More "Good Guys" than "Bad Guys"!

  More “Good Guys” 

than “Bad Guys”!

Although the “bad guys” may get bigger headlines... after watching the Star of the North Awards ceremony for volunteers in Lakeville last week, I believe the “good guys” outnumber the others by alot.  Really.

And each of us could probably name a dozen more who also deserve awards!

For the past nine years, Congressman John Kline’s staff has arranged this event to bring attention to the good deeds of folks in the Second District of Minnesota.  As Kline explained,  “These ‘Star of the North’ honorees graciously and generously give their time and talents to make life better for someone beyond themselves in their neighborhoods and around the world.”

Some are anonymously nominated.   All without politics involved.

My husband found out who had nominated him.  It was me.  I had accidentally come across the award nomination form on the internet and because Sue Sullivan at the Beacon had previously written up a nice article about Paul’s projects, I decided to send it in for consideration.  (Funny how we need someone else to “validate” us!)

There’s no monetary reward.

Just recognition. 

 And Paul doesn’t feel he’s doing more than other folks.  But maybe this will encourage others to do similar things.

The groups ranged from children raising money for a friend who had leukemia or funding food for the needy to police departments organizing fund drives.

Of the over 50 groups and individuals getting the awards, three were from Cannon Falls. The Cannon Falls Middle and High School students, employees of Cannon Equipment and Paul Schluter.

And it’s my bet the “Good Guys” will beat the “Bad Guys” in the end!  You’ll see!

(Video from the presentation is on www.paulrosie.com 

or on Youtube: Star of the North Awards 2015

https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=ExhpH3J6hKk)

 Cannon Falls Middle and High School students  

(Total was about 90 students plus 5 advisers) organized a Giving Tree drive to collect toys, clothing, books, food, and money at their school in December. Student Council and National Honor Society students helped promote the event and raffle tickets were sold for the honor of shaving the heads of two teachers. Within two weeks, one ton of food, and $1,400 was collected for the food shelf; and 2,400 gift items were delivered to the HOPE Coalition to distribute to local families. Accepting the award were Student Council Advisors Kate Dahlen and Lisa Endres, and students Caroline, Tayler, Leah, Hailey, Maddie, Carter, Taran, Molly, and Cooper.

 Employees of Cannon Equipment in Cannon Falls 

have supported the community food shelf for many years by donating food items, clothing, and cash. In 2014, employees raised more than $3,000 from a furniture and equipment silent auction, and $300 by paying to soak the management team in a dunk tank during their annual Team Cannon Day. Dan Rosa, a representative of Cannon Equipment’s management team accepted the award on behalf of the company.

 Paul Schluter, 77, is a retired Electrical Engineer who hasn’t cut back in volunteering within his community. With tax season here again, residents of Cannon Falls can depend on Schluter to help them file their taxes, like he has done for more than 15 years through a free program. In addition to serving on the Library Foundation for 17 years and 20 years on various boards with the Shepherd’s Center, plus 17 years on the township planning commission, Schluter facilitates citizens and law enforcement in the TRIAD organization to educate the public on crime trends and foster good law enforcement relations. Like other volunteers he also has projects like Meals on Wheels and going back to college part time.

Maybe it really is "all about me"! And that's OK!

Maybe it really is "all about me"!

(And that’s OK!)

Lightbulb joke:

Do you know how many people like you that it      takes to screw in a lightbulb?

One.

You just hold the bulb in the socket and the world revolves around you!

I’ve been told that the world doesn’t really revolve around me.

Meaning that a person should care about others, not just themselves I suppose.

Thinking...

But I got to thinking the other day while doing chores around the farm, that maybe this isn’t true. 

For example, no one else can feel your pain like you do.   

How do you know what I’m feeling?

How intense the pain is.

          Wondering...

And then I started wondering,,, just how many people does it take to make me feel comfortable?  

I thought about all the people it takes to get electricity to my house so I can work on projects.

Or get propane to keep me warm.

Or keep roads clear so once I finally plow through my snowy country driveway and get to the public roads - I can navigate safely.

Or how many people it takes just to keep people from hurting each other for whatever belief they have at that time.

Or to help me if I get hurt.

In other words, just to keep me safe and comfortable in my present status means an awful lot of people have to do their jobs.

But...

On the other hand... when you think about it...  the nice part is that when all these folks do their jobs for me, it benefits you too!

So maybe it really is “all about us”!

Many years ago a man once said:  ... as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.  

So I’ve decided it’s OK that the world revolves around me. 

Because this means it’s also all about you!

We’re on this “ride” together.

It’s nice you’re here! 

.

How to watch a football game! Unique "Sports Station" Set-up!

Unique “Sports Station” Set-up! 

      How do you watch your favorite sports?

I have found a special way to follow the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team.

Here’s how it goes:  In our rec room with other fans cheering - or not as the season progressed... I set up my special “sports station”.  

This means a recliner is set up facing the TV with a folding tray/table in front of it.

On the tray/table I have my laptop computer.

Next to that is a radio with earphones.

And of course... various bowls of popcorn and refreshments are scattered about.

The plan…

Here’s the plan:  I find a radio station that broadcasts the play about three seconds before the picture comes on the TV.  With my earphones connected to that I can be aware of what is going to happen.  And hopefully I won’t cheer for the “wrong” team - which I’ve been known to do when someone made a good play.

This may not be popular with the fans I’m sitting with.

It also means that I hear what has happened a few seconds before my husband sees it on TV.    He may be calling out:  “Catch it - Catch it...” while I already know it’s been intercepted!  I have learned not to express my thoughts while he’s still hoping for the best!

The key part…

The last part of my sports station is my MacBook.  I have it connected to a link to Vikings’ Mike Wobshall’s in-game chat.  This is an “interactive chat” with folks who may also sign in and add their comments during the game.   

 Mike or “Wobby” explained that he started with the Vikings as an intern back in 2005.  He accepted a full time position before the 2007 season and was a writer until he became the Vikings Entertainment Network Content Manager in 2014.

 His “in-game chats” were started several years ago “as a way to bring fans unique content.”  This has become a favorite addition to the game for me and helps me understand it better.

 Talk about “multi-tasking”!

Wobby watches “the games from the Vikings Radio Network broadcast booth, sitting between play-by-play announcer Paul Allen and analyst Pete Bercich.”  He also keeps track of the comments from folks on the internet that are flickering across his computer screen. 

He is responsible for sorting through them... selecting which ones to publish... and then answering those that are questions while at the same time he’s reporting on the game!

As Wobby explained: “It’s hard to read all the comments, react to them and watch the game. I do the best I can. Watching the game takes precedent so there are times I miss comments.”

  Another benefit of the chat being on the internet came when I was out of the state and couldn’t get the game on TV or radio.  Wobby explained, “We’ve had fans sign into the live game chats from all over the globe, even some of our armed servicemen and servicewomen have signed in from their bases across the world.”

       They may have several thousand folks in the live chat during a game.

Comments like this:

I recall the time I was listening to the game and watching Wobby’s “in-game chat” while sitting in a distant hospital room with my husband who was recovering from a heart attack.  As we watched the team losing I wrote Wobby ... we’re watching the game from a hospital room... this is not helping Paul get better!  

And Wobby responded online that he wished Paul a good recovery.  This was in the middle of game... and I was very touched.  You don’t feel quite so alone anymore.

Wobby likes the funny comments that come in and some of the “creative pen names” fans have chosen.  They have the option to submit a name or not.  My signature was “Rosie from Cannon Falls”.  I’m going to have to work on a better one for next season!

  

 .

Life… like a mystery novel

Life is like a mystery novel...

Mysteries... the fun ones... where they lead your mind on a merry chase that you enjoy.

  Recently I asked our librarians for suggestions about mysteries based in the twin cities - where I grew up.  It’s kind of fun to recognize the background settings in my mind.

Remember this?

These stories include some by John Sandford and Christopher Valen.  Valen actually featured a horse farm near Cannon Falls in one of his homicide detective novels.  And when we first met a few years after its publication, we were both surprised to discover it was our farm he had fictionalized!  He had scoped it out on the internet and he needed a place for some fiendish activities to take place.  

When one of our local law enforcement friends found out - he grimmaced and said to me, now we’ll probably have to come out and bring a shovel!  

Clues...

Anyway... the librarians directed me to some mysteries by Julie Kramer - a former TV newsperson from the “cities”.

Now keep in mind that I have read many mysteries.

So... as I started reading the first one in her series - it seemed a little familiar.  But since I didn’t recognize who the killer was I figured I had just read too many books.

Or... I prided myself on the idea that maybe I was just becoming a better “detective” because I recognized a clue right away.

Not so smart!

 But it was when I started reading her second book in the series that I realized I wasn’t so smart!  This time I remembered who the killer was.  Actually, I was partially right and read the whole book to see what else I remembered!

This experience got me to thinking.

In reading the book the second time I noticed more signals given by the author as she took me down the twisty winding trails of her mystery novel.

Then I thought how much this relates to living your own life.

And the benefit of knowing what “clue” could help you and hopefully learn from it.  

 See the clues...

Some older folks may more easily recognize the mistakes or clues because they’ve made them too!  In fact, they’ve "lived" it.

It’s comforting to realize that when you see someone else has done the same dumb thing you’re complaining about, you can find comfort because you see they survived that struggle too.  And hopefully they are wiser now.

I’m reading the third book in Kramer's series now.   So I was alert when I recognized another clue... and I almost yelled out: "... don’t touch the gun... it will be used in a murder and it will have your fingerprints on it... ackkkkk!"

I was so sure of this that I flipped to the end of the book to see what happened!  I read a short excerpt and realized that I really hadn’t read this one!  But I had caught the clue!

So maybe I really am getting better at recognizing these signals!

And I’m thinking that it also might be smart to share your thoughts with some “elder folks”!   They might recognize the “clues” that can warn you of problems in your life’s story - your mystery!  

Because they've "read" that part of the book before... they have “been there” - “done that”!

The end.

.

Cute… but uninvited "guests"!

Cute... but uninvited “guests”!

Cute little brown furry critters, also known as field mice, have been inundating local residences in seemingly unusual numbers this year.  We actually have set traps in our cars parked in the garage.

This brought to mind some of the mouse antics we’ve seen in years’ past.

It’s true that when you live in the country you get used to the “Fall Exodus” of mice from the fields into the house.   But usually they get the hint they aren’t wanted after some traps are set.  

I favored the traps that caught them in a cage so I could release them outside.  Although I wondered if I wasn’t just releasing the same mouse time after time?

  Then I recalled finding one mouse who had found his own little swimming pool in the house.   It’s called a toilet.

And then there was the little mouse playing hide and seek in my kitchen cupboards.  I’d open a door and it would run and hide.  I played this game for a while -trying to remove bowls, etc. so I could plop a plastic container over him.  But he hopped out and ran away.  And I washed alot of dishes!  And made sure to keep the cupboard doors closed after that.

This reminded me of Pat Jones telling me about the time she took the lid off her coffee pot and saw a mouse in it!  I’ve never opened a pot since then without thinking of that!

One morning I saw a small critter looking at me through the inside screen in the living room window.  He couldn’t move away because the outer glass window had been cranked shut the night before and this little fellow’s tail had gotten trapped.  We didn’t know he was there. But now I saw the chew marks he had made trying to escape.

As I cranked open the window to release him I saw that his tail looked permanently bent to the shape of the window sill.  I wonder what kind of story he told when he got home!

Then there’s the time I had left some tall long stemmed wine glasses next to the sink to wash the next morning.  But the next day I saw mouse turds in them!  

I couldn’t figure out how the mice had climbed into the tall glasses without tipping them over.  Or was it a team of mice balancing on each other to climb up to the lip of the glass and drop in?

Actually, what was worse was the fact that it looked like they were having a party in my house... and I hadn’t been invited!

And so the games continue!

.

Miracle of the Littlest Christmas Tree!

 The story of the 
Littlest Christmas Tree...

(It’s true... and it happened in Cannon Falls.  Originally printed in the Beacon in 1979.  

Now on Youtube - The Miracle of the Littlest Christmas tree http://youtu.be/KNwpn71M5Ds)

The little pine tree sat in the city sales lot among many bigger and prettier Christmas trees.  Its trunk was crooked and shoppers pushed it aside in their search for the “perfect” tree to bring home and decorate for the  holiday.

One family was particularly sad that year because Grandpa had just died.  But they went on with the motions of preparing for the holidays.

And they bought a tree for their home.

No cheering up…

But what about Grandma?  Her home was so empty without Grandpa.  Maybe a tree would cheer her up.

But by that time there was only the rather scraggly crooked pine tree left that would fit the purpose.  They took it.

But when they brought it to Grandma they saw that she was too heartbroken to have a real tree that year.

She only wanted the miniature artificial tree that one of the children had brought to Grandpa when he was in the hospital.

And so, the little pine tree was put aside... again.

But that’s not the end of the story!

The family left Grandma and went back home.

They tried to give away the little pine tree but it seemed everyone already had a tree.  But there just had to be a place for it!

Then they thought of a small church nearby.  The sanctuary was already decorated with a huge Christmas tree.

But a large room used for the Sunday School classes was empty.  So why not set up the little tree here?

The children could decorate it.  And they did.

But that’s still not the end of the story.

For Christmas Day came... bright and cold.

Especially cold.

The church’s furnace had gone out during the night.

The sanctuary was freezing.

But the auxiliary heater in the Sunday School room had kept on perking.  And that was the only warm place in the whole church!

And do you know where the Christmas Service was held?

In that room!

And do you know which tree was all lit up and glowing for the entire congregation?

Of course!

And it was a beautiful tree!

I know this story is true because I helped pick out the tree.

And I think it was really two miracles… 

One was having a decorated tree for the Christmas Service and the other was seeing the beauty in something others had rejected.

And miracles like this will never end... 

as long as you and I look for them... 

every day of the year!

My favorite Grinch… this Christmas! Enjoy!

My favorite “Grinch”... this Christmas!

( I previewed this column with some of the folks mentioned.  I changed some words because they had different meanings for them than for me.  
They may not agree with me but understood my wanting to express my view.  
One was concerned that readers wouldn’t read to the end for the concept I was trying to make.  Please show them they were wrong! )

The Grinch is a bitter, grouchy creature with a heart "two sizes too small" who lives on a steep mountain just north of Whoville, home of the merry and warm-hearted beings know as “Whos”.  (Or could that be our town and the folks known as “Whos-its”?)

But this favorite children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss, shows that the Grinch is really a soft sweet person inside when he finds out that the holiday celebration represents more than presents and parties.  

A new “Grinch”!

And this brings to mind a new friend of mine, Ken Kressin.  He has become somewhat well known in this area for his public confrontation of what he sees as problems in the Christian church via his challenging letters to the editor and picketing.

I got to know him a little because his book discussion group was reading topics I was interested in.  They’re called the Free Thinkers.  

I figured that included me - although some might think I fit better as a kind of  “Goofy Thinker”!  Anyway, I asked if I could come to their meeting.

It’s been a few months now and I’ve learned a lot.  I particularly enjoy how much we all laugh!   Although I think Ken is one of the more serious ones there, I see a gentle smile once in awhile.

“Token Christian”

One of them has nicknamed me “their token Christian”, as they mostly tend toward atheism.   At the first meeting they started picking on some of those in my faith but I didn’t have a problem with that because some of us need to be set straight.  But after a while, in a moment of silence... (not many of those you know!) I explained:  “I am a Christian... is that going to be a problem?”

They thought quietly for a moment and decided it wouldn’t. 

Enjoy the talk!

Here’s what I have found out.  We enjoy talking!

One of my favorite stories I related to them is about a former priest at St. Pius, Leon Bonin.  He allowed me to be an “outside the box” type of Christian.

On spur of the moments we would see each other and talk.

One time he was out for a walk.  We got on the topic of Catholicism.  He asked me if I had ever considered becoming a Catholic.  I was listening.  

He said they had changed some things in their doctrine so I would be able to change easier.  He mentioned one and I responded that I still had some reservations about that.  He suggested another and I had something that concerned me about that too.  He was going to tell me another one, when I stopped him and said,  (with tears in my eyes even to this day), “Don’t say anything more, because I just love you.”

In other words, I don’t have to agree with you but you mean a lot to me. 

Philosophy …

And this brings me to my philosophy on my Free Thinker friends.  I mentioned to them that some atheist thinkers might consider themselves to have been created from the foam in an ancient sea.

But because I consider my friends to be part of a species that was made in the image of God, I may actually think more highly of them than they think of themselves!  Cool!

And l like to remember the ending of Dr. Seuss’ story about the Grinch... where they celebrate the festive season together because it has more meaning than presents and parties.

So I wish you all a Merry Christmas...  and may we all be happy “Grinches” in the New Year!

.