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Enjoying Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is a Bavarian word. The “okto” part means eight, “ber” means cold, and the “fest” part means beer. Oktoberfest thus translates to “eight cold beers” which is pretty much the focus of that type of gathering. New Ulm is purported to have one of the best Oktoberfest celebrations in the nation. My wife and I decided to motor to New Ulm to assess this matter for ourselves. The first stop on our investigation was the August Schell Brewing Company. The Schell brewery is located near New Ulm and is perched on the bluffs of the Cottonwood River. It’s an ...

Stay aware of breast cancer this October

Pink ribbons, pink hair and pink T-shirts are signs of the season this October, yet more importantly, these colorful reminders can save lives. Did you known that breast cancer deaths have steadily decreased by 44% since 1989, thanks to better screening and early detection? This strong track record is a reminder that all women age 40 and over should have regular mammograms, the gold standard in breast cancer screening. Because breast cancer is most treatable when discovered in its earliest stages, we are grateful to have the latest screening mammogram equipment here in Marshall, so we ...

Looking at empathy

The word empathy is used a lot. Sometimes it is confused with sympathy, but they are different. When you feel sympathy for somebody those are your feelings, experienced by you. Sympathy involves what you feel when you witness another person’s suffering or terrible misfortune. You may feel compassion, pity, sadness, or sorrow for him or her. So what is empathy? Empathy is your ability to understand someone else’s feelings. In a way, it is something like putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. It involves recognizing, understanding, responding to, sharing, or even ...

Focus on mental health first

When tragedy strikes close to home, it leaves a mark that, hopefully, never fades. The recent shooting at Annunciation church and school has shaken Minnesotans to our core. Parents, teachers, neighbors, and all of us are asking the same question: how do we make sure something like this never happens again? Gov. Walz and many Democrats in the legislature have been quick to use this tragedy to focus on what kinds of guns should be banned and what new gun ownerships restrictions can be put in place. I understand why that is the instinct, but I believe we will be more effective if we ...

Sharing tailgating tales

Time was when tailgating was universally frowned upon. Tailgating meant that an obnoxious motorist was following your vehicle so closely that he could read the care instructions on the tag of your T-shirt. Tailgating has since taken on another meaning. This term is now used to describe the pregame eating, drinking, and socializing that takes place in the parking lot of a sports venue. If your team is on a winning streak, it’s a pre-celebration celebration; if your team has been losing lately, you can commiserate with other fans and mutter, “Wait until next year!” I’ve lived ...

Stacking up rocks or knocking them down

I walk or jog on Sleepy Eye’s Lake Trail. The trail has been a blessing. I used to run on the shoulder of Highway 14. That has become insanely busy. I was afraid of getting sucked into the wake of a semi-truck and ending up in Brookings. I mostly go on the quieter west side of the trail. In part of that, there is a field on one side and woods on the other. In the trees, there is a rock pile. There are rock piles all across the Corn Belt. Some of these are as old as when the first settlers came and began the work of turning prairie into cropland. The one we have in our grove is for ...