May 25th, 2016
By Lonna Whiting
Lonna.Whiting@bcbsnd.com
My mom was diagnosed with dementia at age 61.
Now age 64 and three years into her dementia progression, she is completely dependent on others for daily cares, including bathroom time, bathing and eating, and often communicating.
We know more is coming for mom before “the end,” which is likely years from now. She’ll forget who we are. She’ll forget how to talk, walk and sit upright in a chair.
She’ll forget how to breathe.
She will not…
May 25th, 2016
By Mike Dalager
The doors are finally open! After many decades of patiently playing the waiting game, President Obama has relaxed the laws regarding US citizens being allowed to travel to Cuban territory.
Following in the president’s footsteps, I went for a visit. The main reason for traveling to Cuba was to conduct an investigative report into the understanding of global politics of the Cuban people, focusing on the loosening of travel restrictions for Americans and the subsequent…
May 18th, 2016
By Ben Haugmo
A little kindness can go a long way, especially when shown to those facing life-altering decisions.
Plants for Patients aims to take an impartial approach to providing comfort to women under the care of the Red River Women’s Clinic.
The organization is holding an upcoming event for community members to pot plants for patients, and to write notes of encouragement to include with those plants. As a special treat, the first 15 participants to sign up for a free ticket on the…
May 16th, 2016
by John David Berdahl
Hey! I'm John David Berdahl. I'm a writer, artist and musician here in Fargo-Moorhead. I've been described by some as, "A really nice guy. A really, really nice guy. He's the nicest guy you'd ever meet. Patient, smart, kind, conscientious and very talented!" And I'm thankful and appreciative for that description.
Me in a little more detail? I'm an Aspie, or I have Asperger's Syndrome, which can be defined as, "an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) considered to be on the…
May 12th, 2016
By C.S. Hagen
Late at night, the north wind whistles through the Houston House cracks. Raindrops – tiny footsteps to the imagination – flick against the 135-year-old frame, now fitted with aluminum siding.
Darkness retreats reluctantly under a lantern’s light revealing Victorian opulence: fine lace curtains, a dusty gilt leather-bound Bible, thick as a set of encyclopedias, an Art Deco mahogany bookshelf towering above parlor chairs, a pump organ sitting silently and opposite a…
May 7th, 2016
American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman famously quipped, “War is hell.” That also seems to be the thrust of the majority of wartime film and literature that has been passed down to us over history.
The individuals who become soldiers are never quite the same people when they return from combat. Things like taking the life of another person and witness the deaths of civilians, innocents, or friends take their toll and it is quite the adjustment from seeing those…
May 6th, 2016
Growing up in rural Kentucky, one hour southwest of Louisville, the home of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, the excitement of “Derby Day” was palpable. More often than not, pulled pork barbecue was in the crockpot early in the morning, filling our farmhouse with one of the most delicious scents in the world (number one being really good fried chicken).
Coverage of the day’s events started in the morning on Louisville-area television stations, so no Saturday morning…
May 4th, 2016
Next Saturday, Diamond in the Ruff Pet Rescue will be holding a silent auction and raffle at the West Fargo Fairgrounds, in a family-friendly event complete with a bouncy castle for children to play in. The only price of admission is a free-will donation, with proceeds going toward the organization’s animal welfare services.
“The raised money will be used to help cover our day-to-day expenses,” says Director Robert Ross. “This includes health checks, vet bills, and training for…
April 27th, 2016
To many, the word ‘slavery’ probably brings to mind the barbaric institutions of a past age, where people could be treated and traded like cattle. However, even though it is nominally illegal in every industrialized country it is still a thriving institution in today’s world. In fact, there are approximately 30 million people currently in slavery, more than there ever were when the Atlantic slave trade and Southern plantations were at their peak.
People are still trafficked on…
April 27th, 2016
Alicia Underlee Nelson
In 1976, a gallon of gas cost 59 cents, The Wings hit “Silly Love Songs” topped the Billboard music charts, Gerald Ford was in the White House and the Plains Art Museum burst on to the Fargo-Moorhead art scene. Now, 40 years later, the museum is celebrating with a throwback party of epic proportions.
The annual Plains Art Museum Spring Gala is always one of the hottest parties of the season, a glittering gathering of artists, art lovers and party people who…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…