On May 1st, 2018 Ascension Lutheran Church in Albert Lea received honors as the only Lutheran church in town to have a snow bank in the parking lot.
The English language can be very difficult to follow. For example, the old version: you can put lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig. You can put a dress and lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig. The new version: it is what it is. (I like the new version.)
The Minnesota fishing opener was Saturday May 12, 2018. Some of the fishing facts in Minnesota are:
1. You can fish walleyes on Mille Lacs Lake with no limit as to how many you catch and no restriction on the size, as it is catch-and-release only.
2. There are about 1.4 million licensed anglers.
3. 65 percent of the anglers are males, and 35 percent are female. About 500,000 fished the opening weekend.
4. Minnesota has 11,842 lakes, of which 4,500 are considered fishing lakes.
5. The average angler of Minnesota spends 15 days fishing each year while spending $1,500 or an average $100 per fishing day.
6. Retail sales in related fishing activities total about $2.4 billion annually in Minnesota. (Minnesota spending is third in the nation.)
7. Minnesota (32%) is second in resident fishing particaption. (Alaska is first.)
8. A greater percentage of people living in rural areas fish compared to the percentage of people living in urban areas who fish in Minnesota.
9. Fishing supports about 35,500 Minnesota jobs.
10. Adult Minnesota fishermen have been known to cry when they get skunked.
11. A fish that is seen but gets away continues to grow in the told tale of the getaway.
12. Fishermen have been known not to be fishing when their significant other thinks they are fishing.
F.R.O.G. (fully rely on God) of Central Freeborn Lutheran church in rural Albert Lea is sponsoring a coach bus to the 25th Annual Lutheran night at the Twins Baseball Game Tuesday July 31st versus the Cleveland Indians. The bus is leaving at 4 p.m. from behind Hy-Vee in Albert Lea. Seating will be in rows 7, 8, 9, and 10 from home plate view section 315 – right behind home plate. Four first-time singers from the bus will go on the field to lead in singing the national anthem. Your name can be on the scoreboard if your birthday is July 31st.
Deal or no deal baseball-related prizes on the bus to the game. Coupons for all are on the bus. The bus is going to be parked nearby. $5 cash back per person if the bus is full. (57 tickets) To reserve a seat call Bob or Genie Hanson at 507-373-8655 or Wayne or Bev Indrelie at 507-826-3267. The cost is $45 per person paid in advance – no refunds.
Two more bus trips are planned in 2018 with more details to come: On Sunday October 14th leaving from Albert Lea at 11 a.m. to church basement ladies (You smell barn) in Burnsville, Minnesota, with a meal following.
On Saturday December 1st leaving from Albert lea at 3 p.m. to “Christmas by the Lake” in Clear Lake, Iowa, with a meal following.
Short Shorts
1. Congrats to Billy Christensen, the Legionnaire Award of the Year winner in Albert Lea.
2. The traveling Vietnam Wall memorial is in Austin May 17th through the 19th at the Mower County Fairgrounds.
3. Genie received a surprise May basket of flowers from her secret admirer of many moons.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.