Columnists
FINE DINING - Deb Bently’s recent trip to Disney World included a meal at a Japanese style restaurant where the chef not only prepared excellent food, but entertained diners with energetic showmanship.
Here I am back in Minnesota after five days in poor, chilled Florida.
In last week’s column, I joked my sister-in-law Joan and I were victims of a weather conspiracy–jinxed by snow that delayed our southbound flight and by overnight freezes with low temperatures the state had not seen in...
If I were a suspicious person, I might begin to believe I am the victim of a nationwide conspiracy having to do with the weather.
I am currently on a trip to Florida, my first in about 30 years. As I write this, I am at a hotel with my sister-in-law Joan anticipating a day at Disney World,...
Given that we are currently in the “basement of winter,” none of us Minnesotans can say we are surprised by our lingering cold snap. It does, however, give us strong motive to anticipate the figurative stairway–February and March–that will get us out of here.
In the meantime, though, I...
It’s well known that native residents of Texas like to brag about how “everything’s bigger” in their part of the country. The boast is justified most of the time–just as an example, a drive from Minnesota’s southern border to Canada is about 400 miles. In Texas, the distance from north to south...
Pictured is a pileated woodpecker spotted through the window at my family’s cabin.
I have escaped to my family’s cabin for a few days.
As I may have mentioned before, the cabin is a small, rustic one located at the end of a winding one-lane road which meanders up and down hills through a thoroughly wooded area. There are eight or so cabins along the road, but based on...
Well, here we are. The holidays are over, but winter remains.
The good news is, we are headed in the right direction. Internet sources say our region will gain 53 minutes of daytime from the beginning to the end of the month, although still ahead of us are the seven days which are typically...
With the end of 2025, I find myself doing the expected thing: looking back over the closing year.
I wish to thank everyone who contacted the paper to make sure we know about interesting people and occurrences.
I want to point out we have a marvelous community, occupied for the most...
Back when I was teaching composition, my students would frequently say something like, “I can’t write the assignment because I can’t figure out how to start it.”
My answer was “Don’t start it then, just write it.” I explained that, thanks to modern word processing, there is no need to craft...
I was privileged to attend five live music performances in eight days. My Christmas spirit is now fully activated.
It started the Sunday after Thanksgiving with the Waseca Chorale’s “Joy! He Shall Reign” concert held at Sacred Heart Church in Waseca. The church, with its stained glass...
SPARKLING - One of Deb’s sun catchers caught light in a different form when it acquired a cap of sparkling snow.
These ideas are being written down on Saturday evening, after a day of snowfall, which covered everything outside with five or more inches of shiny white snow. By the time you read it on Thursday, the whole world will have changed again in some new, wintry way.
Today, though, I am willing...