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No garbage found on this trip — just smiles

We spent a weekend in the Cities in December. Pam’s family was celebrating Christmas at her niece’s house. We found a VRBO in Bloomington where we stayed. It was an apartment we rented in a larger building with mostly permanent residents. We had two evenings and mornings to lounge about. There was a large central area where people came and went. There were cookies and coffee available. We were in and out often, so I had a lot of those little experiences crossing paths with other people. I enjoy those small connections. I smile and engage in short conversations. I hold a door ...

NU Film Society strolls through the park with a screening of ‘Jurassic Park’

NEW ULM – The New Ulm Film Society will continue its Steven Spielberg director series with a screening of his top film in terms of financial success. Or maybe that should be tricera-Top film. The screening is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the New Ulm Public Library. Released in 1993 and based on a novel by Michael Crichton, “Jurassic Park” is science-fiction thriller about the chaotic breakdown of a theme park featuring cloned dinosaurs. The film would become a massive blockbuster success and to this day is Spielberg’s most profitable film. The movie also helped usher in a ...

What is insomnia?

It’s not uncommon for people to have issues with sleep. Most will get back to regular sleep patterns sooner rather than later. What if the difficulty with sleep does not stop? What if sleep problems go on and on? Impaired sleep is a threat to a person’s general well-being and ability to function. The typical name for this problem is insomnia. Sleep disturbance is so important that it really should be addressed sooner rather than later. Impaired sleep, at a minimum, can impact your memory, your ability to think, your job performance, how you interact and socialize with ...

My Cororna

It started out as an ordinary, run-of-the mill winter cold. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a cold, so I thought OK, I’m due. Generally, my colds are simply an annoyance. Seldom do I take anything for it. Besides, the syrups that are commonly used to treat the symptoms of a cold taste so horrible that you want to scrub your tongue with soap and water. My cold journeys usually go like this: I develop a slight case of the sniffles. This is followed a day to later by some light to moderate coughing. A week later, it’s all over; the symptoms resolve, and life goes on. Not ...

Weighed down while husband is worry-free

Dear Annie: I’m writing because I can’t tell if I’m being too sensitive or if I’m finally seeing something I’ve been ignoring for years. I’m 46, married, and we have three kids (two teens and one in college). On paper, our life is good. We’re busy, we’re stable, we show up for school events and family birthdays. But lately I feel like I’m disappearing inside my own home. My husband isn’t cruel. He works hard and he’d say he loves me. But the day-to-day is starting to feel like I’m the household manager, the default parent, the calendar keeper, the meal ...

Continue season of giving by donating blood

Along with being the month when we make resolutions or start a new diet or exercise plan, January is also the month to raise awareness about the urgent need for blood donations. Donating blood is a simple and relatively painless way to do something amazing: save lives. January is National Blood Donor Month, established to combat winter blood shortages by honoring existing donors and encouraging new ones, while highlighting the critical need for blood for surgeries, trauma and chronic illnesses like cancer. January is often the month when blood shortages happen. Otherwise regular ...