Opinion

Garrison Keillor Author & Humorist The past is so fascinating to me now that I have so much of it and last Monday night at… Login to continue reading Login…

Dave Smiglewski Granite Falls is very fortunate to have a city-owned electrical system. The city’s electric utility provides an annual profit transfer of $325,000 to… Login to continue reading Login…

Sgt. Troy Christianson Minnesota State Patrol Question: I have a small utility trailer and I keep having to replace my license plate because it gets… Login to continue reading Login…

This columnist is pleased to note that she has, in a fit of spring-fueled mania, successfully planted everything she bought in her yearly garden center pilgrimage. Putting in a garden feels like making any other kind of art: it’s always more work than you initially imagined it would be, but also good fun, with plenty of surprises along the way. (One hydrangea plant thrives, but the other dies – who knows why?) If you’re also a gardener, best of luck helping those plants reach their full po- tential – and with getting those little crusts of dirt out from under your fingernails.

Last week, I managed to let everyone know how awkward I can be more than once, but the best display of this happened during the artist’s reception for the exhibit that I and Jeremy Radtke both have on display at the Granite Area Arts Council. As we were both designated time to speak at this event, there was a requirement to stand in front of everyone and talk about the project. Of course, the first thing I did was let everyone know I was nervous sweating. Apparently, my nervous coping skill is to let everyone know that, indeed, I am nervous. It was a wonderful event though, and I’m very thankful for everyone who ventured to the gallery that evening. It’s always weird to talk about something that you’ve worked on that feels so intimate, as if you’re sharing a little of yourself with many people. It’s also really hard to receive compliments (I am, after all, Minnesotan). The exhibit remains in the gallery for those still interested in seeing it. I was also told by a reader that I don’t look like my column photo at all. That made me laugh a little because my own mother has also pleaded with me to change that. Maybe someday. In the meantime, my oldest child’s daily phone calls home have been a daily countdown to his leave from Fort Drum to return to Minnesota for a short, two-week visit home. We have a routine of chatting in the morning while we are both getting ready for the day. Even though New York is in a different time zone, I’m an early riser, so this works out well. There’s always a lot to do and a lot of people to see during his visits. He’s always been my right-hand guy on projects that must be done around the house requiring more than one set of hands. So of course, last trip included removing a very large damaged tree branch without destroying the roof, this trip will involve some repair to some crumbling brick on the chimney. But this trip, in particular, will have even more activity than usual as we prepare for his wedding that will ta