It is that time of year when more lights and electricity are needed. It is  also a good time to draw attention to bad habits that have been sneaking up on us so innocently.

December in general is a good month to concentrate on the abilities to search out energy wasted and hazardous acts of everyday living. 

A clipboard in a handy spot will do if the energy seekers see a problem with it. A reward is acceptable. 

Probably the least obvious is not unplugging appliances that are not being used, such as the radio. Even that toaster or George Forman grill can steal electricity.  

Lights left on in unused places is an easy one; easy to forget, but easy to see. Using light bulbs that use less electricity counts, smaller bulbs, or better yet, the compact florescent bulbs or LED bulbs can really help save money on the light bill. 

Cold air leaks around doors, windows and plug in outlets count can really make that light bill soar too. Shades and heavier or lined curtains or drapes, especially at night, will keep the temperature more even. 

Water drips and gas leaks are not only annoying, but dangerous. Candles are beautiful but should be well attended and only used with caution. Choosing soot free candles protects the quality of the air as does burning the right kind of wood in fireplaces.

Have the kids make a list of outside interests that could use a little less light, such as car lots and large business establishments. Are all those lights really that necessary? 

During an energy crunch a few years ago, we shut off a few lights, used smaller, more efficient bulbs and fixtures, and it was not such a big deal. So the lights weren't as bright, but saving energy and its cost was a common sense thing and our ancestors would say the same. 

The only appliances that use electricity while not being used are those with clock-like-displays or "instant on" things like the TV. Even clock displays don't use a penny a year; think how long your electronic watch lasts on just a tiny battery. 

Appliances that use heating elements, such as your toaster, grills, dryers etc. don't use electricity when they are not on any more. Those appliances are either "off" or "on". 

Somewhere I'd heard that no matter how good an appliance is working, after 10 years it is costing you money because new appliances are more efficient. The young man at Sorenson’s filled me in on some details and it is true. 

A refrigerator 10 years old will cost $200 a year as opposed to a refrigerator of today that will do more for less, like $40 for $60. A ten-year-old dishwasher will cost $45 to $75 a year while today's models will do the job for $10. 

Most TV's are "instant on" (remember when TVs took a while to warm up?), so they are always "on" anyway, except for the picture. A way to substantially cut TV electric usage is to buy a flat screen LED or plasma unit instead of the old "picture tube" television. 

LED televisions use a fraction of the electricity. Televisions would cost $50 instead of $75 while today’s model will cost $5 to $15 for an estimated 10 hours of use a day. 

Freezers are a big thing, with that 10-year-old model doing the job for $200 to $250 but a new model today will work for $25 to $40.

Washers have really changed from the older models that cost more to run. Today’s model would cost only $9 to $20 as opposed to the earlier models that cost $50 to $75. 

People also need to look at the amount of water that the older models of washers used as well. Half as much water is used as opposed to the earlier models and that amount of water will do the same or better job of caring for your washing needs.

If you run your television all day, a habit we acquire because we listen and not always watch it, will run you a great deal less.

Appliances only use energy when plugged in and if you are appliance shopping, "energy stars" not only give you a rating or efficiency but may give a rebate of $100 if you make a change. So, though we have an inclination to use these machines that are still in good working order, it probably isn't a good idea because we are "paying through the pump," so to speak. In the long run, buying a new model will save you money.

Need to check it out? Your electrical provider will loan you a device that will check how much electricity you are using with any particular appliance you want to check out. 

Usually there is a refundable deposit or fee that makes the check up free when you return it. A good way to check if that old reliable refrigerator you keep in the garage for "overflow" is worth the energy it uses.

Now is the time to start thinking about some things that you would like to change in your life that may also save you money! New Year’s resolutions don't always have to be about losing weight.

Birthdays and Anniversaries:

• Thursday, December 27th: Sue Bailey Billbray, Colette Hemingway Moudy, Mikkel Iverson, Jamie Hagen, Scott Christensen, Carly Titus, Stacy Osmundson Titus, Ron Peterson, Shannon Peterson Pederson, Brad Bothum, Joe Anderson.

• Friday, December 28th: Hope Mikesell, Chad Toft, Dorothy Brandt, Tyler Titus, Charlie Marlin, Merrill Bunn, Laura & John Ortiz, Neil & Ellen Pence, Erin & John Christensen.

• Saturday, December 29th: Maxx Greyson Richards, Maya Grace Richards, Gary Hunnicutt, Seth David Petranek, Brent Born, Craig Haberman, Darlene Underland, Benjamin Paulson, Whitey & La June Hagen, Amy & Joe Louks.

• Sunday, December 30th: Anita Casterton, Matt Christensen, Ryan Schrodt, Jane Simon, Lucille Goodnature, Jim Dobberstein, Gladys Peterson, Mark & Gail Skroch, David & Arianna Arends, Kyile & Rachel Aase.

• Monday, December 31st:  New Years Eve!  Bailey Joy Ihrke, Bree Olivia Ihrke, Larry Paulsen, Dean Pospesel, Lynne Flor, Brent Wiersma, Brent Worrell, Isabelle Wayne, Dorothy & Adrian Kilian, Greg & Cindy Oswald, Larry & Elaine Howell.

• Tuesday, January 1st: Happy New Year!  Ross Aronson, Elmer Dobberstein, Jerry Seath, Larry Schwartz, Amanda Beach, Lois & Duane Aitchison.

• Wednesday, January 2nd: Grace Jolie Wangen, Brian Bedney, Jay Crabtree, Mark Dobberstein, David Lageson, Brenda Wayne, Aaron Nelson, John & Lorraine Lent, Kelsey (Wayne) & Matt Duncomb.

With each passing year, grow stronger, grow wiser, and richer in spirit. May the year ahead be filled with new discoveries!

Dear Billy,

It’s been six months already. I still have trouble believing it. 

I miss you. And it’s really hard some days. 

I just want to call you to hang out and talk and cheer me up like you always did, without fail. But I can’t, no matter how much I want to. And that makes me sad.

I see Gina all the time at Kwik Trip in Mankato. She’s really sweet; I’m glad she doesn’t hate me anymore! But then again, her first impression of me was when I was 16 and obnoxious. I probably wouldn’t have liked me either, honestly.

But you did. No matter where we lived or how long it had been since we saw each other, we could meet up and it would be like we just saw each other the day before. 

I could literally talk to you about anything. That’s one of the things I love about you, Billy. You never judged me; you were honest with me, and if I did something wrong or something to upset you, you’d tell me. 

Do you remember the funeral that you, Jas, Zach and I had for the mouse that got caught in the trap? Nobody would put it in the water (even after you said to just, “Dip it in like an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen”), so you threw it in. 

It was so funny. “I did it, y’all didn’t, don’t take credit!”

Or all the times we had “parties” with Jas, Taylor, Heidi, Patty, Will, Zach, Bryan, Ashley. . . Such as the one where you and Alex broke the shed door, the light got broken, and you, Jas and Julie drank all of my mom’s Mountain Dew? She was so mad! 

You and Zach were determined to climb off the roof just to avoid her. It didn’t exactly help that she came home to a living room full of sleeping teenagers, though.

Or the time when you, Jas, Patty, Zach and I went to the beach in Elysian even though it was storming like crazy? We ran around on the beach in the pouring rain.

I fell (of course), you laughed from the picnic bench, and you and Jasmine never let me live that one down. But then the tornado sirens went off, so you, Zach and Patty took your car and Jasmine and I took mine to Wayside (the rest stop in Elysian) to wait out the storm.

We were stuck in there for what seemed like forever, even though it was only about two hours. We played truth or dare, and Jasmine and I dried our hair and clothes with the hand dryers while you and Patty flushed toilet paper from the roll down the toilet to see if it would keep going. It did.

Then when the weather cleared up, we all drove to my mom’s house, saw two rainbows on the way, and watched movies and passed out in the early morning hours, like we did on so many different nights. 

I can’t even count all the times I met up with you at the beach in Elysian after you got off work at Culver’s. We would just sit on the trunk of your car with your duck blanket, listening to your iPod Touch, talking and staring out onto the perfectly calm lake, enjoying the warm summer nights. Sometimes other people would join us; a couple times we went swimming, and once we found a frog that you were determined to catch. 

One of the funniest memories, though, was at my party when you and Casey decided to see who could smoke a Marlboro Red the fastest. It made you sick, so you ran across the shed, tripped on a tire, and sprained your ankle (although you thought it was broken). 

The next day, you drove home with your left foot (which I still think is hilarious), and when you got home you called me and asked me to meet you at the emergency room in Waseca. 

I drove and met you there, and we waited for over an hour for them to tell you your ankle was sprained and give you a pair of crutches. Then we went to Mankato, and you let me use your crutches in Wal-Mart because you hated them.

When we got back to your house and I was about to leave for Jasmine’s, I asked you for some freezies, so you tried to throw them in my sunroof. You missed (horribly, might I add), and I ended up running one of them over. You goon!

I just want you to know that I think about you every day. Every day I miss you, so you better be having fun up there! 

Keep watching over all of us who love and miss you. And don’t worry, I’ll be partying on the “end of the world” and wishing you were there with me. 

You would love the people I hang out with now. I wish you would’ve had the chance to meet them.

I love you, Billy. I always will. And I’m so looking forward to the day I get to see you again.

With Love,

Jessica

It’s time for the annual tradition of awarding Christmas gifts to those individuals, teams and groups that deserve to be on the gift list. 

There are gifts that are awarded most sincerely and others not so much. I’ll let you be the judge of which is which.

May I please start with the knowledge of God’s love to the stricken families of Newtown, Connecticut. May he also give us peace and understanding and the will to do better in our lives.

The 2012 gifts:

• Barrack Obama, President: Four years of wisdom

• John Boehner, Speaker of the House: College course-Reasonableness 101

• Bill Clinton, Ex. President: U.N. Ambassadorship

• Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State: A year’s vacation

• David Petraeus, Ex CIA Director: A second chance

• Mitt Romney, Presidental candidate: A Do Over

• Ann Currey, Newscaster: A job worthy of her talent 

• Sean Hannity, Fox News: Truth Serum

• Little Lulu Cartoon Character: A free ticket to Australia

• Minnesota Twins: A winning season

• Ron Gardenhire, Twins Manager: Tenure

• Rick Anderson, Twins Pitching Coach: A 20-game winner

• Scott Diamond, Twins Starting Pitcher: Company

• Joe Mauer, Twins Catcher: A third baseman’s glove

• Justin Morneau, Twins First baseman: A healthy season

• Josh Willingham, Twins Outfielder: A 2012 season rerun

• Terry Ryan, Twins General Manager: Good fortune

• Minnesota Vikings: A playoff berth

• Zigi Wilf, Vikings Owner: His own city block

• Leslie Frazier, Vikings Coach: Good health for Adrian Peterson

• Adrian Peterson, Vikings Running back: The NFL rushing record

• Christian Ponder, Vikings Quarterback: A long and happy marriage

• Minnesota Timberwolves: A playoff berth

• Kevin Love, Timberwolves Star: Some contentment

• Jerry Kill, Gopher football Coach: 1. Good health; 2. Winning Bowl game

• To all our Troops: A safe return home

• To my Loved ones and friends: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

• To all my readers: Happy Holidays, Peace on earth and good will to all!

As we celebrate this holiday season, we should be extra thankful for family and friends when we gather to celebrate Christmas. I find it hard to imagine the grief that the families of those small children and teachers of Newtown are suffering during what is supposed to be a most joyous time of the year for all. As a parent and grandparent, I find it incomprehensible that anyone could do such an act.

My first reaction was anger, then sadness and finally a feeling of helplessness when I think about the direction that some in our society are heading. The first thing to be brought up is gun control; yup, stricter gun laws will solve the problem, right? 

There are laws against illegal drugs. How’s that working out for us? We really need to find the reason why the person or persons on the other end of the gun do these despicable acts.

Just a thought: there are many video games out there where the object is to blow up or kill your opponent. Does this make it difficult for some people to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality?

With that being said, please keep the families of those who left us much too soon in your thoughts and prayers. I know I will.

— — —

With the first hardening of the water on our area lakes, there were portable fish houses and buckets popping up all over the channel by Frank Hall Park. Evidently, these fishermen are light on their feet because the same day that they were standing on 2 inches of new ice, law enforcement officials were chasing kids off Fountain Lake. 

I know that I am missing out on the early-ice fishing, which is supposed to be the best time of the season for hard water fishing. I will never be able to attest to this success as I personally am just a hard water version of the fair weather fisherman. 

I really desire “thick ice” under my feet before I venture out. This could probably be the reason why I usually don’t have much luck when it comes to ice fishing.

I will, however, be looking forward to fishing with my oldest grandson, Trevor, at least a couple of times this winter. He has a new fish house this year so it’s a given that he’ll be spending a lot of time on the ice. 

Trevor knows how to catch fish and I’d like to think that time spent hanging out with grandpa over the years has had some influence on him. Like his grandpa, he sure loves spending time in the outdoors.

In my case, the main ingredient for mixing up a recipe for successful fishing is “time;” yes, time spent on a lake increases your chances of success. Trevor spends a lot of his time doing whatever outdoor activity the season warrants. 

I rarely see him during hunting season because when he isn’t working, he is hunting and the same can be said for the fishing season. I don’t know which season is his favorite; “hard water fishing” or the open water of summer. Whichever it is, he is very good at it.

This past week, I also had a chance to spend time with my old friend, the “scoop,” which came in handy for moving the snow our first winter storm had left us with. 

I had gotten the scoop from Uncle Ben many years ago. A friend of his that worked at Queens made them and since Ben had bought a snow blower, he didn’t feel like he needed it any more. 

I had now graduated from a shovel to the scoop. To me, making this step up from the old shovel to the scoop was almost like when the caveman (Ed) discovered fire. It sure made my life easier on those snowy winter days.

The first significant snowfall always seems to bring out that “kid” feeling in me. While I have never really minded shoveling snow, there are some times when it can be a little overwhelming. 

Some winters, we have had so much snow that eventually a person runs out of places to put it. That’s when a snow blower does come in handy. I actually have a snow blower that I haven’t taken the time to dig out of my shed yet, but I actually do like hanging out with the old scoop whenever I can.

It was just a couple of weeks ago that I had my granddaughter Emma at the house when a few snowflakes started falling. She started calling out excitedly, “Papa, Papa, it’s snowing”! 

It’s fun to see how excited a child can get over something as simple as a few snowflakes. She’s only three, but I’d bet that as much as she likes playing outdoors she was probably thinking: If we get enough of these snowflakes, I’ll be playing in the snow.

Until next time, have very Merry Christmas and remember the “true” meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate it with family and friends.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers this Christmas season and in the future because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"What did your brother say when you told him that you wrecked his car?"

"Should I leave out the profanity?"

"Yes, please."

"Then he didn’t say anything."

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: I recalled the words of Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, "Let us cry for the spilt milk, by all means, if by doing so we learn how to avoid spilling any more. Let us cry for the spilt milk, and remember how, and where, and why, we spilt it. Much wisdom is learnt through tears, but none by forgetting our lessons."

I've learned

1. That six out of seven dwarfs are not Happy.

2. That someone who doesn’t believe in horses is a neightheist.

3. Operators are sitting by.

The news from Hartland

Loafer’s Shoe Store sells its insoles to the devil.

Instant Karma Cafe serves the fast food you deserve.

Custer’s Last Tan opens for business in Two Bits.

Moses Olson leads his family to the dessert.

City erects "One way or another" road signs.

The long goodbye

I attended Katherine Knudson's wedding reception. Kat married a nice fellow named Noah. It was his reception, too, but probably more hers than his. It was a fine jollification. We should have more like it. There was no deafening music played, which made it possible to visit with friends and relatives. When the time to leave came, folks staggered about like goodbye zombies. Ona Meyer of Hartland, who left a half-dozen times, said that Minnesota goodbyes take forever. Much of my family lives in Iowa. The goodbyes are stretched there, too. We are people who are good at nearly making it out the door. W. Clement Stone said, "Big doors swing on little hinges." They sometimes refuse to swing at all due to small words or recollections. The Beatles sang, "You say goodbye, and I say hello." They were right. We tend to stand near the door, not wanting to leave, but knowing we must. Door goodbyes do go on.

Happy New Year

Ric McArthur of Morpeth, Ontario writes, "In our throw away, use it once society we discard years for no apparent reason. Good thing they don't go to the landfill."

The twelve months by George Ellis

"Snowy, flowy, blowy, showery, flowery, bowery, hoppy, croppy, droppy, weezy, sneezy, freezy."

Did you know?

This from The Wall Street Journal, "In June, the Mayo Clinic published a comprehensive study of every known hand-washing study done since 1970. The authors concluded that drying skin is essential to staving off bacteria and that paper towels are superior to driers: They're more efficient, they don't spatter germs, they won't dry out hands, and most people prefer them."

A study in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) that was based on the mortality records of 9,889 athletes who competed in the Olympics between 1896 and 1936 showed that engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with playing golf or cricket (low cardiovascular intensity).

The small pink bump on the inside corner of the eye is called the caruncula. It contains sweat and oil glands that produce rheum, also known as eye crispies, eye snot, or tear rocks.

The web between the thumb and forefinger is called the purlicue. Some claim that pinching it makes a headache go away.

No catnap

I hadn’t been home long. I got to bed late and my body was still operating on a time zone three hours away. I woke because I had that feeling that someone was looking at me. I opened one eye to see a cat staring at me. It could have been staring because it wanted another scratch-off ticket, but I think it was concerned for my well-being. It stared at me because that’s how cats perform CPR. I put food in the cats’ inbox — their food dish. I fill the inbox. The cats fill their outbox (litter box).

Nature notes

"Do birds’ feet freeze?" Most birds don’t suffer frostbite. There is little fluid in the cells of their feet and their circulation is fast enough that blood doesn’t remain in the feet long enough to freeze. In some species, the blood vessels going to and from the feet are close together, which warms the blood. A bird's feet are little more than bone, sinew and scale, but sometimes a bird’s toes will freeze. I’ve seen it in mourning doves.

Meeting adjourned

Mark Twain said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." Make being kind a New Year’s resolution.

A little cooler for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day perhaps than the scurs predicted, but at least no “storms of the century” appeared out of nowhere. Any surprises for this holiday week? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy and cool with highs near 10 and lows around 5. Partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of evening snow. Highs of 15 and lows of 10. Cloudy and warmer on Friday with a moderate chance of snow. Highs of 20 – 25 and lows of 10 – 15. Cloudy on Saturday with a slight chance of snow during daylight hours. Highs near 20 and lows of 0 to 5 above. Sunday, cloudy and cooler with highs of 10 – 15 and lows of 0 to 5 above. Temperatures rebound for New Year’s Eve with highs near 20 and lows of 5 – 10 above. New Year’s Day, cloudy and cooler with highs of 15 and lows of 0 to 5 above. The normal high for New Year’s Day is 23 and the normal low is 5 above. We will see 8 hours and 59 minutes of daylight, about 5 minutes more than we saw on the winter solstice. The scurs will be blowing their noisemakers and celebrating the New Year. That and they’re done Christmas shopping for another year.

This December 28th means Full Moon time is here once again and this one is aptly named the Full Cold Moon or the Full Long Nights Moon as during this time of year the nights are among the longest. A December Full Moon can be called the Moon Before the Yule although this one seems to fall close to smack dab in the middle of it. The Ojibwe knew this as the Small Spirits Moon and the Sioux had several names, including the Moon of Popping Trees, the Moon When Deer Shed their Antlers and the Moon When Buffalo Fetus’ are Getting Large. At the ranch we call this the Moon When Ruby Bites the Garden Hose, as it must be drained following morning and night chores. Thawing the hose and hauling water in 5-gallon buckets from the house in the meantime is overrated.

The snow last Wednesday caught most of us a little off guard. We were initially expected to be sideswiped but it turned out to be more like getting doored. Although it didn’t rank in the top ten snowstorms, not even close, we’ve become so used to precip of almost any form missing us that it left us in disbelief. People were getting stuck in driveways, cars were going in the ditch and accidents in general abounded. This latest precip doesn’t alleviate the drought. It does continue to head us in the right direction however. There was approximately 6” of snow at the ranch with the snowmelt from the snowboard totaling .3” We have measured exactly the same amount of liquid equivalent precip so far in December 2012 as we did in December 2011 as of this writing at the ranch, 1.19.”

The storm even made a mess in our garage. When the cars dripped off all the snow and salt-related crud on the heated floor we discovered the garage exhaust fan had gone on the blink. This made the humidity rise to an unacceptable level meaning something needed to be done. Luckily when we called the neighborhood electrician, his sidekick Ten Eye Ta-Ta (must be Indian for electrician) showed up within 20 minutes. He had everything back to ship shape in no time flat, even after I suggested he should probably deduct some off the bill for using my ladder.

The yard and driveway at the ranch had to be cleared of snow as well. With no forecast for a thaw in sight, it was easiest to fire up the old Mustang 330 and do battle. Pulling someone out after getting stuck in our driveway was not an option. While it takes some time moving snow with small skid loaders, the maneuverability sometimes makes up for it. Read: I hate shoveling any more than necessary. Besides, I wanted to clean out around the LP tank as one of these days that’ll need filling again. Ruby got to bite the tires on the skidloader so she was happy. The feedlot was cleaned Sunday after church and readied for a round bale which should make the sheep happy. I was just happy once the thing warmed up, my behind stayed warm. 

The snow brought more guests back to the feeders once again. A male cardinal appeared on Friday, followed by a female that showed up Saturday. A small bag of safflower seed was purchased for their dining pleasure. Goldfinches also were in evidence, singing “sweeeet!” as they discovered full sunflower feeders after the snow. A large number of American tree sparrows were also interspersed with the ground feeding juncos and house sparrows. The tree sparrows seem to do that here from time to time only to vanish as quickly as they appeared. Where they go, no one knows.

As luck would have it, I recently received what on first glance was a genuine Festivus card. It said that a $500 donation had been made in my name to the Human Fund. It looked authentic. It even said “Money for People” on it. Looking more closely, much to my dismay my name was scrawled over the top of someone else’s that had been whited out. This appeared to be re-gifting if ever there was such a thing. I scrutinized the handwriting with suspicion as in this locale, there seem to be a lot of repeat offenders when it comes to fraudulent gifts, Christmas cards and lottery tickets. Just my luck, all the handwriting experts I knew were already off on Christmas break. I even considered going to the Chief of Police to see if we could get a DNA match from the envelope. Rumor had it he was sitting in a police car someplace that was running. Fortunately, the transgressor came forward before I called the FBI. It was Betsy’s Dad of all people! I don’t understand.  I’ve never pulled any stunts like that on him. I’ve always used a new card. Just goes to show one can never be too careful around these parts.

See you next week…real good then.

As I sit at my computer, it’s 9:30 on a Thursday. I’m not at work, but staying home because of the blizzard warning that is in effect and has kept my entire family at home. 

My kids are excited about a day off school, and I see that Facebook posts are rampant with commentary on not having school, on why it took so long to make this decision, and whether we should have tried going today.

While most kids rejoice at snow days, I always sit back and shake my head. I wholeheartedly support having today off; safety is paramount, and I wouldn’t want my kids on a bus with all the blowing snow out there. However, a day off now means we will tack one on at the end of the school calendar.

Before today, the last day of school was scheduled for May 30. You’d better change that now to May 31 and hope we don’t have any more full days off because of weather, or you can flip the page to June and come to school then too. This is the most ludicrous way of making up snow days, but there are potential solutions to this problem.

First, here is why just tacking days on the end is bad for business. Whether you are a parent or a child, everyone knows how squirrely kids get as the school year draws to a close. 

This is especially true after Memorial Day. That week tends to be a flurry of softball tournaments, track and field days, and general wrap-up activities. 

Now start adding days onto that and imagine how much educating gets done. I don’t care how good you are at teaching, June is not a month to accomplish something. (I’m actually in favor of year-round school, but that’s a column for another day.)

How can we solve this dilemma? Here are three solutions, any of which could be easily implemented. 

The first is that any time we have a snow day, we take the next day that is scheduled off and make it a school day. Taking into account contractual issues and the necessity of workshop days, that day would be President’s Day. 

Since we had no school December 20, let’s make February 18 a school day. The advantage to this is mainly that it is more educationally sound; we can accomplish a lot more on a day in February than the end of May or in June. With all the hoopla about testing, we might as well have one more day to prepare before MCAs roll around in April.

Sure, people make appointments and other plans, but this is a two-month warning. Switch things around. If you planned a family trip, then I guess you’ll miss a day of school; people tend to go on tour whenever they want to anyway, even if it conflicts with school time.

Another option is to start the year with the calendar having three extra days tacked on anyway. This is a matter of perception. 

If everyone starts the year thinking we won’t finish until June 4, then plans are made accordingly, and the mindset is to prepare to teach around that schedule. Once the April board meeting rolls around, the school board can look at how many snow days we’ve had. 

If it’s less than three, they can change the calendar and let everyone off a day or two early. Talk about good public relations - Hey, we’re letting you out early this year!

The final solution is my personal favorite; many other districts do this. The first snow day is off for everyone – don’t worry about it! 

If there are one or two more days off, the teachers will make up that time, whether it’s by reporting that day or through extra time before and after a regular day. We could get a lot accomplished with our peers, be it planning or working together to get our curriculums aligned. After three snow days, we might have to look at adding student days.

If these options work elsewhere, they should be able to work at NRHEG. I’ve voiced these opinions before, but now’s your chance. 

Tell school board members if you like one of these ideas; I know you don’t like the thought of tacking days on the end of the year. Otherwise I guess I’ll see you in June.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers; I hope you all have a great holiday season and stay safe!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is xerophyte, which means a plant adapted to growing in a dry or desert environment, as in, “She was bemused by the gift of a xerophyte in Minnesota, where it clearly had no chance to survive.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Walter Anderson peacefully left his earthly home on Friday, December 21, 2012 at the age of 87 years. A memorial service will be held on Saturday December 29, 2012 at 11 a.m. at the Freeborn Congregational Church. Visitation will be held one hour before the service at the church. Interment will be at a later time at the Freeborn Cemetery.

Walter Peter Anderson was born on June 13, 1925 to Andrew and Carrie (Nofksgar) Anderson near Matawan, MN. Walt was the sixth of seven children, growing up in the Freeborn and Matawan area. Walt spent his entire life in the Freeborn area.  He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Quinn, on July 3, 1945. Together they had one son, Terry. 

A Celebration of Life for John Paul Christensen, 38, of Ellendale, Minnesota will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 29, 2012 at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, rural Albert Lea. The Reverend Matt Griggs will officiate.  Interment will be in North Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4p.m.-8p.m. on Friday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, Ellendale, and one hour before the service at the church.

On December 23rd, 2012, John went home to be with his Heavenly Father. 

He was born on May 17, 1974, in Owatonna, Minnesota the son of John Christensen and Lynn Njos. Strong in faith, John had been baptized and then later confirmed at North Freeborn Lutheran Church. He graduated from Ellendale High School with the class of 1993, he continued on to obtain his degree from Riverland Technical College in Austin, MN. He married  Erin Thorson on December 28, 2005 in Kauai, Hawaii.

Elmer M. Tatge, age 85, of Wells, MN, died Thursday, December 20, 2012 at Parkview Care Center in Wells, MN. Funeral services will be held Monday, December 24, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wells, MN. Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 23, 2012 from 1-3 p.m. at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Pastor Kathy Fullarton will officiate and interment will be in Rosehill Cemetery. 

Please see www.brussheitner.com to leave online condolences. Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells, MN is in charge of arrangements.