It was President’s Day weekend, and my grandkids were lucky enough to have Monday, President’s Day, off from school. The decision was made to head for their home in West Fargo and spend a couple days with them. Yeah, I am BePa, and that is a story for another day. We...
Columns
Talking Tennis Ball
I know what you are thinking, this guy must have hit his head in a foiled attempt to leap the net. There is no such thing as a talking tennis ball. True, to my knowledge, but since you’ve already been lured in by a catchy headline and are curious about my sanity, at...
You’ve Exceeded Our Expectations!
There is a saying that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. A young Airmen was explaining to me that she had never been one to carry a camera, and that most of her photos were the selfies of her and her friends. Well, that was until she came to North Dakota and...
Missing the human element…
There’s a situation happening right now that could have a long-term effect on the human psyche, and it doesn’t appear that too many people are concerned about it, at least not publicly. If you’ve gone to a fast-food establishment lately, you may have noticed that some...
Brewing Positivity in Daily Encounters
As I pushed the door open, the aroma of fresh coffee enveloped me. The coffee shop had just opened, and only one other customer stood at the counter. Typically, I’m not an early riser, but my body clock was still set to Hotdish Time. Back home, it was nearing...
It’s Fair To Say
The Midwest translation of “what you say is accurate” is a 4-word statement, “it’s fair to say.” I don’t believe there is a negative version to this saying, but let’s put the statement to the test (another Midwest statement that gives finality to many conversations.)...
Gaining a whole new respect…
Minot was a busy place over the weekend. There were three major events going on so there were a lot of people in town.First, the KMOT Ag Expo was happening. This has become one of the largest events of its kind on the northern Great Plains. Second, there was a...
Machine Talk
I replied courteously and, realizing what I had done, looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. There was. How embarrassing! But wait. People within hearing distance were not staring, pointing or anything like that, just chatting. Much to my relief,...
Loathing Winter is a Choice: Here’s How to Choose More Contentment
When it comes to Hotdish Land winters, we don’t choose the wind chill, select the date for a blizzard, or have the luxury of opting out of subzero temps. Maybe you didn’t choose to move here. Maybe in the middle of a Minot winter, it seems like you have no choices;...
And No OneTook A Knee
It was one of those days…running a bit behind but headed to the base to cover a Star Student assembly/celebration at North Plains Elementary School. The Northern Sentry had been contacted by several North Plains teachers asking if we could cover their monthly...