Lifestyle

OF THE WEEK Submitted by Myrna Stölen A note from Myrna: These recipes are from World War II. Sugar was rationed - every family got tokens you used to get sugar, and you also had to pay for the sugar.

Lac qui Parle in French means “lake which speaks”; in Dakota it means “little talking lake”. The area that now exists as Lac qui Parle State Park was once settled by a Dakota village near the site of Fort Renville, which located in what is now the state park.

The last week in July is the Minnesota Community Action Partnership’s state conference. This year it’s a short drive down the road to Willmar and I’m looking forward to networking with colleagues from around the state, learning from different speakers, and just the change of pace. I’ve been preparing to co-present two sessions, one of which is Developing a Dementia-Friendly Workplace. It is based on the Dementia Friends information session and the purpose is to create communities where people with dementia are understood and supported.

I’m writing this from a very remote cabin in the middle of Kentucky. We drove for miles -to find this Airbnb where we are staying for the night. The directions weren’t easy to follow and the reception for the GPS kept fading in and out. Finally, we made it to this beautiful cabin, deep in the quiet woods of Kentucky. We were greeted by a doe and her fawn, later we had a bullfrog chorus from a nearby pond with the cicadas as backup singers. Tomorrow, we’ll continue on through the Daniel Boone National Forest to the Cumberland Falls State Resort and Park, and next on to see our kids visiting in Dandridge, Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains. It is so easy to feel the awesomeness and power of God in all this beautiful creation. But when we get home and back to the normal daily lives, it seems harder to find God in that daily routine. It’s the normal daily routine that makes me think of Ecclesiastes.

A trip along the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway can include various portions of the scenic route, as in it’s entirety, the byway covers 287 miles along the Minnesota River, which was once one of the largest rivers in existence.

I’ve been so blessed in my life to have been given the opportunity to hear many people in recovery tell their stories. I was reminded of one that I heard by the psalmist’s words, “On the day I called, you answered me; you increased my strength of soul.” It was an amazing testimony of a young man sentenced to life in prison without parole. But, one day after quite a few years in prison, he thought maybe he could be a better person, even if he would never be a free man. He prayed. In his story, this was the turning point of his life. After this prayer, miracle after miracle happened in his life, and after about 20 or so years in prison, he was released a free man. He understood the power God had in his life.

Who is Todd and why does he have a cottage? Recent community folklore has brought attention to a river squid named Todd. Melissa Peterson, of Granite Falls, has a quaint, darling home that she refers to as Todd’s Cottage. She acquired the house back in January 2022. She said they revamped the entire inside of the house and now have it listed as a place to stay on the Air B ‘n B website/app.

Everyone should treat themselves as often as they can; a local adventure to try for just that is simply a Gal Pal’s Day out in Montevideo. Exploring nature and shopping itinerary What to pack: A camera for photo opportunities, good walking shoes, a reusable shopping bag for any purchases.

July is National Make a Difference to Children Month, Child-Centered Divorce Month, as well as Purposeful Parenting Month. WRAP wants to focus this month’s article on children and parenting.

We’ve all found ourselves in situations that are undesirable, don’t go as expected, or are just plain disappointing. “What is the lesson in this?” or “Where is the opportunity in this?” are two questions I’ve learned to ask myself to gain some perspective or pull myself out of negativity about it.