In January, 2011, three classmates flew from the white winter snows of Minnesota to the warm tropical breezes of Bonita Springs, Florida.  Cheryl Nesseth and Cookie Williams met up with Tenetta Anderson (who had flown in from Wyoming, via Denver, Colorado) at the Minneapolis Airport to begin their adventure.  They arrived later in the day at the winter home of first-time snowbirds, classmate Pat Boudreau and her husband,  Wally.

The four women toured the area for three days, seeing such sights as Sanibel Island and the Everglades, even taking an airboat ride (and surviving “Bubba’s” airboat wheelies!) through the mangrove swamp. They ate a lot of great seafood and tangerines (picked in the Boudreau backyard)and really enjoyed the evening at the Lanai Kai in Ft. Meyers Beach watching the amazing sunset.

Submitted by Cheryl Nesseth and Tenetta Anderson

I have a small (115 acre) farm and raise sheep and chickens. We had 51 lambs born this spring – they are a cross of Finn, Ramboulliet, and Dorset breeds. I try to market the wool and lambs privately and sell eggs. I spin wool and sell to spinners.

The tillable is all on shares with my neighbor so that I don’t have to own any equipment except a sprayer for the pastures, and a wagon to remove manure. I grow most of our food with a huge garden, small orchard, and eating a lot of lamb and chicken. I miss the pork and beef, but don’t have the fence to fatten one, although I keep thinking about it with calves selling for $15 around here.

Farms have consolidated around here in the last 20 years, just like they did around Northfield when we were finishing HS. But these are more hilly, more appropriate for dairy or sheep, and less suitable for grain and big equipment. As a result, my neighborhood has gone from 40 or more dairies down to less than 5 over the 23 years I’ve been here – but one milks 600. However in the last 3 years, these small farms are being bought up by the Amish and revitalized, often as dairies.

By Jean-Margret Merrell-Beech

Posted by Norm Larsen

Enjoy!

Read the rest of the story here: http://somerville.patch.com/articles/beyond-veterans-day-local-vet-combats-veterans-homelessness-year-round

Lanee Hollinger Rowell and Kent holden

Dave Harmer, Marilyn Peterson, Lanee Hollinger, Craig Johnson, Tom Severson, Kent Holden

At noon on Monday, June 21, the Camp Winnebago Wagon Trail stopped at Wasioja & our Kasson-Mantorville Lions Club served the group brats for their noon meal. The wagon train had started out from Austin on Friday & now were heading up to West Concord, Nerstrand & will stay overnight in Northfield at the rodeo grounds I believe on Wednesday night & will wind up the event in Goodhue, MN on Friday. There were about 125 people with the caravan with approximately 35 wagons & buggies drawn by horses & mules plus a large group of outriders on horses. Herman Transberg has been going along with this ride for several years but said he was driving the school bus this year for the train. It is a annual fund raiser for Camp Winnebago near Caledonia, MN, for handicapped youth & sponsored by Lion clubs in South East Minnesota.

Story by Mary Auge

There are a number of sculptures from the 70’s and 80’s which are now available. These pieces include “KNIFE EDGE” and “STELE,” both of which will be available at the prices that were offered in those earlier times, making it the perfect time to buy.

For more info go to this link: http://tinyurl.com/loggka

David and Sandy on the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Napes, Italy.

I keep reading about old classmates who are now retired. I guess I should probably let any of you who may be interested in knowing that I am not retired and don’t really plan to for some time. I’m having much too much fun in my job. In the summer of 2006 I was hired as Executive Director of the American Philosophical Association, this after 31 years of teaching philosophy at colleges in Iowa, Texas, and Pennsylvania. My new job carried me to Newark, Delaware. Delaware is a pretty small place. I tend to think of it as the state “where everybody knows your name.”

Since I’ve moved to Delaware I’ve had a bit of contact with a couple of classmates. I visited Wally Snesrud when he was in Las Vegas (before his wife, Peg, passed away last year). Wally and Peg were also both classmates of mine at St. Olaf. I also had a really enjoyable afternoon visit with Carol Christian James in DC. That’s about a two hour trip for me, and is where Carol does her work. Of course, my closest class contact is my cousin, Mary Albers Auge, whom I first met when we were in the nursery of the Northfield Hospital as she was born just a couple of days after I was.

In any case, my work gives me all sorts of wonderful opportunities to travel. Last summer I had a week-long meeting in Madrid, Spain, and then about three weeks of meetings in China and Korea. In Korea I was elected to the Steering Committee of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies. That gives me even more terrific travel opportunities. This past week I attended a meeting on the island of Ischia, in the Bay of Napes, Italy. The wine was great, the food even better, and our daughter and her husband (whose grew up in Italy) flew from London to spend a couple of days with us enjoying the thermal springs that pop up along the island’s coastline. This fall I’ll be going to a meeting in Moscow. There’s also a good bit of US travel as well. Anyway, I figure if I have a job that pays for me to go to all of these really fun places I’m going to stick with it for awhile. I’ve heard it said that “work is the curse of the drinking class.” Fortunately, my work just gives me opportunities to drink better stuff than I could afford at my local liquor store.

I hope you’re all doing well and, retired or unretired, having almost as much fun as I am.

Posted by  David Schrader

Edited by n. larsen

Jim and Linda Grisim,  Dan and Cheryl Nesseth returned to Palm Springs in March to continue practicing the life of retirement.

We flew into San Diego and drove to Palm Springs. It took all four of us, but we found our way to the condo in the dead of night and settled in for a week of fun and relaxation.  Palm Springs is beautiful with the desert and the mountains all the way around you.

We did the local things such as the street fair and downtown artists fair. We went to the Living Desert which is a zoo with flowers and cactus. Drove 6000 feet up into the mountains to a town called Idyllwild, population 300.  In the 60s the hippies took it over but now it’s just a tourist attraction.  We tried to find any leftovers from the hippies but with no luck, all we saw was snirt (snow/dirt).  Lots of quaint little shops and restaurants.  Our eating varied from a $3.00 burger basket at the local Elks to an organic pork chop for $15.00 at Calloway Winery.  We later toured and sample the wine and we all decided we are definitely not wine drinkers.  The guys still say beer is the best.

Managed to find a few happy hour specials, relaxed at the pool and hot tub, played a little BINGO at the complex.  Does that sound like retirement seniors????  We went to a casino to try to find our fame and fortune but all we found was 99 cent margaritas.

There is a lot to do in Palm Springs as this is our second year and we saw different things this year from last year.  Last year we saw wind mill generator farms, toured the movie stars home, air force museum.  Very beautiful and relaxing.  Highly recommend,  especially if you are a golfer.
Posted by Cheryl Nesseth

Edited by n. larsen