After the weather we experienced last week it made me wonder what state has the motto of "The Land of Infinite Variety!" It doesn’t make much difference whose motto it is as we have the real thing. Last Monday morning when we awoke and looked out of the window the landscape was covered with a beautiful white blanket of snow. What a difference a week made! Today when I looked out I decided it is definitely "Green Up Time." When I looked at my lawn I could hardly believe it was a bright, beautiful emerald green. My curiosity got the best of me so I had to have a tour out of doors. To my surprise my strawberries are up. My winter onions are ready to eat and the rhubarb is peeking through the ground and of course, I also saw a few weeds peeking through. Spring is definitely on the way. However, I don’t think I would put the snowblower or the scoop shovel away. It might be a good time to check out the lawn mower to see if it is ready and willing to start its summer job of mowing the lawn. Even so, we could still have a few more flakes of snow — so guess we had better be prepared for whatever happens in this land of infinite variety.Congratulations to Dena Korthals who makes her home at Tuff Home in Hills. She will celebrate her 100th birthday from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 20, at Steen Reformed Church. She is the mother of Steen resident Henrietta Huenink. Happy Birthday to her. Laura May Bosch who recently underwent knee replacement surgery was released from Luverne Hospital on Wednesday and returned to her home to recuperate. Welcome home!Melba Boeve, Karen Ramaker, Mildred Paulsen and JoAnn Paulson attended the Dinner Theater at Drivers Restaurant in Beaver Creek Thursday evening. Thursday evening there will be a Maundy Thursday worship service at 7 p.m. at Steen Reformed Church.Art and Henrietta Boeve and Dick and Gert Hup attended a quartet program at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, Saturday evening. There were three quartets from Des Moines, Iowa, Arkansas and George, Iowa. Many of you will probably remember the Ambassador Quartet who performed in this area for many years. One of the quartets was made up of some of the quartet member’s children. The Southwest Easter Brunch for the Reformed churches is at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Steen Reformed Church. George Bonnema from Luverne will show slides of his mission trip to Chiapas, Mexico. An open house bridal shower for Heather Bonnema, daughter of Lowell and Glenda Bonnema, is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Steen Reformed Church.Sunday dinner guests in the Melba Boeve home were her children, Brian Boeve and family, Sioux Falls, and Ron and Cheryl Hup and family of Hills. Bonne (Aukes) Shalesky, Scottsdale, Ariz., left Wednesday for her home in Scottsdale after spending a week visiting in the home of her parents, Orrin and Bernice Aukes. Jo and Joyce Aykens left Saturday morning for Sully, Iowa, to attend the wedding of Kyle Punt and Sheila Rendoud. Kyle is the son of the Rev. and Mrs. Roger Punt who served in Steen Reformed Church for several years. Others from Steen attending were Ron and Linda Van Ruler, Harold and Corrine Niessink, Matthew Boeve and friend Andrea Roth. Steen Senior Citizens had their April meeting in the Steen Community building on Monday afternoon. It was postponed from last week due to the weather. Orrin and Bernice Aukes were Sunday dinner guests in the Orlie and Linda Aukes home where they enjoyed an early Easter dinner together. Guests were Steve and Nancy Willers and Sheila and Dustin, Fairmont, Lisa Telford and Taylor and Jeff Aukes and a friend, Sheila, all from Sioux Falls. Forty passengers from Hills, Beaver Creek, Steen and Luverne communities boarded a bus Friday evening for Pipestone to hear the Al Opland Singers concert at the Fine Arts Center. They enjoyed a delicious dinner together at Pipestone prior to the concert. Thursday afternoon Bertha and Bill Bosch, Mildred Keunen, Mary Jo Suzie, Henrietta Huenink, Joan Hoogeveen, Melba Boeve, Cena Mae Tilstra and Jo Aykens attended the Hills United Reformed Church volunteer luncheon honoring the volunteers of the year.On Thursday afternoon there was a luncheon at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne in appreciation of their volunteer contributions. Those attending from Steen were Bill and Bertha Bosch, Mildred Keunen, Jo Aykens and Cena Mae Tilstra.I am having a hard time believing that Easter Sunday is this week. I think it was that eight inches of snow that got to me and made me think winter was still with us. Now that the grass is coming up green, our landscape is completely changed and I am hoping my attitude will be, too. Even with the Lenten service with Easter music I think I have still been waiting for winter to come. Somehow it just doesn’t seem like spring. However, we had better get our Easter outfits soon as Sunday is the day!Perhaps it was the mood I was in but when I read this poem titled "Easter Forever" written by Sterling P. Bueck, it got me into the Easter mood. I hope if any of you are having the same problem it will help you also. Quote:‘"Easter is coming, or is Easter here?Should not Easter last to the end of each year;through every year; throughout continuous years?For Christ Jesus gave both his toil and his tears.Through his miracles he caused blind people to see,He quickly quelled the waters of the sea.Christ relieved many people from pain.He gave his own life to be cruelly slain.He was put in a grave, three days to remain.Easter Day He arose and visited friends.Days later, went up to where life never ends.I hope this will help us to remember that death is life, and God is good and all things shall be well. The bitter days shall cease in warmth and light and peace.The winter yields to spring. So let us all rejoice and sing!"Have a Happy Easter!
