Personal expressions of the world around us through text, sight and sound.


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  3. Author--regular contributors are listed by name; "special" is used for ocassional or one-time authors. (They are idenitified by name in the article list using a "byline" field in the database).
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    Even though we try to keep the number of topics limited and as general as possible, the list of topics is long and constantly growing simply because of the wide scope of content covered by aritcles on the site. A good alternative to using the drop-down list is to click on a topic from the Summary View of the Article List, or the category and topic summary at the top of an Article.
    NOTE: Because topics are added over time, some topics may not be associated with earlier articles to which they could apply. From time to time, we update category and topic links.
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Viewing the Results

In addition to the "Most Recent" and "Top Articles" lists, there are three Views of the searchable Article List: (where you are now):

  1. Quick. Shows Categories in alphabetical order, with a list of articles by post date (most recent first), title, author. This is the default view. Return to it anytime by selecting "Clear Filter" in the Article Filter.
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Actions from the Article List

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  • Click on a Category name to expand the list into Summary View, which will include more detals about the articles within that Category, including the topics associated with it.
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Actions from the Article (listing of Categories and Topics at top of Article)

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Printing the List or individual Articles

Using Print this page at the upper left will print the content displayed in the Articles List or an individual Article, without any of the surrounding page elements. The filter form in the list view is replaced with a summary of the filter settings.

Please note: Using the "Print this page" option is highly recommended over the print options available through the Share utility (described below).

Additional Hint: On some smaller devices you may find it helpful to use the Print option to display a simpler content-only view. Depending on the device, you may not actually be able to print, but it may produce a view that is easier to read. You will need to close the print window to get back to the site navigation.

Sharing and Commenting on Article Lists and Individual Articles

There is a lot of discussion about the merits of commenting within a site. At this time we have decided not to integrate it into the site. The AddThis Share utility that appears at the upper left on the page as well as at the end of articles allows you to share the selected page through Facebook, Twitter, and more than 200 other social media services. Most of these options allow you to add comments.

You can also comment through the site's own social media connections, which are linked through the icons in the site masthead (only active social media accounts are shown).


24 articles found.

SUMMARY VIEW  Expanded details within a Category. Click on article title, Category, or a listed Topic

To change sort order or make another search, modify the form above

Faith, Religion & Spirituality

 1 record found

The Season of Harvest by Leona Bergstrom


(October 8, 2021)
Lessons of life and faith from my Grandma…
Topics: Personal Stories (Biography/Autobiography) • Faith • Family • Learning • Memories • Seasons



General

 1 record found

A Weekend in the Wilds of Connecticut by Garrison Keillor


(June 24, 2022)
I have seen some of the future lately and I must admit it’s very appealing to me…
Topics: Communication • Contentment, Satsifaction • Family • Travel



History

 1 record found

Now is Undoubtedly a Good Time for Reflecting, Looking Back by Greg Asimakoupoulos


(August 31, 2020)
The end of World War II…
Topics: Personal Stories (Biography/Autobiography) • COVID-19 • Family • History • Inspiration • Memory (failing, improving) • Racism and Inequality • War



Holidays

 11 records found

Thinking Ahead to Christmas by Garrison Keillor


(December 4, 2025)
My dad was dubious about Christmas, the expense, the fuss,, but he yielded to my mother's passion to create one perfect day for her children despite the grief and hardship all around.&hellip'
Topics: Beauty • Beliefs • Christmas • Contemplation, Insight • Faith • Family • History • Holidays • Holiday Season • Memories


The Twelve SItes of Christmas (2024) by James N. Watkins


(December 20, 2024)
Jim's annual list of articles and cartoons with hope and humor for Christmas…
Topics: Christian Life • Communication • Compassion • Contemplation, Insight • Contentment, Satsifaction • Faith • Family • God • Grace • Holidays • Holiday Season • Hopes & Dreams • Humor • Jesus • Relationships


Thanks for What? by James N. Watkins


(November 22, 2024)
If you find yourself a bit down at Thanksgiving, Jim has some thoughts to put the holiday in perspective. First appeared in 2000..
Topics: Civility • Faith • Family • Holidays • Holiday Season • Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving


Thank You for Reading This by Garrison Keillor


(November 21, 2024)
So many blessings, and I haven't even mentioned friendship, sunsets, public transportation, Christian hymnody, baseball, hearing aids, the steady thoughtful leadership of my wife, trees, parks, rivers, the prairie, sonnets, Google, and cranberries…
Topics: Contemplation, Insight • Contentment, Satsifaction • Faith • Family • History • Holidays • Holiday Season • Humor • Relationships • Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving


The Twelve Sites of Christmas by James N. Watkins


(December 1, 2023)
Jim updates his annual list of favorite holiday posts…
Topics: Christmas • Contemplation, Insight • Faith • Family • Holidays • Holiday Season • Humor • Inspiration • Memories


There are 6 more items for the category Holidays and the Family topic...See the whole list


Humor

 1 record found

COVID and the Cone by George Garrison


(May 7, 2020)
Time out for a laugh…
Topics: Coping • COVID-19 • Current Events, News • Family • Humor • Pets



Life Events

 6 records found

Back Home to Minnesota by Garrison Keillor


(December 11, 2025)
I grew up in Minnesota and my parents gave me an easy childhood, since they had come through hard times…
Topics: Family • Humor • Minorities • Optimal Aging • Politics • Relationships • Work • Writing


On the Road Looking for His Story by Garrison Keillor


(November 27, 2025)
I heard about David when I was a little kid and my aunt Ruth and great-uncle Llewellyn Powell came to our house on many Saturday evenings and told stories about family history, in which David was prominent…
Topics: Circumstances, Life Events • Contemplation, Insight • Family • History • Holidays • Holiday Season • Humor • Memories • Thanks, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving


Manhattan Man Living in the Past by Garrison Keillor


(May 25, 2023)
What's on my mind is family history, the seven children of James Keillor and Dora Powell, and in all of Manhattan there's not a single soul who has the slightest interest, nor should there be…
Topics: Circumstances, Life Events • Contemplation, Insight • Faith • Family • Memories • Optimal Aging


What We Don't Know We Must Invent by Garrison Keillor


(May 18, 2023)
We were a happy family that kept many secrets and how does one pry open those locked doors?…
Topics: Family • Humor • Memories


A Hike to Times Square and Back by Garrison Keillor


(January 6, 2023)
And then it comes back to me, the memory of Times Square in 1953, I was eleven, on a trip with my father…
Topics: Christmas • Family • Holidays • Holiday Season • Love • Memories • Relationships


Finding Us Faithhful by Richard Bergstrom


(March 11, 2022)
Reflecting on a season of change…
Topics: Change • Contentment, Satsifaction • Coping • Dying and Death • Faith • Family • Grace • Housing • Inspiration



Relationships

 1 record found

On the Phone with My People by Garrison Keillor


(November 9, 2023)
These are true Minnesotans, stalwarts, stoics, not summer soldiers, and the thought of decamping for the Florida swamps or the Arizona desert is for them something like gender transition or conversion to Zen Lutheranism, something to be postponed…
Topics: Change • Character, Integrity • Contemplation, Insight • Family • Memories • Relationships



Travel

 1 record found

A Happy Summer Clears the Air by Garrison Keillor


(August 17, 2023)
I wish they'd ban my book Cheerfulness so that more people would read it. I wrote it because the America I know and love is upbeat, enterprising, amiable to a fault, partial to jokes, and the mood of fracture and trauma seems fictitious to me…
Topics: Contemplation, Insight • Family • Gratitute • Humor • Optimal Aging • Relationships • Travel



Work, Employment

 1 record found

What if My Grandchild is Not College Material? by Barbara Greenleaf


(March 19, 2021)
He or she could have a bright future in the real world!…
Topics: Advice, Guidance & Mentoring • Choices and Decision Making • Family • Financial • Grandchildren • Relationships • Trends • Work