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A hilly vacation

I recently came home to find my wife staring out the window. “Look at Bella,” she whispered. Bella, our dog, was sitting on the deck and staring intently at the lawn. Out on the lawn, our cat, Sparkles, was staring intently at a gopher hole. You know it’s time to go on vacation when you’re watching your wife who’s watching the dog who’s watching the cat who’s watching a gopher hole. So, we headed for the hills. Specifically, the Black Hills, where we met up with our son and daughter-in-law and their kindergartener son. Our first stop was Reptile Gardens, where we ...

Looking back on songs about America

Music has always been a staple to the town of New Ulm, the once Polka Capital of the United States. The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame sits on the corner of 1st N and Broadway, and live music can be found at German park, the Grand, and countless other locations. With it being the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, now is a time to explore how America’s connotation has changed throughout the years and what better way to review these changes through the lens of songs about America. Two of the most famous American tunes are “America, the Beautiful,” published by ...

Looking back on the family vacation

This is the time of year when Americans traditionally embark on extended journeys with their loved ones. Some of these journeys are so long that by the time they end there’s a good deal of fantasizing about leaving said loved ones at the next roadside gas station. It’s family vacation season once again, that time-honored American custom that was originated by the Pilgrims when they left England. One of the Pilgrim dads convinced his family to go on vacation by saying, “We could use a change of scenery. I’ve got a great idea! Let’s go for a little boat ride! C’mon, it’ll ...

Celebrating a birthday during complicated times

Happy birthday to us! Next Saturday, our country will be 250 years old. I have been around for seventy of those. So, I’ve seen some things. We are just back from a trip to Europe. One of the advantages of traveling is perspective. Looking at America from across the ocean is like astronauts looking at Earth from space. It’s lovely, with a gauzy surface, and it looks a bit fragile. Ben Franklin was asked during the Constitutional Convention. “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” 250 years later, ...

Ravishing radishes

Every morning at this time of year I go outside and dig in the dirt for my breakfast. This isn’t because we’re destitute. It’s because I have this scandalous craving for radishes. As with many things, fresher is always better. And it’s impossible to be any fresher than eating food moments after it’s plucked from the earth. I wash my radishes first, of course. I’m not a total barbarian, at least not anymore. When I was a kid, a fresh radish or a green onion would find its way into my mouth after the dirt was removed with a cursory swipe on the leg of my jeans. Jeans that ...

Empowering voters: Redistricting

Candidates for the United States Senate, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and others are elected by the voters in the entire state. In contrast, candidates for the United States House of Representatives, the state Senate and the state House of Representatives are elected by the voters in a specific district. Each district is made up of smaller geographical units which divide cities, towns and counties into manageable units for the purpose of organizing and administering elections. Generally speaking, those smaller units are called precincts, although in rural areas ...