The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
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"I am only going to put up a few decorations for the holidays," I mentioned to my husband. "We will keep it simple." I don't think he believed me. "OK, I'll bring up the tubs," he said. As I began looking through about eight large tubs, the items made me think about our kids' younger years and their early crafts. Soon the handprint reindeer was on our tree, along with lightbulb snowmen with goofy grins. I added numerous ornaments with their smiling school pictures. During my trip down memory...
"You can take the new phone," my husband said to me. We were on the way to the airport. I put the palm-sized phone in my purse along with the charging cords. I really had no idea how to use this little phone. I wasn't exactly an "early adopter." On Sept. 10, 2001, my plane landed in Dallas, Texas. Our conference began the next morning. The beginning of our conference was cut short when we were advised to go to our rooms and turn on the news. We all remember that day. On the way to the elevator,...
My first attempt at cooking our Thanksgiving meal bordered on disaster. I was newly married, and I had not flown solo on cooking a holiday meal. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a large enough pan for the turkey. The turkey was wedged into my roasting pan clutching its breast with its wings. The turkey appeared golden brown when I hoisted the pan out of the oven. I was feeling successful. When I put the bird on a cutting board, its wings flopped open and revealed a pinkish-white underbelly. Then I...
“Watch out for deer!” my parents would say when I left after a weekend at home during college. I knew to drive slowly and be observant, especially at dawn or dusk. I looked for glowing eyes in the ditches along wooded areas on my drive back to college. If you see one deer, most likely that deer has some companions. Sometimes I would see a herd of 100 or more deer looking at me from a corn field. They were eating well. We had a couple of near misses when deer jumped in front of our vehicles. By...
When I was in grade school, I used to walk the short distance home for dinner around noon. After school, I was really hungry, so I had lunch at 3 p.m. About 6 p.m., we had supper. When I went away to college, I began referring to "dinner" as "lunch" and "supper" as "dinner." My family thought I had turned in to a "city slicker" with my change in the names of our meals. After all, we had a supper club in the next town, and church suppers drew a large crowd. "Breakfast" was always named...
What were you doing in 1997? Some of you may not have been born yet. Others may remember the year well. The “Titanic” movie was in theaters, and the first Harry Potter book was released. The Mars Pathfinder arrived on Mars. The Hale Bopp comet was visible in 1997. Sports enthusiasts may remember that the Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. Pete Sampras and Martina Hingis each won Wimbledon. Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, John Denver and James Stewart were amo...
Most of us get a cold or the flu on occasion. What's the difference, anyway? I visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for some clarification. Flu is caused by influenza viruses, while colds can be caused by rhinoviruses, parainfluenza and seasonal coronaviruses. COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, and that illness is different from the common cold or the flu. Colds and flu share some symptoms such as fatigue, sneezing, cough, stuffy nose and sore throat, but the symptoms...
Food is a great pleasure for most people. I decided to treat myself to a fancy meal after a recent conference ended. I made a reservation so I could be seated at the chef’s counter at the hotel. This was the “best seat in the house” according to the host. The only downside was eating by myself next to a couple on a romantic date. I greatly exceeded my dinner reimbursement rate that evening and covered the difference on my own. This was definitely worth the splurge. I was seated right in front of...
Before going to a mid-morning meeting at work, I usually quickly grab a granola bar or a cup of yogurt to eat. Who wants to interrupt a meeting with a growling stomach? That is kind of embarrassing. My mid-morning snack attack hits when I do not have enough protein in the morning. Breakfast has been called the "most important meal of the day" for many years. Breakfast literally "breaks the time of fasting" during sleep. Early references to breakfast date back centuries. The food served for...
“Do you know all these people?” I asked my daughter quietly. My daughter was at the door welcoming another long line of teenagers for her graduation party at our home last spring. “Yes, I do,” she replied. She was a bit annoyed at my question. I was glad they were celebrating her accomplishment, and I was happy she had so many friends. However, I was a little worried about the amount of food I had prepared. Long lines of kids were showing up at our door. “They heard the food is good here,” my...
I had the opportunity to go to a warmer state south of us, not Florida- or Arizona-warm but warmer than North Dakota. I really didn’t know what to pack. I have three levels of coats for winter and three for fall/spring. I brought my Level 1 winter coat. For all of January, I have been wearing my Level 3 “we’re in the middle of a blizzard” full-length coat with a hood. I look like a brown bear in it. When I arrived in Missouri, people were walking around in light sweatshirts. Others were wearing...
“Mom, how much fruit is too much?” my older daughter asked. “I have been eating a lot of fruit.” I probably raised my eyebrows when I read her text message. I did not think my kids would ever be concerned about eating too much fruits -- or vegetables, either. “Do you have a stomachache?” I asked. “No. I am just eating a lot of fruit since you gave me a blender,” she said. I was happy to hear that her Christmas gift had the desired outcome: eating more fruits. She had purchased frozen fruit an...
"Did you crank up the music?" my friend asked. "No. Music distracts me when I am writing," I said. "I tend to focus on the music." I was alone in my work office finishing up some projects. No one else was in the building. Maybe instrumental music would have been OK. If I had been cleaning my office, energetic music would have motivated me. The clicking sound of my keyboard punctuated the silence. After I finished my projects, I tuned my radio to celebratory tunes on my drive home. Music has...
By Julie Garden-Robinson Food & Nutrition Specialist NDSU Ext. Service “I’m only spending $40 a month on coffee drinks now. I have my budget on a spreadsheet,” my older daughter and coffee lover commented. My daughter’s 2021 goal was to spend less money on coffee, so spending $10 a week was an improvement. Paying rent and other away-from-home expenses has made her more financially savvy. At this time of the year, many people set some sort of goal or “resolution.” Some goals are related to...
