Donna Halvorson

Halvorson: Apples and fleeting youth

Nov 1, 2018

How long has it been since you’ve tasted home made applesauce? I’d forgotten just how good it tasted. A gift from a friend reminded me. That brought back memories of when we were kids. One of the yearly rituals was snitching apples from the neighbors’ trees. The neighborhood kids would get...

Halvorson: A rude awakening over a new mattress

Oct 25, 2018

If you haven’t purchased a new mattress lately be prepared for sticker shock. I remember when a mattress was not much more than layers of cotton batten covered with a sturdy ticking. It got turned regularly and taken outside spring and fall to be aired. In today’s world it’s recommended that you...

Halvorson: The Play Park

Oct 18, 2018

Some of my favorite memories are time spent at the play park. We lived just a few blocks away and spent many fun filled days on the swings and rings. Looking back I always pictured the play park as being larger than it is today. The other day I came across some pictures of my grandparents taken...

Halvorson: The Sense of Smell

Oct 11, 2018

Sometimes when I sit down to write it’s hard to choose a subject. This week Huettl’s anniversary reminded me. I always loved the smell of a butcher shop. It reminds me of when I’d go there with my grandmother. That would remind me of kindergarten and my classmate Ida Jean. And the neighbor with...

Halvorson: Childhood memories a comfort in old age

Oct 3, 2018

Watching the little ones with their back packs waiting for the school bus reminded me of kindergarten when I was young. Of course back then there were no school busses’ or backpacks. Kindergarten was in it’s infancy and guidelines were still unclear. I was allowed to enroll at age 4. All that...

Halvorson: Sense growing less common

Sep 26, 2018

When we were kids if we asked the folks a question we were usually referred to “the big book.” In those days it was rare to find any kind of reference books in homes, they were mostly in schools or libraries. Where it came from I have no idea but we had this large book that was a complete book of...

Halvorson: Roughing it isn’t what it used to be

Sep 19, 2018

The older I get the more important the creature comforts become. Camping used to mean a sleeping bag under the stars. That was back when I was asked to assume the task of girl scout leader. In those days you didn’t need much training, today it’s much more complicated.Growing up in a large family...

Halvorson: Look at everything that’s come and gone

Sep 5, 2018

It’s 50 years since the class of 1969 started their senior year of high school. That’s about the time society changed the rules, or should I say broke all the rules. It came as a shock to me when the dress code went out the window. (I guess I thought i was June Cleaver on TV.) Teens started...

Letter: Beach needs something for everyone

Aug 22, 2018

To the editor: I walked down to the beach last Saturday to see the Float-a-palooza. Whats wrong with this picture? The beach was crowded with safety vehicles and fun things for the kids. The water was crowded with boats Many with floats tied to them. There were a few swimmers near the shore. It...

Halvorson: Always been a (Hiawatha) valley girl