Did you enjoy your Christmas and New Year’s holidays?  Sometimes I think there is so much confusion and extra activities at this time of the year, it wears you out before it gets here. If you didn't get your Christmas card or receive cookies or banana bread on time from me I do have an excuse. This year Christmas seemed to bring on gifts I didn't necessarily expect, or want, but that is life. I think 2014 will go down in our family history as the year it was and one I don't want to remember.

I won't go into a great deal of detail - that would take a book. But I will share things that seemed to start when my mother was scheduled for her three month botox treatment for her Dystonia. Already a week late her condition was giving her a great deal of discomfort swallowing and breathing. She was trying every prescribed and home remedy that she could think of in hopes that she would get some relief. We were hoping that the botox injections that had been scheduled would relieve some of her problems.  About noon the day before she was suppose to see her doctor so that she could get her botox injections she tripped on a rug in her kitchen and fell, hitting her head on the corner of her kitchen range. I quickly called for medical assistance and our terrific first responders were there immediately.

And as you might have guessed the accident caused some additional problems for her.  Before she was going to leave the hospital it was determined that she needed 2 units of blood and a second night in the hospital. Meanwhile, due to the fact that she was in the hospital she was not able to make the trip to Rochester for her overdue botox injections.

A few days later I lost my balance trying to get a rubber spatula out of my kitchen drawer and proceeded to rip open the palm of my right hand, as well as part of my lower arm, on the handle to the kitchen drawer.  As a result, mother and daughter met each other in the emergency room one night when once again my mothers breathing problem got worse.

As you know I have been using crutches for 32 years and as a result of my injuries and supplicant stitches I was faced with the problem of trying to figure out how I was going to get around as I could not use my crutches as I normally do.  I did find a way to get by and thought that I was doing pretty good.

But several days later I fell in my garage while I was trying to carry something up the stairs into the house before I was to drive my mother to Rochester for her rescheduled botox injections. I landed on my left hand. I got up, went into the house and as I was going out the door I grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, and then went down to my mothers to pick her up. We made it over to Rochester where they shuffled my mother off to her appointment and me to the emergency room. As a result of my injury, I ended up having to have a spica cast put on my left arm.

Thank God for my daughter, Krista, who lives in Rochester.   She took charge of our situation in between her time at work taking care of walkers, wheel chairs, shuttle buses and more doctor visits than I like to think about. But God is good and we were very thankful that we were able to come home the night before the winter storm arrived.

My husband, Daryl, was scheduled for an eye appointment the next morning and I was scheduled for a dental appointment. We started out that morning for the trip to Burnsville but decided to turn around at Medford. At 10, the weather had calmed back down again and we were able to sneak to Owatonna for my dental appointment. We bucked the wind and snow, which had started up again, when we were ready to head back home.  Daryl later tried to get to Albert Lea to check on the boiler system at the church where he works but he wasn't too far out of town when once again discovered that the winds had picked back up again and he decided to turn around and came back home again.

Meanwhile my mother was a nervous wreck worrying about her grandson, Cam, and his wife, Dayna, being on the roads somewhere trying to get to and from their jobs. Dayna’s mother had come to the lake to take care of their daughter, Ava. Thank goodness the blizzard did quit at 3 o'clock as forecast.  I know it sounds like a "day in the life" but I praise our good Lord up above for watching over all of us.

If I forgot to wish you a Happy New Year - I guess you know why.

By the way, have you ever tried to type with one hand in a hard spica cast? It doesn't go well. I had to result to the "hunt and peck" method of typing with one hand but I did get my news sent to the paper.

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Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, January 22nd: Reese Hendrickson, Taylor Lunning, Christian Sletten, Tom Haried, Lyle Shaunce, Barbara Van Gorkom, Jeff Miller, Heather Sargent

• Friday, January 23rd: Eugene Worke, "Emeritus" Bob Hanson, Eugene Cornelius, Rodney Sorenson, Dean Broitzman, Garnet Folie, Jeff Miller, Chris Paulson

• Saturday, January 24th: Morgan Sophia Luhring, her 10th; Renee Polzin, Greg Menefee, Mary Cunningham, Trevor Tracy

• Sunday, January 25th: Calvin Thomas VanderStoep, his 6th; Sophia Mabel Olivia Mrotz, Max Thomas Powers Brekke, his 8th; Emma Meiners, her 7th;  Paula Olson, Vernon Simonson, Lana Thompsen, Troy Phagan, Ladawn Hatch

• Monday, January 26th: Andilynn Leigh Knudson, her 6th; Russell Nelson, Bonnie Peterson, Pat Reese Ceplecha, Linda Oldenburg, Angela Borchert, Donna Borchert Knudson, Amanda Abel

• Tuesday, January 27th:  Anna Mae Lee, Jon Berg, Linda Davis, Nancy Ingvaldson, Paul Larkin, Keegan Brighton, Myrtle Peterson, Ken & Waynette Peterson, Bruce & Rose Ann Kubicek

• Wednesday, January 28th: Brian Brekke, Kevin Stieglbauer, Kalei Wilson, Caleb Brocker, Ruth Paulson, Denise McGowan, Rachel Schei, Lona Berg

• Thursday, January 29th: Molly Jo Wayne, her 7th, Jalen Aaseth, Rick Seath, Andrea (Hanson) Carter, George Dettman, his 85th, Kim (Harpel) Johnson, Zenobia Haberman, Stephanie Jensen

• Friday, January 30th: Allison Grunwald, Renae Wallace, Trudy Nelson, Cody Boverhuis, Dennis Jensen, Jeanette Fetterly, Michael Robinson, Scott Morreim, Wally Wobschall, Missy (Wayne) & Sean Engel, their 6th, Paul & Diane Stollard

Let the good times carry you away on your special day!

Another day in paradise is about how I feel when the temperatures get into the 20s in January. We have been experiencing some downright cold temperatures for the past couple of weeks, but now it is getting to be more livable, so enjoy it while it lasts. Funny how we put things in perspective: in the fall 40 degrees is really very cold to us, but in the spring or late winter it almost seems like sunscreen and T-shirt weather.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not pining for the days of high humidity and swatting mosquitoes for exercise just yet, but if we end up having a long winter those days might start looking pretty good. The one thing about living in Minnesota is that we will never run out of things to whine about. Too cold, too hot, too much snow, not enough moisture, will it ever quit raining, and on and on it goes. This is part of our heritage, and we Minnesotans have fine-tuned the art of weather talk and actually have taken it to another level. I wonder how many times we’ve watched national news channels and they have some reporter saying it was 20 degrees in another state and we have just scoffed and thought that it’s “nothing like Minnesota weather?” Then there was the snow storm in Buffalo, New York that left them with 8 feet of snow; I guess we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves after that one.

After a late start, the outdoor ice rinks are in good shape and being used. The milder weather should make for some great outdoors fun at a neighborhood rink. As a kid, my skating was pretty much confined to the local pond that existed at one time just about straight across Bridge Avenue from where Oak Park Place is today. Our other option was to skate on the lake which involved some travel. Our world in those days didn’t involve parents just dropping kids off and picking them up like in today’s world.

We had to make our own fun and if we wanted to get adventuresome and explore new horizons it involved walking in the winter or riding your bike in the summer. When we got old enough to get a driver’s license our whole world expanded. Kenny my neighbor had a sister who lived on the lake and we went there a couple of times for a skating party. We had a fire going and when we decided to take a break it was time for hot chocolate. Being mobile also meant that we could have sledding parties and we would get permission from Joe Juve, who owned the farm where the high school is today. I had a toboggan that I had gotten for Christmas a few years earlier and that baby would fly down that hill. We would try to do the sledding parties on a moonlit night so that we could see where we were going. The biggest problem with the hill in that pasture was maneuvering around a few oak trees that dotted the hillside. Going to someone’s house after sledding or skating for hot chocolate was a great way to top off a fun night. Those were fun times and an inexpensive way to enjoy an evening of fun with a bunch of friends. 

I have written before about the times when we were in high school and would take the toboggan, a long sturdy rope and head out on a snow-packed country road for a little harmless fun. I did say harmless fun but I did not say safe fun. This is probably where I should say “kids, don’t try this at home,” because it can lead to no good. My friend Pat’s folks were out of town so we used their Jeep Wagoneer for this great adventure. We tied the rope to the toboggan and to the bumper of the vehicle and would take turns getting pulled along bounding from ditch to ditch being careful to avoid a field drive. This was a real rush, but like all good things it came to an abrupt end when Pat got too close to the edge of the road and we rolled the Jeep Wagoneer. Luckily we all escaped unscathed except for a few minor bumps and bruises.

After getting a nice farmer to pull us out of the ditch and help us get the vehicle upright we were able to get it started and drive away. We spent the next morning trying to kick the dent out of the roof in a ridiculous and feeble attempt to save Pat’s hide. We were pretty desperate to even think that nobody would notice the roof had sunken in. It took a while for that one to blow over and that also ended our sledding behind a moving vehicle.

Yes, those were the “good old days” when you made your own fun, but sometimes we couldn’t tell the difference between safe fun and dumb fun. As a kid growing up in that era it seemed like me and my friends always seemed to think that it was more fun if you played just a little closer to the edge.

I haven’t heard many recent fishing reports from area lakes, but from earlier I had heard that fishermen on Fountain Lake there were catching panfish, perch and a few walleye and northern were also being caught. Remember that there is no such thing as safe ice so always know the conditions before venturing out.

Until next time, try spending a little time outdoors and making some “safe” fun of your own.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the upcoming year. They are the reason that we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I won’t be able to work tomorrow.

Why not?

My Grandma Hanson died.

I’m surprised. That’s the fourth time she’s died.

You’re surprised? Just think how my Grandma feels.

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: Being happy for others makes me happy.

The cafe chronicles

I stopped at the cafe because it was conveniently located near a restroom. Using a restroom creates an obligation. It was guilt more than hunger that made me order something to eat. I sat down with a group of men. I didn’t know any of them. I asked if any of them owned a chia pet. Moronic questions make wonderful ice breakers. Someone was introduced as being slightly cracked, but still a good egg. Another as having a reach impediment when it came time to pick up a check. Someone said, "Jeepers!" I felt right at home.

And you are?

My sister-in-law, Donna Swenson of Waseca, retired from her full-time job and took a part-time job at the local Care Center. She is an occupational therapist blessed with skill and dedication. My bride stopped to see her sister. She asked one of the other workers where she might find Donna Swenson. The friendly person told my wife that there was no one by that name in that section and that she should check out the residents living in a different hallway.

It reminded me of a hick from Hartland visiting a nursing home resident who had been his mother’s friend. He greeted her and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

The woman pointed at a nursing assistant and replied, "No, but if you ask that woman there, I’m sure she’ll be able to tell you."

Watching Carlie Wagner

It was as cold as normal. It was so cold that the fine print in my cellphone contract had gotten even smaller. Winters here are gelid enough that people watch TV shows that are nothing more than a fireplace. Stouthearted individuals have been known to open front doors to leave and say, "Forget it," before retreating to the comforting hold of familiar blankets.

Maybe that’s why we hadn’t gone earlier. Maybe it was because family and work had filled our calendars. We’d been meaning to go, but we’re part of the largest nation on Earth — procrastination.

 My family, friends and I rode a snazzy bus to Williams Arena to watch local hoopster Carlie Wagner and the Minnesota Gophers play. Finally, we were going to see some college basketball! We had a swell time and it was a great way to travel.

A car covered with bumper stickers passed us. There were fender stickers, trunk stickers, hood stickers, etc. The driver believed in things. Mostly, he believed that he should put on another bumper sticker.

The Maryland coach spent the game bending the ear of the nearest referee. I guess that is what you have to do at that level. There was more cajoling than coaching on her part. Her staff handled most of the coaching. Hers is a tough gig. Most everybody on her staff wants her job.

My thanks to Carlie for the incentive and to Rick Schultz of New Richland for arranging the trip.

He told me, "Carry on." I will.

My brother Donald’s wife, Glenda, had a father who was in the Navy, a brother in the Marines, another brother who was in the Air Force and a husband proud of his Army service.

Donald was a volunteer firefighter, someone truly good for nothing. He was a magician when it came to maladies of motors and machinery. His humble mastery of such things mystified and delighted me. I felt rich to have such a sibling. It was nearly impossible for me to break things that he couldn’t fix. Until now. He broke my heart and I’m not sure it’s fixable. He didn’t do it with malicious intent. He did it by dying.

Donald died a couple days short of his January 15 birthday. Glenda was with him when he shuffled off this mortal coil. My wife and I had just left his room and had almost made it into our house when my cell phone rang, giving me the bad news.

The good news is that Donald was my brother. It doesn’t get better than that.

Meeting adjourned

"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change. Kindness that catches us by surprise brings out the best in our natures." — Bob Kerrey