When money is no object

I’ve been spending a lot of time talking with patients about the COVID-19 vaccine. Sometimes we celebrate being fully vaccinated. Some patients are skeptical about how serious COVID-19 infections actually were. And others are not convinced they can trust the vaccine.

Some thoughts about fatherhood - for Fathers Day

“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” —Anne Geddes “The only way I can describe (fatherhood) —it sounds stupid, but—at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you know how his heart grows like five times? Everything is full. It’s just full all the time.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

In the middle of June six years ago, my first child arrived into the world. There were some very minor complications that resulted in major implications, and we ended up in the NICU.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

If last week’s snow felt like the final blast of winter, this week felt like the height of summer. With temperatures reaching nearly 100 degree F for several days in a row, my newly planted garden wilted and the seeds sown in raised beds languished, too dry to germinate.

Patients deserve clarity

I was sitting in my beach chair on vacation soaking up the sun when I overheard the couple next to me sounding concerned. They were throwing out lots of big medical terms but were very confused and said that they did not understand anything that they read on this MRI report.

Enjoy your West River Summer

In this issue,readers will find our annual West River Summer - A Guide for Local Folks and Visitors. We hope you enjoy it. We sometimes have to explain to visitors what “West River” means.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

I’ve lived in a lot of places in my life — Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, and New York City. I’ve loved all of them.

Grandpa was at peace

My last conversation with Grandpa was over the phone. He was sick and dying. I was 1,200 miles away in residency, learning how to be a family physician. I was not going to make it home in time to see him one last time. We did not know exactly what was wrong.

Come Visit My Grave

The following poem was submitted by Jim Rolfes of LeMars, Iowa, whose wife is Luella Meyer Rolfes (TLHS Class of 1968). Jim writes: I am sending a poem that I wrote about 30 years ago and has been used by many for Memorial Day programs throughout the country.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Small-scale shepherding is not a lucrative undertaking, especially when one has a fiber flock mostly composed of pets. In an effort to not lose money on my shepherding habit, I started a business with an old friend a few years ago called Plainsong Fiber.