Arthur
Arthur

UPDATE -- new family member
by Brianna and Douglas Anderson-Jordet
St. Cloud, MN

Hello everybody!

I guess it's time to update everyone on the new addition to our family.

He is one and a half pounds, burnt orange and suffers from acute attention deficit disorder. His name is Arthur and he comes to us from Don and Patty Anderson's exotic cat farm among the pines.

Socially, Arthur seems to move gracefully, as both our present cat and dog have not eaten him yet, although both of them seemed to be leaning in that direction at first.

Arthur is a delight to have around the house; when he is sleepy, that is. Otherwise he is a first-rate pain in the neck. A good drag behind the car seems to tire him out just fine, though, so I think he will work out after all.

Thanks to Patty and Don for the wonderful new kitty. I suppose the scars won't show if we wear long sleeves.

Doug and Brianna


UPDATE -- Introducing Lori Anderson
by Lori Anderson
La Mirada, CA

Greetings from California! Mom has been forwarding me copies of The Bulletin for a few months. I thought now seemed like a good time to jump in and provide an update on what I've been up to.

Who's Lori?: My full name is Lori Lynn Anderson and I am the youngest child of Junior and Doris Anderson. My siblings are Lisa and Steven Anderson. I am 26 years old and live in La Mirada, California.

School: In January 2002, I graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a double major in Communications/ Journalism and English. While in school, I had a great opportunity to hone my skills in web and publication design by working for the campus newspaper, The Daily Titan.

Work: Right after graduation, I spent a few months working part-time as a web design instructor at CSUF until I found a full-time job with The Los Angeles Times' community newspaper division. There I designed pages for three of the Times' local papers that covered Costa Mesa, and the beach communities in Newport, Huntington and Laguna.

I learned a lot at the paper, but I didn't care for my work schedule; the news breaks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so I found myself working evenings, weekends, and holidays. But luckily, last April, I found my current job with the Auto Club of Southern California's publications department. Now I work regular business hours as an art assistant doing photo research and design for three of the Club's member magazines that are published in California, Hawaii, and New England.

Interests & Likes: In my spare time I still like to dabble in web design. I also like playing with my latest gadgets -- an iPod mini and a digital camera and photo printer that I got for Christmas. I'm also quite fond of Italian food, including lasagna and ravioli.

Dislikes: Southern California traffic. I live about 16 miles from my office, but it often takes over an hour to make it either to or from work. The recent rainstorms in our area have also been pretty tough. Thankfully, we haven’t had any floods or slides. But thunderstorms aren't that common here and it's hard to sleep with the hail pelting the windows.

Who's Keith?: Keith Mason and I have been dating for about two and half years. We met while working at the campus newspaper in college. He works as the sales manager at a small computer and AV rental company in Costa Mesa. In his spare time he enjoys volunteering as an AYSO referee. His parents and older brother also live in Southern California.


Lori Anderson & Keith Mason


FAMILY UPDATE -- adventures everywhere
by Mitzi Swenson
Dickinson, ND

Last weekend we realized we had kids all over doing interesting (or dangerous depending on the perspective) things: Shane skiing in California, Kjirsten backpacking in Argentina, Derek playing doubles in a racquetball tournament with a sprained foot in Grand Forks (with a girl from Dickinson he'd never met who's in Med. school at UND), Tyler winter camping in Montana ... and does he ever have tales to tell (like spam and chili heated in a can over a fire, no water bottles, friend's dad grew up in Florida, big belt went out of van in mountains) ... and Aunika playing in the state hockey tournament for girls age 12 and under. What ever happened to reading books????


The snow was light and fresh and deep ...

On Wed, 9 Feb 2005, Sheldon Swenson wrote to Shane (about Mammoth skiing photos 1/29):

I saw your skiing pictures, awesome snow and photos; I assume it must have been fairly dry snow? I also start worrying about avalanche danger.

Dad


Shane's reply:

Yup, the snow was fairly dry. It was a little lighter than we typically get in the Sierra because it came in pretty cold and stayed relatively cold for a few days.

As for avalanche danger, we were within resort boundaries and saw a crater where ski patrol had hit the slope with explosives. The storm started warmish and progressed steadily colder, which results in good adhesion between the snow layers with the lightest snow on top of the heavier, stickier snow. Also, that snow had quite a while to stabilize before we skied it, so on the whole, it was relatively safe.

The biggest avalanche danger with new snow is that it overloads the snowpack beneath it, but that snowpack was fairly stable at the resort, due to skier compaction and due to the fact that instabilities slide out of the snowpack before they grow to dangerous proportions, through frequent ski patrol explosives work. I don't have enough experience and judgment to have safely hit the backcountry with that new snow, though.

The fact that hardly anyone was skiing where we were on a Saturday is one of the great things about Mammoth. It's such a huge place that there are areas nobody knows about. This area is separated from the main ski resort by a prominent ridge, so that it isn't even visible from the rest of the mountain. The masses ski the obvious things they can see in front of them and on the map, even though better things are lurking in the shadows.

In addition, the snow in this area was probably better than anyplace else on the mountain because it sits in the shade of the ridge and has the tree cover to prevent the wind from creating packed drifts. The snow on the upper mountain was much denser due to the wind activity there, and it also got tracked out much more quickly.

We skied in relative solitude for almost the whole day on Saturday, and when we quit and skied back to the van we were flabbergasted by the sheer number of people skiing the runs by the car. The hill was swarming with people, and the lift lines were huge. We hadn't stood in a single line all afternoon. It was an unbelievable contrast.

Also, a lot of the LA crowd don't care to ski off the groomed runs anyway. So maybe 10-20% of the total people on the mountain want to ski off of the groomed areas, and maybe 5% of those people know how to find the good stuff in the less obvious areas. Divide those people amongst said areas and the results are quite enjoyable.

Shane


On Tue, 15 Feb 2005, Mitzi Swenson wrote to Shane (about Hurd Pass tour 2/12):

Oh my. Looks like too much work and cold and snow and avalanche danger for the mama. What ever did we do to you when you were a kid to make you like such crazy sports???

Mom


View from Shane's tent at Hurd Pass camp.

Shane's reply:

I don't know, I guess it's my idea of an adventure. What did you do to Kjirsten to make her so crazy? If you're in the business of raising crazy kids, you should take Tyler skiing more often so he can be a sherpa on these winter adventures, too. He's already got the ice axe so he's clearly headed in the right direction.

As for the cold, the right clothes and the right sleeping bag make all the difference. I went to bed wearing lots of clothes: long johns, socks, nylon pants, down booties, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, light fleece, hat, and glove liners. By the middle of the night, everything had come off except for socks, shorts, and t-shirt, and I had unzipped the foot area of my bag about twelve inches. I would have taken the socks off, except that I wanted to keep the dry ones I was wearing separate from the ones I was drying out in my bag.

That's what a good tent and a good sleeping bag will do. I could do without the avalanche danger, but it's something that needs to be dealt with whenever the slopes are covered with snow and steep enough to be fun. We were careful, and if there had been more fresh snow we would have skied at Mammoth instead.

To answer your question, it was probably you dragging me around the Canadian Rockies in a jerry pack. What kind of crazy kids were you guys back then?

Shane


Mitzi's reply:

I don't know if you understand how lucky you were to have young, crazy parents! Think of our childhoods.....

Mom


More of Shane Swenson's adventure photos:

http://community.webshots.com/user/swensonshaneo


The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN

Starting with Bulletin 124, I planned to run biographical sketches of the members of our staff. Now that this has been done, I want to run sketches and pictures of the readers and subscribers who have not already done introductions. Please tell us about yourself. What is your work and what else do you do with your time? How are you related or what friend introduced you into the family? I am hoping that you can share family photos and background sketches. Send all manuscripts and pictures to me at dma49261@juno.com


Bubsy's Version of Uncle Isomin's* Experience...
By LeRoy Dake

Teacher--TEACHER---DIDN'T YOU SEE ME RAISE MY HAND? How can I tell that story when you already done told it all???

Yes, mam, that was a big OLD Christler that got rund over, I'm sure glad our old uncle Isomins weren't in HER! OK!

Ok! Ill try and get things a going about that story, but I SURE WISH you ed have given me first CHANCE!!!!!

I remember walking around that old rig a looking at them nice red taillights and walkin' aroun' the side and she was made of tin and so was her doors, but the top was made of a cloth with wood runnin' under to hold er up, the top that is!! And great big old shiny front end lites.They shined jist like they was made out of silver, I guess I would say!! Oh, alright I'll get back to my story, if you thinks I should!!

Uncle left our yard about at dusk as I remember, headed home to bring the supplies to Aunt Minny, she was needing them things kind of bad, cause she sent him out that late in the afternoon! Sure glad she wasn't along!!

It seems as he came to the train crossing, he pulls over too far to the right, and my guess is he ran off the crossing planks!!

Whoa, the front wheel dropped between the tracks, and likely jackknifed. He tried to back out and then tried to drive ahead, but he sure enough was stuck tight!! Then he tried to push it out but he didn't have a chance in the world to do it his self!!

And what was that he heard in the near distance, the train was comin' down the tracks from the west! So being an old train man himself, he started down the track, to try and flag it down, but no luck, no one saw him, so the old train flew right by him!! It hit that old car at full speed, I'm guessing the cow catcher caught that car and pushed it or rolled it about a half mile or more, before they managed to get her stopped!!

That's when the crew jumped off the train and started looking for anyone who might have been in the car (I hear a train tooting right now, but it is not the same one I suspect. ;-) Any way by the time uncle got to where the train was, all who were searching were certainly relieved when they heard he was the only one from the old car, no casualties!

Uncle Isomin walked to our farm, pretty tired but very thankful he wasn't in the old car!! And so was we!!!

And I guess I should tell you about the old car, we went over and seed it the next day I suspect!! It was really rolled up sort of in a ball and it laid there along the tracks where it fell off to the side, or maybe the crew rolled it over some! It really stayed there for some time but one day we noticed a bull dozer workin along the south side of the tracks and when it got to the old car it dug a big hole, and pushed the old car in and covered it up! I think I could find the old car today if i had one of those metal hunting things!!

End of story! Did I did ok TEACHER? THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT. (I still hear that train rumbling, but it just can't be the same one. ;-(

Yr little bother LeRoy

*I looked in both my ancestor books and I could not find Uncle Isom's name ... so LeRoy's might be as good a memory of it as mine... Though I do think it was Isom and Minnie? --DMA


LTD Storybrooke

No LTD Storybrooke this week
(Too many irons in the fire!)


Travelogue t

The Bolivian Beat
By Kjirsten Swenson

Editor's Note: Kjirsten has returned to Bolivia for a second year of independent study, prior to enrollment in medical school at Baylor University in Houston, fall semester 2005. She went trekking in Argentina with her parents, Sheldon and Mitzi (Johnson) Swenson, the first week of January. Her mom is guest reporter this week.

Boat below Iguassu Falls
Iguazu Falls (Big Water): about 150 smaller falls, plus the huge ones.

Grapefruit Juice and Churros

The Brazilian side of Iguazu was also spectacular and we had time to visit a tropical bird park that was adjacent before catching a bus to the airport. Buenos Aires weather was nice after the steamy tropical weather in Brazil. We sweated just standing still!

Kjirsten gave us directions to the market where I wanted to buy an old copper fondue pot we'd seen earlier, so we walked there but the little booth wasn't open. We bought delicious nectarines, walked around a bit looking at leather jackets for Sheldon, hoping she could open later. I asked someone when she would open her store but couldn't understand their answer. Four more nectarines later she opened and I am now the proud owner of a battered, dirty, old copper fondue pot. It will be perfect for cheese or chocolate after it's cleaned, maybe.

We wandered back to the waterfront for lunch and found a Rodezio, Brazilian barbeque where they cook the meat on swords and bring it to your table and slice it directly onto your plate. I was almost full after the extensive salad bar but gorged anyway. Everything was delicious and identifiable except one thing that might have been sweetbreads. I'm scared to look up what part of what animal those were. We declined the blood sausage.

A couple of museums occupied our time until we passed a famous cafe Kjirsten recommended we visit for hot chocolate and churros.* We were not hungry but wanted to try them so I ordered them and Sheldon wanted juice. Too bad I couldn't remember pomelo was grapefruit until he got it. The young good looking waiter and the ancient man behind the soda bar had quite a chuckle and we decided it was over our choice of drinks or my Español.

About 24 hours after leaving for the airport we arrived home to 20 below zero! BRRRR!

Mitzi & Sheldon Swenson
Dickinson, ND

*About Churros:
Spanish style churros are short, fluted sticks of deep fried dough. Native to Spain, they came to the New World with the conquistadores and have evolved new traditions in new lands, including Mexico and Argentina. They are often eaten for breakfast with a cup of hot chocolate.

Churros are made by extruding the soft wheat dough through a 3/8 inch star-shaped disk with a churro maker, cake decorator or pastry bag. The fluted star shape is essential -- otherwise the pastries will turn out hard and doughy.

Mexican style churros may be dusted with cinnamon as well as sugar and newer versions may be filled with custard. Churros con chocolate are dunked in a warm, sweet pudding-like chocolate dip before each bite. It is safe to say that churros are not ordinarily eaten with grapefruit juice!

These links lead to interesting churros history, traditions, recipes, photos, etc.

http://www.churros.com/churros.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~dderhak/recipe/churros.htm
(A recipe for churros con chocolate is here.)


Mitzi & Sheldon Swenson at Iguazu Falls.

There are more photos here: http://community.webshots.com/album/266107583sDoaBy


This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND

A Book Report

A winter pastime I enjoy is reading. I have access to many books at the city as well as the college library. The one I am presently reading is Looking for Candles in the Window by Douglas Ramsey and Larry Skrotch.

It is the story of the tragic Red River Valley Blizzard of March 15, 1941. Some of our older readers will remember this storm, or have heard it told of by their parents.

The book is comprised from articles taken from The Grand Forks Herald and The Fargo Forum as well as numerous people who told their stories for this book.

The daylight blizzard which began in Canada, swept down by evening across the Dakota and Minnesota prairies with a devastating blow. The wind turned so quickly it was like throwing a switch. Snow was combined with dust and the powerful winds of tornado velocity caused a number of people to choke to death; it caused others to drop exhausted from their intended paths, and eventually they froze to death. There were 71 deaths reported in North Dakota and Minnesota in that storm.

The automobile was becoming more popular at this time and people were anxious to get out and enjoy the nice day, which so quickly changed and caused the numerous deaths.

Radio reporters and weather forecasters did not have available then as they do now the electronic equipment of television weather men with computer graphics, radar and percentages.


I have often thought of some of the old time weather forecast sayings and their predictions, which often were true. Do you remember these?

"Birds roost before a storm." They do, as they have a harder time flying in thin, light air as before a storm.

"Corns and bunions and joints ache before storms." Yes, caused by changes in air pressure and humidity.

"Snow squeaks when the temperature is cold," True as more high frequency sounds.

"Chirping crickets." They chirp faster as the temperature rises. Add 37 to the number of chirps in 15 seconds and that will equal the temperature.

Farmers are good at predicting weather. A weatherman told a farmer it would be a good day with no rain. The farmer answered it would rain before noon. And it did.

"How did you know it would rain?" he asked the farmer.

The farmer replied, "All I have to do is look at my mule. If his ears are up it will be a nice day ... the further they droop, the more chance of rain there is."

And so the townspeople fired their weatherman and hired a mule!


Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of
5
Hetty Hooper

This Week's Birthdays:
March 6---Jerrianne Lowther
March11---Kjirsten Swenson
March 12---Jolene Johnson

Happy Birthday!

More March Birthdays:
'
March 3---Donald Anderson

March 15---Russell Martin
March 18---Janie Anderson
March 21---Rachel Henderson
March 23---Colette Huseby
March 28---Donna Johnson

March Anniversaries
Z
March 3---Mike and Kelley Seaman (4 years)
March 20---Stanley and Janice Dake (35 years)

March Special Days
March 27---Easter
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Miss Hetty Says

To Our Readers:

The newly indexed "About" and "Archives" pages are again fully searchable. (Click on the "sitemap" link by the search window to see a list of the 250 searchable pages.)

Keep Us Posted!

Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?

'Many Thankse
Everyone!

Miss Hetty


+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just got through reading The Bulletin. First I had to check out all your lovely valentines. So many beautiful ones! I wonder if Diane Zierman didn't paint that herself. (Yes, she did.)

What did Barb Dewey's poem say? (I will add it below.) She wrote that herself, too, I think she said.

I Loved your story; they sounded like a real interesting couple -- she maybe somewhat of a spitfire? :-)

I was almost holding my breath reading Larry's adventure, wondering what he was going to do late at night, in the middle of the cities ... IF he made it that far and broke down!

Loved the story and marvelous pictures from Mitzi. Although transportation sounded rather more stressful than I'd have cared to try. All in all, another great job done. I LOVE the archives and was "wandering" around in there for far longer than I should have been ... being I have two closets torn apart and need to get them finished at some point (sooner the better!). And laundry in the works ... have kids clothes to do, too; they are here with us.

Donna (Anderson) Johnson
Ashby, MN

Valentine Verse
by Barb Dewey
Ashby, MN
 Roses are red, violets are blue,
Where'd Don A. find, a sweetheart like you?
She raised up her family, but look how it grew!
There's in-laws, and out-laws, and friends of them too.
They're scattered all over, both here and abroad,
And we hear all their news and all to her laud.
The Bulletin is the weekend delight,
A labor of love and it makes our smiles bright.
We hear of the births, the parties, and doings,
Of cats, cars, and romance; and nobody's booing.
We're grateful to her for all of her work,
And thanks for the pictures, an added on perk!
So hats off to Dorothy on Valentine's Day.
For the heart full of love that comes out our way.


I noticed that the valentine I made was bearing an imposter heart. I'm wondering what happened to the chocolate heart that it was sent with? Hmmm.

Marlene (Anderson) Johnson
Long Lake, MN

Er, let me explain that ... but really why don't you read Elaine's poem? Isn't that just awful that she ate our ... er ahh ... Don's box of candy all up and is giving us the empty box? Now that is pretty unmannerly, wouldn't you say? Oh, but I suppose you still want an answer as to what happened to the one YOU sent ME?

Just how was I supposed to know that Jerrianne was going to take pictures of them all? I couldn't take a picture of it all fat like that with my scanner, so I ate the candy and made a heart out of the paper so I could get a picture -- then the plans got changed and I had to send it off to Alaska! I sent Dad to buy a replacement and that is all he could find ... well so it is plastic ... at least then Jerrianne and Miss Kitty weren't tempted!!

Your Mother
the Chocolaholic Editor


I really enjoy every Bulletin and am sorry I didn't get a homemade valentine made and sent to you. However, in honor of Valentine's Day (and only 11 days late), Tyler and I made chocolate covered cherries last night. I don't think they'd survive shipping, but if you come and visit we'll make them for you! We used the recipe from Joy of Cooking, but our technical skills are lacking, as you can see. They taste good, however.

You guys do a great job every week and I really look forward to every Bulletin!

Mitzi (Johnson) Swenson
Dickinson, ND


Mitzi (Johnson) Swenson, Chocolate Covered Cherries


Yes, please send The Bulletin to us again. We just arrived back home from a two week visit in California with our daughters and their families, and we now have emptied out the junk mail accumulation. We love The Bulletin and eagerly anticipate its arrival each week.

Thank you,
Kathlyn (Johnson) Anderson
Anchorage, AK


To Donna:

I am amazed every time I open The Bulletin! I can't believe all the work that goes into this. I like the fact, too, that you can open up other articles, like Wyatt's comments in the Fargo Forum and all your mom's Valentines. You truly are blessed to have such wonderful family members and awesome writers. I find myself drawn in each time trying to picture what the reader is trying to communicate. BEAUTIFUL!!

The access to the pictures and article were accomplished  by our Photography editor: Jerrianne Lowther!  DMA
 
Bridget Larson
Ashby, MN


Dear Aunt Dorothy,

Hard to describe the feeling I had when I saw the picture of Grandma Greer and Aunt Minnie ... It was almost like I was instantly back in my childhood, because that is exactly how I remember them! I don't remember Gladyce McCleese. And Uncle Isom must have died before I could remember ... at least I don't remember him.

My memories of Aunt Minnie also involve something I remember my parents talking about ... that she was so immaculate in her cleaning that she would scrub the sidewalk in front of her home with a brush on her hands and knees. (Or something to that effect!) Anyway ... thanks for the memories!

Carol (Dake) Printz
Sidney, NE

Yes, she was all I ever read about clean -- as describing the country of Holland --where she was brought up. She had curtains on the coal bin window, and the rest of the basement, also in the attic windows of their three storied white, immaculate home, and yes, in the garage windows, too, and she kept them all starched and spotless.

There was a hint in the story that she might be bossy -- well I know she kept her grandchildren visitors in line -- but truthfully do not remember her ever fussing at Uncle Isom -- nor at any of us, either!

Thank you for your comments -- I am glad to know there are some who still remember her with the same affection that I do!

We really liked Uncle Isom, too. He always let us listen to his radio when the grown ups were visiting in the living room. The only thing was, we had to be sure to leave it on the Yankton, South Dakota, station when we were through. I didn't mind because I liked "The Grand Ol' Opry"!

Aunt Dorothy (Dake) Anderson


I liked your story last week, Dad -- it grips the reader's attention, and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Amy Dake
Crookston, MN


CHUCKLES

More Things To Know

Many years ago, in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only ... Ladies Forbidden" ... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.


Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.


Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.


Coca-Cola was originally green.


It is impossible to lick your elbow.


The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska


The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%. Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%.

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400.


The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000.


Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.


The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.


The youngest pope was 11 years old.


The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.


The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.


Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:
Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs - Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar


111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321


AND FINALLY: At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbows.

Click here to find out Who's Where in The Bulletin l

To search a name in Who's Who or Who's Where: click on the link to open the page, then use CONTROL F on a PC or COMMAND F on a Mac. To search for a second occurrence of the name, use CONTROL G on a PC or COMMAND G on a Mac. (This works on ANY web page with text, unless the text is converted to an image. Chances are, it works in your e-mail, too.) HINT: Search by first name only, as most entries list the family name once but do not repeat the last name for each family member. In Who's Where you can search on state or city names, too.

Click here for past editions of The Bulletin in the web archive

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THE STAFF OF THE BULLETIN

&

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY: There are many ways to measure success; not the least of which is the way your child describes you when talking to a friend. --Author Unknown

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.