Winter Weather!

    It's been snowing most of the time since 9:00 this morning It's now 6:00 pm. There were about 50? in church. Included in that 50 were 15 pastors who are members of the church. I can think of only four pastors who were missing. Attending church is in our DNA. 

   The old snow had gotten very grey so  this will clean up the appearance. Snow is pretty from the 4th floor window of the OFH. My students in Thailand had never seen snow and were very curious about it. I put some in my carryon bag as I left Minnesota for Thailand to show them. Guess what happened? 😂

Takk for alt,

Al

This picture shows me teaching in Thailand. While I miss teaching there I'm not willing to make the arduous trip to do it. 

Memory!

       In today's mail friend's Christmas card pictured them in front of Cambodia's Angor Wat temple. (Wat means temple so a bit of redundancy there.) That picture brought back memories of my first trip to Angor Wat. Angor Wat is the world's largest religious structure. It was originally build as a Hindu shrine. Later Buddhist images were imposed on it. 

    After a previous summer internship in Cambodia, Lisa moved there to work there in 1994. After Christmas, 1994,  Lars and I visited Lisa. While I returned home Lars remained to work, eventually becoming the Recording Secretary for the International Campaign To Ban Land Mines, which was meeting in Phnom Penh.

    While I was there, Lars and I visited Angor Wat. The conflict between the Cambodian government and the Khmer Rouge was still continuing. Cambodia, emerging from that terrible time of The Killing Fields, was not yet a tourist destination. When we visited Angor we were almost the only persons in that vast structure. Siem Reap, the nearest town, was little more than a village. Signs of the recent fighting were evident. Squatters were camped about the town.

    Now, Angor Wat isa major tourist destination. Pre-pandemic, in 2018, there were more than 2.5 million visitors. In 2025 1.8 million tourists were expected. I'm happy to remember it devoid of crowds.

Takk for alt,

Al

2nd Day Christmas!

     It's become a tradition that L & M entertain Joanne's family on the 2nd day. There were twelve in attendance tonight. Seven or eight were absent becasue of illness. Some of these folks I see regularly and others once a year. It's gratifying to see cousins who enjoy each other's company. A good time was had by all and by Al.

Takk for alt,

Al  

Christmas Continues!

     It was a lovely day with the family. All six present and accounted for! Christmas Eve dinner was postponed until Sunday becasue of illness. Now we have that to which to look forward. There will be four happy birds when they nest in the bird nesting boxes with which I was gifted. An annual gift which I keenly anticipate is calendar for the year festooned with pictures of the family. Keeping the condo cooler than my comfort level for Kai's sake makes an electric comforter especially welcome.  There was more too, (tractor socks 😁) but the best gift of all was spending the day with the family. Having them near is a blessing I don't take for granted!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Takk for alt,

Al

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

     MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

That's all folks!

Takk for alt,

Al

Small things...

    Many small things fascinate me and one is observable out my sliding glass door. On the fourth floor of the OFH the perspective through that door is to the southeast. It's very nice having the morning sun shine in. But the the reality that fascinates me is what I observe at night.

   My recliner is near the door. Looking past it to the TV the door is to the right. Even with all the light pollution of the city the evening star, aka, the planet Venus is available. When first seen it is very near the center doorpost. Looking back at the TV or my book for a bit, when looking up it appears slightly farther from the post. This process continues while I read or watch TV. What's being observed is the effect of earth's rotation. That this is so clearly observable I find  fascinating. Yes, it doesn't take much to amuse me.😀  

Takk for alt,

Al

Nekkstadsetersvein is on the sign, which means 'the road to the Nekkestad (Negstad) seter', or mountain or summer pasture. The spelling "Negstad", which my grandfather took, was the more Danish version in use when he left for America in the 1880s. (Photo by Lars this summer.)

Who'd a thought?

      In the mailroom early this morning I discovered a small box with my name on it. "Ah," I thought, "that must be the book I ordered as a Christmas present." But, I was wrong. It was a book, but this one was from MJV who books me often. The gift, the book and the author were all surprises.

    Who'd a thought that Truman Capote wrote a Christmas book? Not I. A Christmas Memory...also includes "One Christmas" and "The thanksgiving Visitor."  These are three enchanting stories. Apparently they are fictionalized autobiographical events from Capote's childhood.

    Capote as a child was sent to live with four adult cousins in Alabama. This is a situation which he remembers with fondness. He and cousin, Miss Sook, become best friends. She's considered somewhat compromised by other adults. She displays the wisdom often evidenced by the marginalized. As Christmas approaches Capote writes about her, "She would like to give me a bicycle (she's said so on several million occasions) 'If only I could, Buddy. It's bad enough in life to do without something you want; but confound it, what gets my goat is not being able to give somebody something you want them to have.''' PP 22-23 It's so much the pain of poverty, the limits it puts on giving.

   It's a short book, 107 pages. so I carved out time from busy day of doing nothing and gladly read it cover to cover. Thanks MJV for a delightful Christmas story. 

Takk for alt,

Al

My sentiments exactly!

 

Old Man Story!

      No, no, no it's not a story about me.😀 It's a book about an old man and his dog. Another good book that M lent me and cautionary tale for an old guy, of which I am one. Bo is elderly, frail but still in his house because the tale is in Sweden where care takers are provided. . His wife, far into dementia, is in a care facility. Bo is visited several times a day by care givers who serve food, clean and care for him.

    When The Cranes Fly South, Lisa Ridzen, is the book. Bo is very attached to his wolfhound, Sixten. Bo's only child, Hans, thinks Bo is too old and frail to care for Sixten. Hans wants to re-home Sixten. This conflict between father and son causes Bo to reflect on his life and relationships. Much of the dialog is in Bo's mind as he communicates with his wife in absentia. 

   It naturally causes me to reflect on my own elderhood. There are things from which I can learn in the book. More significantly, it serves to remind me of my blessings. With tongue in cheek I've told my friends that I'm going to post a sign-up sheet on my door for them to sign up to walk Kaia.😁 The reality is that she's a blessing that keeps me active. 

   Does Hans take Sixten from Bo? Read the book and find out.

Takk for alt,

Al

Christmas comes quickly now!

        It seemed in childhood that there were years between Christmases. Now that gap between the holidays has seemed to narrow to weeks. A possible explanation of that perceived reality is that a year is 20% of a five years old's experience. A year is 1/80th of an 80 year old's experience. Obviously 1/80 is much smaller than 1/5th.  So, anyway, Christmas is almost here again.

     Tomorrow is Winter Solstice. That makes me glad as daylight begins to lengthen. Summer Solstice always makes me a little sad knowing that daylight begins to shorten. Visiting Joanne's cousin in Norway in February, she said, "This dark time of year we light many candles." Joanne resonated to that because she loved candles, perhaps becasue of her Nordic heritage.

Takk for alt,

Al

This is my Jule Nisse guarding my front door.

Something....

     All the independent living apartments in this OFH have a small shelf outside on the hall. It's a place for some art object or seasonal decoration. My shelf boasts a rotating menagerie of model tractors. L, seeing this said "All your neighbors have Christmas decorations out but all you have is a tractor." Taking the challenge to heart I replaced the tractor with a Jule Nisse.

Takk for alt,

Al

  "The Norwegian "Jule Nisse" (or Julenisse) is the traditional Christmas gnome/elf figure, a blend of old folklore creatures and Santa Claus, known for protecting farms but also mischievous, appearing with a red cap and beard to bring gifts on Christmas Eve, especially if a bowl of sweet porridge is left out for him in the barn or by the door. Modern depictions often show him as a jolly, bearded figure in red, similar to Santa, but rooted in ancient Scandinavian tales of land guardians who reward good behavior with gifts and punish neglect with misfortune."  Internet

Key characteristics & traditions:

• Origin: Evolved from the farm's protective "nisse," small, gnome-like beings in folklore.
• Appearance: Red stocking cap, long white beard, often in Norwegian sweater, but can look more like a mischievous elf.
• Role: Delivers Christmas presents on Julaften (Christmas Eve).
• Treats: Norwegians leave out grøt (sweet rice porridge with butter, sugar, cinnamon) for the Nisse to keep him happy.
• Consequences: If neglected, the Nisse might cause bad luck, but good treatment ensures farm protection and gifts.
• Modern Culture: Still a beloved figure, appearing in decor, stories, and even popular TV shows like The Julekalender. 

Evolution into Julenisse:

• Around the 1840s, the Nisse merged with the gift-giving tradition, becoming the "Julenisse" (Christmas Nisse) who brings presents, taking on aspects of Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas.
• Children often leave out porridge, and a relative might dress as the Julenisse to visit, asking if there are any good children before distributing gifts. 

• The Norwegian Santa Claus is the "Julenisse". However ... - Facebook

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Anniversary/Christmas

      The Lexington Landing Christmas Party was tonight. The powers that be also used the gathering to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the building and community. Built by the Wedum Foundation whose mission is to build senior housing it is operated (well) by Presbyterian Homes. Several staff members who have been here since the beginning were recognized. Because the foundation built the building no large payment is necessary to become an inmate.

   Jim, our food services director goes all out for these events. The hot buffet had meatballs, pigs in blankets, egg rolls, empanadas, something Mexican and pulled pork sandwiches. There was a separate cold, hors d'ouevres  table with shrimp, cheeses, and other detectibles.  A multitude of sweets filled another table. Jim said he was preparing for 200 diners. 

   So is life in the OFH!

Takk for alt,

Al

"The mission of the J. A. Wedum Foundation is to develop and utilize the resources of the Foundation to positively change and improve people’s lives in the spirit of stewardship and generosity as exemplified by John A. Wedum, the grandfather, and carried forward by John A. Wedum, the grandson. The philanthropic impact of the Foundation has reached far and wide, bettering the lives of people of all ages while fostering a variety of vibrant and connected communities. This charitable mission falls into three areas:"

Senior Housing

"Creating and providing a new standard in high-quality housing for seniors is the central philanthropic focus of the Foundation. At each senior community, we strive for excellence in living with a serene, elegant setting and engaging caring staff."

Good Book!

      Having been around agriculture for most of my life, I consider myself quite well informed. Still, I learned a lot from Sea Of Grass, by Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty. It's new book, published this year. This comprehensive study of the American prairie isn't all bad news. The subtitle of the book, The CONQUEST, RUIN, and REDEMTION (emphasis mine) of NATURE on the AMERICAN PRAIRIE, gives a clue that there is also good news about restoration. 

      "Plants, microbes, and animals together made the grasslands one of the richest ecosystems on Earth, and a massive carbon sink,..." Flyleaf.  Grasses are interesting for a number of reasons such as 80% of their biomass is underground. Fire is their friend burning off the thatch that inhibits seedlings and removes woody competitors such as cedar trees. When Europeans arrived grass covered one fifth of America. "The Montana writer Richard Manning estimated that these native grasslands were so productive before Europeans arrived that they produced more protein, in the form of bison, than the American cattle industry does to today on the same land." P. 14

    Few of us want to read only bad news. While there is much bad news about the prairie significant efforts are being made for restoration. Much has been written about nitrates polluting drinking water and the Mississippi River. Significant energy is going into ameliorating that issue. Bison are being returned in significant numbers to grassland. Successful organizing is occurring among farmers for more sustainable agriculture. These are a few examples of "redemptions".  

   Highly recommended!

Takk for alt,

Al

Sinai News!

      The Sinai Cooperative Grain Elevator sells gasoline and diesel fuel at pumps. The fuel is sold on credit but no credit cards are accepted. Patrons establish an account with the elevator. When purchasing fuel the buyer enters his/her ID #. At the end of the month the Elevator sends a bill for the fuel purchased. It's a helpful system allowing me to fuel tractor, truck or car 24/7.

    The December bill arrived and with it some news about the Elevator. In 2025 it handled 1,060,422 bushels of corn and 163,017 bushels of soybeans. This latter figure is interesting becasue a soybean processing plant is in Volga, 10 miles away. The soybean plant pays the best price so, why did beans come to Sinai? One guess is that the sometimes hours it took to unload at the soybean plant made Sinai attractive. There wait times were minimal.  Also, farmers south and west of Sinai would save ten miles of hauling.

    This statement was included in the Elevator's report. "We tried something new this year and bagged corn to ship out later. There are ten bags filled with 135,000 bushels of corn."  The local corn crop was so huge that many terminals stopped buying before harvest ended. With this storage option Sinai kept buying until the end of harvest. Perhaps some of those sellers may become regular patrons. Hopefully, management did the calculations so that all this corn can be marketed at a profit.

    Sinai Cooperative Elevator is a bit of an anomaly as it is locally owned and free standing.. Most local elevators have forgone independence and joined large amalgamations. Why has Sinai Elevator been able to remain independent. Perhaps there are two reasons. It's has had years of good management. Elevator management is extremely complex. Second, the local farmers are loyal patrons.

Takk for alt,

Al

Bags filled with corn.

Neither Asked?

      Leaving the travel story as it was yesterday I thought one of my two readers would ask about the end of the story of missing luggage. Remember that I left them on the bus, walked through customs from Thailand to Laos, and the bus went back to Thailand carrying my luggage. So what happened?

    A fellow passenger on the bus was a European man. He lived in Thailand so he spoke both Thai and English. Explaining my dilemma he said he had a cell phone. Fortunately he knew the number of the bus company so called and explained about my suitcase. It wasn't long until the bus arrived and stopped on the Thai side. At the border there was a customs building. Walking on the opposite side of the building from the customs booth I reached the bus.

   So far so good. But, now I was back in Thailand and had already cleared customs into Laos. What would you do? Surveying  the situation it was apparent that all the border patrol personnel were focused on the sidewalk, which I'd used to enter Laos, and the road next to it. All their backs were to the building and the space between the customs booth and that building. Picking up my bags I walked nonchalantly through that space back into Laos. It worked, I was now in country with my bags.  

   That's my story and I'm sticking with it!😀

Takk for alt,

Al

"Laos features extensive karst mountains, which are dramatic limestone formations characterized by towering peaks, deep caves, and sinkholes. The landscape is particularly well-known in areas like Vang Vieng and Khammouan Province, offering stunning scenery and opportunities for activities like climbing and caving. These mountains are the result of millions of years of erosion on the soluble limestone bedrock."

Except for the tea...

 

On to Singapore!

      To finish that journey of the last two blogs, I did get to Singapore. At the border of Malaysia and Singapore all bus passengers disembarked and walked through the border customs. Once across the border we re-boarded the bus into downtown Singapore. That process, of leaving a bus, walking across the border and reboarding was familiar. 

   Having done that bus/boarder crossing frequently I was led me astray entering Laos. The bus from Thailand dropped us at the border of Laos. Assuming that the bus would meet us after customs I left my suitcase on the bus. When I turned around I saw the bus driving back to Thailand with my luggage. Now I was in Laos and my suitcase in the bus was retreating. Did I ever see my goods again? What would you do? Stay tuned for "the rest of the story."

Takk for alt,

Al

Patuxai Monument, a war memorial, in Vientienne, Laos. When America gave Laos funds to strengthen their military they used the money to build this structure. There are stairs inside, which I climbed to the top for a nice view.  

Would do it differently!

    This will continue the story of my travel from Bangkok to Singapore begun is yesterday's blog. Leaving Penang the next stop was the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. With it's elevation of 4000-6600 feet it offers a cooler environment for summer visitor. It's where Jim Thompson, the Thai silk merchant, disappeared in 1967 without a trace. He resurrected the moribund, Thai, silk trade. In Bangkok I visited his house and shopped in Jim Thompson's Silk Store. 

     From the Highlands I made a stop in the costal city of Melaka. (see yesterdays picture) In this city the traces of the European colonists is evident. Leaving Melaka my next stop was a bus transfer in Kuala Lumpur, ( where muddy water converges) the Malaysian Capital and a city of 9 million+. Thereby hangs a tale.

     The bus drove a distance through the city. It then stopped at the curb on a city street. It became obvious that this was the end of the line as all the other passengers were disembarking. A bit non-plussed I gathered my bag and approached the bus driver to ask "What now?" or, something like that. Seeing my confusion he pointed to a large building a block away. It turned out to be the bus station. Asian bus stations are not like Amtrac. In the cavernous room were about 200 ticket stations each selling tickets for specific bus lines going to different cities. A man seeing my confusion steered me to a ticket seller who sold me a ticket to Singapore. He then directed me to a bench gesturing where the Singapore bus would arrive. So, the transfer was completed.

    But, this is what I would do differently were I to do it again. It was my one visit to Kuala Lumpur. Why didn't I spend a few days there exploring this fascinating city?

Takk for alt,

Al

"Cameron Highlands sits at a cool elevation ranging roughly from 1,200 to 2,000 meters (around 4,000 to 6,600 feet), with main towns like Tanah Rata at about 1,411m (4,630 ft) and higher peaks like Mount Brinchang reaching over 2,000m (6,600 ft), offering a refreshing escape with its famous tea plantations and cool climate."

"The Kuala Lumpur skyline is famous for its striking blend of modern skyscrapers, dominated by the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest twin buildings, and the supertall Merdeka 118, Malaysia's current tallest building, alongside the distinctive Kuala Lumpur Tower, creating a vibrant, tropical, and futuristic urban landscape known for its impressive scale and density of high-rises."

Now what?

     This placid life in the OFH doesn't generate much adventuresome material for a daily blog. Perhaps some stories from past travels may have some interest. 

    Travel once took me from Bangkok, Thailand, to Singapore. The first leg of the trip was by train down the southern reaches of Thailand. At one point Thailand is only six miles wide. The train ended at the border of Malaysia. Penang is the first city after crossing the border. What year? I don't remember but it was just at the time hotel reservations could be made online. Previously during my travels I found a hotel or guesthouse upon arrival. Taking the service offered for pre-booking I booked a hotel in Penang. The hotel offered two choices. A room was $10, or, if you wanted single occupancy it was $20. Being. a big spender I opted to pay $20.

    Being the tropics torrential rain was frequent and happened while in Penang. One restaurant was busily service customers even though it was flooded. Wearing shorts and sandals ankle deep water wasn't a problem as I ate my dinner. Malaysian food has much to recommend it.

   After Penang I bused to the Cameron Highlands, Melaka and on to Singapore. 

Takk for alt,

Al

Malaysia has an interesting colonial history. It was first colonized by Portugal, then the Dutch took over, and they were supplanted by the English. Evidence of all three European countries is visible in Melaka. Malaysia achieved independence in 1957. Melaka is on the Straight of Melaka across which lies Indonesia. Navigation in the country is made a bit easier because the Roman alphabet is used, unlike Thai which is a derivative of Sanskrit.