gaylordhub.com

Kayla Elizabeth Berdan, 17 year old daughter of Kevin and Diane Berdan of Lakeville, died January 3, 2011. Continue reading »

Eileen E. Harbarth, age 84 of Gaylord, passed away Thursday, January 6, 2011, at the Glencoe Regional Health Services-Long Term Care. Continue reading »

Dwayne Magers, 65, of Nicollet died Saturday, January 8, 2011 at the Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis. Continue reading »

Laverna Shaw age, 92, of Gaylord, passed away Thurs., Jan. 6, 2011, at the Sibley Medical Center in Arlington. Continue reading »

Why do you suppose the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press are in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution? Because words are powerful.

We teach it to children in anti-bullying curriculum. Words can hurt.

Innocent people in Arizona are dead because a man entered a crowd and started shooting.

Talking heads on television and disembodied voices on the radio are arguing over whether this was just one crazy guy who acted alone or he was driven to this act by politicians and media personalities. I don’t know because all the facts have not been gathered.

But if it is true that this man was driven to violence because of fear and anger stirred up by politicians and media personalities, I would not be shocked. What we say matters. And people who have access to the media due to position or personality must watch what they say.

Words hurt. Let us hope words can also heal.

This year, let us all resolve to use kind words, to think before we speak, and to use our inside voices.

I close with part of my favorite hymns by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller.

Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now. With every step I take let this be my solemn vow: To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me.

RoseMary Anderson, age 70, of Gaylord passed away Thursday, December 30, 2010, at the Sibley Medical Center in Arlington. Continue reading »

Hey, that would make a good column! It’s a phrase I hear often. And it is usually true.

During a recent trip to Jerry’s Home Quality Foods, I ran into Carol Hed. Somehow we got to talking about the amount of stuff people accumulate versus what we really need. How this came up at the grocery store, I’m not sure, but that is the fun of talking to Mrs. Hed, you just never know what will come up next!

Carol’s son took a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. The happiest people he met where not the fellow tourists, but the natives who were their guides.People who seemed to have nothing were happier than those who seemed to have everything. She said, “Hey that could be a column.” And she is right.

The first of the year is a time to take stock of who you are and what you have.

After you have unwrapped all your gifts, take a good look around. Chances are you received things you wanted, but not things you needed. (Except in the case of my sisters-in-law who received wine. One is an at-home mom and one works at a prison. Enough said.)

Now is the time to purge. Rid your home of the stuff you don’t need. The basic rule of thumb is ask yourself three questions: Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Do you love it? If not, get rid of it. Re-purpose it, donate it, or give it to someone who will use it or love it.

Once you have learned to let things go, you can learn to live with less. And as any good designer will tell you, less is more.