The Northview
By Brenda Winter, columnistJune 01, 2021It’s been five years. Five years ago, I completed treatment for anal cancer and was told the cancer was gone. I was also told, in so many words, “If you make it five years, you’ll be considered cancer-free.” (They don’t say “cured” anymore.) So here I am five years later. I made it. A friend once told me, “A day will come when you don’t even think about cancer.” I’m still waiting. It seems…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 18, 2021I’ve known people over the years who guard their volunteer time at Redeemed Remnants like it’s a meeting with the Queen. Now I know why. Redeemed Remnants is the resale/thrift store that generates finances for ATLAS of Rock County. ATLAS offers free Christian counseling and other services to people in need. As chairman of the ATLAS board, I’ve been volunteering at Redeemed Remnants to gain a…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJanuary 12, 2021I raised my kids with “chore charts” so it’s no surprise that my oldest daughter’s oldest daughter is carrying on the tradition. She’s five. Nothing makes her happier than a timeline, a calendar or a chore chart. Her daily duties include the “pick up toys” and “brush teeth” requirements one expects of a five-year-old. She was so excited about her own chore chart that she made one for her three-…
By Brenda Winter, columnistDecember 08, 2020I've become a hypochondriac. In the past month, I’ve had a headache and wondered, “Do I have Covid-19?” And then, “I wonder if I’ll need a ventilator?” And then, “Who will attend my funeral if the guests are limited to members of only one household?” I’ve had a scratchy throat and wondered, “Is this the end? Of course, I have allergies, I swept a dusty garage floor yesterday, and the air is…
By Brenda Winter, columnistSeptember 29, 2020I have never taken a vacation with my whole family. There is a 20-year age difference between the older three children and our younger sister. Because of the age difference, our parents have never vacationed with all four of their offspring at the same time. Until last week. With my brother and dad on motorcycles and my mom, sisters and me in the chase car, we headed south. We also had a stow-…
By Brenda Winter, columnistSeptember 08, 2020Seventy-some years ago our grandparents would not have thought it was possible. We were at a fundraiser for a community member who’d received a discouraging diagnosis. Standing in the shade, we reflected on who we were and from where we had come. The Norwegian shared stories his mother told of German-occupied Norway. Her childhood memories included hiding in the house listening to the footsteps…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJune 09, 2020I was just learning to read when I handed my mom the anniversary card I’d found in a box on her desk. With all the over-dramatic “ohhs and ahhs” one gives a child for doing a good thing, Mom received the card with appreciation and read it silently. Then — she collapsed into a heap of laughter and could not stop laughing. She laughed the kind of laugh one laughs when trying not to laugh. I’m sure…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMarch 17, 2020The coronavirus isn’t all bad. It might take awhile, but here are 10 good things I think will come after the corona virus is no longer front page news. #1. The United States will end its insane reliance on foreign countries to produce our drugs and medical supplies. #2. Bringing those drug and medical supply factories home to U.S. soil will result in more high quality manufacturing jobs for…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJanuary 28, 2020I’ve spent most of my life trying to avoid exercise and I think I’ve been fairly successful. The time that so many of you have spent running, walking, biking and hiking, I’ve spent trying to avoid exercise. I may have burned nearly the same number of calories. One of my favorite exercise memories is the time in high school my sister and I were going to “run around the section.” (That’s four…
By Brenda Winter, columnistDecember 22, 2019From now on, if anyone asks me for the definition of a good sport, I’m going to answer “Betty Mann.” Betty was willing to portray herself in the “Marlene and Darlene Present the Nutcracker” show at the Palace Theatre on Dec. 22 even though the storyline poked fun at nutcrackers and people like Betty who collect them. Betty brought down the house with her line, “It’s beautiful,” while admiring the…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 01, 2019July 4, 2019 As a teenager growing up in Luverne I noticed The Fourth of July divided people into two groups: those who had “a lake place” and those who did not. I was among those who did not. As a small child growing up on a farm southwest of Luverne, a Fourth of July highlight might be my going outside to pet one of five or ten kittens. As an older child, the day might be spent waiting for the…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 07, 2019When consulted about removing bats from one of our rental properties in Luverne, the exterminator from Sioux Falls said, “Yeah. Wow. Luverne is freaking filled with bats.” I already knew that. My husband serves on the Blue Mound Area Theatre Board. The Board spent five figures to remove bats from the historic Palace Theatre. We rent a building on Main Street for our photography business. Once, my…
By Brenda Winter, ColumnistJuly 17, 2018Standing in my son’s back yard pushing my granddaughter on her swing, she instructs me, “Higher Grammy! Higher!” I’m facing north, staring at the former Sunrise Motel at the west end of Main Street between RCO and the old Ripley gas station. The motel is being remodeled by John and Vinnie. It’s one of those “top-secret, right out in the open” sorts of operations. They are doing something, but no…
By Brenda Winter, columnistAugust 15, 2017And now they are 2. The baby girls who became our granddaughters two years ago have had their birthdays — one in June and one in July. So the family is blessed with not one, but two, completely illogical people. Webster defines logic as “a proper or reasonable way of thinking about something.” A 2-year-old is not a logical creature, especially regarding property rights. We were about to cross the…
By Brenda Winter, columnistOctober 11, 2016My granddaughters have reached the toddler stage so “going for a walk” has taken on a whole new meaning. Traditionally, “going for a walk” means moving quickly with the goal of increasing one’s heart rate. Toddler walks are different. Toddler walks are more focused on sticks, rocks, leaves and worms and less focused on physical fitness. Or getting anywhere. Or actually walking. Toddlers live in…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 23, 2016This year’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Rock County is Friday, June 10, and guess who’s the honorary chairperson? Yup. I am. When Merecie Domagala (the real chairperson who does all the work) asked me if I’d accept this honorary position, without hesitation I offered an enthusiastic “Yes! I’d love to.” I said yes for two reasons. One, I get to ride in a convertible in the Buffalo…
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