In my humble opinion - by Deb Bently

There were six types of humans

I am currently reading the book “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” a 2015 more-than-a-million-sold nonfiction book by Yuval Noah Harari. The book delivers some surprising information. Delivered in no particular order, here are some facts which caught my attention: Neanderthals were “...

Pictured is a pileated woodpecker spotted through the window at my family’s cabin.

Pileated woodpeckers provide welcome interruptions

I have escaped to my family’s cabin for a few days. As I may have mentioned before, the cabin is a small, rustic one located at the end of a winding one-lane road which meanders up and down hills through a thoroughly-wooded area. There are eight or so cabins along the road, but based on...

Remembering with gratitude

Well, here we are. The holidays are over, but winter remains. The good news is, we are headed in the right direction. Internet sources say our region will gain 53 minutes of daytime from the beginning to the end of the month–although still ahead of us are the seven days which are typically...

Looking how much good is performed

With the end of 2025, I find myself doing the expected thing: looking back over the closing year. I wish to thank everyone who contacted the paper to make sure we know about interesting people and occurrences. I want to point out we have a marvelous community occupied, for the most...

More comfortable lives means letting go

Short, cold days inspire me to make things. Of the 24 hours assigned to the winter solstice on Dec. 21, fewer than nine feature daylight. The sun will rise at 7:45 and set at 4:38. Even nowadays with our daylight on demand homes, our heated vehicles and an array of alluring possible...

It's possible to sail without using a boat

Back when I was teaching composition, my students would frequently say something like, “I can’t write the assignment because I can’t figure out how to start it.” My answer was “Don’t start it then, just write it.” I explained that, thanks to modern word processing, there is no need to craft...

My Christmas spirit has been activated

I was privileged to attend five live music performances in eight days. My Christmas spirit is now fully activated. It started the Sunday after Thanksgiving with the Waseca Chorale’s “Joy! He Shall Reign” concert held at Sacred Heart Church in Waseca. The church, with its stained glass...

SPARKLING - One of Deb’s sun catchers caught light in a different form when it acquired a cap of sparkling snow.

Grateful for the snowy days

These ideas are being written down on Saturday evening, after a day of snowfall which covered everything outside with five or more inches of shiny white snow. By the time you read it on Thursday, the whole world will have changed again in some new, wintry way. Today, though, I am willing...

It looks like the sky is on fire

A friend and I spent more than an hour parked along a dark country road Tuesday night watching the aurora borealis. When I say the show was “breathtaking” I am not speaking only figuratively. More than once I looked at the colors in the sky and gasped, it was so impressively wondrous...

Short-lived and downright disappointing

After a recent conversation with one of my adult sons, I was thrown back in time. The conversation was not particularly momentous. We were talking about the features which make the newer vehicles hubs of comfort, convenience and communication: heated seats and steering wheels, individual...