May 2013
7 posts
Celebrating independence, Norwegian style
Norwegians, particularly those who claim that ancestry here in the Midwest, aren’t known for boisterous, wild parties. We like to celebrate with a bit of bland but delicious food, typically white in color.
But today is Syttende Mai, and it’s worth celebrating the country’s independence. Syttende Mai means May 17, and is the day in 1814 when Norway got its own constitution,...
6 tags
Ready, set, farm
Last night when I went to sleep, the farmer of the field across the road was just getting a good start on planting. I could see his tractor lights and hear his motor, and I knew he wouldn’t quit until it was done.
This morning, it had that deep neatly combed look of a newly-planted field.
This is what my neighbors do: They’re family farmers. They’re not corporate farmers,...
Winter, spring, summer...we've got it all
Remember when it snowed earlier this month?
May is equal opportunity, apparently.
Free car washes
The morning commute included a pressurized car wash complete with an undercarriage flush. That was some rain.
Here’s the view under my umbrella.
No child would ever graduate if they waited for...
By the time the state and nation figure out what qualifies as good school reform, a kid could complete its K-12 education.
I know because mine will have done exactly that.
He entered kindergarten in 2002, just after President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind reforms into law (Jan. 8, 2002), with goals that as predicted included measurements that were not statistically attainable. Sure,...
Duck Dynasty turns me into trend setter
I generally do not watch TV. No hard feelings, but I’d rather do other things.
There are a couple of exceptions: I tune in once in a while to Cupcake Wars and Prairie Woman Cooks, and if I have trouble falling asleep I watch House Hunters. On most people’s scale, I have horrible tastes.
That was it until sometime last year when my kids started watching Duck Dynasty. One look and I...
Tuba tunes may be this family's future
As a parent, there are just some activities that you want your children to stick with.
For me, it’s band. I’m admittedly an adult band geek.
My band days learning to play French horn weren’t always smooth. I started a year later than my classmates and remember crying at one of my lessons, although I’m not sure what it was over. I played well enough but wasn’t very confident, and when you blow...
April 2013
13 posts
From blizzards to bulldozers
It’s not an easy commute these days if you’re trying to get to downtown Sioux Falls from the north.
Russell Street is under construction, and plans are it will be done by the fall of 2014. That’s a bit of time.
Cliff Avenue at Interstate 90 made me wish I had a hardhat in the car this morning, just in case. Off 60th Street North between Interstate 29 and Minnesota Avenue,...
Goodbye winter, I think
I snapped this photo this morning on the way out the door because I’m thinking I won’t see the beauty of fresh fallen snow for maybe six months after today.
And I liked that our dogs never complain about another few inches of snow to sit and play in. They just always seem happy, even the old Golden Retriever. He was taking his nap in the snow before sitting up to greet me. The young...
No techie but loved learning this
I feel like I went back to college earlier this week, for a class on reporting, shooting, voiding and editing a video suitable for our news website. It was frustrating at time but also super fun. I’m never planning on being a TV reporter but that’s OK. I’m just hoping to be able to put together something worth watching, something that adds to the news. So here’s my very...
Farm chores can yield surprises
We had a surprise in our barn this morning.
Our son’s two ewe’s spent last fall at another farm for breeding. The first ewe had a baby in late January. We figured that by now, with no sign of a birth, the second ewe wasn’t pregnant.
She delivered her little female lamb this morning and as with any new birth, we’re praying she makes it. Sheep can be pretty fragile...
Progression of a tree branch in an ice storm
I took a photo of the same branch three days in the row mostly because the branch bonked me in the forehead. While usually a twig, it had grown massively with ice and hung lower than I expected. Anyway, it got my attention.
So here’s the first shot when the ice was so thick.
And then it snowed.
But today, there is hope. It’s even hard to recognize the branch as the same one.
...
Country living hasn't been so bad
Usually, with a major ice and snow storm, country life grinds to a halt.
Power is dicey. Snow-covered roads blend into ditches. Wind howls. We sit. And wait for people to clear the roads and restore normalcy to our way of life.
But with this storm, I feel lucky.
I think Sioux Falls has it worse. It seems like every single resident has had some major problem with either trees or power or ice.
...
City's tree losses weigh us down
As a young girl, my cousins and I turned a tree in my Grandma’s front yard into a horse, a house and a place to hang out.
“Climb Tree” we christened it and we spent hours being goofy and bonding as family in that tree. When it wasn’t that tree, we attacked her weeping willow like apes, gathering branches in our arms and swinging back and forth, until a sane adult scolded us that we would break the...
Ice storm has flip side
Nothing like an old-fashioned ice storm to make you feel lucky.
Stick with me on this. I’m sick of winter like everyone else but with an April 9 storm, it’s like a last hurrah before winter says goodnight until late fall.
So to celebrate, there is a party today, complete with …
drunken trees taking it into the streets,
decorations on everything,
absolutely...
Snow, mosquitoes don't mix in April
One of the best press releases arrived today in advance of a pending winter storm.
The state Department of Heath had planned a mosquito control and West Nile Virus conference for Tuesday in Pierre. But organizers had to cancel it because in many places, the snow plow driver runs the mosquito control equipment, too.
Since it appears that places in the state could get between an inch and a billion...
Looking for an alternate route to work
They’re setting up the orange construction cones on Russell Street for road work next week.
There also is work planned for the Interstate 29 and 90 exchange where they will take traffic down to one lane each way at some point.
I’m not sure what all of that means other than both projects are along my direct route to work. Oh, and I can’t take an alternate route through Baltic...
Sioux Falls schools asking for higher taxes
The Sioux Falls School District wants to raise taxes 5.5.percent — the first significant hike in years — in order to pay for its reading program, computers for each child and better salaries.
The district released the numbers this week and plans to have the school board vote on it Monday night. For the owner of a $150,000 home, the tax increase would be about $69.
In addition...
It's ok to dream, I guess
We have a non-working, bucket of rust at our house.
But the Chevy pickup truck is collectible, I’m told. And the efforts to fix it up has provided enough material to qualify for a reality TV show.
When the guys rescued this metal from some weeds and paid money for it recently, it was a dream come true for a 14-year-old. For me, it defined crazy.
So far there have been some father-son...
Signs of slow spring: Field work barely starting
Like seeing the first robin of the season, I got excited today when I saw spring field work starting on my neighbor’s land.
The two guys out there are wearing winter gear and there’s still snow in the ditch, obviously. But it’s a start.
An Associated Press this week on crop conditions, said below normal temperatures across South Dakota have meant that snow is not melting and...
March 2013
6 posts
Holiday or Holy Day?
Is Easter a “holy day” or a “holiday” for you?
With 73 percent of Americans calling themselves Christians, only 41 percent they will worship in church on Easter, according to a survey reported about in a USA Today story in Wednesday’s Argus Leader. Instead of worshiping, they will gather with friends and family to enjoy the day. For some, spirituality is found in enjoying God’s creation with an...
Let's hear it for S.D. small schools
I watched a lot of small town kids at the State B boys basketball tournament on Saturday. What a humble yet enthusiastic group of good sports at all levels from players to fans, the band and the cheerleaders; parents, too.
It got me thinking about how sometimes we discount the importance of small schools and blame folks who live there for only wanting to keep their towns alive. We’ve even...
Snow in northeastern South Dakota tops car roofs
Summit, the Bermuda triangle of weather on Interstate 29, almost never disappoints.
I made a quick trip to Langford, where my immediate relatives make up 12 of the roughly 220 students in the school district, in order to attend the State B Basketball Tournament in Aberdeen.
That area of the state has had more winter than I’ve seen in a long while. Snow in Waubay was piled so high that the...
Oakwood Lakes State Park's off season
Oakwood Lakes is one of my family’s favorite summer camping spots. The mature trees, natural lakes without much development, wildlife, children’s activities and miles of roads to ride bikes on are a big draw.
Once we sweated through a Dutch oven cooking demonstration on a particularly hot July afternoon. The activity coordinator offered sand candle making in the volleyball court on...
Less than two weeks until March 20
Grief is a nasty, thieving emotion that robs people of happiness, contentment and peace.
Yet anyone who has grieved or is grieving knows that it is a process that we have to go through in order to feel a part of our own lives again.
I’ve watched and even reached out to people who have lost loved ones in recent months and sometimes just being there is helpful. Sometimes, nothing lessens the...
More babies, spring is coming
My big surprise when I got home last night was waiting in the mud room.
Two more baby lambs, a boy and a girl, both one day old. Their mamas near Larchwood, Iowa, had triplets, and these two are drinking out of a glass soda pop bottle with a rubber nipple on it at our house.
We’re surrogates to these bottle lambs, it seems. We’ve only had white lambs before so I can’t even tell...
February 2013
9 posts
Quick, think camping
If you want reservations to camp at one of the area South Dakota State Parks over Memorial Day weekend, good luck.
In most cases, it’s probably too late. Those reservations opened up last week and were mostly gone by the weekend. There may be a spot or two somewhere but it’s unlikely.
The state has a 90-day window for making camping reservation and if you want a spot in your favorite...
Press one for Dennis Daugaard, two for the...
It appears that the Democrats are trying to figure out who would be the best candidate to run against Gov. Dennis Daugaard and they want our help.
I received a polling call last night and in a weak moment in which I didn’t hang up, I decided to listen to the questions. The poll was conducted by Clarity Polling, which has done other Democrat polling across the country so I’m guessing...
Journalism 101: Question everything
At the Argus Leader we check letters that are submitted to the editor in an effort to make sure the people whose names are on them really are the people who wrote them.
We do this in good faith because every once in a while there’s a clown out there who tries to pull something stupid. Today we busted someone submitting letters under two different names.
I can’t guarantee this person...
Rainbow dogs are out
My morning commute included looking at some rainbow-colored sundogs this morning, an awe-inspiring drive.
I remember first learning about sundogs as a child when my parents pointed out that it was so cold the sundogs were out. Sundogs always equaled extreme cold.
That was the case this morning, too, with temperatures near zero and nice brisk winds.
Sundogs, often called mock suns, form on both...
Good Earth, One Spirit or Blood Run?
If I had to choose the name for the newest state park in South Dakota, I’d stick with Blood Run.
It’s vivid and memorable without being offensive.
The site southeast of Sioux Falls has long been called Blood Run, with its rich history of indigenous people _ the Oneota Indians before 1200 followed by the Omaha, Ponca, Ioway and Oto. Legend says the name Blood Run comes from white...
Drive-by Ash Wednesday
In Madison, Wis., pastors are distributing ashes on street corners. People don’t even have to get out of their cars. Read story here: http://www.argusleader.com/viewart/20130213/UPDATES/130213029/First-day-Lent-marked-ashes-go-
Now I’m not sure what I think of that. Part of me understands that they’re taking the church out into the world rather than waiting for people to come to...
I can see spring from here
The snow that fell on downtown Sioux Falls rooftops is running down the street today. It feels and smells hopeful.
Winter driving on the backroads
Is closing the interstates around Sioux Falls a good idea in a mediocre snowstorm?
I debated this on my morning commute on the less-than-beaten-path roads of Minnehaha County this morning. Hopping on the interstate would have been so much easier and more direct than taking the roads less traveled.
It seems like the driving conditions of most of the roads I took were pretty fair. I’m...
Paul Harvey's poem wins the Super Bowl for heart
I live with a bunch of guys who have farming in their hearts. They’re rural kids who have lived 4-H and FFA throughout their young lives.
My husband and I are both parents who grew up on farms. I have lots of memories of helping my dad feed cattle and pick up bales. I helped my mom take him lunch when he was harvesting, often a sandwich, cookies and pepsi in a glass bottle wrapped in...
January 2013
1 post
No fake guns allowed but we'll arm the teachers
When my kids were little, they couldn’t take a plastic knife, sword or gun to school if it came with their Halloween costume. In school plays, no fake weapons are allowed. Some kids get in trouble in South Dakota because they forget their BB gun or other hunting gun in their cars in the school parking lots, which is against the rules.
I understand why schools are strict about such things....
December 2012
2 posts
Morning drive takes skill
Three inches of fresh snow with zero breeze makes for a beautiful morning scene. It’s hard not to be amazed by the silence and white glow in the early dawn after a surprise snow in the night.
When I looked out from my front step, I knew my driveway was out there somewhere between those rocks and that building. It wouldn’t be bad if I went off track a little anyway.
The drive in on...
12-12-12 was a lucky day in 1912, too
I have reason to celebrate 12-12-12 more than I originally thought.
At first I just expected it to be a day when everyone in the newsroom brings a dozen of something to share. How fun! But I found out that if not for an event 100 years ago, I wouldn’t be here.
On Dec. 12, 1912, my great grandparents on my mother’s side were married. Mandius and Clara (Hoines) Holland said, “I...
November 2012
1 post
Catching an owl is no hoot
He sat perfectly still except to swivel his head our direction when we approached the dead stump where he perched.
His eyes looked like two plastic buttons plucked from a stuffed toy with no dimension and a bold, bright yellow color. We had a Great Horned owl captured inside our chicken run and two dead ducks, including one head sticking out from under the predator’s tail feathers. Blood...
October 2012
1 post
Campaigning -- the good kind
I watched the Augustana College homecoming parade Saturday morning and one of the most memorable parts was that it was cold. The weather ap on my phone said 25 degrees when I woke up.
But despite that and a breeze that kept finding its way up my pant legs, it was a perfectly great fall parade. Leaves drifted down from the trees on Grange Avenue. Our small-town band looked and sounded good. I got...
September 2012
1 post
Thanks for your service, soldiers.
Everyone should experience the graduation of a soldier, I’ve decided. It’s a good way to understand the patriotic service at the heart of our military.
When my son, shown in the photo above next to the South Dakota flag, graduated recently from basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C., our family sat with about 3,000 other people anxiously waiting to see our children for the first time...
August 2012
4 posts
So this is what it is like to be a farmer
It’s about time to sell our four wethers for slaughter and I think we’re going to go broke.
Our son bought six sheep, including the four neutered males and two ewes, for a 4-H project and paid top dollar apparently, at least for market lambs. We’ve fed them hay and grain and they are getting fatter. But when I checked the USDA agriculture marketing website to see the lamb...
Down, set, play ball
By next Friday, high school football teams will be suiting up for their first games.
At our house that means we will see how this week of two-a-day workouts pays off. While my high school son is just a sophomore, he may get some time on the field, which would really make four-hours of daily practice seem worth it, I’m guessing.
Maybe by then we can stop eating pasta EVERY night. It’s...
Thou shall not swear at the Sioux Empire Fair
Folks in charge of the Sioux Empire Fair are concerned that a couple of grandstand acts the past two years have used profanity on stage. This year, entertainers were even told that this was a family event and that it shouldn’t include swearing. One did.
Now, the question is what can organizers and promoters do about it. It’s too late this year, but how about withholding a portion of...
All good fairs must end
I’m in the mood for a really fine salad, or a bowl of chili or a tuna sandwich.
I call it Sioux Empire Fair overload. It’s a place where even if you don’t eat your meals from a food truck, you smell the grease, the barbeque smoke and the sweet fried bread smell all day, every day.
Our family camped for seven days at the fair and ate fair food for one meal, unless you count the...
July 2012
2 posts
How sweet it is
Sharing the season’s sweet corn crop is such a neighborly thing to do. Last night, my friend called and said she needed some pickers before the racoons get it all. Who wouldn’t volunteer when the payola is beautiful, golden, delicious, South Dakota-grown sweet corn.
This is the second batch we’ve had this summer. The first were mostly smaller ears because the drought stunted...
What is that smell?
Last week, our family did something I have wanted to do for years. We camped at Roy Lake State Park in northeast South Dakota at the west side campground. As a kid, we were regular campers at both the west and east parks at Roy. I still remember the time my dad, mom, little brother and I were awakened by a park ranger on a bull horn warning us to take shelter from the storm. I also have memories...
June 2012
1 post
This is too good not to share
I did something over the weekend that I never done before, and I’m asking myself why I waited so long.
Simply, I baked an angel food cake from scratch using eggs that were so fresh they hadn’t made it from nest to refrigerator yet. This, I can tell you, was the best cake I have eaten. Up until now, I was perfectly content with an angel food cake from the box. That seemed delicious and...
May 2012
3 posts
The gift of making you smile
This time of year, there are all kinds of reminders of the human potential of young people.
We talk to graduates about their futures, for example, as they get set to go off on new chapters of their lives.
Yesterday, our community was jarred when one of my sons lost a high school buddy. Their class of 21 was ready to be sophomores next year, and most of them were looking forward to their friend...
Hunger makes me panic
I’ve been trying to eat more nutritiously lately so I’ve been sticking to veggies, fruits, lean meat, Greek yogurt, green tea and the like.
What I found in the transition to eliminate chips, sweets and drive-through lane breakfasts is that I was really hungry. Shakily so; want-to-eat-the-wallpaper hungry. When I couldn’t just grab any snack, I started to panic.
I know...
