to win the war and escape hanging — Congress quite extraordinarily found time to debate the business of a motto for the new nation. Their choice, E Pluribus Unum, 'One From Many', was taken from, of all places, a recipe for salad in an early poem by Virgil."

Customer comments

• Ric McArthur of Morpeth, Ontario wrote, "The new shoot-and-release program doesn't seem to be working for duck hunters."

• Tom Duvendack of Swanton, Ohio told me that someone had asked him, "Why would anyone name his kid Duvendack?"

• Eric Durbin of Waterville, Ohio told me that he couldn’t go on a field trip because of a DFO — a Dreaded Family Obligation.

Nature notes

Darwyn Olson of Hartland asks if red-tailed hawks migrate. Many red-tailed hawks do migrate south for the winter, but some individuals, especially older birds with established territories, may stay. More birds migrate during especially snowy winters as hawks have greater difficulty locating rodents under snow.

Meeting adjourned

"Make a gift of your life and lift all mankind by being kind, considerate, forgiving, and compassionate at all times, in all places, and under all conditions, with everyone as well as yourself. This is the greatest gift anyone can give."--David R. Hawkins

It’s time to play that fabulous game show, What Would You Do as a Parent? once again! Pick the best answer to the following question:

If your child did not complete homework, what would you do?

A. Punish the child by taking something away that was important

B. Reward the child once homework returned to the expected routine

C. Throw up your hands and give up on the child

And the correct answer is…? I don’t know. Wait, I know it’s not C, but I’m not sure if A or B is better.

Let’s look at the possibilities. I know that if I hadn’t been completing my homework, I would have had every privilege I had removed: TV, phone, car, etc. Would that have worked for me? You’d better believe it!

I’m pretty sure my parents would not have rewarded me for doing what I was supposed to do in the first place. And like my dad recently told my daughter, “Now that you’ve proven you can do that, it’s expected all the time.” That sounded familiar…

Why am I asking this? It’s been a challenging year so far in the middle school with late work, the most challenging I’ve had in all my years here. The rash of late work has reached epidemic proportions. I’ve called parents, visited with them at conferences, and emailed copiously. I’ve heard all three of the above choices as answers when I pose the question about what we (the parents and I) can do together to solve the problem.

That’s right, C has been the choice for some people, which just floors me. I shouldn’t be surprised by anything in education anymore, but I can’t help but have my fires stoked by parent indifference.

About a year ago, I wrote a column about homework after a parent suggested we assign too much. (Oct. 4, 2012) You can check that for all the reasons I have for homework and how I choose it. Many of the same things apply, especially the wasted time.

We’ve also had some issues with iPads and students being too distracted with games and social media to focus on the educational enhancement these devices give them. Some have had their iPads taken away, while everyone has had to get rid of games and social media while at school.

And this led me down another path of thinking. I have to stop saying, “When I was a kid…” while examining today’s problems. This generation is just wired completely differently than we were at that age, and a lot of that has to do with technology. So how do we change our way of thinking when it comes to problem solving with a group of students who were not alive during the 20th century?

I don’t know, and that’s probably what frustrates me the most. It’s tough because my own kids do their work without much prodding, and I’m blessed and thankful for that. Do I have some magic elixir that I use which works for that? No, and I don’t think I’m some outstanding parent, but it does make it difficult to deal with other people’s kids when I can’t relate through personal experience.

We’re trying all manner of ideas as a staff, trials that involve both letters A and B. I never want to resort to letter C, but when parents walk that path and don’t show support for both their student and the school, it’s tough not to join them. The simple fact is that there is always about 5% of the population that we might not ever get through to, but there’s another 10-15% that are borderline. Can we salvage their education and point them in the right direction? I hope so, but to do so, we may have to find out what answer D is, and that’s the true challenge.

On a different note, I’m proud to announce the publication of my second novel, Heroics 201, a sequel to my story about super heroes in a realistic world. I believe either can be read on its own and enjoyed, but if you are interested in either or both, they can be purchased directly from me or through Amazon. They might make a fun Christmas gift or, hopefully, just a fun read!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is pilgarlic, which means a bald-headed person, as in, “The teacher soon became a pilgarlic from pulling out his hair over missing assignments.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Those scurs have been off a cog when it comes to the later week forecasts, but then so is everyone else who tries to predict the weather for more than four or five days at a time. Will their fortunes improve and do we want them to? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain. Highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the mid 20’s. Thursday, partly cloudy with a good chance of snow. Highs in the lower 30’s and lows in the lower 20’s. Mostly cloudy becoming partly cloudy on Friday with a modest chance of a morning snow shower. Highs in the low 30’s and lows in the mid-teens. Saturday, mostly sunny and colder with highs in the upper teens and lows in the single digits. Partly cloudy on Sunday with highs in the mid 20’s and lows in the upper teens. Mostly sunny for Monday and Tuesday with highs in the lows 30’s and lows in the mid-teens. The normal high for November 21st is 38 and the normal low is 21. The scurs will be retiring their Carhartt’s with the white hanky in the back pocket for another deer season.

November 22nd  marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas back in 1963. I remember that day, although I was too young to fully comprehend the significance. I was 5 and where I started school, kindergarten was only in the spring, so I was home. We typically listened to the NBC affiliate as in that area KROC in Rochester came in the clearest. I remember listening to people like Sander Vanocur, David Brinkley, Chet Huntley and Floyd Kalber covering the events of that day and the following days. The black and white Columbia TV was part of the memory, the images seeming now like something out of an old movie, a very sad one at that. Things changed that day forever and not for the better. 

Field work is nearing completion although the weekend rains made conditions greasy on top following the thawing of the soil late last week. As a result, lots of mud can be found on area roads where attempts have been made to finish up. A few people are still finishing up and the ten-man dryer in Bugtussle continues to howl, a reminder that the late corn has not dried down much. 

Venus is in the southwest sky, not the southeast sky as was written in the column that went to print last Tuesday. I was driving down the road looking to the south and wondering if I had written southeast or southwest. Sometimes it seems like it’s easy to be thinking one thing and writing another. Sure enough, when I checked I had written southeast so I apologize to all of those who were frantically looking in the southeast sky for Venus. It is so bright right now that you literally can’t miss it. Also making an appearance now is the planet Jupiter which will be rising a little earlier every night and will be rising in the early evening come months end. Mars will be high in the real southeast sky at dawn and will be easiest to pick put above the crescent moon on the morning of the 29th, if it isn’t cloudy of course. The Leonid meteor shower left an impression on me. Heading to the kindly neighbor’s Saturday night, a meteor could be seen through the light clouds as it tracked westward, becoming a dazzling blue before finally fizzling out. 

Mrs. Cheviot left me to my own devices for the weekend marking the official start of barn cleaning at the ranch. With the sheep way out in the pasture Friday night it made a perfect opportunity to grab the spreader quick from the feedlot so I left the gate open. No sooner had I turned my back to put the pin in the skid loader and they were on their way through the gate. I yelled and Fudgie was there in an instant, nipping and growling at the sheep as they retreated back to the safety of their enclosure. The weather Saturday was not the most cooperative and neither was the tractor, deciding to die briefly after the third load. The sediment bowl held some clues as some rust from the tank had collected in the bottom. After that load I was soaked anyway as the drizzle intensified. Once it let up and I put on some dry clothes, two more loads were hauled. That part was fine: The mud tracked into the yard wasn’t. The wheels on both the tractor and spreader looked like coconut chocolate covered donuts with all the stalks and leaves stuck to them. Muddy fields sorta take the fun out of it, as if cleaning barn is a lot of fun in the first place.

Looking at the field on Sunday after the rain, seeing the sheen left by the precip and recalling all the mud already in the yard I opted instead to do a bunch of other odd jobs. The list included garbage detail, cleaning up in the house, trimming branches and putting tree wrap on all the vulnerable saplings. The branches needed to be trimmed while being slapped in the face by those low hanging branches when mowing was still fresh in my mind. Fudgie and Ruby were more than glad to assist. There was plenty of growling, tire biting and circling the Gator as we made our way across the yard from tree to tree. Watching the two dogs enjoying themselves in the fresh air as I worked made the day go faster. They stayed in the yard watching though when I went out to the tree planting, not wanting to tempt fate with an electric fence encounter. By nightfall I had found and wrapped the last of the crabapple trees. As I drove back towards the yard, both the dogs came around the house on a dead run, keeping an eye on my every move just as they had all day. Time for chores and to put the feedbag on afterwards, a welcome respite for one tired human bean and two tuckered canines.

See you next week…real good then.

Gary Nordlie, 68, Of Owatonna and Lake Vermilion, passed away November 15, 2013, at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born July 16, 1945 in La Crosse, WI to Norman and Oma (Nyseth) Nordlie.

Gary moved to Owatonna in 1958 and graduated from Owatonna High School in 1963. He married his high school sweetheart Carole Soukup on December 23, 1967 in Owatonna. He received his teaching degree from Mankato State University in 1968.

Gary taught English and Speech at New Richland High School until his retirement in 1998. He also coached track, weight lifting, cross country, and created the Oral Interp variety show.