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Wednesday, November 19, 2003
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Hallowe'en

Here are three little ones just back from going out to "trick or treat" --Katie, Jayce and Shyanne

Travelogue t

The Bolivian Beat
By Kjirsten Swenson

We should be on a plane for La Paz right now, but our trip was postponed indefinitely due to continued blockades, strikes, and general political unrest in the capital and Altiplano. There haven't been violent incidents in La Paz, but there was a nasty confrontation between the military and campesinos blocking roads in protest in a couple of communities not too far away.

Plus, we wouldn't be able to visit Lake Titicaca, due to continued blockades. And an "undefined general strike" has been planned to begin Monday in most of the country, including La Paz and Cochabamba. Nobody knows exactly what it may turn into, though transportation is not likely to be affected.

My disappointment over not being able to travel is completely overcome by fascination with all of the current social and political happenings. Impassioned Americans voice their grievances through lawmakers that are arguably at least somewhat representative and responsive to their constituents. In contrast, Bolivia is ruled by a corrupt, supposedly democratic, elite (president grew up in the states and speaks worse Spanish than me) that does not share the culture, world view, or anything apart from human-ness, with the country's population.

The indigenous population, a 75% majority, faces shameful discrimination and oppression, and has only token influence in government. But recently a few charismatic, indigenous leaders have emerged, and have been making themselves heard. Dialogue results in nothing more than empty promises, so campesinos are resorting to blockades, protests, strikes, and such -- in order to force the government to acknowledge them.

An article about gas at www.boliviantimes.com/ explained the current controversy, but with a strong government/ hooray for capitalism bias that fails to indicate the magnitude of income that would be poured into the pockets of transnational companies, and thus fail to benefit the country.

Bolivia has historically been very rich in natural resources, but remains one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, due to continuous exploitation during the last 500 years. First Spain, later a ruling elite, and now transnationals, have been cheaply extracting the country's resources and pocketing the funds. But it seems that Bolivia's gas will be allowed to suffer the same fate only after a fierce fight.


Day to Day R
With Donna Mae
Ashby, MN

Make hose last longer

Extend the life of your panty hose by soaking them in a solution of 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups of water for half an hour, then rinsing with cool water before wearing. The salt penetrates fibers, making them resistant to snags.

Nix Dandruff with mouthwash

Add a capful of antibacterial mouthwash to a cup of warm water, massage into your scalp, then rinse and shampoo as usual. Mouthwash ingredients like thymol and alchohol have antiseptic properties that halt production of the excess scalp oils that causes embarrassing flakes.

Always buy the best -- for less

Before you purchase anything, get a free second opinion at epinions.com The site posts reviews from people who have already tried the product to help you determine if it's worth your hard earned cash.

Burn 3x more calories laughing than exercising

Read a funny e-mail or laugh out loud at your friends or spouse. It seems that laughing for 30 seconds produces the same aerobic benefits as exercising for three minutes on a rowing machine, according to the researchers at Stanford University. You'll burn calories in addition to strengthening your abdominals. (What's not to like about this "prescription"?)


Miss Kitty is Shocked!

The Miss Kitty Letters*
By Miss Kitty

Miss Kitty Is Shocked! Shocked!

My stars! I hardly know where to begin. First I read that Miss Jerrianne has joined the staff of The Bulletin, as their Alaska correspondent, while I am ignored completely, though everyone knows The Miss Kitty Letters are all about me. Anyone can see that without me, Miss Jerrianne would have nothing to write about. I dictate. Miss Jerrianne types. 'Nuff said!

But that's just the beginning! In the midweek edition of The Bulletin, Miss Hetty Hooper (the family snooper!) accused "the newest member of our staff" of sending a naughty casino picture of Miss Hetty and her boyfriend to the editor. Let me tell you, I was shocked! Shocked!

Why that story has plausible deniability stamped all over it ... everybody knows pussycats don't take pictures. (You should ALL be grateful for that!) And Miss Jerrianne didn't take that picture, either. I'm quite sure of it. She stuffs me into my kennel sometimes and sneaks out for an hour or two without me, but it takes a lot longer than a couple of hours to make it from Alaska to North Dakota and back to Anchorage. Miss Jerrianne says she hasn't been to Fargo for 30 or 40 years. She doesn't remember exactly.

One thing is abundantly clear from this family snooper story: I must begin first person reporting of the Miss Kitty adventures to ensure proper credit. I offered to type them, too ... not a problem, I thought, as Miss Jerrianne's computer has two keyboards ... one for her and one for me. Unfortunately, Miss Jerrianne doesn't see it that way. As soon as I set foot on a keyboard (preferably on a volume key to make it go beep!) she says, "NO! That's not for kitty cats." (I must hear those awful words a dozen times a day!)

Miss Jerrianne has even threatened to install PawSense on her PowerBook to "cat proof" the computer ... to catch me in the act if I touch those keyboards and alarm me with rude noises. It's an empty threat, I think. I read on the web site at www.bitboost.com/pawsense/ that PawSense isn't available for Macintosh computers yet ... it's only for PCs ... and Miss Jerrianne doesn't do Windows.

Now that's what I call sneaky snooping! Why I read that Chris Niswander was awarded one of those "Ig Nobel" prizes (Computer Science in 2000), which are given for "achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced" ... "for inventing PawSense, software that detects when a cat is walking across your computer keyboard." Serves him right, I say!

www.improbable.com/ig/ig-top.html

But I digress. What really concerns me about snooping is the possibility of web cams ... surveillance cameras ... being installed in the kitchen and dining room so Miss Jerrianne can spy on me from her computer while I'm exploring. She is wondering how a sticky label from the pass through window sill found its way onto the bedroom floor ... not to mention how a few things from the top of the refrigerator ended up all over the kitchen.

And Miss Hetty, you should know that in spite of my umbrage, I'm totally sympathetic to your plight. When it comes to embarrassing pictures, you wouldn't believe how upset I've been about being caught in the act of grooming my tail. I mean, somebody has to groom my tail. If that photo got posted to my "blog," it would be a catastrophe! I'd just die! BTW, you can read about my adventures here on my "blog" anytime.

Miss Kitty


This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND

Old Time Cooking

This is the time of the year we all have lots of apples on hand. Seems like apples were the most popular fruit in many homes years ago as they could be grown on most farms and on town lots. This is a recipe which Alice Grinager (neighbor of Cleo's) and Grandma Cleo always made each fall and winter ... So let's call it:

ALEO'S APPLE DESSERT
(for Alice and Cleo)

Mix together:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal.
Press half of this into a 9" by 13" pan.

Then combine:
1 cup sugar
3 Tblsp. cornstarch
1 cup water

Cook until thick and add 1 tsp. vanilla, a pinch of salt and a few drops of red food coloring. Slice 6 apples and add to cooked mixture and spread over the crumb layer. Then cover with the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Good warm ... and with Cool Whip or ice cream, too. Enjoy!

Now, to give the kids a nice holiday treat, I will include another seasonal recipe.

Thanksgiving Gobble Turkeys
(for the kiddies!)

1/4 cup margarine
4 cup mini-marshmallows
6 cup Rice Krispies
chocolate frosting.
candy corn.
Oreo cookies.

Melt margarine. Add marshmallows and stir to melt. Add cereal. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, twist Oreos apart. Butter hands. Make 1-1/2 inch balls from the cereal mixture.

Frost empty Oreo halves. Press 3 candy corns in the shape of a fan. Add a little frosting and stick a cereal ball in the center of the cookie half with the candy corn.

Frost the rest of the cookie halves and put on the bottoms of the cereal balls. (One half of the Oreo forms the base of the turkey and the other is the back of a turkey, and the cereal ball IS the turkey.)

Now put a dab of frosting on a candy corn and stick it on the ball of cereal to make the turkey's head.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Elaine


From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper --
the Family Snooper!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am so embarrassed! You will not believe the horrible goof I have made. But I ask you -- how am I supposed to keep up with all the new staff the Boss keeps taking on? A Cat, no less! I ask you, what kind of a zoo am I working in? A snoopy one, that is what!

And did you notice that Ms. Perfect from ND thinks all this is hilarious? I just know she IS the one who sent that horrible picture in to the Editor!

It is all a mix-up and I hardly know who I am supposed to apologize to -- but to anyone out there who I have offended by my words, or just by being me, "I am sorry!" And please, Miss Jerrianne and Miss Kitty, I never DID think it was you -- I just know it is that "Here and There" (or something like that) ND lady.

The only romance I can report on is my own. It is flat out done for. When HE saw the picture in the paper, my former friend sent me a "Dear Hetty" letter -- didn't even give me a reason why -- just jilted me -- kapoot! So life goes on... Hetty Hollers Help!


The Best of
The Bulletin :

One of the essays that had its place in The Bulletin in its first year, and that several of you may have missed or forgotten, was the one that follows:

Grandpa Hans C. Anderson
by Dorothy Anderson

Grandpa came from Denmark as a young man. He never learned to speak the English language quite like a native. When I first met him, I immediately liked him. He was a very pleasant man --but to communicate with him was nearly impossible, as he was almost totally deaf. He was a smaller man than his children and was bent from the arthritis from which he suffered. He had a mustache, and as most of the Danish people, he was a tobacco user -- pipe, cigar, or cigarettes -- he didn't seem to mind which!

He spent from spring until fall with his son Harry and the family. In the winter, he was at his daughter Lydia's, first in Iowa and then, when she moved to the state of Washington, he would go there. I am sure the mild weather was pleasant for him as he reached old age. He had been a farmer when he was younger, but from the time I met him he was retired.

When he was at Harry and Cleo's, he usually helped in the garden, and to the kids' disgust, seemed to keep pretty close tab on what they were supposed to be doing and let them know when they were slacking. He liked to go to town with the family, or really wherever they went, he was eager to go along. I don't think they would have minded that as much IF he hadn't been so quick to "light up."

I have asked Elaine to provide us with some information about her Grandpa, Hans Christian Anderson:

When he lived with us on the farm, he would sit on the front porch and often tell us about coming to this country from the "old country," as Europe was called. We kids would tell him, "Yes, but this is the new country!" Now I wished we would have written it all down and had it on record. But that's the way it is ... and that is a good reason for The Bulletin, too, to save some of this family history.

Coming from Denmark with his wife and son Maurice, (and Carl was expected), he stayed with a brother in law, John Anderson, in Ibsen Township. At that time, Ibsen was a part of Dwight Township, for those researching history. Later, Harry (our father) and Inga were born, also Earl Willie and Earline.

He knew lots of sorrows in his lifetime... Little Earl Willie died at a year old, then his wife, Inger, died, leaving baby Earline, who was adopted into the John Anderson family. Then his mother came from Wisconsin to help raise the family. H.C. then married Bertina Olson and had Lydia and Oswald, and then Bertina died in childbirth, and the baby was buried in her arms.

Hannah and Anna Carlson often said she was a good woman, and a pretty person. When Earline and Inga married and had small children, they both died very young, also. H.C. also saw his son Carl die before him. At the time of his death, Oswald, Lydia and Harry were survivors.

I remember him being in a wheel chair when they lived on the Dwight Bonanza farmhouse. However, he recuperated and walked again. He had bowel obstruction surgery when nearing 90 years but died of an aorta aneurism at the age of 90.

Besides farming, and having Holsteins, and a purebred Angus herd, he worked for the Highway department and mowed roadsides with teams for many years.

I often remember how he liked all the things that are not recommended for healthy eating. He loved ham and eggs, and bacon and eggs for breakfast ... smothered with lots of salt. Also, he ate a lot of cream and bread. It was hard for him to socialize, with his poor hearing, and now, as we get older, we can understand his frustrations. Maybe that is why he read a lot and endorsed "The LEADER," the Non-partisan League newspaper.

He had a hard time keeping up with the latest ideas and inventions, and often would quote these words. "MY, MY, NEVER SEEN SUCH T'INGS!" Another quote we kids would say when we met someone new came about like this.... One of the boys (don't remember which) put on an ugly Halloween mask and came into the living room one evening ... and he said, "I DON'T KNOW YOU, FELLOW." It is strange he didn't have a heart attack!

We have many special memories of him; he taught us many things ... kind and caring, had very little money, only an old age pension, which was very meager, but it taught all of us how to appreciate all the good things we have, compared to the hard times in his life.


QUOTATION FOR THE DAY: There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. --Josh Billings (1815-1885), Humorist and Lecturer

EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com


This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.