lori sorenson
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 03, 2016We have another almost-licensed driver in our household, which is about to have a profound effect on the grownups in our family who currently chauffeur him to practice, social outings and other obligations. I say “almost” and “about to” because the kid is 15 and has passed his behind-the-wheel test to secure a farm permit — which allows him to travel for farm purposes only, and only for limited…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 29, 2016The college kid is back on campus, and while he’s four hours from home, we’re only a text message apart (or cell phone call if there’s a real emergency). So heading back to college doesn’t carry the weight of “good-bye” that my college days did. I had a dorm phone on the wall that placed calls to Kenneth only when used with a prepaid calling card. There were letters home, written in pencil lead…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 01, 2016Snag, the family cat, enjoys a relative life of leisure, existing both indoors and out, depending on her mood and the weather. Mostly, she’s been queen of the jungle, commanding respect of the local birds, bunnies and pocket gophers. But lately she’s been challenged by a stray Tom who travels from the neighbors but is anything but neighborly. We figure he’s a bully, given his embattled appearance…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 05, 2016Good health is both a blessing and a choice. We can’t prevent all physical ailments, but we can certainly make choices that give us an edge toward better health. Rich DeSchepper and Verlyn Van Batavia are two 70-somethings in Luverne who are living proof that staying active allows for an active lifestyle. I interviewed them last week for a lighthearted feature about how they’re spending…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMay 09, 2016Dear neighbors, Hang in there, the kid will get his driver’s license next year Dear neighbors: This is an open letter to all of our neighbors, whether you are just up the road or across the section (or two or three sections away). Since we moved here nearly a year ago, we’ve really grown to love our new neighborhood and new surroundings. We especially like the rolling hills and endless miles of…
By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 19, 2016Growing older doesn’t necessarily mean growing up, and we’ll soon be reminded of this when the adult children return from college for the summer. At 18 they became legal adults eligible to vote, buy cigarettes, serve in the military, gamble at a casino and participate in other things reserved for adulthood. I’ve even said to the college kid on occasion, “You’re an adult now …” for dental work,…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 28, 2016My college son spent some time over his Easter weekend volunteering for the Rock County Historical Society. It was an assignment for school, and he was grateful that Betty Mann had some work at the museum that he could help with. Somewhere in the process of clipping and filing information at the museum, he came across a 20-year-old newspaper page with an early photo of his mother. It was a column…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 08, 2016We have a young driver in training in our family, and these are exciting and challenging times. For both the learner and the mentors. It’s exciting for the young driving student who can just about taste his freedom. And it’s exciting for the grown-up drivers who look forward to the kid driving himself to and from practice and other activities. It’s challenging for the learner to be so smart about…
By Lori Sorenson, editorFebruary 15, 2016For Christmas we gave Matt wireless headphones to listen to the TV without interference from, well, us, essentially. Carson can practice percussion or play the piano and I can be on the phone or clattering dishes and the xBox downstairs can play at full volume without interfering with Matt’s hockey game. It was the best gift ever. He can hear; we don’t have to “keep it down.” But I’ve also…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 25, 2016Newspaper offices were at one time fascinating places to visit — with noisy presses, oversized rolls of paper and ink by the barrel. In my time at the Star Herald, we’ve never printed on our own presses, but there were lots of other interesting things to see and do. Tourists were photographed at the door and then led to the darkroom to learn how film (remember film?) is developed and prints are…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 04, 2016I love snow. There I said it. (Pause here for boos and hisses from snow haters). Sure — it results in shoveling work, driving hazards and public expense for road clearing. But there’s a lot to love about snow. In a Minnesota winter, the landscape is pretty drab after grass goes dormant and trees are leafless, and snow brightens up the place. It’s clean, white and — when it’s not coming down…
By Lori SorensonDecember 14, 2015Among the joys of the holiday season are Christmas greeting cards in the mailbox (at the end of the driveway — not an email inbox), on hard copy paper that can be posted on the refrigerator (not a fleeting Facebook post). Social media have somewhat diminished the anticipation of holiday snail mail since we now bump into each other online for brief updates on the goings-on in each other’s lives.…
August 31, 2015We all remember the days when our children were babies and we’d feel invisible when arriving at social gatherings with our little bundles. “Oh, he’s so cute. And look how he’s grown. Come here, sweetie. Let’s hear you say, ‘Gram-ma.’” Um. Hello? I’m here. Anybody care? Good to see you all, too. My children are no longer babies, and people care again (I think) when they see me. But every so…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 03, 2015Cancer can be a blessing. I read those words in Brenda Winter’s column a year ago when she wrote about her cancer diagnosis. Now I know what she means. … It took me awhile though. My mom was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer on May 28, and I can assure you, I didn’t consider it a blessing. It’s a cruel curse. A slap in the face to a woman who has lived her life so dedicated to good…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJune 08, 2015It’s funny how column topics can change from one major life event to another. I’ve written about the transforming experience of moving from a home after 20 years of accumulating stuff. That was good column fodder. This week’s column was going to be about actually leaving our beloved home to the care of a newly married Luverne couple who will fill the rooms with new memories of their own. These…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMay 04, 2015The final step in clearing my attic for our new homeowners was removing several Rubbermaid tubs of toys that had survived the keep-or-throw process. In 19 years of accumulating toys, we had thrown very few away. Once the boys outgrew them or stopped playing with them, I simply packed them away — usually during one of those cleaning flurries for last-minute guests. Because the attic was big, and…
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