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Happy Mother’s Day, Mother Nature by Sue Orsen. We don’t fall on our knees to Mother Nature nor to Planet Earth. Instead we reach out to touch her grandeur. We don’t make Mother Nature an idol nor we set her upon the altar of our lives. Instead, we take a moment to ponder the order in her world — our world, for it is a world given to us, temporarily, for safekeeping … Click on Front Page.

Simple Pleasure by Tom Stumpf, Cowboy Correspondent. “It seems that in our world today, one of society’s most prevalent ailments is sensory overload. We are bombarded with commercials for the biggest, the best, the most beautiful. People seem to not be able to find joy in simple things …”

Promoting the Park by Tom Gray, Victoria Building Official. “Have you ever discovered a place that you found exceptional and then realized that if you told people about it, that more visitors would ruin it? The City of Victoria has such an exceptional place and, contrary to what Yogi Berra said about a place being so crowded that no one goes there anymore, I’m willing to promote it …”

The Stamp Man Makes a Visit and a Gift by Ron Holtmeier, Victoria, Minnesota. “It was the day after April Fool’s Day, 2008, and there was excitement at the Victoria Elementary School. The reason for this excitement was that a special map of the USA was being donated. Conrad J. Pederson received permission from the Shriner’s Hospital to donate the stamps …”

On the Wildflower Side by Elise Bushard, Lowry Nature Center. “Venturing out into the woods this spring, you may notice colorful wildflowers dotting the ground that you have missed before. Woodland flowers, also called ephemeral, have such a quick life cycle …”

What Do You Think? by Mayor Mary Thun, City of Victoria. “Some city councils take communication among each other so seriously that they adopt a code of ethics that outline not only how they will communicate, but how they will avoid conflicts of interest — either actual or perceived. So what do you think? Should we adopt a code of ethics?

Anticipating Dandelions by Pastor Frank Jones, Lake Auburn Moravian Church. “People have their own indicators for the advance of seasons. One of my friends gauges spring’s arrival to the appearance of red-wing blackbirds, while another looks for the new growth of wild garlic. Others await crocus and red-but buttons; yet another sniffs the air and claims to smell the coming of spring …”

Jane Quammen, 53, died April 3.

Bernice Winkler, 71, died April 15.

Robert Hedtke, 85, died April 16.

8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria

952-443-2351

1915 Arboretum Blvd * Victoria

952-443-2808

On Stieger Lake * Victoria

952-443-1331

Floor to Ceiling

33 West First Street * Waconia

952-442-4242

Lake Auburn Moravian Church

Victoria * 952-443-2051

Hence, the Clothespin! by Mike Wartman, Former Resident of Victoria. “A quick spring cleaning turned up a hidden box of junk that was put in the box from last year’s spring cleaning. One particular object struck me as peculiar and I had no idea why that object was in the box. That object was a clothes pin …”

Golf in Victoria by Tom Abts, Deer Run Golf Pro. “As I’m writing this column, it’s 71 degrees in Victoria — finally! After surviving a long cold winter, I thought we were due for an early spring. Wrong! Though this is the latest we’ve ever opened the golf course, if we have good weather from now on, you won’t hear me complaining about the weather …”

A New Temple by Pastor Thomas Braun by Christ Victorious Lutheran Church. “It was a little over one year ago when members and friend of Christ Victorious gathered outside for our ground breaking ceremony. We invite you to join us on Sunday, May 4th, as we dedicate our new worship facility to the glory, honor, and praise of God …”

Motorcycle Monster by Thom Derr, Rough Rider. “You may remember that the Harley Babe was responsible for getting me interested in motorcycling. Until my first ride bringing her bike home, I was not very interested in the whole thing. From that point on, however, I was hooked; and, as she says, she created a Motorcycle Monster …”

The Weather Vane by Lucas Graunke, Budding Climatologist. “The outlook for May is pretty much average here. Nobody’s predicting the Dust Bowl 1930’s, when an ongoing drought turned a majority of Minnesota farmland into an arid desert. Dust storms turned day into night. The dust was so fine that it got in between the pages of books …”

Seen the Truth Trucks? by Ethel Ausink, Senior Citizens Reporter. “These Truth Trucks have been seen by people in Salt Lake City, San Diego, Wichita, Portland, OR, Santa Barbara, and Boston, to name a few. They are trucks with billboard-size pictures of aborted babies painted on the sides of the trucks …”

Sheriff’s Shingle by Sheriff Bud Olson, Carver County. “I believe it is important that all citizens know and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards, and sacrifices made by their law enforcement agency …”

The Golden Thread by Louise Lehner, Mother of Adella. “Mother, a triplet, was born on Christmas Day, 1915, baptized Adelaide Sophia, weighed a pound and a half at birth …”

20 Years Ago the Gazette featured Ray and Frannie Schmieg in “The Open Window.”

10 Years Ago the Gazette featured the editor’s grandmother, Mary Opdahl, who died April 20th, 1998, at the age of 94 … in “Grandma’s Quilts.”

Highway 5 in Victoria

952-443-2491