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A letter from the school counselor

While shuffling through some of my old school papers, proudly saved by my mother over the years, I came across a document that shocked me. It was a letter to my parents from the school counselor and dated April 8, 1954. I was a kindergartener at that time. “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Huisman,” the letter began, “I am writing to you with deep concerns about your son, Arvid.” I had never seen this letter before. The letter continued, “Your son was referred to me by his teacher who is concerned about several matters.” SEVERAL matters, even! “Your son is a square peg in a round ...

Thanking all the helpers

“Thank you for letting me help you,” I was told recently. I should have been the one saying thank you, and I did. Her statement is something we don’t hear very often, yet it was offered sincerely. But it’s true—it is a gift to be able to help someone who really needs support of one kind or another. I’ve been on the receiving end of offers of help a whole lot for almost two months now, after I had surgery to get my second new knee. This time the new joint is in my driving leg, so after I was finally discharged from an extended care facility, I was grounded to my ...

Memories and Christmas traditions

The Christmas tree finally went up yesterday. Yes, I know I’m running kind of behind this year. Usually, the tree and all the decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving. But it’s been a busy month for everyone at our house. But I’ve got to figure we still have time to break out a few family traditions. Today, it’s cookie baking time. Tomorrow we’re wrapping presents. Traditions and family memories are right at the top of my mind in these days before Christmas. Most of my extended family are scattered to many different locations around the country — Delaware, Missouri, ...

Holiday Cactus ID

Did you know that there are actually three different types of holiday cactus? These three types can be distinguished by their different leaf forms, flower color and their different bloom times. The most popular and widely grown holiday cacti is the Thanksgiving cactus, Schlumbergera truncata. This plant typically blooms from Thanksgiving through Christmas. This cacti can be found in greenhouses and retail stores in a wide variety of colors, including reds, white, lavender and salmon, in many shades of each. Thanksgiving cacti have sawtooth leaf edges. The actual horticulture ...

Two favorite techniques for catching fish

I was with some fishing friends recently, and, as usual, the conversation turned to fishing. At some point the topic of “My favorite fishing technique” came up. I was asked what my preferred way to catch fish was. I couldn’t answer. I like to catch fish, any species of fish, and I ...

No treats for Rudolph

With Santa and his reindeer soon to be arriving, it is a good time to discuss our other deer friends. Many gardeners have experienced deer damage to their gardens, but what steps can be taken to help prevent Bambi and his relatives from feasting on your landscape? Although prevention of deer browsing is difficult, gardeners may be able to avoid some damage with careful plant selection. The best defense against deer is to plant things they don't care to eat. Deer are less likely to eat plants with fuzzy or coarse foliage, and leaves or stems with strong odors or spines. Some ...