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My folks had a 1957 Pontiac Chieftain four-door sedan, not unlike this one. The house next door north from 818 went through several owners, residents at any rate, while my folks and I were living there. I don't remember anything about the folks or person who owned Freckles, but I remember the mid-sized dog. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Nobody could approach the back yard next door without knowing that Freckles was there.)

I've said it before. This isn't the world I grew up in. Today's focus on safety, for example, feels over-enthusiastic. But then, I'm one of those people who launched rockets in the basement. With the permission and cooperation of my father.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Two paperclips, two matches, a scrap of aluminum foil, and a pin. A happy memory involving a basement and time with Dad.)

Psalms 98:4; and sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, seen from the ISS. (2003) This week I'll talk about 818, a house I lived in as a child and youth; and why gratitude is a good idea. House Numbers, Names, and Memories One House, Three Kitchens The Basement and a Clothes Chute Noisy Switches and Quiet Light Bulbs The Back Yard, a Landing, and an Experience Gratitude: a Work in Progress ... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Memories of a place I lived as a child and youth. Why my parents unscrewed light bulbs and wanted a fenced in back yard. Why I see gratitude as a good idea.)

I have now seen aurora two times. The first was when my folks and I were living at 818 in Moorhead, Minnesota.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Seeing the aurora display on November 11, 2025; remembering the other aurora I saw; and taking note of a Space Weather Prediction Center alert.)

My wife grew up in a very "Catholic" family. That doesn't mean what you might think it does: old-fashioned clothes, candles everywhere, too many children, and the girls brought up to be doormats. Okay, granted: my wife is the second of seven kids. But I can't think of one of the other six who's redundant. Then there's the matter of how my in-laws brought up their children. Take, for example, the time someone from the high school called my father-in-law with an grave concern regarding my wife's younger sister.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Growing up in a very Catholic family meant was counter-cultural, but not the way you might think.)

Our first apartment was in Fargo, North Dakota ; in the square mile south of Main Avenue and between I-29 and 25th Street South . I don't know how Fargo zoned that land. From what was there, my guess is that the designation would translate into 'meh, whatever'. Our apartment was on the top floor, and had a nice floor plan. Bedrooms were on either side of a living area. A kitchen and bath shared a wall with that floor's corridor. That's the good news. Something was wrong with the place.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Learning an important part of holding a baby that is not in in parenting guides . Recognizing and accepting the vocation my oldest child chose.)

I'm keeping it short this week, (finally) telling how this summer's infection turned out, and sharing a poem my father wrote. A New Normal and a North Window "Autumn Yard Work" and Rejoicing Don't worry, by the way. The poem is short: only 14 words, including the title. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A short post. How the summer's infection changed my daily routine, and a short seasonal poem my father wrote. Also paying attention and rejoicing.)

I'm embarrassed. Three weeks ago I talked about a fire that one of our daughters and son-in-law kept from getting out of hand. What I said then was mostly accurate, but left out the parts that made it a good story. As I said, embarrassed. Particularly since I'd asked our daughter to look it over and correct any mistakes or omissions: which she did. But somehow I didn't notice her contributions. So this week I've pared back what I said — and added what our daughter had to say [with a couple of my notes] about a small fire that stayed small.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Keeping a small fire small depended on being prepared and knowing how to use hoe and hose. Our daughter tells the rest, and the interesting part, of the story.)

One of our daughters and her husband run a milling company on the homestead where my mother grew up. Nothing about running a small business is, I suspect, "routine", but some days are less routine than other. Take, for example, the fire that didn't get out of control earlier this summer. There's an old Red River Valley joke where a newcomer asks "does it always blow this way?" and the local replies, "no: sometimes it blows the other way". This particular day was windier than usual.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Strong south wind and a small fire in the waste pile: keeping it small depended on being prepared and knowing how to use hoe and hose.)

I took that picture of the Stearns County Fair while coming back from an errand last Saturday. It's about as close to being there as I've gotten in the last several years. But since this household isn't much more than a thousand feet from the fairground entrance, I get to see folks parked on the side street. Or, rather, I see the vehicles they've parked there. Sometimes my timing is right and I see them heading toward or returning from the festivities. My favorite memory this year was seeing a young family — dad and a little girl — heading back to their car.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Experiencing the Stearns County Fair second hand: a favorite memory, and justifiable caution during a Friday night storm.)

My oldest daughter suggested that I start telling 'family stories' about eight months back: which struck me as a good idea. This week's, involving a door and — I think — showing where I get some of my attitudes and priorities, got me started looking for places in one of my ancestral homelands. I'll be talking about that; and, eventually, what happened when a husband's idea of what's good enough didn't line up with his wife's. Surnames and Ancestry, Mostly A Place in Ottertail County: Scenic, But Not Practical Names, Language, Accents, and Legacies Changes — or — Seeking Lost Branting and Beridalen "An Interesting Pattern" Priorities and a Door Family, Names, and Links More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Another family story: this one involving a pioneer couple, a first home, and a door. Also surnames, ancestry, and what's changed in an ancestral homeland.)

I wrote this paper in 1972 for Dr. K. Smemo's History 349, The Scandinavians in America. I'm planning to share a 'family story' or two about this side of the family in Saturday's post: which will be both shorter, and easier to read than this. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A paper I wrote in 1972, following part of my mother's family back to a gaard in Norway, and touching on how we adopted American language and customs.)

One thing I like about families — the one(s) I'm in, at any rate — are the legacies. In my dialect of English a "legacy" is generally money or property handed down from one generation to another. Legacies of that sort matter. My wife and I are in the process of updating our will, I suppose it'll be wills, and that's another topic. But the legacies I'm thinking of aren't worth much, in terms of taxable assets. Although each of us is a unique individual, we also inherit whatever's in the genes of our biological parents: along with the experiences, attitudes, habits, values, and stories of the folks who raised us.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Legacies matter: the values and stories of our families. I note the basics of being a Catholic family: and an interest a great-grandfather and I share.)

Many towns here in central Minnesota host fireworks displays on Independence Day, but not Sauk Centre. Fireworks and Family It's not that the town disapproves of the Fourth of July, or fireworks, or loud noises: our big-deal midsummer celebration is Sinclair Lewis Days, later this month.... ...today I'll focus, briefly — very briefly — on one of the earliest times my folks took me to see fireworks.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Remembering one of the earliest times my folks took me to see fireworks. Love of country, within reason; human nature; future generations.)

I'll have my oldest daughter tell most of this 'family story'. That's partly because this is shaping up to be a distracted week. The family was on one of our rare vacations. Our third-oldest daughter was old enough to remember the trip, and our son hadn't been born yet. That puts it some time back. Decades. We'd planned the vacation pretty well, so we had a place to stay for each night. But we ran into one of those stock comedy situations: a big-deal family vacation where it rains. A lot. I'll have our oldest daughter pick up the narrative at this point.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (My daughter and I remembering a rain-soaked vacation, comic books, and being part of a family.)

First it was storms, now (I'm writing this Sunday evening) sincerely noticeable heat.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick review of how weather affected this family, and an even quicker look ahead.)

I'm not sure when those photos were taken. or who took them. My folks and I were living at 818 10th Street South in Moorhead, Minnesota, at the time; which puts the date at around 1970. Could have been earlier, or later, since that's the house I grew up in. Maybe mid-to-late 1960s to early 1970s. The point is that those cats were very much part of my life while growing up.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick and sentimental look at Boots, the family cat when I was growing up: the lively kitten, the patient pet, and the favorite spot of a regal old cat.)

The Two Trinities   Murillo [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 16:12-15  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)   My apologies for having printed the wrong gospel earlier. Here is the correct gospel. Brothers and Sisters: Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us . ...

I remember when the Case building on NP (Northern Pacific) Avenue in Fargo looked the way it did in that photo. I'd better explain. I'm old, but I'm not that old. The F. O. E. (Fraternal Order of Eagles) parade on NP Avenue was in the summer of 1910. I wasn't born until the fall of 1951. Besides, the building I remember didn't look exactly like the one in the photo.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Another dad moment, this one involving a freight elevator. The Case building in Fargo. A globe-and-eagle logo that disappeared. Family and a few good ideas.)

One way or another, I've been part of a family all my life: as a child, as a husband and father, as a grandfather. The experience has never been perfect. But I think Pope Francis is right. We do, occasionally, have "tremendous joys". I also think the pope's March prayer intention is a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Families in crisis: prayer intention for March, from Pope Francis. A link to the Vatican News article, and an embedded video. Sounds like a good idea.)