Sunday, April 10, 2005
Browse The Bulletin archive index
| Home | About | Archive | Recipes | Stories | Galleries | Who's Who | Where |
Dan & Gina Henderson's Hawaiian Wedding, March 15, 2005.
Dan and Gina's Wedding
Story & photo illustration by Kimberly Johnson
It was quite the deal trying to get everyone over to Hawaii and situated for the big day, but when all of us arrived at the wedding site, it was well worth it! It was absolutely gorgeous!
Most weddings on Hawaii consist of bare feet and sand, but this one was a little different. It was way up the hill at the Diamond Resort where you could see the ocean below! The whole day before the wedding it was sprinkling, but it turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day!
After we waited for a little bit, Gina and the girls went and got ready, and then everyone headed over to where the wedding was going to be held.
The ceremony was, as you will see at the reception, extremely touching! I'm not sure anyone had a dry eye left afterwards.
After the ceremony, the photographer took some pictures, and then we sent Dan and Gina off in their sporty red car. We all followed them to the beach for some pictures with the Hawaiian sunset.
The reception, after dark, was just as perfect as the day was. Complete with an 8,000 course meal! Seriously! I'm not sure how, but some of us even fit in some cake!!
What a treat! Congratulations, Dan and Gina Henderson!
Engaged:
Lori L. Anderson to Keith F. Mason
Harry (Junior) and Doris Anderson are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lori L. Anderson, of La Mirada, California, to Keith F. Mason, son of Mark and Agnes Mason of Riverside, California. An October wedding is being planned.
Lori & Keith
UPDATE -- We're South Dakotans!
by Eric and Melanie (Anderson) Shockey
Brookings, SD
Our new address is:
839 Park Avenue S., Apt. 8
Brookings, SD 57006
Our e-mail address is: melaniejoyshockey@yahoo.com
by Rachel Henderson
Minnetrista, MN
(Glencoe High School)
Aloha!
Yes, it's been a while. A loooong while. But I've finally climbed out of my mole hole, come up for air, and decided it's about time to tell my tale. The Senior Update. I'll reintroduce myself: Rachel Henderson, senior at Glencoe-Silver Lake High School, daughter of the third daughter of the Editor and her husband, first cousin once-removed to the daughter of the second grandaughter of the Editor...
Back on the mainland, I've continued struggling with the question of what major I want to pursue. I have always enjoyed the math and science arena, and so have been interested in engineering. After researching it throughout this whole year, I didn't find anything that really attracted me. I thought about pharmacy, architecture, and something in music in addition to the engineering field. Nothing. Until this week.
I finally clicked on "Industrial Engineering and Management," and found something very interesting. It seems to be what I've been searching for, and I feel pretty certain that this is it. So, it's a "North Dakota State University Industrial Engineering Major combined with a Spanish minor" plan. And I'm excited. Very excited. In fact, there are 38 days left of high school.
That means that it's winding down. School has been keeping me incredibly busy this year, with an amazing homework schedule and extracurricular activities. I went with drama this year. I played volleyball at the beginning of the year, switched to the pit band for the fall musical, and just finished a one-act play and a choir musical. They were all great experiences, but I decided to take the spring off and concentrate on some other things. I'm getting to the stage of incurable "senioritis," and so a lighter spring load feels wonderful.
I'd better wrap it up, but make sure to check out the great pic of Kim the Photographer (in the Miss Hetty column). The whole trip we entertained ourselves by taking advantage of every photo op available, and we certainly weren't above creating them ourselves when necessary...
The other picture was taken last summer for my graduation pictures. That was a required field in the Senior Update section. So there it is. :)
Rachel Henderson
The Matriarch Speaks W
by Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
Alexandria, MN
Starting with Bulletin 124, I planned to run biographical sketches of the members of our staff. Now that this has been done, I want to run sketches and pictures of the readers and subscribers who have not already done introductions. Please tell us about yourself. What is your work and what else do you do with your time? How are you related or what friend introduced you into the family? I am hoping that you can share family photos and background sketches. Send all manuscripts and pictures to me at dma49261@juno.com
Who Is This?
Let's Play a Guessing Game: Whenever it is handy to do so we will run a picture of someone of the subscribers or staff members of our e-magazine. Tell us who you think it is -- we will let you know who was the first to guess it right -- and the correct guess -- in the following week's Bulletin.
(Send us some to run; we will line them up in our staging area to take their turn.)
LTD Storybrooke 
In a cramped second story office in St. Paul, Minnesota, I bent over a table and filled in oval dots on the answer sheet. The questions were True or False. The phone was ringing behind me.
When the woman with the reddish, blonde hair and faded blue jeans, who sat at the large desk, behind me, picked up the receiver, I tuned in one ear to the conversation.
"Hello ... Frank! Where are you?" she said. "I promised your load would be at their dock when they open in the morning. What's the hold up? ... The load wasn't ready. Really ... Road construction ... Yeah, right ... Hey, Frank, how many times do you think I've heard that before? Next you'll be telling me a bridge washed out and you had to wait for them to build a new one."
The woman was the trucking company's dispatcher. Above her desk was a large map of the United States. I filled in a few more oval dots with the stubby pencil.
"Home?" she continued, "What do you mean, home? ... Frank, you were just home a week ago! ... Oh, so you're having trouble with the old lady! ... Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. If you didn't go home so often, Frank, she couldn't give you so much trouble!"
At this, she let out a little giggle. "Listen, if you want a load out of Chicago tomorrow, you'd better be unloaded early! ... Can't do it? Well, don't blame me if you get stranded in the windy city over the weekend ... What do you mean, you can't make 600 miles by morning? ... Cook the log book, Frank! You don't get paid for sitting still ... Okay! Call me when you get there. I'll have your next load waiting ... Be there! Frank ... Don't disappoint me. Okay. Bye-bye."
I moved on to the multiple choice questions. The man who was administering the test walked into the smoke filled room with a burned out cigarette hanging from his lower lip.
"Are you done yet?" he asked.
"Just about," I answered.
He had greasy black hair and spoke with a thick New York brogue. He thought I didn't look too bright -- apparently -- because when he had given me the written test, he gave me the answer sheet also.
"Don't get them all right," he intoned. "You only need 70 percent to pass."
Now he stood impatiently over my table, lighting another cigarette. I quickly checked my answers with the answer sheet. Oops. I only had one wrong. I changed a correct answer to an incorrect answer, so I would have at least two wrong -- just to be on the safe side!
Ashes fell on the table while he filled out the pocket size certificate. I was almost qualified to do Interstate Truck Driving.
The only remaining hoop to jump through was to pass my truck driver's physical. I was given instructions to an industrial clinic, where I was examined by a doctor whose sole job was doing pre-employment physicals.
--
"Follow my finger," the doctor in white says, as he moves his hand from left to right and back again. The subject can see. Check.
"Stand on one leg, and close your eyes," he continues.
I teeter on one leg. Eyes closed.
The subject is highly coordinated. Check.
"Drop your pants," he says.
I comply.
The subject has the right equipment for the job. Check.
"Cough."
As I cough, I wonder if, when he enrolled in med. school, he ever thought he'd be doing this for a living.
The subject can lift heavy boxes. Check.
"Open wide and say, 'Ahhhhh.'"
I pull up my pants and say, "ah."
The subject has below average intelligence, as required. The subject has passed the test. The doctor scribbles on a piece of paper and shoves it into my hand. Then he pokes his head out the door and calls out, "NEXT!"
I'm ready for the long drive.
Travelogue t
The Bolivian Beat
By Kjirsten Swenson
Editor's Note: Kjirsten has returned to Bolivia for a second year of independent study, prior to enrollment in medical school at Baylor University in Houston, fall semester 2005. In January, she went trekking in Argentina with her parents, Sheldon and Mitzi Swenson, then continued on her own, into the Argentine Lake District. Although none of Kjirsten's posted photos specifically illustrate this week's story, she has many wonderful photos we've had no room for previously.
Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine, Argentina.
Ilha Santa Catarina
For the past several days, I've been exploring the beaches of a large island called Ilha Santa Catarina off the coast of southern Brazil. A week ago I met a Peruvian girl named Andrea at a hostel, and since we had planned identical itineraries, we decided to stick together for a while.
Our first stop was Barra do Lagoa, a fisherman's village on the northern half of the isle. As we trudged down the stone street, suffering under the the hot sun and repenting packs heavy from too much shopping in Buenos Aires, we were met by a woman who offered to rent us a house. At $16 per night, the house was cheaper than a hostel would have cost for the two of us. And it was perfect ... cool and tiled, only one block from the beach!
We moved in and bought lots of fruits and vegetables from the market next door before hitting the beach. The beach here was an endless sweep of sand pounded by big waves and frequented mostly by surfers. I contemplated lessons, but after watching them wipe out time after time, decided I'd be content to maintain my usual beach regimen of reading and sipping fresh juice.
The next day we took a local bus to a nearby beach that some magazine considers one of Brazil's top ten. It did not disappoint. The sand was deep and fine, lovely to walk on. A sign at the beach's entrance called the water "crystalline," an appropriate description. The beach was perhaps a mile long and the water at each end was littered with boulders; it seemed the sort of place mermaids might frequent. We splurged on beach chairs and an umbrella and were content to spend the entire day there.
After three days of playing house, we packed our bags and moved south to a hostel near another fishing village, Pantano do Sul.
Yesterday began cloudy, despite weather.com's prediction of a clear day with only a 10% chance of precipitation. We spent the morning chatting with other world travelers in the hostel, hoping it would pour and then clear. But it didn't, so we finally began the long walk to an isolated beach a few hours away.
After the the hour walk to the trailhead, Andrea decided her rumbly tummy didn't permit her to continue. But I was delighted to continue up the path that passed through dense rain forest over a ridge before dropping down to the most beautiful beach I've seen yet. The sand was peachy orange, a striking color that contrasted with the black rocks on the bordering hills and green vegetation. The day was gray, and the beach empty save a few determined surfers. Thrilled to have discovered such a magical place, I strolled the full length of the beach by myself before returning the way I had come.
The rain began just as I started to ascend, a warm, steady downpour that immediately soaked me and transformed the trail into a muddy stream. But walking through the rainforest while it's raining is most pleasant, rain wet being much nicer than sticky sweaty wet.
When I reached the 4 kilometers of beach that led to my hostel, I had to change my definitions of "downpour" and "soaked." Sheets of water blew into my eyes as I jogged along the ocean's edge, marveling how it seemed the distance had grown... Back on the flooded street, I waded through knee-deep puddles to finally reach the hostel. Lagoinha do Leste is one beach I'll remember always, as much for the beauty of the rain as the beach.
Today, Andrea and I returned to Florianopolis, the gateway city for Ilha Santa Catarina. Tonight, I will take a bus overnight to Sao Paulo and tomorrow travel to Paraty on the coast near Rio de Janeiro. Andrea will bus to Buenos Aires and fly home to Peru.
Kjirsten
More photos: http://community.webshots.com/user/kjswenson
Lori Chap wrote a Dominican Republic vacation introduction in Bulletin 145.
Gondola ride to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres.
Puerto Plata Exploration
by Jaci Christman
Fargo, ND
This is Lori's Fargo friend, Jaci. I was fortunate to join the
Minneapolis girls on this wonderful trip to Puerto Plata. For my section,
I’m going to write about the half-day trip we took to the city.
We hired a driver, Renae, to take us around to some of the sights we'd
heard about. It was very inexpensive, and he acted as our translator and
tour guide. He got us to each destination just ahead of the next tour
bus, so we never had to wait in long lines.
We visited the Brugal Rum factory, where we watched a short video and
then walked through where the bottling took place. There were many
workers and most seemed to just be sitting around watching the tourists.
After the short tour, we were able to sample the rum before leaving for
our next destination.
Our next stop was an old fortress, Fuerte de San Felipe, with beautiful views of the water. It was hot and we didn't spend a lot of time there before heading to a cigar and amber "factory." I use factory for lack of a better word, but really there were only a few people who rolled the cigars and they let each of us take a turn at rolling our own. I gave mine to a co-worker who enjoyed it. Who knows, I might have found my next career! The amber and larimar stones were being polished and made into jewelry right in front of us. The jewelry was beautiful and we each walked out of there with a ring!
Our final destination before heading back to the resort, was a
gondola/ cable car ride up to the top of Mount Isabel de Torres. We were
delighted with the botanical gardens with a plethora of unique trees and
plants and a gorgeous view of the city below.
This turned out to be a day full of fond memories … and great photos!
Brugal Rum factory, left; old fortress, Fuerte de San Felipe, right.
This and That
6
by Elaine Wold
Wahpeton, ND
Browsing through some real estate listings recently, I thought to myself, "What kind of house would I look for if I were buying one today?"
There is such a large variety of floor plans and architectural designs from which to choose nowadays. Of course, it would have to fit each one's family size, location to job, and price range. But likely one's age will determine the most what kind of house to buy.
As a child, I loved an upstairs; it was like a hideaway place as I
peered out the high windows to watch what was going on below, or a
quiet place to read a book or take a nap. I did not have to keep it
clean or have the bed made as no one would see it.
After marriage, we built a small home and had bedrooms on the main floor, It was handy for the crib when raising my family, but easily seen if not kept clean. Later we retired and built a simple one story house, and at my age, I feel it's the maximum as to what I want to care for and maintain.
One thing I have noticed is that many new homes are being built more handicapped accessible. Steps are difficult for one as one gets older, or handicapped. Even the young should have one bedroom and bath on the main floor where they can have a bed in case of broken leg or other accident when one cannot use the stairs.
It is most important that the house is a home, not just a house. Some
of the most elaborate homes are not homey, yet, some of the most
simple humble homes can be the most cozy to visit or have friends in.
My mother had a quote in her kitchen saying,
"My house is small,
No mansion for a millionaire,
But there is room for love,
And that is all I care."
There are two features of homes that I remember as a child that I do not see in today's homes. The first is an attic. With so many ranch style homes, there's few that have an attic, a place for children to play. There were often little cubby holes to hide in, trunks full of old clothes to dress up in, holiday trimmings and costumes, old photograph albums, odds and ends of furniture ... a place to explore.
I well remember my brothers exploring the attic with some candles for light, when the wax dropped, starting a fire in the attic. The bucket brigade in our little town all worked together and were fortunate to get it out with no more damage than singed rafters and a large hole in the roof, with tubs collecting all the water that dripped down for several days after that!
One other thing I do not see which was an essential part of my growing up years was the front porch. Many were the days we played dolls and games on the porch, watched it rain, shelled peas and other garden produce. But most of all, the front porch was an open door to friends and neighbors who would walk by on the sidewalks and stop to chat. What a social life that front porch offered! It was sometimes a spot to set up a tent and sleep out overnight; however, we often ended up retreating to our bedrooms once it got dark and the spooky sounds began being heard.
What pleasant memories those porches and attics made for us! So for each one of us ... "east or west, home is best."
Celebrations & Observances
From the Files of 5
Hetty Hooper
This Week's Birthdays:
April 10---Brenda (Anderson) Hill
April 10---Lisa Kae Anderson
April 10---Shawn Ostendorf
April 15---Melinda Miranowski
Happy Birthday!
More April Birthdays:
'
April 2---Duane Miller
April 4---Meryl Hansey
April 4---Barb Dewey
April 5---Lorella Grob
April 6---Dusty Meyers (11 years old)
April 9---Richard Johnson (from Oregon)
April 9---Dorothy (Dake) Anderson
April 23---Alyssa Lynn Freesemann (8 years old)
April 23---Miss Kitty (2 years old)
April 25---Troy LaRon Freesemann
April 25---Mia Nelson
April 26---Heidi K. Johnson
April 27---Steve Rodriguez
April 27---Peggy McNeill
April 28---Justin Blackstone
April 29---Kelly Kay (Larson) Seaman
April 30---Kurtis James Larson
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miss Hetty's Mailbox:
I have to thank the editors for the great e-card -- right on time for my 18th. I didn't look at it until this week, when we returned (Alas!) to the world of technology and, of course, the real world. As has been mentioned (and mentioned and mentioned) in previous Bulletins, we had the wonderful opportunity of a trip to Hawaii these past couple weeks.
Coincidentally, the vacation fell over my birthday, and I got to celebrate while watching thousands of beautiful fish swim around me, hiking over rough lava, shopping in the quaint Lahaina downtown, eating at a funky restaurant... you get the picture. To say the least, it was wonderful!
Rachel Henderson
Minnetrista, MN
Kimberly Johnson, photographer
Hawaiian vacation -- more swimmers:
Rick Overby (Heather's dad), left; Dan, Ben, Heather, Rachel & Curt Henderson.
Miss Hetty Says
To Our Readers:
The "About" and "Archives" pages prior to April 3, 2005, are again fully searchable. (Click on the "sitemap" link by the search window to see a list of the 250 searchable pages.)
Keep Us Posted!
Please drop Miss Hetty a line and tell us who, and what, we've missed. And how about a report (photos welcome) of YOUR special celebration?
Everyone!
Miss Hetty
+ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again to everyone for a great Bulletin! I would dare to bet that people don't quit reading Doug's stories in the middle. We all read it right through to the April fools. Wish I could write half as well as he does.
Loved Larry's piece too. I can imagine how it must feel to write every week and wonder if people really enjoy your work or not. We do!
Marlene (Anderson) Johnson
Long Lake, MN
Regarding the picture of my folks on their 25th wedding anniversary (Bulletin 144), you said in your comment that you thought the little girl behind the screen door was Carol Dake, but, actually I think it was me ... not a big deal, just clarifying. I'm still looking for appropriate Bulletin pictures ... found a couple I forgot I had. Hope you had a nice Easter.
Oh ... almost forgot ... Russ may start sharpening, once again, at the Alexandria JoAnn Fabric store next month or so. He used to sharpen up there some years back, but the manager just wasn't very supportive of the program, so he dropped it. The new manager has asked Russ to start again, so he'll give it a try. I'll let you know when he plans on being there ... just in case you and Don might be out and about, you could stop in and say hello.
Diana (Mellon) Martin
Brook Park, MN
Hi, Dorothy. I see you have a birthday coming in a couple days. Hope you get to enjoy it with lots of family around. From what I see in this newsletter, that would seem quite likely.
Thank Donna for including the hummingbird pics. We lived briefly in El Paso, Texas, and one spring we got to witness the same process first-hand in our front yard.
I'm not sure I've told you, our daughter Anne is expecting again in April. It appears young Aiden will have a little brother to boss around soon. Happy Birthday!
Dan Mellon
Alta Loma, CA
I just finished reading every word of every page again. When I started, I couldn't stop until I closed the last page.
What an interesting Bulletin! Isn't it amazing how every single week they are equally as exciting! The chicken house one was hilarious, and so well written. You felt like you were sneaking in there, just like the writer. I was glad to see the picture of the newlyweds. What a nice looking couple ... and so peaceful.
The first page with the unusual arrangement of tulips and SNOW and pussywillows
was beautiful. My monitor makes the colors so vivid that it was startlingly bright
red, but printing it it faded on just injet paper. I think I may print it on some
good photo paper as it is so beautiful.
Wouldn't you love to see all those flowers blooming in the middle of the street???
That was such a dear comment Carolyn made about Edith. Edith will be so
glad to see she remembered and said all that. It is true!!!!!!!! every word she wrote.
So you will be at the reception on your birthday, Dorothy. In a way, that will be
a nice day for you ... folks can wish you a happy birthday in person.
I hope Larry knows how much we love his stories. He sounded like he doubted, but we always look for them ... and Roy especially enjoys them. I was surprised that Roy was so interested in The Bulletin, too -- he just kept reading and reading until he finished it, just like I had. You always wish it would last longer. The pictures are so interesting. Places we will never see.
Better quit ... anyway, you know how much we enjoyed it again this week.
I haven't commented on all in it -- time's up. I need to reset the clocks.
Love, Roy and Betty Droel
MoundsView, MN
Please let Doug know that I read all his stories top to bottom. I was amused by his April Fools Joke! :-)
Lori Chap
Maple Grove, MN
Hello! The Bulletin looked great this week. The both of you did a wonderful job on it. I was surprised to see my bird made it into the photo funnies this week. With his attitude he'll be thrilled to hear that so many people saw him!.....
Brianna Anderson-Jordet
St. Cloud, MN
Bridget Larson
Ashby, MN
Got a kick out of Doug's confrontation with the little troll ...wondered how he was going to make that work -- funny. I do read every last word both Doug and Larry write (I read everybody's, though, so no big heads :-) and know I'm not the only one ... so keep up the great work, guys -- you can breathe life into so many things, it's fantastic! Enjoyed both Jerrianne's and Frans's flower pictures; brought a little spring into the dreary day I was reading The Bulletin.
Donna (Anderson) Johnson
Ashby, MN.
Dear Dorothy, First let me wish you a very Happy Birthday of April 9th! and I hope you have a most wonderful...
We really enjoy The Bulletin! The picture of Edith Anderson was precious! It has been a long time since I was in those parts and I well remember meeting in that home. I didn't realize that Verlaine was her daughter! I keep up with Anita on a weekly basis so I hear of "Rich and Verlaine" often.
AND, Larry Dake! What a story teller! He is a great writer and I can't stop reading until I finish the account of the happenings in the Dake family. LeRoy and Vonnie should be pleased with their son!
Loved the pictures and narration from Bolivia! The waterfalls are the largest I have ever seen. Must be the largest in the world!
I am going to try to forward a couple of pictures made on Easter weekend when Michele and Chris (my daughter and son-in-law) were down here from Seattle. We were over at Monterey and had the best weather!
I must include mention of the "Power of the Flock" from Elaine Wold! Super!
Oh yes! I can't forget Leslie Benson! I would appreciate his address -- both e-mail and snail mail. (Sent to Tom in separate note.)
Will let this do for now -- and again, have a wonderful Birthday!
Lou and Tom Miller
Madera, CA
Tom & Lou Miller
CHUCKLES
To search a name in Who's Who or Who's Where: click on the link to open the page, then use CONTROL F on a PC or COMMAND F on a Mac. To search for a second occurrence of the name, use CONTROL G on a PC or COMMAND G on a Mac. (This works on ANY web page with text, unless the text is converted to an image. Chances are, it works in your e-mail, too.) HINT: Search by first name only, as most entries list the family name once but do not repeat the last name for each family member. In Who's Where you can search on state or city names, too.
Click here for past editions of The Bulletin in the web archive
Home
About
Archive
Recipes
Stories
Galleries
Who's Who
Where
EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.