Our group is staying at the Lutheran World Federation Guesthouse, which is located at the top of the Mount of Olives. The land was given to Kaiser Wilhelm when he visited Jerusalem in 1898, and the compound was named for his wife, Augusta Victoria. Since my grandfather fought in the Boxer Rebellion for the Kaiser’s army and my middle name …
I received a unique blessing Saturday morning: an Indian cooking lesson from Sister Mary Michael, one of the Carmelite nuns who serve our Spirit of Life Roman Catholic Church parish in Mandan, N.D. She is a cooking whirlwind and chopped the onions in a blaze. She does it all from years of experience, with nothing written down, and uses the …
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team tuned up for its upcoming 2017-18 season opener with a 79-50 exhibition win over the University of Minnesota-Crookston on Wednesday night in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Fighting Hawks were paced by Lexi Klabo, who scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Fallen Freije chipped in 17 points and eight reboards for the …
After a typical Middle Eastern breakfast of pita, cheese, vegetables, an egg and hummus, our group, a mixture laypeople and clergy from the New England Synod on a Companion Synod Pilgrimage to visit the places and people connected with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, went off for our first stop. We arrived at the Dome …
Given the Texas church massacre that was just committed by a man named Kelley … if you use the same rhetoric as the president, then all white Irishmen should be banned from this country. Of course, banning the Irish is an insane idea. But it’s no more insane than banning anyone else because their skin color, religion or place of …
Is frustration dominating your child’s athletic experience? When young athletes can’t let go of frustration after failure, it’s a clear indication they have no clue how to make an adjustment, leaving them vulnerable to more of the same. And when adults get over-involved during the game, it usually makes things worse. A parent’s natural reaction is to come to the …
When we opened the blinds last Friday morning, it was to a world of whiteness. The snow shovels are staged, and all that was left to do was rummage in the garage storage box for the windshield scraper and the runner rug for the slate front patio (which gets very slippery in the cold weather). I even dug out the …
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team rode the goaltending of freshman Peter Thome, who was making his first collegiate starts, to a win and a tie with the University of Wisconsin this past Friday and Saturday in Madison. The Fighting Hawks (7-2-1) defeated the Badgers (6-5) 3-2 Friday night and skated to a 2-2 overtime tie Saturday night. …
Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner has a knack for capturing scenic landscape images, as is demonstrated by these fantastic shots.
These past two days back home at Red Oak House found us back to fall chores, and Jim catching walleye on the Missouri River, supper tonight. Wednesday night, with the gorgeous tiger’s-eye beans we’d brought home from Seed Savers Exchange and grass-fed beef from the Striefels, I cooked up a huge pot of chili, making enough so that Jim and …
Many don’t have the desire nor the time to keep up with to the national news on the life and times of the associates of Donald J. Trump. If you’re not interested, that’s fine … but if you are, you can read the entire federal complaint against Paul J. Manafort Jr., and Richard W. Gates III at https://www.justice.gov/file/1007271/download. I have …
We finally turned our furnace on last Friday. It wasn’t the 32-degree high that did it; it was the 40-mile-per-hour gusts the night before that convinced us to start burning wattage in a more significant way. Thirty-two degrees? Ha! In March, that would warrant running outside without a coat. The fully acclimated Minnesotan laughs at such measly reports after surviving …
John Bluemle’s new book, “North Dakota’s Geologic Legacy” (actually published in 2016 and now in its second printing), is a culmination of a career of more than 40 years he spent with the North Dakota Geological Survey, researching all facets of North Dakota’s geology, carrying the title of state geologist. It’s his fourth in a series of books designed, as …
Lizzie was sad Monday a week past. She saw those suitcases, and she became clingy, not sure whether she was going with us or not. For her, this time it was the kennel, as Chelsea is gone for schooling and thus her best pal not available for dog-sitting. Thus, it was that we two English majors made a road trip east, …
For most people, it’s hard to draw any comparisons to eating sauerkraut right out of the crock. That’s because making homemade sauerkraut is one of the things from the past that not may people do anymore. You can’t count my septuagenarian friend, Darrel Koehler in that group. Darrel has been making sauerkraut for years, something he learned from his parents …
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson spent the summer working at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Here are some of the spectacular sights that caught his eye.
The University of North Dakota women’s volleyball team won its 20th straight home match, defeating the University of Montana 25-15, 22-25, 26-25, 25-19 in Big Sky Conference play Thursday night in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Fighting Hawks (24-2 overall, 9-2 BSC) did have their school-record consecutive home set winning streak come to an end at 39, though, as Montana took …
At other times of year, it’s not so apparent that our neighborhood is aging. Nothing moves on those short, frozen winter days but grumpy wool-wrapped critters of indeterminate age herding snowblowers. The grass groomers mostly seem to tend to their lawns early Sunday mornings, when I’m far too drowsy to care about whether whoever’s at the helm has wrinkles. Scouts …
There has been quite a movement across this nation to focus on demeaning and horrible things happening to women in this country. To be sure, the stories on the national stage deserve the attention they are receiving. Let’s put the brakes on the current outcry, however. Let’s study the issues and do more than sensationalize and talk. Khizr Khan, an …
The Minnesota Wild dropped a 1-0 National Hockey League decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in St. Paul’s Xcel Center. Jake Virtanen scored the game’s only goal. Anders Nilsson made 29 saves for the Canucks to pick up the shutout. (Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.)
Is it still too soon to talk about guns — and the slaughter in Las Vegas — or is too late? Who makes the timing rules? I think it’s Sean Hannity, who is in some unholy alliance with Bobo, aka the president of the United States, who is so short on brain juice that he’ll believe or lie about damn near anything. …
Even with hundreds of television channels, HBO and all the rest to watch, and Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to stream, sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be “much” on TV. So, every once in awhile, Ginny and I like to watch “What’s My Line?” The 1950s and ’60s game show is seen currently in all its glorious black and white-ishness …
I grew up in Medora, N.D. It was the 1970s, about the time a previous oil boom was running full-tilt in the western part of the state. The air was still fresh and clean, whitetails walked down an empty Main Street in the early evenings this time of year, and the 100 or so souls who called the place home …
Christian Wolanin scored two goals to lead the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team to a 4-0 win over the University of Minnesota on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The victory for the Fighting Hawks (4-1-1) gave them a split of the weekend series with the Gophers (3-3). Minnesota won the Friday night opener 2-1. Nick Jones and Colton …
It has truly been a lovely autumn here in Bismarck. On Sunday, our small aspen grove rewarded us with golden glory. Three of the aspen trees were a gift from dear Sheila Schafer, as a tribute to Jim’s late mother. Sheila came over to watch Cashman Nursery plant the trees. She loved to see trees planted and frequently gave these …
Grand Forks photographer recently spent some time at “a place in Minnesota,” and this is what caught his eye.
A fourth-quarter comeback fell short for the University of North Dakota football team Saturday in the Alerus Center, as the Fighting Hawks dropped a 34-27 decision to Sacramento State University in a matchup of Big Sky Conference foes. UND (2-6, 1-4 BSC) and Sacramento State (4-3, 3-1 BSC) were tied 10-10 at halftime before the Hornets opened up a 24-10 lead in …
University of Minnesota goalie Eric Schierhorn stopped 34 of 35 shots as the Gophers defeated the University of North Dakota 2-1 in their first visit to Ralph Engelstad Arena since January 2012. Rhett Gardner scored the only goal for North Dakota (3-1-1), while Rem Pitlick and Steve Johnson tallied for Minnesota (3-2) in the nonconference game between the traditional rivals. Fighting …
One of Us The other day, I ran into a friend who wondered why I couldn’t get with the program, like the rest of the Republicans in my neck of the woods. I explained I’m not really anti-Republican, I am pro-common sense. Since these days we are entitled to our own facts, along with entire networks to support them, please …
Well, on Thursday I said it to Jim. That statement that comes around every year: “I don’t want to see another tomato again for quite awhile.” By this point, we’ve converted thousands of tomatoes (Jim says over 1,700, plus my sister gave us some of hers) into salsa, juice, marinara — and Thursday, I canned 14 quarts of tomato basil …
The University of North Dakota women’s volleyball team ran its home winning streak to 18 behind three different players who recorded double-doubles in defeating Idaho State University 25-22, 27-25, 25-16 in Big Sky Conference action Thursday night in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Faith Dooley (10 kills, 10 blocks), Tamara Merseli (10 kills, 14 digs) and Sydney Griffin (40 assists, 10 digs) all scored double-doubles, …
Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner has been out for several days this fall photographing the fall colors in our area. Here are some of the spectacular images he’s captured.
My close friends and husband know that the musician Lucinda Williams rocks my world. Has since I first listened to her decades ago. I have all of her recordings, and I’m currently listening to “Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone” in my car. She is the daughter of the late poet Miller Williams and a fierce songwriter. I’ve been …
Grand Forks Central closed out its 2017 high school football season on a winning note, defeating Fargo North 28-27 on Wednesday night at Cushman Field in Grand Forks. A 5-yard touchdown pass from Zach Murphy to Caleb Johnson and and the extra-point kick by Lucas Kanta with 3:03 left in the game gave the Knights the win. Murphy finished the …
Tuesday morning, I worked in the cool autumn sunshine on yard chores, getting things done before the snow flies. First, I tackled the pile of limbs we had accumulated over the summer in our trailer, breaking and sawing up the branches to add to our kindling pile. Lizzie the springer spaniel happily nosed around in the fallen leaves and disappeared …
In the interests of humanity, the lives of the people of our country should have priority. Hence, funds that would have been appropriated for the wall will instead be diverted to rebuilding the devastated communities. That would include infrastructure and replacement of utilities, as well as immediate provision of food and medical care, including the means to “deliver” them. We …
Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert recently took a walk along the Red River and did his best to catch one of these great horned owls in flight but to no avail.
Jim and I maintain a lifelong love affair with the Little Missouri River. It is one of the things that most deeply bond us together. We know every mile of this river intimately. What follows is my letter of last week to North Dakota Department of Transportation regarding the Long X Bridge project. The bridge is near to the North …
The North Dakota Legislature approved, and Gov. Doug Burgum signed, legislation last May authorizing the use of water from the Little Missouri State Scenic River for fracking oil wells. Now our state engineer, Garland Erbele, has issued industrial water permits authorizing more than 2.1 billion (that’s 2,142,000,000) gallons of water to be taken from the river. So far. The withdrawals …
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson and his wife, Joanne Plager Burke Olson, recently traveled to upstate New York and took in a few sights, including hiking trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains, Fort Ticonderoga and Split Rock Falls.
Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner was out in the southwestern part of North Dakota recently doing some bird hunting. The hunting wasn’t so good, but the fall colors were full. So, he ventured out in mornings and evenings to capture these images.
The University of North Dakota fell to 2-5 and 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference after the University of Montana (5-2, 3-1 BSC) scored a 41-17 victory over the Fighting Hawks Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Montana redshirt freshman Gresch Jensen overcame a shaky start to finish the game with 423 yards passing and four touchdowns. The Fighting Hawks were playing without …
“But your solitude will be your home and haven even in the midst of very strange conditions, and from there you will discover all your paths.” — Ranier Maria Rilke My path this past week took me to North Dakota’s Roughrider Country. Our first stop was a meeting of the Little Missouri River Commission in Dickinson, where we bore witness …
The West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs handed Grand Forks Red River a 41-15 loss Thursday night at Cushman Field in Grand Forks. The loss dropped Red River to 0-8 on the season, while Cheyenne improved to 6-2. (Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.)