In my humble opinion - by Deb Bently

Plants are like books, an excessive fixation

I have discovered that plants are a lot like books. It’s a strange line of thought, I agree, but stay with me. Let me start with an explanation. I love reading, and consequently, I love books. I read whatever takes my fancy or satisfies my curiosity. For some reason, I like reading...

On Highway 169 coming from St. Peter, Deb pulled over to try to capture a photo of the hills that glowed a hundred different shades of green in the sun.

Green cotton balls glued to a giant card

I took Highway 169 from Mankato to St. Peter the other day. I had left plenty of time for my drive and felt no pressure to speed, but that didn’t seem true of the drivers around me. Even though I was traveling at the speed limit, other cars zipped past me as though I was an impediment and...

Deb can’t help observing that hyacinths, like this one currently blooming in her flower garden, are a hundred flowers working together to look like one.

Managing to sit still and take in the flowers

I’m trying something new: sitting still. I had a bunion removed from my left foot last Friday. As I write this, I have not yet seen the results, because my instructions are to leave the voluminous wrappings in place until my first post-operative visit, three days in the future. When I...

Deb’s brother fishing on the lake near Deb’s cabin. The 10-foot-tall line of fog makes him invisible from eye level.

Enjoying sun, snow at the cabin

I spent a couple days at my family’s cabin near Park Rapids this past weekend. Though the cabin was its familiar self–simple, comfortable, and embedded in a natural setting–many elements of the trip made me feel as if I was on an alien planet. Once my brother and I got north of Motley...

'You're in the right place'

The weather on Saturday was chilly, and the cloud cover seemed especially thick. Fortunately, my plans did not include much, or frankly any time outdoors, so I proceeded with the errands and destinations of the day, essentially ignoring the weather. After all, it was neither threatening nor...

BALANCE IF THE GODS - Balance Rock in Colorado’s Garden of the Gods, a place Deb visited while in Colorado Springs.

Reminders of our amazing planet

It’s something we all know, but only seldom take time to think about: we are one country but we all live wildly diverse lives based on the place we reside. We Minnesotans pride ourselves on our ruggedness (or is it stubbornness?) because we stay here despite our harsh winters. Many of us, I...

Deb’s room at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado features a chandelier.

Blue-collar industry, black tie image

When you read this, I will already be home, but as I am writing it, I am at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, and feeling a bit out of my element–although not in a completely bad way. My husband John and I are here for the National Air Duct Cleaners’ Association (NADCA) annual...

CRAFTSMAN - Native American Mark Pederson is among the group of people who demonstrate stone working techniques at the National Monument located near the town of Pipestone.

Visiting Pipestone

My travels took me to Pipestone this week, and I was deeply grateful. I had never before visited the national monument located there: the extent of my knowledge was that a special type of stone is found there that is the preferred raw material for “peace” pipes made by Native Americans...

The emergence of this hyacinth and many other plants along the south wall of her house has Deb Bently soliloquizing about spring.

This particular leaflet is less than an inch tall, but already has a shape similar to an opening flower bud.

The flowers have broken ground

I happened to look down, and there they were. The daffodils, tulips and hyacinths along the front wall of my house have broken ground and are declaring to the world that life goes on. They’re only about an inch tall, but they have shown year after year that, once they’re above ground...

Appreciate the meaning of home

Every snowfall spawns its own stories, and what they’re like depends entirely on who you happen to talk to. I had an obligation in Morton on Saturday morning. If “Morton” doesn’t mean much to you, I was headed to a teacher gathering being held in the conference rooms at the hotel associated...