Here’s to mothers everywhere

THUMBS UP: Mother’s Day arrives tomorrow, and this year the opportunities for showing our appreciation to her are limited. With the COVID-19 restrictions, it’s hard to take Mom out to brunch or to dinner. Flowers are always a good idea, but visiting her may be a problem. In a lot of cases, where Mom is in long-term care, you may not be able to see her face to face at all.

Knowing Mom, she wouldn’t want you to put yourself in harms way because of her, anyway.

So, give Mom a call, wave to her through the window and write her a letter letting her know what she means to you.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere.

Easing back

THUMBS UP: The economic shutdown that resulted from the COVD-19 pandemic is starting to ease up around the country and in Minnesota. A few more kinds of business are being allowed to open, though we are far from being back to pre-pandemic operations.

One good sign is that local hospitals and health care centers are opening back up to do procedures that had been delayed during the shutdown order. New Ulm Medical Center will start scheduling appointments next week for procedures that had been put on hold earlier. Dental clinics will also be opening for non-emergency treatments on Monday as well.

These developments don’t mean the crisis is over. In fact, the number of confirmed cases and especially, the number of deaths continues at a high rate in Minnesota. We should all continue to practice social distancing, wear facemasks where required, and keep on washing our hands and disinfecting our surroundings.