Sunday, January 20, 2008
Browse The Bulletin archive index
| Home | About | Archive | Recipes | Stories | Galleries | Who's Who | Where |
Photo © Ken Hellevang
Lindsay & Brandon Hellevang parasailing in Florida.
(Scroll down in the Updates for the story.)
Updates -
Chana Shira Gordon
Update -- Gert gets a great grandaughter
by Gert Dake Pettit
Howard Lake, MN
Another great grandchild has been added to my list. Grandson Ryan Gordon (Marvin's son) and his wife had a little girl, Chana Shira, 7 lbs., 10 oz., on January 4th. Ryan's family lives in Israel.
Update -- Larry McCorkell's father passes away
by The Bulletin staff
Bruce Conrad McCorkell, age 85, died Sunday, January 13, 2008, at the Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne, Minnesota.
He was born November 26, 1922. On December 3, 1943, Bruce was united in marriage to Evelyn Hanson. During their marriage, he worked for Reserve Mining Company in Silver Bay, Minnesota, for 31 years and retired as a general foreman in plant maintenance. After Evelyn's death, Bruce married Rosella Smeins in September of 1992. In June of 1993, the couple moved to Luverne.
Survivors include his wife, Rosella McCorkell; two sons, Harlan (Linda) McCorkell, Mankato, Minnesota, and Larry (Virginia) Blaine, Minnesota; one daughter, Lois (Tim) Holman, Liberty Lake, Washington.... Click here for complete obituary.
Funeral Services were January 16, 2008, in Luverne, with interment January 17, 2008, at Atwater Union Cemetery, Atwater, Minnesota.
Bruce Conrad McCorkell
November 22, 1922 - January 13, 2008
A gentle, quiet, pillar leaves an indelible memory on those who were acquainted with Bruce. A husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and, most of all, a dear friend has left us.
Trueness, honesty, justice, humility, goodness are merely words, but they describe in part the giant of a man who has gone on to his endless reward. -- Rich Weiland
Photo © Ken Hellevang
Lindsay & Brandon, sunset on Fort Myers Beach.
Update -- the Hellevangs vacation in Florida
by Merna Hellevang
Fargo, ND
Ken, Merna, Brandon and Lindsay Hellevang enjoyed a week in Florida in December. We were met at Fort Myers airport by Merna's parents, Tom and Mavis Morgan, and stayed with them in Sunny Grove Park in Estero. Marlee, Troy, Alyssa, Angel and Jettison Freesemann joined us after their three-day stay in Orlando.
Of course, the biggest attraction was Fort Myers Beach with its soft, white sand and gentle waves. We spent several afternoons there soaking up the rays, taking walks, playing Frisbee, splashing in the water, playing in the sand, parasailing and eating chocolate cake for Brandon's 21st birthday.
Photo © Ken Hellevang
Brandon's 21st birthday on Fort Myers Beach.
Our family also explored the islands of Sanibel and Captiva for the first time. The beaches there were quiet and full of small shells. We got lots of photos of the sunset and fairly large waves one evening.
Monday morning was Koffee Klatch at 7:30. We had coffee and rolls with about 50 residents of the park and, as visitors, we were formally introduced. Also at the park we had shuffleboard lessons from Mavis, the pro. The kids rode bikes and viewed the river from the dock. Alyssa captured a large turtle and brought it to the house for us to see.
Photo © Brandon Hellevang
Beach bum Jettison Freesemann
A couple of shopping trips to an outlet mall and to a large, open mall yielded some nice things. Shopping on December 21 with the many shoppers in the open mall and 70 degrees at 10 p.m. was a northerner's idea of "sweet."
We drove up to Tampa to Busch Gardens for a full day of roller coasters, water rides and shows. One of the favorite roller coasters of our group had a 90-degree drop in chairs with no floor. Ponchos kept us somewhat dry on the three thrilling water rides.
Photo © Ken Hellevang
Alyssa, Brandon, Angel & Lindsay at Busch Gardens.
One evening, several of us played mini-golf under the lights at a castle-themed course. Mavis, Merna and Marlee exercised their Scrabble skills in a couple of hard-fought games, and we gave the guest bedroom a slight makeover with new bedding and accessories. We enjoyed all the time to be together as family and have lots of memories to cherish.
Update -- Logan and Mason get acquainted
by Heather Henderson
Hastings, MN
Our new arrival, Logan Benjamin, came five days early and weighed in at 9 lbs. 4 oz. and 21.5 inches long. Mason really loves to look at him and kiss him. He's a good big brother. Everything is going well at home, but busy has a whole new meaning!
Photos © Ben Henderson
Mason thinks his little brother Logan is A-OK.
Update -- surviving more than one...
by Wyatt Johnson
Moorhead, MN
Patty's update on Logan Benjamin Henderson requested advice from parents of multiple children on how to handle two kids while remaining sane. What a timely question it was! As I was reading The Bulletin this morning, I realized Brooklynn had been way too quiet for way too long. Those of you who don't know Brooklynn very well are probably thinking, "Awww, for sweet, Brooklynn was quietly playing by herself so her daddy could read The Bulletin!" Those of you who know Brooklynn are hanging on my every word, wondering what, exactly, she could have done this time.
Well, a picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words...
Photo © Wyatt Johnson
Brooklynn's art project
The look on little Brooklynn's face is a mix of pride and concern, because she knows that she's broken Johnson Constitutional Amendment #4: "Brooklynn is not allowed to have markers, ever."
This amendment was enacted after the infamous "Red, Green, and Blue Incident" on our new chairs in our living room. In said incident, not only did Miss Brooklynn draw pictures on the chair, but she also left a couple of the markers lying on the chair, causing their "marker juice" to transfer from the inside of the marker to the apparently more inviting fabric of our chair. Luckily, we'd learned from past, more minor, infractions (The "Red Permanent Marker in the Bed" incident, to name one) and only have washable markers in the house, so it all came out.
The pink nail polish all over that same chair is a lasting reminder of Johnson Constitutional Amendment #6: "Brooklynn is not allowed to use nail polish by herself, ever." If you know a good way of getting nail polish out of a suede-like fabric on a chair, I'm open to suggestions. Nail polish remover does not seem to work.
Maybe another time I'll detail other Johnson Constitutional Amendments -- the one involving containers of water near the carpet, the one involving big jugs of lotion with pumps on the top, the one involving scissors, etc. The basic premise of each amendment is: "Brooklynn is not allowed to have X, ever."
So when Ben and Heather ask how to keep sanity with multiple children, my advice is -- don't even try! Each new level of insanity just becomes your new baseline. Enjoy the insanity and keep wondering how you ever lived without the little bundles of excitement in your lives!
Wyatt
Update -- Weston takes pride in new ride
by Weston Johnson
Maple Grove, MN
"How about a picture of you and the new wheels, Weston? We're expecting it."
Thus came the not-so-subtle reminder that I had failed to follow through on last week's implied promise to share pictures of my new car in this week's Bulletin. As you may recall, I bought a car last week, but couldn't take possession until Friday evening, too late to provide a picture for the next day's Bulletin. However, I urged readers to stay tuned to future editions for photos.
Well, I picked up the car on Friday evening ... and was forced to drive home on snow-covered roads, immediately ruining the Fusion's pristine shine. I decided to wait to take pictures until the roads were clear and I could run it through a car wash. Of course, I never got around to washing it, and with today's drop in temperatures, I'm afraid that if I do so now, the doors will be frozen shut by the time I get home.
However, a promise is a promise, so when the aforementioned reminder showed up in my inbox on Thursday evening, I decided I would take a picture, even if its current salt-encrusted state doesn't do justice to the beauty of this fine machine.
Then I realized there were a couple of problems. First, it was already dark outside, so taking a picture on the driveway was out of the question. Second, my garage is not large enough to allow a photographer, or in this case, a hack with a camera, to take a picture with a wide enough view to capture the entire vehicle. Third, my garage is a mess, so even if it were large enough, I'd be hesitant to broadcast pictures of it across cyberspace.
So, as a compromise, I decided that for now I'd send some "teaser pictures." After all, it's always more exciting when some things are left to the imagination, right? OK, probably not in this case, but I guess you'll just have to take what you can get. So here are some pictures that really don't show you much of anything, besides the extent to which the week-long salt shower has speckled every square inch of the car. And I PROMISE, I'll send a better picture. One of these weeks.
Photos © Weston Johnson
Salty Ford Fusion could use a wash.
Day to Day R
With Donna Mae
Ashby, MN
Photo © Caity Chap
Jayce admires birthday cake topped with a big "9."
Jayce Celebrates Birthday At Water Park
Jayce got to celebrate his birthday at the Arrowwood in Alexandria ... which means indoor waterpark, which proved to be a very fun birthday for this 9-year-old. The only down point was finding out his little friend woke up sick and was not able to go along. (Much to his regret, too!)
Lots of swimming and water rides, tubing, and all around fun. Then cake and back to swimming ... after all, that's what he was there for.
Photo © Caity Chap
Jayce sat still long enough to suffer through a picture with Grandpa and Grandma.
The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN
I would like to introduce you to our newest subscriber. Art Mitzel is Don's cousin. His mother, Gustie Berndt Mitzel, was Cleo Berndt Anderson's sister. Art just retired last spring. He was in education as a teacher, principal and school superintendent for 37 years. For the last 29 years, he was school superintendent at Page, North Dakota, and later both the Page and Hope School Districts. (Hope, North Dakota, is Mavis and Tom Morgan's home town.)
Art and his wife, Roxanne, will have been married 37 years this coming June. They have four grown children, three girls and a boy: Jennifer, Casey, Heather and Amber.
They have five grandchildren, with grandchild number six due soon. Jennifer and Kevin Sortland have three children: Haley, Brady and Adam. Casey and Candice Mitzel have two children: Kynzey and Konner. Amber and Brian Sorum are expecting their first baby in early February.
Some of Art's favorite activities are gardening, yard work, antiques, having coffee and visiting with people. "Now that I have time, I like doing 'fix it' projects in the house and garage. I still like to follow what's going on in farming, yields, prices, etc."
Art and his cousins were pictured at a Berndt Family Reunion in Bulletin 114, August 15, 2004.
Cousins at the 2004 Berndt Reunion
Back: Tom Berndt, Don Anderson, Dwight Anderson, Art Mitzel, Delwood Berndt. Front: Debsy Vogt, Elaine Wold, DeLoris Anderson, Mavis Morgan, Sandy Thiele.
In the following article, Art tells about one of the changes that came with his retirement and move to Jamestown, also in North Dakota:
My Wildcat
by Art Mitzel
Jamestown, ND
When we moved to Jamestown in July, I had a lot of excess stuff. I had an auction sale on August 18th. One of the things I sold was my 1968 Buick Wildcat.
I had bought it in 1971 with about 35,000 miles on it. It was our family car. I drove it until 1980 and had about 140,000 miles on it. As you can see from the picture, it was a 2-door hardtop. It had a 430-cubic-inch engine. It was a real boat going down the highway.
Those were the days before there was much focus on seat belts. My dad made a bench the full width of the car that sat on the back floor boards and was level with the back seat. We used to throw the kids back there and it was like a big playpen.
They wouldn't give me anything for it as a trade-in, so I kept it. Later on, I did some repairs to it and one of my kids drove it for a couple years. I got $2,350 for it on my sale. It was a sharp car.
1968 Buick Wildcat
Who Is This?
Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so, we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.
(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn. Larry Dake supplied last week's mystery picture; Virginia McCorkell enhanced it.
How many can you identify?
Answers to last week's mystery pictures (click here to review them):
Editors' Note: Correct guesses appear in bold face type and incorrect guesses in normal type.
My, my, my! If it isn't "Buffalo Bill" Dake (Stan) in that lovely picture from the Dake farm in Texas! And Doc, our infamous horse, who loved to give us rides UNDER the clothes line when he got tired of us! And in the background on the left, the chicken house where Stan and I spent many hours gathering eggs from the caged hens and bringing the ones we didn't throw at each other in to be washed and packed for sale.
The larger building in the backround was our dad's pride and joy ... the machine shed, where he had a place for everything, and we were NOT to bother anything.
Then, the little building with the dark trim on the door was our pride and joy ... the "bunkhouse," which housed all the cast off family furniture, where we entertained our young friends when they came to visit. This isn't a guess of course ... but the facts from one who was there! :>)
One more thing about the horse (Doc) ... one time our brother James (when he was probably 3 or 4 years old) rode his tricycle out to where the horses were, and apparently was standing by Doc petting him. (Doc was quite gentle, just stubborn.) We heard James screeching at the top of his lungs ... and went out to find Doc quietly standing there with one of his large feet firmly planted on James's bare foot! All of James's screeching wasn't disturbing him a bit! No doubt James's foot was sore for some time.
Carol Dake Printz
Sidney, NE
Not sure of the horse's name, but that looks like my darling cousin, William Stanley Dake. (He is still around somewhere, isn't he?)
Donna Anderson Johnson
Ashby, MN
That is a good picture of Stanley Dake on horseback at the farm near Valley Mills. I recognize some of the chicken houses Bill had out there. Thanks!
Tom Miller
Madera, CA
Adriana Stahlecker Brown
Granbury, TX
It's for sure I pass on the GUESS mystery picture this time. I can't even tell if it's a cowboy or a cowgirl. That's quite a hat!
I am so glad for all the correct names to that valued picture of the group in Atwater last week. Someone spent a lot of time identifying them.
Betty Weiland Droel
MoundsView, MN
Any of my generation who visited the Texas cousins would have fond memories of Old Doc ... as was referred to in the introduction of James Dake. It sure brings back memories.
Virginia Dake McCorkell
Blaine, MN
Photo © Virginia McCorkell
Frosty farm scene.
The summer between my junior and senior years in high school, there was a major road rebuilding project between Ashby and our farm. Highway 78 came straight out of town and stayed straight until it passed our place. During that summer, a bypass was built to take traffic around Ashby.
The project wasn't finished when winter set in, so for one winter, the old and new highways were connected by means of a sharp curve and a tee where cars turned left to follow the highway. To the right was the new highway, but it didn't go anywhere, as there was a railroad bridge that hadn't been built yet. The intersection was like a very tight S-curve, and with no banking; it was absolutely flat. That corner was the nemesis of more than one car by the time the bridge got built.
I had a '58 Chevy that I drove to school. It was a two-toned gray and white sedan, a bit rusted, but having no lack of power. When school got out for the day, I cranked up the Chevy in front of the schoolhouse and headed for home, joyful to be free of the brick walls for another day.
I took it easy down main street, crossed the railroad bridge, and headed out of town. It was not much over a quarter of a mile to the new intersection, just far enough for my joy to get the better of me. The road was snow packed, but not terribly slippery in the subzero cold of January.
I came into the right hand part of the curve with a pretty good head of steam, purposely broadsiding just a bit. Coming out of the curve into the tee, I cranked the wheel left, dropped into second gear, and gave it a little power to slide the back end out to make a sliding turn. I'd been practicing for a few days and was getting pretty good.
The Chevy did its usual big lean, first to the left in the curve, then to the right as the back end slid around. And kept sliding. I had overdone just a bit and got completely crosswise in the road, still probably going 20 or 25 miles per hour. No problem. I corrected hard to the right and, after a bit, the tires got traction and the car started coming back the right way. And kept coming. Now we were crossways in the road, pointing toward the opposite side, still moving right along. And we were going off the road.
The front wheels dropped off the edge of the shoulder. The middle of that big bathtub of a car hung up briefly on the edge, and then we teetered over and slid partway down the long slope of the roadside. There was probably six inches of snow on the road bank, which had helped bring us to a stop. I tried backing up. No go.
"Gonna have to walk home and get Pa to pull me out. Not good. He's gonna have an opinion about me not being able to stay on the road. Maybe even not let me drive for a while. This will be the second time he's had to pull me out, and he's still teasing me about the first time.
"Say, wait a minute. What would happen if I drove right down the rest of this long hill, onto the farm field at the bottom, and kept going? Maybe I could make it to the field approach and get back on the road."
I decided to try it. I accelerated down the hill, rear tires spinning, snow flying. The Chevy had a pretty good head of steam at the bottom, enough to propel us through the low ground and up a gradual slope to get well out into the field, where we made a big sweeping turn to get pointed back toward the road and the approach. A big roostertail of snow marked our passing. The Chevy bounced and rocked on the rough surface of the field.
There was enough momentum left to climb the approach and smash through the drift left by the snowplow. There was even enough speed left over to a make a powered, wheel spinning, sliding turn back onto the road, just for fun.
I broke out my best grin. Cool! Got away with it, and it was a lot of fun, too. As my vision focused a bit farther up the road, I noticed that I was about to meet a green '50 Dodge pickup, slowly coming toward me. The grin went off my face like ice cream off a kid's cone at a county fair on a sunny day in July. As we met, I glanced to the side. Pa didn't look a bit impressed. In fact his face actually looked, well, contorted.
I drove home and got to work on getting the chores done. Pa showed up and did the milking. I tried to stay out of his sight. Supper time would be plenty soon to hear what he had to say.
Supper time came and went, and so did bedtime. Not a word said. Now I didn't know what to think. Was he so mad at me that he was waiting until he cooled down to lower the boom?
By noon the next day, Ma and most everybody in town had heard the story. Pa had seen me coming and stopped to give me plenty of room to get through the intersection. So he had a ringside seat for the whole performance. When he told the story, he managed to tell it in a way that made it sound like I was a complete idiot, which wasn't too far wrong when it came to some of the things I did with cars.
I got teased wherever I went, and probably learned something from the whole thing. And years later, while raising kids of my own, I realized that Pa's face looked the way it did when I met him on the road because he was trying not to bust out laughing.
The Miss Kitty Letters*
By Miss Kitty
Eyeshine: The "Eyes" Have It
Well, Mai Tai and the grandkittens are growing up fast, but they have much to learn ... so I've been busy trying to 'splain how things work. They were most impressed with the emerald green glow that came from Midnight's eyes as he perched on Donna Mae's chair.
Midnight happens to be blind, but his eyes still have the proper structure to glow brightly in near darkness, as most cats' eyes do. Click here for a brief explanation of the tapetum lucidum, the light reflecting layer behind the retina that makes most cats' eyes glow gold or green in dim light.
Mai Tai is a blue eyed Siamese cat and his eyes, lacking a normally pigmented tapetum lucidum, glow ruby red. It is said that in Thailand, which is home to Siamese cats like Mai Tai and Korat cats, which may be related to me, even in darkness "the initiated could tell the difference because the eyes of the Siamese cat shine like rubies, while the Korat's shine like emeralds."
Miss Jerrianne says it works that way at our house, too.
Photo © Jerrianne Lowther
Mai Tai's eyes reflect the camera's flash & glow ruby red.
Travelogue t
Photo © Kjirsten Swenson
Early morning, modern touches in Marrakech, Morocco.
Marrakech Morning
by Kjirsten Swenson
Houston, TX
We arrived in Marrakech just as the city was beginning to awaken. In the central square, row upon row of orange juice vendors were stacking fruit in their carts and calling out to passers-by. Others stirred huge cauldrons of steaming bessara, a sort of fava bean soup scented with olive oil, cumin, and a dash of paprika that quickly became my favorite breakfast.
Photo © Kjirsten Swenson
Breakfast: fava bean soup with olive oil, cumin & paprika.
Women fried traditional Moroccan pancakes drizzled with honey and amlou, a delicious spread of ground almonds, honey, and argan oil. Yum! Meanwhile, merchants prepared for another day as their goods were delivered by a mess of donkeys, men pushing wheelbarrows, and trucks, too. I parked myself in a corner cafe with a cup of mint tea and watched the spectacle.
Photo © Kjirsten Swenson
Donkey hauls goods to market in a little cart.
By then, I had traveled for more than two dozen hours with little sleep and was thoroughly exhausted. Though I was more interested in sleep than exploring, my room wasn't ready at that early hour and wouldn't be for a long time. So I made my first excursion in the city as relaxing as imaginable: a trip to a hammam.
A hammam is a Turkish-style steam bath found in every neighborhood, heated by communal bread ovens. It's not just a place to get clean; they're often beautiful examples of Moroccan artistry, decorated in traditional styles with colorful tiles. My weary bones deserved the full treatment, so I splurged on a massage, too. It was divinely relaxing! I emerged squeaky clean and ready for a day of sightseeing.
To be continued ...
Photo © Kjirsten Swenson
Kjirsten, self-portrait in mirrored door.
Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper
This Week's Special Days
January 21---Martin Luther King Day
This Week's Birthdays
January 20---Lois Dake
January 22---Timothy Thomas Mellon
January 24---Marloes de Been
Happy Birthday!
This Week's Anniversaries
January 24---David "Beaver" and Donna Anderson Johnson (14 years)
Congratulations!
More January Birthdays
'
January 3---Brandon Hellevang
January 3---Virginia (Dake) McCorkell
January 4---Harry "Junior" Anderson
January 4---Nathan Hill
January 5---Jayce Michael Chap (9 years old)
January 5---Krista Rae Weiland (8 years old)
January 8---Rosanna Miller Dahlinger
January 11---Brandon Harvey Lehtola (5 years old)
January 15---Shea Ashley Birkholz
January 19---Trevor Jayce Roberson (7 years old)
January 30---Whitney Anne Johnson
January 30---Madilyn Mae Larson (1 year old)
January 31---Larry McCorkell
January Anniversaries
Z
January 24---David "Beaver" and Donna Anderson Johnson (14 years)
January Special Days
O
January 1---New Year's Day
January 21---Martin Luther King Day
Miss Hetty's Mailbox:
Photo © Jeni Larson
Madilyn Larson & rubber duckie.
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?
Everyone!
Miss Hetty
+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click here to review last week's Bulletin
In a recent Internet search, I came across your online publication. I was amazed to see pictures and stories about my grandmother, Elizabeth McCalla, and my father, Gilbert McCalla. I am Gib's only daughter, Judy. I am very interested in any additional information you may have about my grandmother and my dad. Also, I have many old photos from that era and would be happy to share.
Please feel free to share my letter and contact information with anyone in the family who might be interested. My husband and I (I kept my maiden name) spend half the year here in Minnesota and the other half on the West Coast, but I can always be reached by e-mail.
In Minnesota we live at our cabin near Finlayson, Minnesota. When we go west, we live at our house on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Salt Spring is a small island near Vancouver Island where the capital, Victoria, is located. How did people ever keep in touch or find one another before this information age?
Great to find you. Would you add me to your mailing list so I don't miss anything?
Judy McCalla
Finlayson, MN and Salt Spring, BC, Canada
Elizabeth "Anty" McCalla, her son, Gilbert McCalla and his wife, Marlyce, Grandma Amy and Grandpa Bill Dake and Judy McCalla. Judy is Gilbert's daughter from his first marriage to her mother, Jean.
(This photo was a "mystery" photo in Bulletin 193, published February 26, 2006.)
Congratulations to Ben and Heather and the new Logan; I'd say, "a bouncing baby boy!" And to grandparents Patty and Curt and great grandparents Dorothy and Don. We're still ahead, if anyone is counting: 13 greats so far and both of David's kids are expecting again in March.
Kjirsten's report about her vacation was interesting. The part about the trip through Paris brought back memories:
First, we thought Frenchmen were the great lovers, but it must be the Italians, as the French seemed most unfriendly, even to their own. On a layover there we watched "arrivals" and "departures," the most grim faced, unemotional greetings and goodbyes we've ever seen. We began to wonder if we just imagined our own friendliness, but later, upon arriving back at Kennedy in New York and observing the laughing and crying, hugging and kissing, in every direction, we decided we were correct!
Another surprise: the Paris airport was two years old at that time and there was not a clean place to sit or walk; upholstered furniture had cigarette burns, gum and just plain grime on every piece. And to top it off, walking past the various eating areas we saw one rather formal dining area where a man and two ladies sat with a BIG black poodle sitting in the fourth chair with a white napkin around his neck and eating from a plate on the table! And in spite of that, we like Paris very much.
One more comment ... Larry Dake's Storybrooke adventures are another highlight to The Bulletin. I'm wondering if, on these cold winter nights, he might enjoy relating to one of Ivan Doig's books of Montana stories: The Whistling Season or The House of Sky -- both very graphic of life in the wilds, of homesteading days of yesteryears. Be forewarned, they could use a good mouthwashing with laundry soap!
Jess Cloyd
Hot Springs, SD
Congratulations on your big little guy, Heather and Ben! And to big brother, Mason, I'm sure you will enjoy your new playmate. Yeah!
OK ... here's my advice: find a friend with older children that need watching (3- to 5-year-olds are the best). Now that sounds like more work, but in the long run, it's easier ... as they entertain the younger ones, make great "go-fers" and extra "eyes."
Course then, you were asking for a "sane" person's advice, weren't you?
Donna Anderson Johnson
Ashby, MN
I enjoyed reading the latest Bulletin this week, especially the article about the new addition to the Henderson family. They are looking for advice on how to stay sane taking care of two little ones. My advice: have a third one! That way, two won't seem busy at all! Nathan always said that going from two to three kids was like going from man-to-man defense to zone defense! It can be done ... but I'm not sure you can keep your sanity!
Keep up the good work, Dorothy and staff!
Brenda Anderson Hill
Dwight, ND
It is amazing how many talented author relatives a family can claim! Being I love any kind of farm animals, Larry's sheep stories are really interesting. Beaver's Scrap stories brought tears from laughter. In #2 he made you almost feel like the date who was waiting in the car. And I'm sure Doug could pen more about the growing up days with the cousins.
The writing from everyone to The Bulletin makes great reading. Short stories are a lot better to read than a big book -- reading a book and going to sleep are related. Marlene and Patty can confirm that they learned that from Grandma Dake, too.
Gert Dake Pettit
Howard Lake, MN
What a day brightener The Bulletin is again this week, with the charming photo illustration of Krista and the wonderful picture of Roy and Betty with her! It looks like a marvelous birthday celebration.
The photo illustrations of Levi and Kira and Levi and the kitten in the aquarium are so good! I've gone back for another look several times this week, just because I enjoy the Chuckles so much. Congratulations to Sarah and Virginia and Douglas for all doing a super job!
I'm fascinated by that frosty farm scene and I laughed so at the stories of "Scrap."
We just can't tell you how much it means to receive the current news of babies and family updates and photos and stories, etc. each week. Thanks to all who contribute and who make The Bulletin happen.
Kathlyn Johnson Anderson
Anchorage, AK
Last Week's Bulletin Review JKL
by Betty Droel
MoundsView, MN
I was poised at the computer, waiting for Bulletin #291 to pop up in the incoming e-mail, and there it came, right on schedule. I was almost breathless with anticipation for what it might be like, knowing we had sent in pictures and stories about Krista Weiland's 8th birthday with the Penguin theme, and knowing what a miracle that the Editor and Photo Editor can do to enhance and feature our simple submissions. I was so thrilled.
I only wish I had been there to see Krista's face when she saw her picture with all her gifts, right on front and center. Her mom said she and Shalana had big grins, and I am sure they did. That Bulletin would be a keeper for their treasured keepsakes.
Photo © Marci Weiland
Krista & Kristina in their new outfits.
Thank you again, Dorothy and Jerrianne, for the wonderful work you do in making The Bulletin so valuable and one-of-a-kind. I understand it might not be finalized as late as into the night on Friday and into the morning on Saturday. We don't see that happening, but we know it must. I'm sure when it's sent out you both take a deep breath, but soon you must start assembling the following one.
What a precious, little, innocent looking baby, Logan Benjamin Henderson! Once again we are so happy to welcome a new little member to the subscribers' ever increasing families. Mason and Logan. What a nice combination of names. Such a special picture of a truly devoted family of four. Actually, it doesn't seem very long ago when Mason was arriving on the scene. Time really does fly.
It was so nice seeing Eric with the new car, and we hope it will be serviceable, like we know the Toyota was. We read your letter, Eric, word for word, and we hope all the major events are behind you now, and the rest is just happily routine and enjoying that new house. Sounds like you made it personally your own with all the painting and wall moving and new lighting. The picture of the house looks like it's huge. What a change from an apartment! All your own, and no one will complain about whatever you might want to do or not do!
It was interesting looking back at the link of your open house with Donnie and Patty, so thin and victorious in your pretty new kitchen. Then the link of the car accident. Talk about joy and sorrow interwoven! We hope the aches and problems that are bound to appear yet will not be long lived.
You did not need to lose your position at Boston Scientific right then, too. We have a friend who has moved their home here to Shoreview from Idaho as he works at BS, and we are certainly hoping he will continue to keep his job.
Thank you for all you wrote, Eric. May not be that motivated again for a long time, but we can handle all the Updates that anyone cares to send in, can't we?
That must be a small child's folding chair that Hunter is standing on. Surely he hasn't grown that much!
I woke up the other morning wondering where in the world Kjirsten was. That we had not seen one word about her for so long. Had she taken any more trips, and how is her schooling coming? Then, in only a matter of a couple hours, I was reading her Student Update -- Winter escape to Morocco. What a coincidence. "Youth" can do that kind of thing -- up and travel to northern Africa.
Only 18 months of medical school left. I wish I knew what kind of work one does for Emergency Medicine. I know it must be a challenge for Kjirsten to choose that. Please keep us posted on these last months and where you will be practicing.
Weston, we have a hard time keeping track of you, too. A 2008 Ford Fusion. So, nothing will stop you now. Don't forget to share some of it with us. Just because Richard and Mia don't have a story in every week doesn't mean they are not still working at the same hard, manual labor on that mountain. We senior citizens find it hard to imagine their holding up to such grueling work.
You can always entertain us with cats. We have several now to keep up on, and Miss Kitty, please don't be offended that we share our devotion. Your new friend Mai Tai (rhymes with "my guy" -- thanks, Jerrianne, for the clue as to how to remember to pronounce his name) must be making fast friends with you. Good thing the grandkittens are a long way away. Distance keeps friendship.
Only in Alaska would you ever see a FedEx truck sharing the road with a moose. We finally get a peek at Diego. He's guarding Arg and Kathy from the critters.
I was especially interested in Tom Miller (CA) and Lou's account of her MIS 2 hip surgery. Sounds like it was quite simple, compared to the usual hip surgery. I just can't believe no pain walking. That, in itself, would be worth trying it. You say they can do that for a knee, too?
Well, I was wondering how soon we'd have a double feature with Levi and Kira. Levi is used to being the lone star. They are looking alike, aren't they? She has such a questioning look in her eye. Another photogenic grandchild, Larry and Sherry!
Steve, even if we are so envious we could cry about your huge weight loss, we aren't quite sure we are ready to hear how you did it. Congratulations are in order, no matter what.
The "scallops on deck" picture was the most unusual and another artistic shot by Bitzi. I can't imagine that the wind didn't destroy that perfect, even line of snow before you could grab the camera and capture that for us. Imagine how many beautiful things in nature we miss, just by not being there at the right time, but this one was a prize, Bitzi.
Forgive me, Donna Mae, but I don't even want to click on Fun School. I have had too much school, and games are more of a challenge than I care for. I know there are many that will be so glad to find that web site, though. Thanks.
Grandparenthood. A new name, coined by a real, honest to goodness grandparent. Every word you write is from experience, and out of a heart of love for grandchildren and great grandkids. Maybe that meant GREAT as in great! Every grandparent thinks their grandkids are the greatest. I doubt you will ever come to the end of new babies and graduations and weddings and houses and cars with your family, Don and Dorothy. And the best part is that we get in on them all by being a "paid" subscriber.
Larry, woops, I mean LTD Storybrooke, We are really enjoying a re-read of past stories you have written in the Stories link. We can still use a lot of time reading them, so don't feel stressed about hurrying with the next section about sheep herding. It takes serious digging into the far corners of memory, and that takes time.
Now, I'd say Virginia McCorkell has an original in that photo of the Frosty Farm Scene. There are so many points of interest, like the frost, the doorway looking through to more frost, the huge round bales on the little tires and short wagon tongue, and the pure white snow you don't often see on the farm. I loved it! Couldn't you enter that into something somewhere?
Scrap by Beaver, part 2, was hilarious and so well written that again, as in all Beaver's stories, you could feel you were standing right there, looking at the mountain of old junk heaps with the same bewilderment of where to ever go to find what you wanted. We had to laugh at that poor "date" sitting in the car, wondering what ever made her think it would be fun to spend the evening with Beaver. That's just another of the episodes in the life of a son of Donald B. Johnson. I was wondering if Beaver ever sees those two boys now?
We will try to be patient waiting for the "to be continued" part of Kjirsten's story of going to Morocco. AND pictures. Talk about courage, for her to travel alone like that to such unfamiliar places! Her descriptions are magnificent.
I was pretty happy to see McDouglas was back. We missed the clever backgrounds, blending across the whole cartoon, and his special touch. I haven't figured out yet what Levi is doing with the hose thing. Bitzi, you do great work, and the two of you are a good pair with the Foto-Funnies.
Quotation for the day was cute. "When I was born I didn't talk for a year and a half." Well, I'm afraid some might comment that she didn't stop, once she started.
Thanks to you again, Editor, Matriarch, Grandmother, and you, Photo Editor, for such a very special Bulletin this week. I certainly can't find words to tell you how much I appreciated seeing my dear great niece featured.
Now, we are already waiting for the next one. Keep on keeping on!
Betty Droel
CHUCKLES
Photo illustration © Virginia McCorkell; photo by Sarah Steinhauer
Let me go, Levi. That isn't eyeshine. I'm seeing stars!
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 in the searchable web archive
Home
About
Archive
Recipes
Stories
Galleries
Who's Who
Where
Quotation for the day: Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds. --Buddha
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.