Columns

By Jill Pertler: Slices of Life The older I get, the more I realize life isn’t always easy. Quite often it is far from easy. It is hard. Or it can be. So much is about perspective, yet sometimes we are so immersed in the chaos and disparity of life that we don’t give perspective…

By Sandy Holthaus Have you ever had a day when you felt overwhelmed by everything? Too much on the to-do list? Drained by lack of self-care? If you say no, I feel you are either a saint or a fibber as I’m not one to call anyone a liar. We recently had a month-long remodel…

Jill Pertler “Slices of Life” The term “potluck” was coined more than 500 years ago, putting a label on the concept of a communal meal where each guest brings a dish to share. The idea was that, if everyone brought a little something, there’d be a little something for everyone. The practice caught on and…

Jill Pertler “Slices of Life” Merriam Webster definition: “Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” Previously, I’ve postulated an idea related to the vastness of life’s purpose – an idea so wide- reaching it can be summed up in seven words. Can a mere seven words help us establish a…

Jill Pertler “Slices of Life” Seven months ago I started a journey I never thought I’d experience. My husband left this world after a brief and unexpected illness, and I found myself drowning in grief. I’m still surrounded by water, but I’ve gradually pulled myself to the surface; most days, I can keep my head…

How flattered would you be if someone drove 200 miles just to meet you on a Friday afternoon? Would you fall in love and drive to Duluth on Monday morning to buy a marriage license? And would you marry that man just four days after your high school graduation? This, my friends, is the love…

Jill Pertler “Slices of Life” Life can seem complicated sometimes. Because it is. There are responsibilities and deadlines. Work is demanding. Home life is demanding. There are never enough hours in the day – or the night for that matter. Sleep deprivation is real. The threat of COVID is real. For more than a year,…

Jean Matua “From the Heart” As the Class of 2021 ventures out to find their way in the world, it seems appropriate and timely to share with them some advice. We have all learned lessons this past year and a half, I hope, and we’re all open to new wisdom. So please indulge me here…

Jill Pertler “Slices of Life” In some ways, we are all hurting. We are all grieving. Regular readers of this column know that I’m experiencing grief as a result of the sudden and unexpected passing of my husband, but grief doesn’t have to involve someone dying and leaving this earth. Grief can simply involve a…