Today's column is a letter of gratitude; a letter of gratitude to so many people, I'm not sure where to begin.

I attended my first-ever Back to Basics last Saturday, Jan. 28. I thought it was wonderful.

Our Minnesota Legislature opened its 2012 session last week. After the rancor and turmoil, low accomplishment and shutdown of last year, we were certainly hoping for more constructive work and less acrimonious talk this time around.

Healthy Eating Foods Series:

I never heard of a "smart phone" when I was plowing Hell's Half Acre on my Uncle Jim's farm back in the early 1960s. This piece of ground was about as far away from humanity as one could get in that part of northwestÊIowa. The little triangular piece of land lay between two large, rolling hills and was surrounded by real, unadulterated virgin prairie.Ê I could have used a smart phone that day.