Ellendale musician releases second CD

It was quite a week, the third week of March. I really don't know where to start this story because it was one of many thought bearing things that led me to one thing or another.

I guess it is best to start saying thank you to my editor for calling to inform me that Hilda Dobberstein was having a 95th birthday. Evidently, the Billing family has good genes as Hilda’s relative, Virginia Billing, lived to be 104 and Hilda is now 95.

Jim thought it should be brought to the attention of our readers, because she is a beautiful woman with a dynamic personality and she still reads the Star Eagle.

Hilda was living in an assisted living home in Waseca, something I didn't know. Now why don't I keep track of where people are? 

I went to visit with her — about three hours worth. I came away feeling so rewarded for even knowing her. She made my day, but the one thing that kept coming back to me was when she said she often sat back and read "her book" about thoughts of various things that occurred in her life.

I may never write it in words, but you and I and anyone can read "their book" at any time, about events — both good and bad — that make us who we are. Get the picture?

O.K. So that is No. 1.

I went to a funeral of a friend and my family’s old neighbor. Funeral? I wasn't happy to see him pass away, but I was sure glad he lived.

No one wants to lose a friend, but this funeral was truly a celebration of someone’s life. It may sound offensive to some, but I remember the lady who would go to a funeral and would come away saying it was a good day because she had seen so many people she hadn't seen in a long time. I am inclined to agree. 

Going to LeSueur River’s little church was like a homecoming. Granted, there were a lot of people I knew who were no longer there, but oh, there were so many I did see.

Now why do we have to wait for a funeral or a wedding to renew old friendships? Surely if we can find the time to go to an important event we could, and should, squeeze in the time to see them from time to time.

I have another thought in regard to this friend Harold Jacobson. Harold was brought up in the Lutheran Church. Sunday was set aside to go to church. You shared precious moments with friends and neighbors when you were there and you thanked God for being that blessing for you. 

Family members kidded they would patiently wait knowing Harold would likely be the last one to leave the church on Sunday morning or any church event. They also remember his enthusiastic personality, always friendly, reaching out to everyone, young and old, friend or stranger.

Another thought comes to mind. Why do we so often shy away from strangers? Is it because "we don't know them?" 

There was something Pastor Brian Gegel said at Harold’s funeral in regards to how he valued how Harold had extended his welcome to him when he first came to this community.

Brought up in the church, Harold stayed with the church through attendance and participation. As someone said, "I am sure he is in Heaven singing with his brothers while his sister plays the piano accompaniment." We need more people like Harold who make people feel welcome and needed and who are not afraid to stand up for their religion. God and family were foremost in his life.

And yet, another thought: kids singing. Carrying out a Jacobson family tradition, his great grandchildren cried before and after the service because they were sad, but when they had something to do — sing — they were all serious about what they wanted to do for their great grandpa. I could see their devotion to God and the kids carrying on a family tradition, church and sharing their talents.

Speaking of children, I went to see my nephew’s little daughter, Ava, ice skate. She did the things she was supposed to, but then her personality broke through and she skated "free," mimicking the older students, she watched in earnest. 

She waved at the crowd. She bowed and taking her skirt in hand, curtsied like she was entertaining the queen.

It reminded me of her grandma, Kaye, and I may have told this story before of our family custom on the last day of school before Christmas vacation. She had little gifts for others, but as she came down the hall, there was Ernie, the custodian. She had no more presents to give, but she had a nickel in her jacket for chocolate milk. She gave him that nickel. 

The story doesn't end there because though Ernie’s first impulse was to say, "No, keep your money" he hesitated, and then took this gift she gave him so he wouldn't disappoint her. Her gift was of value to both of them.

Thoughts: kindness is accepting when something is offered to us.

Those were just some of the good things I thought of that happened this week. Thoughts that I read in "my book" that I might not have realized if I hadn't spent that afternoon with Hilda Dobberstein. She gave me a priceless gift that I have now passed on to you.

Take time to think about the meaningful things that we experience every day and thank God for his generosity.

Thanks Jim, thanks Hilda and thank you friends and neighbors. 

Also something Hilda said:

Remember you don't grow old, you grow elderly, and we are only as old as we feel.

 Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things, we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us. If you have news, please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P.O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, April 4th: Daryl Paulsen, Jena Richards Thompson, Erik Smith, Rachael Nicole Roades, Erin Elaine Peterson, Nathan Spande, Theresa Kasper, Danny Larson, Don Larson, Ann Michelle Larson, Diane & Dave Broskoff.

• Friday, April 5th: LaVada Jensen, Colette Bauers, Samuel Thompson, Alyssa Haried, Brian Schultz, Duane Nelson, Mike Johnson, Gary & Sue Hunnicutt, Dick & Judy Wacholz, Dale & Nancy Kelly.

• Saturday, April 6th: Skip Cromwell, Spencer Kubat, Eric Crabtree, Duane Lembke, Dean Westrum, Andrew Haried, Paul Underland, Laurie Wayne, Paul Highum, Chris Phillips Carlson.

• Sunday, April 7th: Janye Villarreal, Janice Jensen Skovera, Lou Hanson-Vu, Katie Lembke, Michael & Kari Ingvaldson, Gary & Sonya Peterson.

• Monday, April 8th: Sarah Collins, Ivy Obermoller, Dick Tracy, Nick Vreeman, Tim Stollard, Mark Hemingway, Sherri Carlson, Karen O'Byrne, Bob Donovan, David Pitcock, Alice Grosland, Dale & Vivian Dulas, Paul & Karissa Dolan.

• Tuesday, April 9th: Becky Larson, Justin Tufte, June Lageson, Abby Paige Christopherson, Raianna Thomas, Jim Kaplan, Kiersten Knudson, Mike Nechanicky, Larry Sarver, Clarice McGrath, Tiffany Chrz, Joe & Mandy Moon.

• Wednesday, April 10th: Kimberly Luhring, Sara Bergerson, Sarah Skroch, Sophia Rose Christensen, Luke David Olson, Daniel Gould, Liz Reichl, Harold Pitcock, Arlen & Coleen Brekke, Lawrence & Dorothy Sprankle.

• Thursday, April 11th: Barb Marcus, Ruth Benson, Lori Dobberstein Sodeman, Jessica Dobberstein, Jacob Alan Reynolds, Dan Nelson, Darrin Thostenson, Theresa Bartsch, James Thompson.

• Friday, April 12th: Tiegen Kay Richards, her 6th; Rory Ann Bickler, Guy Cromwell, Charise Oland, Cheryl Thompson, Deb Wilking, Allen & Betty Brandt, Roger & Reta Draayer.

It is your special day. Take a break and celebrate!

Surprise somebody. Call someone. Send a card and make their day. Little things mean a lot.  

Here we go again! Another week has gone by and the weather can still be the main topic of conversation at morning coffee. 

Just the other day, I heard on the old television set that someone was going to sue Punxsutawney Phil for making the wrong prediction about spring. I’ve got news for that someone – if we sued the weather folks every time they made a mistake, it would create a lot of rich lawyers. 

Let’s face it. That chubby little rodent has no clue as to what the weather will do anyway. I have always suspected that groundhogs day was created by someone who had a severe case of cabin fever and was looking for a little comic relief.

As the days get longer and the temperatures gradually begin to creep a little higher on the old “dipstick,” I can almost find myself getting a little excited about spring. I am really feeling the need to head north to the cabin for a few days. However, I will need to wait at least a couple more weeks because according to a reliable source, (Randy) the snow is still waist deep back where our cabin is.

Just the thought of spring and summer has visions of fish jumping in my head. I can almost smell the pine trees as I take this imaginary trip through dreamland in search of that first cast to open water on a northern Minnesota lake. I don’t mean to say that we can’t have the same fishing experience here at home, but I fear that Northern Minnesota has stolen my heart.

I have spent many years going north for one or two weeks a year, but now I have a cabin to go to and more time to spend when I get there so it makes it hard to stay away. I spent most of my younger days fishing the many lakes of our area and experience some really enjoyable times. As a youth the lakes that I frequented most, other than Fountain, were St. Olaf and Beaver Lakes. 

Both lakes have always been good to me as far as fishing fun. This summer, I will make it a point to revisit each of them at least one time. Although I’ve not fished them for several years, I still remember St. Olaf as a good northern, bass and crappie lake. Beaver offered up walleye along with bass and crappie.

When I was a kid my folks would take me to St. Olaf or Beaver and let me fish off shore while they visited friends. That was as close as I’d usually get to going “up north,” but it didn’t matter to me because I was just excited to be able to fish some different lakes. While driving to one of those lakes, that unmistakable feeling of excitement would kick in when the landscape started telling me that we were nearing the lake.

 I think the best part was the fact that I could catch something other than the bullheads and bluegills we would catch back at the “mink farm.” The mink farm actually sat where Bancroft Bay Park is today. The house that I grew up in on Bridge Street originally sat on mink farm property, before the folks bought it and moved it to its present location.

Once or twice a year mom, dad and their friends would rent a pontoon boat at St. Olaf on a Sunday afternoon. We fished and had a picnic on the lake. 

One of those times, my Dad took my grandma along. She really seemed to enjoy it, but I got the feeling that he probably enjoyed doing it even more. 

My dad was not a fisherman, but he did love being on the lake and being in the outdoors. Mom and I were the ones that liked to fish so whenever he was able to take us someplace he would. I think that it made him feel like he was doing his part to make sure we were doing something we loved to do. 

Looking back at my younger days, I have actually fished a lot of lakes in this part of the state. I have caught some nice northern on Jefferson and Madison Lakes. Reeds Lake is still probably the lake that I enjoyed fishing the most. 

I used to take the boys fishing with me to Reeds on the opener and also other times during the summer. That lake used to be good for walleye early on. I could always catch northern along with some dandy bass as summer progressed. However, there just got to be too many boats for the size of the lake.

As long as I’m talking area lakes, I can’t leave out Tetonka Lake in Waterville. I had a camper on that lake for eight years and enjoyed the time that I spent at Best Point. 

It can be a very good fishing lake at times and although I don’t really like to eat them, the striped bass are really fun to catch. If you can find them at the right time, the action can be non-stop. 

This lake pretty much has it all, northern, walleye, bass, crappie, sunnies and even some muskie. The lake tends to get a little green as the summer moves on but as far as the fishing it’s pretty hard to beat.

Hey, I think I’d better check my tackle boxes again. I know that one of my fishing reels still needs new line. That should pacify me for a little while until I can make a trip to the fishing aisle of one or more of our area stores.

Until next time, let’s get out and enjoy the almost spring like weather and take in the beauty of the 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.

This week was to be about the Twins’ pitching but, before that, here is a little more about the position players. When you look at the starting nine it becomes clear there is a solid nucleus of three players. They could play for anybody. 

I’m referring to Joe Mauer, Josh Willingham and Justin Morneau. I don’t care if the team is Detroit or San Francisco; these three would be an asset.

Our next category is made up of Twins whose play could vary all the way from poor to very good. I’m talking about newcomer Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmalee and Trevor Plouffe. They have the potential to either star or fall flat on their faces.

Then we have a category of one. Ryan Doumit, who in all likelihood will remain an adequate catcher and decent hitter.

The final category doesn’t bring much encouragement. Brian Dozier and Pedro Florimon seek to be major leaguers in the field and at the bat. I hope they succeed, but their upside is limited.

Some of the team’s success may rest on Hicks, Parmalee and Plouffe. And as they go, may go the team’s hitting. But even if they are successful beyond our wildest dreams, the Twins are not pennant contenders. 

For while the position players may combine to be an average major league team, the pitching does not and hasn’t since 2010. When you look at that year’s roster you see how far the pitching staff has fallen. The starters were Pavano, Baker, and Blackburn, Slowey and Liriano back when they were throwing well. The relievers included Joe Nathan, Matt Capps, Jesse Crain, Jon Raush and Matt Guerrier. This year only relievers Glen Perkins and Jared Burton match that group.

The pitching staff disintegrated after 2010 because of free agency, injuries and ineffectiveness. The one effective starter from last year, Scott Diamond, had surgery on his elbow and the Twins are anxiously awaiting his return which is slated for April.

The opening day pitcher, Vance Worley is the only starter on the staff that has done well besides Diamond. However, he too, is recovering from arm surgery and his effectiveness is yet to be determined.

Starter Mike Pelfrey is coming off Tommy John surgery and the last year he pitched, his record was 7-13. Pelfrey may be able to scare some hitters. He’s 6'7" and licks his hands between pitches. 

That’s got to be somewhat disturbing to the hitter. It’s indicative of the state of the Twins’ pitching when Pelfrey is expected to be one of the mainstays in the rotation.

Kevin Correia, probably the No. 2 starter, has the virtue of being healthy, but he has been a losing pitcher throughout his career and there is no good reason why that should change with the Twins. Nobody but Terry Ryan knows why he signed Correia to a two-year contract.

The last starter in the rotation will probably be Cole Devries or Liam Hendricks, both of whom the Twins were forced to use last year and will again this year.

Perhaps the best pitcher the Twins have available this year is Kyle Gibson, who is also recovering from Tommy John surgery. You can expect to see him in a Twins uniform soon, no matter how well he fares in Rochester. If Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson can patch together a major league staff from the present pitchers, they are miracle workers.

Starting pitching is why our Twins will finish in the basement in the Central Division. However, there is hope on the horizon. We just have to get through this year.