As we in the church continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus, (at least up to Epiphany), and the rest of the world, at least in merchandising, was setting out Valentine things during the week of December 24th, I was thinking about how precious it is to be able to connect with those we love during the holy/holidays like Christmas for so many of us.

To the Editor:
Tired of city life in Dodge County? Want to move out of town, buy a few acres to relax on, enjoy the wildlife?
Good Luck!

Minnesota’s State Legislature is schedule to begin the new session, today, Thursday.
As always, it will prove to be an interesting session and if the past is indicative of the present, the big decisions will not be made until the final days of the session which must conclude in May.

There is probably no season that is fret with more plans than Christmas. It starts even before Thanksgiving and continues through the new year. Cards and letters to write, gifts to buy, decorations to put up, meals to plan and schedules to arrange. The idea is to plan your way into the perfect holiday. In our attempt to make things just right, stress levels rise higher than for any other holiday.

At the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) our motto is collaborating for regional vitality, and we do our best to live up to that commitment. In each area of our work — early childhood, entrepreneurship, and community vitality — we are mindful of partners in the state and region with whom we can collaborate to make a difference.

It seems hard to believe but here we are, ready to turn the calendar from 2022 to 2023.
As we get ready to move into a new year, it is natural to take a look at the year soon to be but a memory and the excitement of a new one to come.