on second thought
By Lori Sorenson, editorDecember 15, 2020We have a leg lamp on display in our western Rock County neighborhood, proudly illuminated in a highway-facing window. It was a highly-anticipated mail-order gift, and the neighbors (our friends) documented its delivery in a series of group text images. First came a photo of the “major award” assembled and plugged in. Then, to prove its authenticity, came a photo of the delivery box with large…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 20, 2020On Friday I’ll turn 52. It’s not a landmark birthday, but it feels like more of a landmark than birthdays 40 and 50 combined. My dad died in August within a year of my mom’s death last fall. It has been “quite a year,” as a friend noted in the grocery store last week. Yes, it has. In more ways than one. I contemplated my reply when she asked how I was doing. “You’ve sure had a lot,” she said…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 25, 2020My grade school report cards surfaced during a recent cleaning at my childhood home. The yellowed paper told the story of a good student, with mostly As and some Bs, but she had trouble following instructions. In the section for teacher observations, the line, “Listens well to instructions,” sometimes was noted with a minus sign rather than a satisfactory plus sign. It used to annoy me, but it…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 28, 2020I returned to the Star Herald office Monday after a refreshing vacation in the crisp dry air of the South Dakota Black Hills. The 80-degree, 70-percent humidity weather that welcomed us home was hard enough, but Monday was Day 1 of Minnesota’s indoor mask mandate. I hate to complain, but it was a bit of a struggle, especially considering the outdoor breathing I’d grown fond of on the ATV trails.…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJune 30, 2020A “novel” virus is, by definition, a new virus, not previously identified. When it emerged six months ago scientists knew nothing about it, except that it was highly contagious and could kill people. Today we know a little about it, like how it’s transmitted and what it’s capable of. But mostly, it seems, the more we learn, the less we know. Things at first believed to be true about it (like, it…
By Lori Sorenson, editorDecember 17, 2019Mom wasn’t a fan of Christmas. She didn’t raise her children to believe in Santa and our tree didn’t go up until well into December. Mostly Mom despised the commercialism of the holidays, openly cringing at the first Christmas ad on TV or first decorations to show up on store shelves. Of course, it didn’t help that the ag economy crashed when she and Dad had five children looking forward to gifts…
By Lori SorensonSeptember 17, 2019My husband’s parents, Arden and Mary Ellen, said good-bye this week to their little house on the banks of Split Rock Creek. The rolling green pastures, lush farm ground and thick grove of trees are deceptively tranquil considering the destructive force of the river in high-water years. For decades, a closely monitored sump pump kept flood damage at bay — until last week when an 8-inch deluge 30…
By Lori Sorenson, editorApril 09, 2019“Sweet dreams,” “Living the dream, “Man of my dreams,” “In your dreams” … all imply that dreaming is a good thing. But my dreams are mostly weird. Like the ones that find me in my childhood home in the kitchen with yellow linoleum, rooster-patterned wallpaper and a black-and-white television on the counter. There’s no real significance to the stories that play out in those dreams. They’re mostly…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 19, 2019The expression on his face said it all. The high school junior was forced to try on a suit coat and matching slacks over the weekend as a step toward finding prom attire. In casual conversation with a friend last week, I mentioned prom, and she speculated that her son had a prom suit he’d be willing to sell. So, she brought it to me, and I brought it home, and the kid was required to try it on.…
By Lori SorensonApril 04, 2018April 21 will be an anniversary of sorts. On that day 25 years ago, I began what would become a long-term relationship with the Star Herald. When Roger Tollefson offered me the job, I was already in a relationship with the Worthington Daily Globe. Breaking up is hard to do. But I did, sensing a daytime relationship would be healthier than my nighttime copy editing at the Globe. And, of course, it…
By Lori Sorenson, editorSeptember 26, 2017Siri is slowly doing away with recipe books, how-to manuals and other tried and true handy references. Our old backyard apple tree has been busy bearing fruit, and we’ve been busy harvesting. Since our McIntosh apples are somewhat “vintage” I consulted my 1950s-era community cookbooks for old-fashioned recipes. Apple dumplings, applesauce, baked whole apples, apple cobbler and others were printed…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 31, 2016Several weeks ago, my sisters and I and my parents planned holiday dates for the Kroontje Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings. While we were busy entering the dates into our smartphones, Mom made an off-hand remark that stopped us mid-text. “It’s a blessing to be able to plan for the future,” she said, returning her calendar to its nail in the kitchen wall. It took us awhile for the observation…
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, 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, 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…
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…
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.
