The Golden Age of Hollywood comes to life, especially this weekend, when scores of local young people team up with two professional actors to present Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre’s original musical adaptation of Sleeping Beauty.

Performances will take place on Friday, March 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. at NRHEG Elementary School in Ellendale.

The show was written by Megan K. Pence and Daniel L. Stock.  his unique version plays out on a movie set where everything seems to go wrong. The local cast features: Sophie Stork as Rose, Avery Hill as Mallory, Riley Chicos as Eugene and Branden Howiesen as Colin. 

Tickets for the performances are $5 for adults, $3 students, and $3 seniors available at the door. Children 4 and under are free. This Prairie Fire Theatre residency is being sponsored by NRHEG PTO.

For more information please contact NRHEG PTO or Allyson Hagen @ 507-383-5142.

It is a complicated world out there. There are times you can feel like you are on a merry-go-round that keeps going faster and faster.   Mentally you wish that you could get off - even if it was for just a little while - but reality tells us it isn't going to happen. Things just keep getting more intricate and technical. It is a constant job trying to keep up with all the changes that are occurring.

Technically, the kids that are in school today are way ahead of us and they seem to be able to handle the things that complicate our understanding. There are so many things available today that they can enjoy and take part in. Being able to do that is great, especially when they find something that is of special interest for them.

It can be hard to be a family today. Family life is challenging.  Changing values, overcrowded schedules, information overload, cultural and economic pressures all make family life more challenging than it has ever been. 

Yet, no single unit of society is as important as the family. For it is within the family that we are all fashioned into the persons that we are. Our individual traits, our unique talents, and our strengths can be enhanced in countless ways. We all need to plan, set goals, and dream about the future. We need to think and talk about what we would like to do, where we would like to go, and what we would like to be as a family. It all deepens our sense of identity, solidarity, and purpose.

A healthy family strives for balance. When the demands of work, school, social activities, and church or civic responsibilities rob us of precious quality time and our family needs, everyone suffers. As you gather to celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, use these milestones to create traditions.

We also need to remember we need to take time for breaks, maybe just for a few minutes, several times during the day, which will give us time for a “brain” break. Learn to say "no" so you can say "yes" to what matters most.

We can learn so much from some of our older people like Hilda Dobberstein, who had lived to be over 90 and experienced so many different things in her lifetime. During a visit that I had with her I learned a great deal. Some of the "old things" she talked about, and we often overlook today, made common sense.

I learned a lot from Hilda Dobberstein and I will always remember one of the great things that she said, such as, "Sometimes I just sit and think." That advice is good as gold, especially now.

Loving memories live on forever.  Even in sadness we hope that we can hold on to the thought that a life lived with so much love never really ends, but goes on forever in the hearts of those who remember.

My mother has a picture on the wall in her kitchen that also shares some of those same thoughts.  Earth...the perfect place to dream, dance, walk in the rain, eat apples, walk barefoot, whistle, do cartwheels, hum, see a sunrise, keep a promise, love, share, sing loudly, smell the roses...be happy.

Life isn't always fame and fortune. Maybe we should think about "living the good life" by doing simple, doable things that tend to make our life run smoother and give us many moments of satisfaction.  Celebrate the joys, the wonders, and the blessings of being a family.

Mother Theresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love."

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.  Also if you have an idea for a story that you think would be of interest to our readers, please contact me. 

If you have birthdays and anniversaries you would like include, or news to share 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.

This week’s birthdays and anniversaries include:

• Thursday, March 26th: Amber Luella Theobald, Nikita Zelpha Peterson, Jackie Draayer, David Hanson, Ray Coxworth, Lonnie Misgen, Ginger Cornelius, Dillon Hanson, Daryl Jensen, Duane Morreim, Amy Dobberstein, Marge Wobschall, Mary Lou Spurr, Gerrit & Jean Molenaar, Jeff & Robin Christensen, Jennifer & Matthew Dinneen

• Friday, March 27th: Kim Weckwerth Farr, Jim Ottesen, Verona Winegar, Tom Lund, Tina Jensen Wangen, Jodi Loverink, Neil Born, Ralph Randall, Todd & Sheri Utpadel, Wes & Julie Schroenrock

• Saturday, March 28th: Jordan Brye Wagner, Katie Ann Lee, her 10th; Daryl Van Ravenhorst, Alan Olson, Paul Marlin, Josh Stevens, Daniel Suleter, Richard & Lisa (Long) Hocking

• Sunday, March 29th: Taran Waalkens, Heather Lyn Shearman, her 9th; Dylan Lee Ingvaldson, his 8th, Becky Johnson, Amanda Bergerson, Judy Strenge, Dorene Richards, Bruce Jensen, Linda Seykora

• Monday, March 30th: Leah Brittany Moststad, Gretchen Jensen Ray, Darrell Hanson, Kim Roberts Sletten, Aiden Michael Berg, his 8th, Matthew Cornelius, Fern Robertson Sommers

• Tuesday, March 31st: Jinny Nielsen, Hannah Haroldson, Melissa Collins, Carson LaShawn Ray, his 7th; Jill Anderson, David Hemingway, Ross Johnson, Shane Johnson, Doug Hunt, Joanne Neuhart. Mollee & Joseph Tscholl

• Wednesday, April 1st: April Fools Day!  Madison Hanson, Irene Paulson

• Thursday, April 2nd: Harold Wayne, Leanna Burns, Deb Nelson, Luke Miller, Joyce Tufte Sorenson, Sonja Larson, Teresa Jensen, Kaleb Smith, Dwight Schewe, Greg Nelson, Matthew Halla, Genevieve Wayne, Bill & Pat Draayer, David & Shelly Mangskau, Brian & Lois Nelson

• Friday, April 3rd: Solvieg Sorenson, Linda Goodnature, Mikayla Moon, Joanne Christensen, Randy Kronberg, Patty Slater, Jase Dean Knudson, Kevin Born

• Saturday, 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

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

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

If you are an avid fisherman wishing for summer you have undoubtedly, at one time or another daydreamed about sitting on your favorite lake somewhere in Minnesota. Maybe I am an exception, but I’ve had the following recurring daydream many times over the past few winters. Occasionally I will take the time to relax, sit back and close my eyes to do a little dreaming. It’s early morning and I can see myself sitting in a boat on my favorite lake fishing the spot that I frequent quite often. The sun is just starting to light up the eastern sky and will soon begin burning off the morning fog.

Picture this: before the morning sun even appears I walk quietly down the dock to my boat. As I look out over the lake there is a light fog hovering a few feet deep atop the surface of the water. I ready my fishing pole, make sure that I have my thermos of coffee standing by and then I take the minnows out of the water, and untie the boat from the dock all the while trying not to make too much noise. After pushing away from the dock I prime the motor and give it a pull and all at once the silence is broken by the sound of the motor as it spits and sputters and then starts to run smoothly as I shift it into gear and head out into the fog in search of that lunker I know is lying in wait for me.

Leading up to this day I have had plenty of time to decide which of my favorite haunts I will visit first. On this particular lake almost every bay, sand bar and rocky point seems to be calling me because they all look like they could be holding fish, but I must stick to my original plan if, for no other reason, I want to prove my theory right. As I have grown older the trusting my instinct or gut feeling thing has been paying off fairly well. The one good thing about fishing alone is if you try something and it doesn’t work nobody knows it.

Early morning has always been my favorite time to be on the lake and for many years that was my alone time when I could try different things until I found what would work. I’ve caught a lot of fish over the years just by trying different methods; this I attribute mostly to longevity, not skill.

Some of my fondest memories are from the days when I had an Eagle Silent Thirty flasher which I became fairly good at reading. I would try to be the first fisherman on the lake each morning so I could stake claim to this certain area that I really liked to work. I liked to back troll along the weed edges using my small trolling motor and I would attach a Shad Rap to my line using a barrel snap with no leader. I basically worked the Shad Rap like a jig to give it extra action as I trolled slowly along the outside weedline. This method has worked quite well for me over the years but there is only a small window of opportunity when this is most effective. The best time to use this method is in June, but once you get to the end of June everything seems to change. During the first part of June you could catch anything from crappie, bass and northern, but that was also when you could catch some dandy walleye hanging around the weed edges early in the morning.

When I used to vacation at Spider Lake I would find myself spending way too much time chasing the elusive walleye when in reality that lake has so much more to offer. I finally decided that fishing walleye early in the day and late in the evening would pay off. The rest of the time I would fish crappie, northern and of course “the great toothed one,” the mighty muskie. When you have kids in the boat you are sort of limited in what type of fishing works best. My wife loves to troll for northern so even when the kids were small and we had a tiny boat, we trolled. When it comes to fishing with kids I probably have more patience than most because, to me, it’s all about the kids. To this day, even though my sons are grown and have families of their own I still get a good feeling whenever I see them land a nice fish. This especially holds true for the grandkids because I feel that I’ve caught my share of fish over the years so now it’s their turn to experience the joy of fishing. I take pride in the fact that I’ve been lucky enough to have introduced all of my grandsons to my way of fishing. I know that they will eventually find methods of their own and fish the way that works best for them. I feel good about being able to have shared with them and I know that some of the “old school” methods will still work for them. I am looking forward to taking my granddaughter Emma fishing this summer and when her sister Ava gets a little older I will take her too. This is what keeps the old guy feeling like that kid again.

Until next time, get out and take a walk in the fresh spring air and also take a little time to enjoy the outdoors and remember; any time is a good time to do a little fishing.

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

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I heard you were dead.

Well, I’m not.

Are you sure?

I’m right here in front of you. Who told you that I was dead?

Someone who isn’t nearly the liar that you are.

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: Normal people must be the ones I don't know very well.

The cafe chronicles

There were cups without handles and handles without cups.

The waitress presented our meals with, "Who gets the special with my thumb in it? Nobody swallow! I’ve lost a contact!"

Old Man McGinty, the youngest Old Man McGinty ever, who claims he’d been a human cannonball until he was fired from the job, had been hospitalized recently. He complained that the nurse kept waking him to give him sleeping pills. His doctor said that the mole on Old Man McGinty’s back looked suspicious so he called the police. Old Man McGinty is still working. His father worked until he was 102. He retired so he could enjoy his golden weeks.

The special was priced right, but the jury is still out on the food. It'll probably be found guilty of a misdemeanor.

Another day older and deeper in sweat

The weather turned warm before I was ready for it to stop being cold. I took a jacket because my mother had told me to always take a jacket. I shouldn’t always take a jacket.

My birthday was on St. Urho's Day. St. Urho and me. I don’t know how Urho celebrated, but I was given a free fountain beverage. Nice. I used to get a cake named after me, but now I get cherry pie for my birthday. That’s better.

This birthday means that I’m 10 years into my 5-year plan. I’m thankful for the grace of the years and hope for the wisdom of my new age. I’m trying to figure out how to become a better person. I pray that my days add up to something good.

I took woodworking in shop class in school. Anyone who finished the class with all of his fingers intact was guaranteed a grade of C. I still have all my fingers, all my teeth and my tonsils. That’s not bad.

I’ve had many friends and relatives who didn’t make it to my current age. I miss them. I’m pleased to still be here. Life is holding on and life is letting go.

I don’t ever want to regret not saying a small, good thing. Things like saying "thank you" for the free fountain beverage. Thank you.

The economy doesn’t understand economists either

An economist is someone who shoots an arrow 20 feet to the left of the target. Launches the next arrow 20 feet to the right of the target and then yells, "Bull’s-eye!"

Peter Weinstock, a lawyer from Dallas, said, "Economics was created to give astrology more credence."

Chris Kuehl of Kansas City is an economist and said that meteorologists make economists look good. He added that economics is the science of explaining tomorrow why the predictions you made yesterday didn’t come true today.

Customer comments

• Mark Holt of Converse, Indiana, said this about the NCAA tournament, "It wasn’t if or when Purdue would lose, it was how."

• Daniel Otten of Hayward is a Nebraska fan. His wife Kim is a Minnesota fan. Daniel says that when the Cornhuskers play the Gophers, somebody wins.

• Cass Bettinger moved from Utah to an area of Mexico where it's 75-80 degrees all year. He said, "I’ve reached an age where I don’t do winter well anymore."

• Mike Petersen of Byron said, "If you collect tractors, never line them up in rows. That makes it too easy for your wife to count them."

• While I visited his state, Bob Walters of Austin, Texas, told me, "The difference between a Yankee and a damn Yankee is that a damn Yankee comes to Texas and stays."

I had a brain cramp

In my haste to thank the amazing talent that appeared at the Groove for Food at Trinity Lutheran recently on behalf of the New Richland Area Food Shelf, I left Melissa Williams off the list. That was an unforgivable omission on my part because her stirring voice is unforgettable.

Nature notes

"What is the difference between horns and antlers?" Horns are found on bovids — sheep, goats, cows and bison. Antlers are on cervids--deer, elk, moose and caribou. Horns aren’t deciduous. Antlers are shed each year and a new set grows in time for the mating season. Horns can grow on both male and female members of a species. Antlers grow almost exclusively on males, female caribou being the exception.

Meeting adjourned

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." – Dalai Lama

“You can’t hold hands when they make fists; and I ain’t the first to say this.” - Atmosphere

Lately on Facebook, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about raising the minimum wage; I’m a fan of a page on there called “The Other 99%” which is quite helpful for me when it comes to social and political issues in our world today.

First and foremost, I need to express how ridiculous I think class warfare is. Is it really that difficult for people to live within their means? Hard work should pay off more than it already does.

I mean, think about it – discrimination, prejudice, sexism, racism: why do we let these obviously outdated social concepts go on, fighting any change or growth?

When times change, the rules change. In today’s society, strong, independent, intelligent women are considered “bossy.” We write off far too much based on what we think we know – in my humble opinion, I think it’s more than time we re-evaluate our morals and values.

I’ve seen way too many overqualified people never get the opportunity to prove themselves and live up to their potential. However, sometimes it’s too easy to forget that constant competition is not conducive to change or progress. If you read the “Looking Back” section of our paper, you already know I’ve taken over that role here at the Star Eagle. Reading old newspapers has given me a new respect for the craft – longtime New Richland residents should remember Margaret Engesser.

She’s been incredibly inspirational to me, as a writer. If you don’t recall, she and her husband ran the paper for several years. Even in her old age, Margaret wasn’t afraid to speak her mind; old copies of the New Richland Star are like hidden treasure troves. Margaret and her husband, to me, seem like the perfect match – they worked together to achieve a common goal, something everyone should practice in their daily lives.

No matter how old she got, Margaret stuck to her guns. Being afraid to speak your mind isn’t something a writer should do, and I’m grateful that I learned that lesson from her.

“Looking Back” is obviously my favorite part of my job here. Soon, I’m not going to be leaving my house very much, and it’s comforting to know that I’ll still be able to provide some use to the Star Eagle after that point.

If you do not read “Looking Back,” I would highly recommend it. There’s plenty of fascinating information there; if it doesn’t hold your interest, I honestly do not know what will.

Until next week; wishing everyone health and happiness during this beautiful season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (in the Old Testament of the Bible) tells us there is a right time for everything.

“I have called you by name, Bud, you are Mine” read the banner on the wall. Thus, it was time to celebrate the memory of Bud Tollefson on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at LeSueur River Lutheran Church, rural New Richland, Minnesota.

You could tell it was going to be a great celebration of his life as, at his viewing prior to the service, Bud was holding a Riverview Golf Course golf ball along with wearing a special handmade tie of flashlights. With “Bud Tollefson” on the outside of the coffin, you got the feeling that he was a much-loved person.

Pastor Brian Gegel led the service, telling many great memories of Bud.

Son Tom Tollefson gave the family memories of Bud – all of a good, kind, caring man.

Granddaughter Abigail Tollefson sang a solo, “Day By Day.” Abigail, about age 10, was later joined by Emma Tollefson and Jason Fry to sing “Amazing Grace” with Chris Tollefson the accompanist.

Just north of St. Olaf Lake, about 70 years ago, two out of three neighbors were related. The families of Hanson, Haug and Tollefson all had the same grandparents who were siblings. Growing up as boy relatives, many had nicknames such as Buddy or Bobby. As the boy grew older the name became “Bud” or in my case “Bob.” Yes, Bud and I were part of the related neighbors. Yes, the unrelated neighbors knew us “real good” and vice versa.

Genie and I found out the crappies were biting at Beaver Lake. We rented a boat from Noel Thompson, bought minnows, soda pop, and candy bars, and went fishing. After cleaning 30 crappies, word got to Bud and Kathryn. I’m not sure how it happened or who attended, but we ended up with a late Saturday night-early Sunday morning fish fry at the Tollefson farm in 1961 (a fond memory).

Bud and Kathryn attended most of the Soup and Pie Suppers held yearly in September at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. He always let me know the LeSueur River Tribe was there (another fond memory).

The last time I talked to Bud, I asked how it was that he had such talented grandchildren. The answer was one word: “Stock,” and then his infectious laugh (my best memory: the laugh).

To me, this was most certainly an accepting funeral. Thank you, Bud, for the memories.

———

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.

The scurs were proud of the Weather Eye’s prowess once again with snowfall arriving on Sunday right on cue. Too bad Tuesday’s high didn’t make 50 as was advertised. Oh well, what’s 14 or 15 degrees? Starting Wednesday, cloudy with a good chance for sleet and/or snow. Highs in the upper 30’s with lows in the mid 20’s. Mostly cloudy Thursday and cooler. Highs in the mid-30’s with lows in the mid-teens. Friday, mostly sunny but cooler. Highs around the freezing mark with lows in the mid-teens. Mostly sunny on Saturday and warmer (finally) with a slight chance of rain or snow in the evening hours. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Sunday, warmer under mostly sunny skies. Highs near 50 with lows around freezing. Warmer again for both Monday and Tuesday. Mostly sunny with highs in the mid-50’s and lows around the freezing mark. The normal high for the last day of March is 48 and the normal low is 29. Through the magic of government meddling and interference, the sun will rise again before 7 a.m., the same as it did back on February 24th. The scurs are trying to figure out how to bottle some of that magic. 

We had some nice days last week although the snow on Sunday night into Monday certainly brought us back to reality. It is March after all and while it didn’t land precisely on a state basketball tournament it was only off by a day. Still, it was good to see some moisture show up. At the ranch as of Monday night, we have only recorded .6” of precip for the month. At the SROC in Waseca, .97” has been tallied for the month through the 23rd. Normal for March there is 2.49” so we have continued the dry trend in place for much of the winter. Some small grain was rumored to be sown as the timing was favorable. There has been some concern expressed about alfalfa winterkill although it’s difficult to say how much has actually broken dormancy yet. The snow is beneficial at this point, protecting the plants from subfreezing temperatures and wind, as well as providing some much needed moisture for the first cutting.

While it’s a nuisance, the snow as mentioned does supply moisture. Snow is somewhat unique in that evaporation is slow when temperatures remain cool as they have been. The frost is also out of the soil in many spots allowing it to very gradually infiltrate the soil. The snow at the ranch contained .57” of liquid equivalent precip and it was .81” the SROC. The frost was officially out there on March 18th under bare soil. As is usually the case, ice-out dates on area lakes are pretty close to that. For instance, the ice left St. Olaf Lake early Friday the 20th and Beaver Lake followed suit the next morning.

More signs that spring has sprung come in the form of male cardinals singing each morning. We can hear one singing at neighbor David’s although on Sunday morning after battening down the hatches minutes before the snow began to fall, one was under the feeder at the ranch. A striped gopher was seen in the yard on St. Patrick’s Day, one of the earliest we’ve observed in recent memory. A mole has begun to move across the yard making me wonder where I put the traps. Moles are only periodic problems so the traps seem to be easily forgotten until they’re needed. Larger groups of grackles, cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds continue to appear, noisily announcing their arrival then vanishing as quickly as they appeared. Robin numbers are also increasing even though the snow may delay some of them. It’s a little tough to pull worms up through the snow and even when the ground wasn’t covered, frozen soil in the morning is not real conducive to earthworms moving above ground. There are still lots of crabapples and American cranberries at the ranch. We’ve seen plenty of robins helping themselves so not to worry.

The last of the major pruning was accomplished over the weekend. Getting all the obnoxious branches out of the way so that mowing would be easier was nice. Pruning the apples up so that harvest is easier and the apple trees are more productive is truly a feather in one’s cap. The Fireside tree was a major workout with lots of sapwood needing to be hacked off of it. Fudgie and Ruby can’t get enough of that. In true Border Collie fashion, when the straight branches fall out of the tree after being cut, they stare at each branch, daring it to make a move. Must work because the branches don’t so much as flinch. Hauling branches to the brush pile, the sheep decided it might be a good idea to test the gate watching patrol since neither dog was in sight. A quick yell and the dogs showed up on a dead run, convincing the ewes it was in their best interest to go back to gnawing on the hay in their manger. Much safer that way.

As mentioned above, it’s getting towards time to sow small grains. As was the case on many farms in the day in the area where I grew up, it was an annual event to take the oats out of the bin to the elevator to be cleaned and in many cases bagged to be ready when conditions became fit. This frequently meant a trip in the ’58 International A120 truck and ride on the hydraulic hoist when the pickup was dumped. If we kids were real good, we might get to share a bottle of orange pop. That probably didn’t happen too frequently when we were honking the horn or playing with the knobs inside the pickup as Dad was talking to the someone in the elevator office prior to the truck being unloaded.

The varieties were generally on the earlier side to help get around the heat and crown rust problem. We used shorter statured multiline blends such as the E70’s and E73’s out of IA that offered a heterogeneous reaction to rust. Later when I got to choose we grew varieties such as Noble. The Case drill we borrowed from the neighbor had a grass seed attachment that allowed alfalfa to be underseeded as the oats were being sowed. In those days, a light dragging usually followed. Like most small grain, oats were a rather fickle crop to grow. Too much nitrogen and they’d go flat. Too much heat during pollination and/or grain fill and they’d be light. One old farmer trick to help boost test weight was to mix a small amount of wheat in with the seed oats. Could never figure out how they got the two crops separated once the oats were hauled back to the elevator though. Thanks Dale G. for helping to jog my memory! 

See you next week…real good then.

One of the movements in education is to have students read from a variety of genres, or types of books. I was hesitant about this at first – why not let kids have more choice in what they read? If they start a series of books (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.), should we interrupt something the students truly enjoy?

As with so many things, when I saw my own daughter embrace this idea, I decided to try it myself. There are any number of genres, but I focused in on these: realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Realistic fiction could be broken down into many sub-genres (sports, teens, romance, etc.), but leaving it as one encourages students to try more.

The basic theory is this: expose children to many different forms of literature, and they will discover areas outside their comfort zones and learn more through that exposure. Let’s face it: many students would stay cozily confined in realistic fiction because they associate those stories most with their own lives. There’s nothing quite like seeing a kid, sometimes grudgingly, admit that non-fiction or fantasy is rather fun to read.

When I started exploring this path a few years ago, I made it my aim to do this type of reading myself. If I want kids to read different types of books during the year, I should make the same thrusts into the literary realms. I’ve always been partial to fantasy and science fiction, but now I’ve discovered new ranges of reading, sometimes thanks to the suggestions of my students! With your permission (which is given if you keep reading!), I’d like to share some of that broadening with you by telling you about some books I’ve read recently. They’ve helped me explore new and exciting places that I might or might not have reached for before.

Non-fiction: This is a tough one to have kids think is fun to read. Most people think of non-fiction as boring real stuff. However, many kids have discovered they enjoy biographies of sports stars, informational books about hunting, and other items that hit on a particular interest. I had a chance to read Yes, It’s Hot in Here, a fun non-fiction book about life as a professional sports mascot. It was an intriguing look at the history of mascots and one man’s personal journey, interspersed with humorous stories of such characters as the San Diego Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic. Good stuff, an easy read, and something I might suggest for kids who have a hard time picking out some good non-fiction.

Mystery: Many students have become interested in the 39 Clues series of mysteries. These books follow a couple of kids on a treasure hunt of sorts, as they try to solve various clues to find the most powerful substance on earth. There is family intrigue and parts that really make a reader think. However, these are books that are also an easier reading level, so they become good choices for struggling readers. I enjoy trying to keep up with some popular trends, and these have been good books to read in-between some heavier selections.

Fantasy: I’m currently listening to the final book in the Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman. The best way to describe these books is Harry Potter for adults. It’s a much more mature look at a world in which magic exists. Fascinating characters and situations make for good material.

Science Fiction: While the many comic books I still read fit into this category, I also finished the Southern Reach Trilogy. I still don’t know what to think about it. It was confusing at times, interesting enough to keep me going at others, but unfulfilling at the end. I’m not sure I’d recommend these unless you like really off-kilter stories.

Historical Fiction and Poetry: I’ve been remiss in these areas. I’m not a huge poetry fan and haven’t read a book with that in a few years. I enjoy historical fiction, but haven’t had one come across my plate in the past year or so.

Realistic Fiction: I mentioned earlier that this includes so many different books, but I just finished a good one. Biggie is the debut novel by former Owatonna journalist Derek Sullivan. It follows a high school boy who’s morbidly obese and his struggles to lose weight and decide whether or not he really wants to fit in with his classmates. It follows some traditional themes of sports and dating, but Sullivan doesn’t always follow the path a reader might expect, and it was a very good read that will likely end up on my bookshelf at school.

There you go! Why not try something outside your comfort zone? Much like some food your parents made you eat, you just might like it!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is placentious, which means pleasing or inclined to please, as in, “The placentious book appealed to a wide range of readers.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

Hilda A. Dobberstein, age 96, of Waseca, formerly of New Richland, passed away on March 20, 2015 at Lake Shore Inn care facility in Waseca.

Hilda Anna (Billing) Dobberstein was born on March 25, 1918 at the home of her parents William and Ella (Schlaak) Billing in rural New Richland, Minnesota. She was made a child of God through baptism on April 21, 1918, administered by Peter Ernest Schlutz at the German Lutheran Church in New Richland. She was confirmed on April 9, 1933 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in New Richland by Pastor Elmer Ackermann.

She attended rural School District 78 in Waseca County, graduating on June 24, 1932.

She was united in marriage to George F. Dobberstein on April 12, 1943 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in New Richland by Pastor Liekauf. This union was blessed with four children: Betty, Wayne, Gary, and Ralph.

Treat yourself and the ones you love to a Sweet Life! Dessert Comedy Theatre on Saturday, March 21, at Christ Community Church, Waseca. Two shows at 5:30 and 8 p.m. You'll enjoy a fun evening of clean, family-friendly comedy and music and afterward be able to indulge in a beautiful array of scrumptious desserts. It's a sweet treat you and your friends and family will love!