Wynne's 90thhttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZiWSpbB6Is/X1qgx6Pb_mI/AAAAAAAAC3U/s_IvgdYhKlg0I8Naemoz0u4W10PexM3fACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSCN5534.JPG Birthday Party Celebration

                    When you want a party... 
             someone figures out how to have one!

     Ray and Mariellen Wynne have been married for 66 years... but they could not see each other since his surgery due to covid19 virus regulations. They are waiting outside the Mayo Health System building in Cannon Falls to see what Ray thought would be a few family members wishing him a happy 90th birthday,

When you can’t have a party!

He thought it would be nice to have a band at his 90th birthday celebration, Ray Wynne’s wife, Mariellen recalled.  But that wouldn’t happen because Ray fell recently and was rushed to the emergency room in Red Wing with a broken hip.  

Ray had surgery last Saturday and was sent to the Cannon Falls hospital to recuperate.  But because of safety regulations with the covid19 virus, even his family wasn’t able to see him. 

The Wynne's have been living in Red Wing since they moved from their home in the Cannon Falls area where Ray had a farm and also was a barber for many years.

According to their son Greg, now living in San Diego, CA, he started the ball rolling to have a “Drive By” birthday party for his dad.  Then, when he heard how well the party planning was going, he hopped on a plane to come back home and join in!

When he arrived, he borrowed a bike and decorated it and rode in the parade celebrating Ray’s birthday with a couple dozen cars of friends plus police and fire vehicles carrying greetings, balloons, etc.  

And Greg really surprised his dad - as if he had ridden the bike all the way from California.

        Mayo Clinic staff did their part by getting Ray ready for the celebration and bringing him outside for the parade.

Ray had been told that some family members were going to stop by outside and wave.  But he had no idea so many others would bring their greetings too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY!

                                                                     

A graduation speech not given….  

A pep talk not shared…. 

Advice only for myself!  

(Or if it works for you!)

   

What do you want?

Good news/bad news.  Which do you want first?  OK - I’ll choose for you.

1 The Bad News - the sadness and pain don’t stop hurting but they may ease a bit.

2 The Good News - they don’t have to stop hurting for you to see good things happen.

Here’s the plan…

Whether it’s physical pain or emotional, whether it’s rejection or failure…  it’s rough, but here’s a plan:

• You don’t stop hurting… you just take one step and then another.
• You don’t stop being scared… you just take one step and then another.
• You don’t wait until you feel happy… you just take one step and then another.
• You don’t stop loving… you just - well, you know the routine.

Figuring out a plan…

Whether someone leaves you… or you find your job is no longer there… or your health is challenged…  

You might do some difficult things.

Then one thing looks pretty easy.  But you can’t do it.

So you put it aside… for another day.

And then you can take that step… or decide to give yourself a break and avoid it for awhile.

But you’ve considered aspects of the problem… and that’s taking a step too I guess.

Consider…

This is not the life I would have chosen… but it’s still good.

Just consider all the different choices I would have made for my life.

What do you want to be 

when you grow up?

As a little girl I would have chosen to be a “princess”!

Or a cowgirl!  (Actually, being a cowboy looked a lot better.  The girls in those western movies seemed kind of “dorky”.)

Then I would have chosen to have 12 children!

(Two were just fine, thank you!)

Or I would have chosen to be a space ranger.

Then I wanted to be a journalist!

Then I wanted to be with a guy named Paul!

Got the picture?

Some of those life choices came true.

But none of them were for “ever”.

The challenge now is to enjoy the choices that are available.

They can be good.

***

So, instead of being a “princess”… 

maybe I’ll be a “queen” … 

when I grow up!

  How dumb do you have to be... 

to be a farmer?

A recent political quote got some folks thinking about how dumb a farmer is. Although I’m not a politician, I’ve said some stupid things over the years myself. But I appreciated someone taking the time to educate me instead of just attacking my remark!
So here is some educating done by Anna Beckman, 20-year-old daughter of Jeff and Cheryl Beckman at Golden Meadows Dairy Farm south of Cannon Falls, as to what a dumb farmer - and his kids - really do out here in the country.

4 a.m.

Anna explains: “A typical day starts at 4 a.m. Why? Because we create a raw product that needs to be to the market quickly, or converted into a different product that can be stored.
“So the first thing we do in the morning is walk the animals to make sure all are healthy and doing well. This consists of looking at their eyes, watching how they walk, checking to see if they are chewing cud, which means that they are doing well and eating good, among checking a few other things.”

Next... cleaning and milking

“After that, we move the cows out of their area, clean that, then bring them in to get milked. When milking, we check each cow to see what their milk looks like and test it if something does not look right.
“It is important that I know and understand how to test the milk to make sure that the milk is safe for us to drink, as well as for where we ship it that it is safe to consume.”

Three hours later...

“Milking takes roughly three hours including prep beforehand and after. It is critical that our lines are sanitary so that our product is consumable, so we have been taught from a young age the importance of being careful and responsible to take care in everything we do.”

Time for a break...

“Now, if all goes well, we can take a break and go get some breakfast!
“But if a cow decides it’s time to have her calf, then we are there watching her to see if we are needed to assist in the birth.”

She delivered a calf!

“By the time I was 15, I was able to deliver a calf on my own, understanding when and how best to help, when to just watch, and when to call the veterinarian for additional help.”

Other aspects of farming...

“We work with a nutritionist and veterinarian every two weeks. This is to make sure our animals are healthy and taken care of. I have learned the importance of providing the right feed at the right time and how to care for the animals in the best way possible.
“Most families don’t see a nutritionist even once a year, let alone every two weeks. The point is, our cows are well cared for.”

Nutrition and nurturing...

“I am learning how to balance meals for the animals to meet all their nutrition needs as well as how to take care of a sore foot when that comes up. I am responsible for the animals when my parents are not around. The first time was at the age of 17.”

Why be a farmer?

“Why do I do this? It started because it was a part of our life as a family... that we all work together. Now it has turned into a passion for me.
“I love the cows and enjoy working with them as well as seeing the difference I can make first hand. It is hard work--mentally and physically, but it is also very rewarding.
“To know that I am responsible for the animal’s health and remembering the animals cannot tell me verbally what’s wrong... it is of huge importance that I understand and know how to accurately read the signs of a sick animal by looking at her and checking her over.
“After considering the possibilities and consulting with the veterinarian we treat them naturally when possible and make sure they are well cared for.”
And so Anna concludes her explanation of what it means to be a farmer.

***

Thank you Anna. 

And to Mr. Politician... this farmer sure sounds smart to me!

Whatever you call it... act of kindness... a day brightener... 

or finding “flecks of gold” sparkling in our lives. Share the good things you notice.  

 Ripples... a ripple of kindness
reaches the farthest shore

Ever thought of doing something nice but "dorky"? And then wonder why you would do it because no one would ever see it?

Sad reminder...

So maybe just do it for yourself. And then the surprise can come when it means something to someone else!

An old toppled pine tree...

A couple of years ago, tornados tore through the Cannon Valley. My house was spared, but many beautiful trees were toppled.

One huge pine tree partially covered my roadway. I sawed off some branches but the main tree would have to wait.

It was so sad to look at, so I decided to put a sign on it... just a laminated piece of paper with a red heart and the words: “Love Lives”. Or something like that. Just to remind me of something better every time I passed by.

Maybe it was kind of “dorky”. But I smiled when I drove by. And who would ever see it?

Time goes by... 

A year went by. Then two. My little laminated sign got weathered and I took it down. 

But wait!

That’s when I met someone who had loved my old sign! He stopped by because he missed seeing it! It had meant so much to him.

He is a “sanitation driver”. I would hear the crunch of his truck coming down our gravel road. He would wave at me if I was outside. Then, after picking up my recyclables he would head back up the driveway.

Here’s the amazing part of the story...

Recently he stopped to share something with me. It was a beautiful hand crafted wooden sign he had made that said ‘WELCOME’ on one side... and “LOVE LIVES” on the other!

Here's how he explains his reason...

“I waited a long time to be married and have a family. Then I met the woman I fell deeply in love with. I wish I could tell you that it was going to be a happy ever-after but after several years it didn’t work out.
“I took the truck driving job and put my mind into my work. I had my fair days and days I just could hardly breathe.

“The only thing I knew to do was to push forward.

 Then...

“One day, when learning my new job, I was leaving your driveway and saw your sign.... “Love Lives”. I broke down and cried.

“I wanted to believe that “love lives” but my heart was so broken. I found myself wishing I could turn back time.

“But time kept going by... and every time I read your sign I prayed that the pain would be less and life was waiting to show me some happiness.

“I don’t know if it has but I’ve done my best to push forward.

“After two years of reading your sign and then seeing that it was gone... I couldn’t let it go.

“I knew from our visit that you were a widow. I thought to myself that you had had a special time with someone you loved. I enjoyed our conversation from time to time and to me this was something I had to do... your sign meant so much to me. But to me you needed to keep that sentiment as much as I did.

“Maybe someday love will live in my heart again. Until then I will just keep being me.”

Thank you my friend... and as for me, 
I will keep your gift in my heart forever.

What changes can come from the pandemic?

What “good” can come 

from the pandemic?  

Part 2

We’re not denying the bad effect of the Covid19 pandemic but trying to focus on the possibility of finding some good things to come out of it.

I was fascinated years ago when reading about the Black Plague hitting Europe in the 14th Century.  That plague killed perhaps 50 million people.  

I read that one religious group wasn’t affected as much.   It is interesting to check out what they were doing differently.   

It appeared that they had many rules referring to sanitation… what you should eat, what you should touch, etc.   

This was the century when you had to watch out when walking along a street because household garbage and you can guess what else, was thrown out the upper windows.

Get the point?

At the start of the quarantine…

It seemed a little strange that I had just picked up a book, published in 2020, at the library telling how technologies were transforming business, industries and our lives.  (Title: The Future is Faster Than You Think.)

One study stated that the internet created 2.6 new jobs for every one it eliminated.

So what can we look for from a pandemic?  

The “Bard of Sogn Valley”

Here are some of the thoughts from Joe Garbarino from “Lake CoVidBeGone”.  (Hmmm.  I remember Lake Wobegon from A Prairie Home Companion.  Must be nearby.)

Here’s what Joe predicts:

My Bold Predictions for the Post CoVid World.  OK. So some are obvious.  

These are the “macro “ changes I see for the world where we will live.

Work at home…

Businesses will accelerate converting to more or all personnel permanently working at home. A lot of businesses will now view buying and maintaining a physical building is a big expense and time commitment. 

 Robots…

  Robotics will accelerate. Human workers will be seen as an expensive and fragile option. Just like hi tech military jets became drones because pilots became the weak link requiring too much support material.

Groceries…

  Grocery delivery systems will become a significant market share even outside of major urban areas. Local product delivery will eat into Amazon’s market share.

Restaurants…

  Eateries will expand their outside capacity for immediate social distancing reasons. But it will remain seasonally.

Remodeling…

Remodeling will be the construction industries’ sweet spot. Homes being modified for better home office space. Businesses becoming more social distance friendly.

Travel Industry…

  Who knows? Consumer attitudes will shape it. CEOs will be largely reactive.

Disposable products…

Disposable products will be back in style. Don’t bring your old cloth bag back to Aldi’s. Please use that disposable straw. Disposable restaurant table settings because who knows who ate off that plate or how well it was washed.

Large crowds…

Big crowds of people will be ones we know. Company picnic, Parish festivals. Want to kill attendance? Advertise as “This event will attract people from all over the world !”  

Elderly…

Care for the Elderly. More choosing to care Grandma at home than at “Petri Dish-like” nursing homes.

Career Choices…

Health related companies become a consideration.  

Rural migration…

With internet, working at home, and health issues… suddenly living in Podunk seems more attractive.

X Factor…

There will be a major shift in something we can’t now see - but in hindsight it will seem obvious.

***

(To our readers:  Your ideas on possibilities for the future are welcome.  There’s always favorite stock investment tips!)

Can anything good...

Can anything good come

 from the pandemic?

    The pandemic crisis changed lives… 

But besides recognizing the difficult things… can we see any changes that could be used for good? That could make your life better,,, easier… more thoughtful? 

Or finally just obeying your mom who told you to wash your hands and stop touching your face!

Future scenarios?

Easier and safer visits to the doctor.  How about having doctor visits via “Zoom”- no contagion spread in waiting rooms which used to be petrie dishes of possible contamination or just miserably long waiting times.

More online meetings - a person doesn’t have to travel distances to present a 15 minute update.  Also, while watching online you can work out - clean your desk - or make snacks!  (Or scratch!) 

If you’re sick - zoom-watch: your church service, city council meeting, book discussion group, etc.

More online shopping… at least to check out what each store has to offer so you can get in and out quicker.

Keeping up with neighbors.  No, you’re not snoopy…well, maybe a little!  But they can be a safety net surrounding you.

Thoughts from folks on Facebook

So here are some ideas from folks on Facebook’s  “Cannon Falls Open Forum”.  

Emily Springer

“…thinking of “growing some of my own food (better gardening), the need to control more of where I spend my money (locally, smaller businesses), the importance of making and maintaining connections (phone calls, writing letters, sending birthday cards, letting people know you're thinking of them), how much clutter I've allowed into the lives of my family (over obligations, strict timelines, little free time, unnecessary physical items in our home).

“The importance of positive and realistic talks with the family about serious issues (we can be flexible, resilient, compromising, compassionate, and loving even in hard times of uncertainty and a lack of control) and allowing to hear their concerns... listening.

“Ultimately, it makes me re-evaluate and re-focus on how we want to live our lives and what's important. 

“Again, this is a personal perspective, I understand many cannot see the light in these "times as they are extremely strenuous, and my thoughts are with everyone who is struggling right now.”

Dawn Lanning  

“Young families enjoying time together instead of running from one activity to another.  Working from home -- employers are finding that employees may even be more productive working from home because they are happier and can better manage family and work life.”

Jean Radke  

  “I think people are learning they don't need everything and to be grateful for what you have.  Also  I think a lot of families are spending more time with their children at home and not running around. I also think that it's going to make people think: do I really need all the things that I have to have?”

Corey Landon  

“Community gardens/hobby farms would be good for if there were to ever be food shortages. Would most likely be a lot better for you too.”

Suzie Stachowski  

“I would hope that those who can work from home will. It helps decrease pollution, less traffic and maybe (we) won’t have keep building wider highways, etc.”

 More suggestions in following column.

In memory of an editor... and a friend.

A memory of a friend..

Getting to know you…      

  The jobs of a journalist and their editor can be stressful to negotiate. When I left the "big city” for rural Minnesota, a friend asked me how could I do it?   

It wasn’t until I had settled in the country for a couple of years that I got interested in the local newspaper.  I was disturbed by its approach to a situation - so I called the editor to complain.  Dick Dalton took my call and after a few minutes he said: Come in and we’ll discuss it.

Many years later…

It’s over 35 years now and we continued “discussing” things! 

One of the funniest episodes happened in his office. We were on opposite sides on some story.  I have no recollection what it was!

But Dick finally said, “Let’s go home and sleep on it and talk about it in the morning.”  

The next day we were back on opposite sides of his desk and Dick announced that he had changed his mind and had taken my position.   The only problem was that I had changed mine to his!

I said, You can’t do that!  Now we’re just as bad off as before!

But another time…

Another time, I got a story that scooped even the big city television stations. I couldn’t believe the information I was given as a small town reporter.  I had explained to world class attorneys and court house employees and the defendant himself, that I was working for a small town newspaper and wanted to give folks the best information I could - and they all helped me!

But the story happened to involve a close friend of the editor.  When the result of the trial was announced I figured I had a front page story.  But it didn’t get there.

When I saw where the editor had placed it, I “lost it”.  I burst into the newspaper early the next morning and saw the editor working at a table.  I exclaimed, “My story should have been on the front page!” 

He didn’t look at me… I could see he seemed sick… and he said, “I know… I just couldn’t do it.”

I stood still. Nothing to say.  It was then I understood the tragic emotionalism you have to endure when you care about the people that your newspaper will write about.

And I learned to care about an editor who helped me fine tune the journalism career I had chosen.

-30- 

(Old journalistic symbol 
to indicate the “end of story”.)

************
My friend and editor
 passed on 
a couple days 
before my column 
was written. 

What's ahead for you?

Perspective: how do you deal with fear…

The earth’s present pandemic is requiring its inhabitants to alter their life styles in order to change the onward progression of sickness and death.  It is disturbing and fearful for all concerned. 

But to some folks who have seen tragedy in their life before this - it’s simply something to deal with… but not turn yourself into a fear-filled, paranoid acting creature, hiding from life.

This point in time…

Perhaps it’s only in this period of time that people expect a disease to be an unusual event.

What if you lived during the epidemics ravaging the world a hundred years ago?   Or when marauding raiders came pillaging through your little village?

Even American school children in the last century had a taste of programmed fear when they were ordered to hide under their desks as a practice for when Russian bombs would explode outside their windows.  Ever wonder what was being told Russian children?

And remember Korean “Police Action”, Vietnam, etc. 

So while you are “hunkering down”…

Here is some insight from a gentle lady in rural Cannon Falls, who as a child went through the terror of her country being taken over in a revolution.

Marta Garbarino remembers her parents tried to keep her and her sister safe but they couldn’t hide the terror and misery surrounding them in Cuba during that revolution.

She remembers “cowering in bunkers and under beds when the planes dropped bombs and shot down into the towns with their machine guns.” 

And what happened to “grown-ups”?

Marta remembers learning that a cousin of her mother’s had been shot by a firing squad… and that her aunt had been imprisoned for speaking her mind." 

It was terrifying to realize that her father was being held in custody because he refused to sign over the oil refinery of which he was the supervisor. He tried to explain that he did not have the authority to hand it over! 

Their schools closed…

Their Catholic schools were closed and most of the priests and those with religious vocations were forced out of the country.  Food became scarce.  (Not just toilet paper.)

Who could you trust?  

They had to hide during the day “so the government agents wouldn’t know we weren’t in the public school. These were now schools of indoctrination into Communist ideology.”

Marta continued, “There was terror in not knowing which of your neighbors were collaborating with the enemy.   You had to watch what you said to whom.” 

They decided to leave…

Her family knew they would have to leave their homeland.

There was a block in time when they could visit the U.S. and ask for political asylum.  To disguise the fact that they were leaving forever, they could only have “three changes of clothes and one pair of shoes.   

Marta continued, “My mother said one of the hardest things she ever went through was looking out the window of the airplane and seeing her country recede beneath her and knowing she would probably never see it or the rest of her family again.”

“They eventually became naturalized citizens and were always deeply grateful to what they truly believed was the greatest country in the world. They worked hard to live the American Dream.”  

And for Marta?

And then in the fifth grade in a U.S. elementary school, Marta met Joe, the boy she would marry… and end up living on a farm near Cannon Falls, Minnesota... in America.

And what good things can be ahead for you?

Advice for "Captive Families"!

Making memories… 

20 years of Home Schooling 

advice to “Captive Families”!

This is the last year of home schooling their four children by Tim and Joyce Trost, rural Cannon Falls.  They are in their last year of home schooling their four children. They range from: Emi 24, running professionally, graduated from UMD in Sports and Exercise Science and English and will soon be pursuing more schooling for Nutrition and Dietetics.  Karl, 22 will be graduating this fall from University of WI Stout in Engineering Technology and will be pursuing work as a Mechanical Engineer. Dan, 20 is a junior at University of Northwestern studying Engineering, Bible and Math and Aaron, 18 is a senior this year and will be attending University of Northwestern pursing Communications-Radio broadcasting and Music.

   Today’s “forced” home schooling is different.

The Trost’s explain: “Most of the families that are having to teach their kids at home now did not choose to do so, and are having to do it without planning, education in how to do it, having to follow the curriculum of the schools and during a time of significant other stresses. 

“Our hope for families having to do it now is that they would embrace these next few months, ride the wave of being home together, and make memories for a life time!

                                    Key point…

Kids will learn the best during this time if you make it fun, take breaks and do things that are not typical for classroom learning, and do things that are memorable.

               How it’s different today…

“Online learning is different than home education in that the schedule and curriculum is set with live lectures, group meetings and work packets.  But as much as possible, work to find a rhythm that works for your family. 

“This is a change for the kids and and parents both so talk as a family about what works best.  Sometimes our teaching took place early in the morning or later in the evening to flex around our work demands, and sometimes work was interrupted and needed to wait. Parents many want to engage an older sibling to help the younger ones.

               What was an important skill for you?  

“Take time to teach your children things that you as parents always wanted them to learn or experience.  Things like having them be responsible for making dinner once a week (no sports means more time for learning to help the family), doing a house cleaning chore every day (now would be a great time for them to learn to do the laundry, clean the bathroom and do dishes!), and learning to change the oil or do car repairs. All great life skills for after high school too!  

                Fun challenges!

  “Set up daily/weekly challenges. Give them a box of junk or a pile of wood and have a competition to make a contraption, an instrument, or a wagon, or something else... give them a food and have them come up with a recipe to use the food in....or give them some sports equipment and have the kids create an obstacle course for you as parents or each other to do...or have them build a Lego or blocks creation and then either tell you the story around their creation or write about it. Take a walk in the woods for a scavenger hunt and have them wirte about what they saw.

Family bonds…

“These are great times to solidify family bonds. Great time to have kids learn that their siblings are cool and fun to be with. Time to snuggle on the couch and read, read, read, and time to learn grace for each other and your differences.

“Most of all, don't fret over the small stuff and enjoy the memories that this challenge is allowing you to make.

Note from their youngest son, Aaron…  

The importance of flexibility in learning styles… “for example one year we fixed up an old John Deere snowmobile and for that we got a shop/small engine credit. 

  “The main issue was being sure to get all of our scheduled classes (math, science, history, etc.) completed.  When we were younger, mom and dad created a checklist, with a schedule of when we needed to start and finish each class. 

“This allowed us to check off what classes and lessons we had completed for the day. Everything was laid out with a start and end time. This allowed us to stay on schedule and keep that accountability of having a test, or homework, due on a certain day.”

The Trost’s concluded with this point from Chuck Swindol: 

"We are convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it!" 

Friendliness found even 
during the quarantine.

Even if you are “quarantined”… you don’t have to lose contact with folks and feel estranged on this planet.

Cannon Falls kids are seeing friendly looking homes as they walk along the sidewalks for exercise.

This is because homeowners have been putting drawings and  pictures in their windows.  And so, even though they are quarantined and can’t come outside to meet you, they can see the happy expressions on passers-by.

A lot of these are children who are delighted that although they can’t “play” with you… they can still feel the friendliness and companionship that is around them.

“Going on a Bear Hunt!"

  There are kids like Aubrianna and Sophia Farnum out on Gerlach Way near Lake Byllesby.  Their mother Brittney explained, “We live off the lake right down from the beach and park so we get a lot of people walking by! 

But of course you can’t go outside to mingle with them.

Brittney continued, “I first saw an article from Rochester MN of the bears and thought it would  be a fun, cheerful idea for the people who walk by!”

So pictures of bears are posted in windows for the kids to “hunt”.

Look for the rocks!

Then there’s Katie Lundell, who with her husband Derek and 4 year old son, Oliver, have been decorating rocks to place around the community.  

They put them out and want you to enjoy them.  If you can, let them know and they would love to see pictures of where you found them.

Age doesn’t matter!

It seemed lonely walking  in my woods until I saw the " Pine Cone Peeps”!  As you walk along the trails you just might see little pine cones peeking out of old dead trees. (Added beads help their expressions.)  So take a picture of them and at the end of the trail you might find some that you can make too.  

Other ideas are welcomed… 
we’re all quarantined for a while yet!

 We’re on this planet together!