Stray Thoughts: Something for Nothing

I am the fifth son of seven kids raised by a mother about as single as one can get… a tall, pasty-white, red-haired Norwegian woman with cats-eye- glasses, an immense vocabulary and seven children is usually alone on date night.

CANDLES AND MIRRORS

We all have them. Pictures from the past that are so clear in our minds it is as if we saw them only yesterday. At any given time, with the smallest reminder, an image can flash before us.Our mother stood barely five feet tall, including the wedge heels on her size-five leather shoes.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

As the tagline for my new book states, “My little pasture on the prairie started out as a borrowed strip of land at the end of a street in Bison, SD…” Thinking it would be fun to play farmer, I’d acquired two bum lambs which I was supposed to sell at weaning.

LETTER TO EDITOR

Your editorial remarks regarding a community and its news source are right on the mark. The Topic gives us a weekly update on the whole T.L. region.Of special interest in the 10/10 edition was the article about Rae Landis donating the donut machine to the community.

Telling stories is our business. Business is good.

“Telling Our Stories” is the theme of National Newspaper Week, which we’re celebrating October 6-12. It’s a fitting theme considering that’s exactly what our business is about: Telling stories.And business is good.

Grocery tax funds critical for projects throughout Isabel

Dear Citizens of Isabel and Surrounding Areas, As we approach election day on November 5, there are several important items on this year’s ballot. One item I would like to bring to your attention is Initiated Measure 28 (IM28).

Stray Thoughts: Apples

When someone leaves a class or a team, either by choice or through the compounded weight of circumstance, coaches and teachers experience many commonalities.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Six weeks ago, we brought home six Finnsheep ewes, a milking breed from – you guessed it – Finland. Earlier in the summer, I’d been traveling through Wisconsin and met my first ‘family milk sheep.

Candles and Mirrors

This week the Topic welcomes a new columnist, DeAnn Kruempel, who shares stories and memories in a series she calls “Candles and Mirrors.”Kruempel began writing columns in 2020 under the heading, “Nooks and Crannies.

The Pitfall of Worry

Everyone is conditioned to worry. Our conditioning begins as soon as we learn to speak. Since we see everyone around us worrying, we emulate their behavior. There are no limits to what you worry about. You worry about the past. You worry about the present. You worry about the future.