Winter is a beautiful season if you can get through all of the snow. Kristie Flachmeyer of Litchfield, Minn. shared this photo of pine tree branches dusted with fresh-fallen snow with a winter-white church in the background. Here is a stunning photo of the Nan Lian garden’s golden pavilion and red bridge in Hong Kong. Taken by Muriel Coulter of Tracy, Minn. while on her Japan trip. Steve Boogaard of Marshall, Minn. was on an Alaska trip with family and captured many photos to

Columnist publishes first novel at age 63 By Jillian Kellerman Carrie Classon of St. Paul has changed gears a few times in her life and has not been afraid to try new things. Her most recent venture has been publishing a novel. Contributed photo You may recognize the name Carrie Classon, as we publish her column, The Postscript , here in the pages of Sr. Perspective . Carrie started out self-syndicating her column before it was picked up by Andrews McMeel Universal. The Posts

Woman and son jump in icy waters each winter for Special Olympics By Bill Vossler Lisa is just hitting the water in a recent Polar Plunge. Also gives a sense of other people lined up to do the plunge shortly. Contributed photo When Lisa Edelbrock of St. Cloud steps up to a large hole in the ice, wearing a two-piece bikini, leggings, and sandals, feeling the sharp January wind whip at her--for the 18th consecutive year, again she thinks, “What am I doing here?” What she is doi

Clinton man, 100, passes on woodworking skills to granddaughter By Scott Thoma In 2018, instead of jewelry or candy as a present for her birthday and Christmas from her husband, Gary, Missy Sigler of rural Clinton got exactly what she wanted. In order to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps, she received a table scroll saw for her November birthday and a drill press the following month for Christmas. Missy Sigler and her grandfather, Bud deNeui, with a tri-fold nativity scen

Website launched by family, other advocates, to honor those lost to suicide By Nikki Rajala When Jackson Roeder, 25, died by suicide on Feb. 17, 2017, the family’s grief was acute, each person reacting differently. His parents, Scott and Reyne, were overwhelmed and thought of him every minute. They couldn’t move forward. They wondered where to get mental health help. When the family attended support groups and counseling, they found they weren’t alone — and not being isolated

Menahga man shares childhood adventures with the next generation in the form of storybooks By Vivian (Makela) Sazama Grandkids like to gather around Eugene to hear his fascinating stories about the way things were like when he was their age. Contributed photo For Eugene Kumpula of Menahga, childhood experiences close to his heart turned into a collection of seven children’s storybooks. “These are not just any books; they are a blend of fun, true stories from my own childhood,

Answers by Crystal Marvan, Director of Nursing at Guardian In Home Health in Glencoe, Minn. Crystal Marvan, Director of Nursing at Guardian.  Contributed photo As more seniors choose to remain in their own homes, home care has become an essential support for maintaining independence, safety, and quality of life. Still, many older adults and their families have questions about what home care includes and how it works in Minnesota. Below, a home care expert answers the most fre

Answers by Mitchell Gossman, MD, an ophthalmologist at Eye Associates of Central Minnesota, located in St. Cloud How do I know if I have dry eyes? Let’s start with some background info. The eyes are bathed by tears constantly, but with two systems for the body to deliver tears to your eyes. The most important system is the “accessory lacrimal glands.” There are several of them in the eyelids, and their purpose is to deliver tears continually, all day and all night. The surfac

By Rachel Barduson It was the winter of 1966 that dad brought home a flying saucer for my sister and I. It was the newest thing in “sliding” – as in sliding down our hill in the pasture. It was a round disc, made of shiny, sleek aluminum, and could go down a snow-covered hill faster than the ancient and traditional toboggan sled that stood next to the house. Maybe dad caught us using the shovel (not a snow shovel – just your one farm shovel of the era) as we tried to use it a

By Cheryl (Rostad) Barry of Underwood Prior to a knee replacement in 2018, I purchased a cane at a local thrift store. After surgery I went to a rehab facility for a few days. I was required to label my belongings, including my cane. Fast forward to 2025, I had my other knee replaced. On occasion I used my cane for added support. In July, I visited my brother in Kodiak, Alaska. On my return trip, I had a six-hour layover in Anchorage. To bide my time I read, made phone calls,

By Jan Stadtherr I’m very thankful that I don’t have to learn English again! When my husband and I took a river cruise a few years ago, we visited the countries of the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. I was amazed how many of the citizens of these countries spoke English fairly well. There were many sighs of relief when we were able to converse with them as we didn’t know their languages. But they know ours, at least to a point that we could converse. There are ove

Today’s Wisdom: A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. –David Brinkley By Bill D. Ward I recently got to spend some time catching up with a bunch of college friends and roommates. Some I hadn’t seen in 53 years. A lot had happened in everyone’s lives since the early ‘70s. There was no shortage of stories of the old days. Some were familiar because I was there. Others were new to me. Thankfully I had been elsewhere the

By Tim King “You can’t go home.” That’s what Mike Tuomala told me a half a century ago. Mr. Tuomala was my supervisor on a 10 day U.S. Forest Service job in the late summer of 1971. We spent our days in the deeply physical work of clearing and repairing portage trails in the Boundary Waters. Mr. Tuomala taught me, and two other young fellows, how to lay a stepping stone staircase on the down-hill slope of a forest trail so that it prevented erosion and so it looked as though

By Nancy Leasman We’ve had a house guest for nearly three weeks. One whom we’ve never seen. She’s been reclusive, elusive and stealthy. She’s left signs of her passing but has spoken not one word. Child #7 and her fiancé live in St. Paul. They have two cats. Then a third one appeared outside their patio door. They fed it. As the weather turned cold, they took pity on it. They made a shelter but she refused it. One cold morning, they brought her in. That process wasn’t without

By Gwen Hanzlik of Dassel The storm arrived like a door slammed by winter itself — sudden, unannounced, unforgettable. In February of 1972, the snow didn’t fall so much as it claimed territory. Towns across central Minnesota and the surrounding counties found themselves paused inside the same white silence. The roads disappeared first. Then the familiar sounds of engines, school bells, and daily errands all faded into muffled waiting. What remains now are not weather charts,

By Jim Palmer I am writing this on Jan. 24 --  also referred to as “Blue Monday.” The third Monday in January was given this designation by a psychologist years ago because of multiple negative factors that stack up this time of year -- specifically post-holiday letdown, gloomy weather, financial stress from Christmas bills, and (for most) a time when they realize that New Year’s resolutions aren’t sticking. While some experts consider this formula less than scientific, menta

By Carrie Classon “I miss our conversations!” Marilyn wrote to me. I don’t know Marilyn well, but I like her very much. “You want to get a coffee sometime after Christmas?” I asked. Life starts to pick up and get moving again in early January. After hibernating in a cookie-induced coma for two full weeks, we’ve had a brief reprieve from normal. Now, with enough cookies consumed to keep us safe from a sudden cold snap and make the zipping of our trousers just a little more cha

New year, new stories. Select your area, or check out the stories from other parts of Minnesota and North Dakota. All the great local advertisers can be in these full papers, along with the puzzle, jokes, recipes and more for you and your friends to enjoy. Lindbergh Edition All around Mille Lacs Lake and specially tailored to the areas near Brainerd, St. Cloud, Little Falls, Princeton. Brilliant buttons; Back on the road. Prairie Edition Focusing on Willmar, Marshall, Appleto

This albino deer is famous in the area of Father Hennepin State Park in Isle, Minn., and John Bodenhamer of Lonsdale was lucky enough to capture this beautiful image of her. Christmas trees always seem to bring extra magic to this otherwise cold and dark season, as seen by this little girl admiring her grandma’s work, captured by Grandma Susan Peterson of Long Prairie. Man’s best friend is happy as ever, seen here cuddling up with her human dad. This adorable moment of Jeff R

With the 250th anniversary of America nearing... a look back at scenes from 150 years ago By Julie Parent N.J. Trenham was a photographer who lived in Alexandria 150 years ago. He took several photos of people and places in the area that can now be viewed at area museums. These photos helped paint a picture of what life was like in this part of the country during the latter part of the 1800s. Photo courtesy of the Douglas County Historical Society On July 4, 2026, people acro