I was out for a
drink with the wife last night, and I said, “I love you.”
She asked me, “Is that you or the beer talking?”
Just for
Laughs Joe Roberts
I said, “It’s me … I’m talking to the beer!” ••• Getting married is very much like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want then, when you see what the other person has, you wish you had ordered that.
Paddle with a ranger on the summer solstice
ST. CROIX FALLS - Celebrate the summer solstice with a paddle on the St. Croix River. On Sunday, June 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., the public can join a National Park Service ranger in paddling from the Wisconsin or Minnesota Interstate State Park to Osceola Landing. Register now for this free program. Meet the ranger at the Wisconsin Interstate St. Croix River landing at 5:30 p.m. or the main river landing at Minnesota Interstate State Park at 5:45 p.m., then embark on a six-mile paddle to observe the river at twilight on the brink of summer and learn about the special nature of this protected area. Participants must provide their own canoe/ kayak and other gear, including a personal floatation device. Shuttle service is not provided as part of this program. Canoe and kayak rentals and shuttle services are available through area outfitters licensed by the National Park Service. To register or to obtain a list of available outfitters, contact the St. Croix River Visitor Center at 715-483-2274. This program will be canceled in event of inclement weather. There is no charge for the program, but an annual vehicle sticker or daily pass is required to enter the state parks. - from NPS
Namekagon River Memory Day is July 7
TREGO - Have you or your family enjoyed the Namekagon River? Do you have stories to tell? Or are you interested in learning more about the river’s history? Come to the Namekagon River Memory Day hosted by the National Park Service on Thursday, July 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Namekagon River Visitor Center in Trego. The public is invited to share stories that can be recorded, bring in photographs that can be scanned and share knowledge of how places got their names. In addition, the following speakers will be featured at this year’s event. • Ron Erickson, former chief of interpretation and education for the Riverway and currently the manager of Minnesota Interstate State Park, will talk about his ranger experiences on the Namekagon in the early days of the park. • Clayton Jorgenson, road historian, will talk about the history of Namekagon landings in Burnett County and bridges dating back to the 1800s. • Chuck Matoush will speak about his days as the leader of the Youth Conservation Corps crew that created river landings all the way to Stillwater. The Namekagon River Visitor Center is located in Trego on Hwy. 63, one mile east of Hwy. 53. Call 715-635-8346. submitted
American Idle
Work and play are on opposite
Cold Turkey
ends of the activity spectrum for most Americans. We work so that we can afford to play. Our jobs John W. Ingalls have become an activity to be endured until we can afford to quit or until we get a day off. Our play also becomes the focus or purpose of our work. Many slave away at jobs in order to enjoy a day away, forgetting about their work responsibilities. Some feel trapped in their jobs because there aren’t reasonable alternatives. Work is a blessing. Now before you cancel your subscription to the paper or use this page to wrap up dead fish, hear me out. Those who enjoy their jobs and don’t retire early actually live longer and have a better quality of life. Before you quit your existing job and look for something different, realize that sometimes it is just a different perspective or a change in attitude on your part that can make a world of difference in how you experience your current job. That being said however, vacation is a wonderful thing. I love my days off. I look forward to indulging my lazy side, sitting on the deck, lying in the hammock, fishing or just puttering around the house. Sometimes I have some difficulty fully expressing my lazy side but that isn’t because I don’t try.
JUNE 22, 2011 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NORTHERN CURRENTS, SECTION B - PAGE 31
I spent the last few days being sick. Being sick in the winter is one thing. You are supposed to be cuddling under down comforters in January. Walking Carrie Classon around in three layers of clothing with a bright red nose does not look especially unusual— you might even be considered festive. But walking around in June with wool socks under my sandals, trailing a box of lotion-impregnated tissues, is just not a good look. Being sick, I learned early in life, was no fun. I come from a family where there was no pay-off for being sick. “If you’re well enough to eat, you’re well enough to eat at the table,” was my mother’s philosophy, which usually came right after, “If you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to watch TV.” I had not been sick for a long time so last week, when the first symptoms hit, I began the grieving process (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) by immediately going into denial. It was just a sore throat; I would feel better tomorrow. Denial was followed by anger; it was Jine for pity’s sake! I had a garden to weed and now this?! Since Daniel had just spent 10 days sick with the same crud, I started bargaining. I was sick, but I was only going to be sick for a day or two— this was not the full-blown crud that Daniel had suffered, this was crud-lite. By the third day I was just depressed: sick, exhausted and depressed. And, finally, I accepted that I was ill. I moped around in creative combinations of baggy old clothes that could be layered up or stripped down depending where my fever had landed for the moment, ate aspirin every four hours
Letters from
Home
Civil War historian, author to speak at Luck
LUCK — Author and Civil War historian Lance Herdegen will be the featured speaker at the Luck Library and Museum Thursday, June 30, at 5 p.m. He will speak about Wisconsin’s Iron Brigade who stood like iron in the Gettysburg campaign of the Civil War, discussing what made these Wisconsin soldiers and their unit so unusual, and their battlefield actions so heroic and fearsome. Herdegen is the former director of the Institute of Civil War Studies at Carroll University in Waukesha, and the award-winning author of numerous articles and books on Civil War history. Please note the change from the regular date and time of the usual historical society meetings. This program is cooperatively sponsored by the Luck Public Library, the Polk County Genealogical Society, and the Luck Historical Society. The presentation will be in the Luck Museum. Snacks and beverage will be served. — Mary Stirrat with information from the Luck Area Historical Society
Wine-tasting event Saturday
BURNETT COUNTY - The Humane Society of Burnett County will be having a wine-tasting fundraiser this Saturday, June 25, from 2 to 5 p.m. The event will be held at Clover Meadow Winery on CTH B, Shell Lake. Clover Meadow offers 15 varieties of organic wine to enjoy along with music and finger foods. For more info or directions please call HSBC at 715-866-4096 or check their Web site at www.hsburnettcty.org.- submitted
My wife has a well-developed work ethic. When I have a day off and the weather is great I view it as a great opportunity to go fishing. When she knows I have a day off and the weather MD is great she sees it as a great chance to mow the lawn, wash the windows, clean the garage or do something else that is considered productive. I try to explain that if your car battery is low the most productive thing to do is charge the battery. In the same way if your personal battery is running low you should charge your personal batteries, i.e. go fishing. She understands that but timing is another matter. She usually prefers that I do the work before the play but she is forgiving. Lately it has been slightly easier for me. She has been working mornings so when I have a day off I try not to tell her too far in advance to avoid being offered work options at home. As she is leaving for work I sip my second cup of coffee and review the morning news. My mind is gradually slipping out of gear and into neutral. Work issues fade into the background and personal ideas leap up to take their places in my mind. As I tie my shoes and put on a faded baseball cap I can hear my boat calling to me from the shed. “Let’s
and went through boxes of lotion-soaked tissues. When I accepted that I was sick and just let myself be sick, I found it wasn’t so bad after all. No, I could not breathe and I got tired of always having to blow my nose, but drifting in and out of peculiar feverish dreams was not entirely unpleasant. On day three, when I finally got stir crazy and walked around the block, I was overwhelmed by how much energy I take for granted every other day of my life. When I got a little appetite back, I really enjoyed my food. Then I lost my voice. Oh well. I still don’t have much of a voice. Luckily, I can type and so today that is what I am doing. I’m typing and thinking about how being sick slows everything down and how that is not such a bad thing. Being sick is a lot like emotional pain, it focuses the mind on the here and now: a good blanket, a cup of tea, a quiet conversation. I feel a lot less sure of myself when I am sick. I crave reassurance and comfort. Being sick makes me more aware of the small details in my life that are messy or beautiful. It makes me conscious of the big things in life that are uncertain and necessary. It makes me want more stability and more tranquility in my relationships, in my household, in my world. This perspective of feeling less than myself has made me strangely more. I am no longer bargaining; I do think I’ll feel better tomorrow. But I am going to take the time to learn what being sick has to teach me. Then maybe I can go a good long while before I need a refresher course. Till next time, —Carrie
Pioneer School is cool in Taylors Falls
TAYLORS FALLS, Minn. – Children attending the Pioneer School in Taylors Falls will have a cool time in more ways than one this summer. The cool theme for the session is “Immigrants – Where Did We Come From?” with the curriculum and crafts tied together. And if the temperatures turn hot, the newly installed central air conditioning will keep everyone cool in the one-room school adventure. Children entering kindergarten through eighth grade are invited to experience a three-day session held in the 1852 Town House School located in Taylors Falls across the street from the Memorial Community Center (old depot), 331 W. Government St. A limited number of spaces are available in session one, June 28, 29 and 30 and in session three, July 19, 20 and 21. Each session is held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. School begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Parents must provide transportation. Sessions are limited to 24 students, with registration on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee is $30 per student per session. A limited number of scholarships are available. Children are encouraged to dress as early pioneers. They should bring crayons, scissors and a pencil. Each child should also bring his/her own beverage and lunch. For more information and registration forms, call Geri at 651-465-5566. Feel free to leave a message and your call will be returned. Parents are invited to assist one or more days of the session. The public is invited to observe the daily sessions. - submitted
www.the-leader.net
go out on the lake,” my boat calls to me like the Sirens calling Homer in the Iliad. “I can’t, I have to mow the lawn,” I reply. My boat also senses my desire to go fishing so it makes suggestions such as spraying a broad-spectrum herbicide all over the yard so I won’t have to mow ever again. I think it is a great idea but I decide against it. It is amazing how a boat can corrupt your way of thinking and lead you astray. Often my wife will call me in the morning to see how my chores are progressing. When I realize it is her calling I start the boat motor so it sounds like the lawn mower is running. I hope she doesn’t ask too many questions. “How is it going?” “Fine.” “What’s that noise?” “The motor.” “What motor?” “The one I am using to chop up some weeds right now.” “What weeds? Where are you?” “What do you mean?” “I mean where are you?” “Well, I am over in Washburn County in the middle of a lake and the fish are biting like crazy. Gotta go.” I love my job but I take my playtime seriously. After all, it is a challenge to be the next American Idle.