My parents frequently had overnight guests even though our house was small and didn’t have running water until I was six. Sometimes my brother and I would have to tiptoe through a living room floor crowded with hunters as several packed in our tiny house to get a jump on deer season. Other times we would wake up for school... READ MORE >
When I was little I was afraid of cats. My Grandma Isabelle had kittens that would sit under the stove in the kitchen and paw at our feet as we ran by. Their little claws hurt and scratched our toes. I was not a fan. I didn’t think they were cute or cuddly, I thought they were mean. The mama... READ MORE >
My husband Mike and I moved to Annandale 16 years ago for one reason, we wanted to raise our three children in a small, close-knit community. Mike had this growing up in Decorah, Iowa and I did on the North Shore in Minnesota. The community of Annandale has exceeded our expectations. After only a few years we both feel “part... READ MORE >
When I was in ninth grade, I was chosen to be a punch girl at the prom along with my friends Carolyn Scheffler, Susan Skrien and Marilyn Maw. We each bought dresses and did our hair for the event. My dress was a baby blue knee-length with cap sleeves. The gym was decorated with lots of streamers, balloons and a... READ MORE >
Last night I was making invitations for my son’s graduation party. While digging through the “thousands” of pictures on my external hard drive, I found several videos too. I paged through these for hours watching snippets of our three kids playing, dancing and goofing around with the camera. I feel so lucky to be known as MOM to these three.... READ MORE >
I baked with my young friend Rasmus last weekend. He is 13 and a very impressive pastry chef in the making. He has surpassed many bakers three to four times his age. One of the cakes we baked was a delicious jelly roll cake. These are the favorite cakes of my youth. Right up there with the famous “crazy cake”…no... READ MORE >
My dad called and said he had a break from work so he’d be down the next day to “work on my deck.” Work on the deck meant replacing all the boards and the railing as the original was built 23 years ago and it was getting a little shabby. I had less than 24 hours to get ready for... READ MORE >
I have a very good friend who I love and adore because she is such a light in my life. I think her parents must have recognized her positive future as they named her after a flower and the mother, Mary. I remember the day I met her more than 10 years ago. I was being trained to sell advertising... READ MORE >
We are soon to be empty nest parents. Our youngest will be graduating in a few short months. On the one hand I am so sad to see my boys grow up. I remember them climbing into my lap, begging for bedtime stories and hugs to now towering over me by a good 12 to 13 inches. On the other... READ MORE >
Funny how songs can trigger memories. I was at an 80th birthday/pre-funeral celebration recently, yes you read that right, a pre-funeral celebration, for a friend of ours. He didn’t want to wait until he died to have all his friends and family gather, so he did it now. Smart and fun. The band there was from the St. Cloud area,... READ MORE >
