Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Operation: 23 to 0 supports veterans, raises awareness about suicide November 11, 2024

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Each pair of boots displayed at the vigil represents a veteran who lost his/her life to suicide. Here, PV1 Damian Wilson of Connecticut. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

CODY, DAMIAN, NICOLE…and 20 others. Twenty-three military veterans recognized, honored, remembered during a 23-hour vigil beginning at noon Sunday and ending at 11 a.m. Monday. Twenty-three, because 22 veterans and one active military duty member, on average, lose their lives via suicide in this country every single day. The average age is 59 ½. Twenty-three because the veterans’ support group Operation: 23 to 0, southern Minnesota chapter, organized this event at the Rice County courthouse in Faribault.

At the vigil late Sunday afternoon, supporters and those holding vigil gather. Boots edge the veterans’ memorial and the courthouse steps in the background. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

That organization aims to reduce the number of deaths by suicide via providing a network of support and by raising awareness. As the daughter of a Korean War veteran who suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, I fully understand the need, the cause. This resonates with me on a personal level.

The Operation: 23 to 0 flag flew beside the American flag. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
A bucket of roses, with roses placed in each deceased veteran’s boots, sits at the vigil. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Donated food and beverages for those holding vigil. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Because of that and because I care, I stopped by late Sunday afternoon to pay my respects and to show my support for Operation: 23 to 0 and for the veterans holding vigil. Those included Kirk Mansfield of Faribault, whom I’ve come to know through the years as an incredibly caring and compassionate individual dedicated to helping veterans. Mansfield is quick to point out that this is a team effort, that it takes a whole network of people, including the American Legion family, to make a difference.

The photos, the stories, the boots, the messages…personalize the loss. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Images and words identify veterans who died via suicide, who are missed deeply, who were recognized. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
He was not only a soldier, but a violinist. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

He shared stories of a struggling young veteran in Iowa who needed a place to live, of a pregnant woman who lost her partner (a veteran) to suicide and who brought her now young daughter to the vigil in Faribault. He mentioned, too, a young veteran he was expecting later. Someone who is struggling.

Anyone who stopped by the vigil could see this message, that they are valued. They matter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

As I stood next to Kirk, the cold November wind sweeping up the hill, chilling me, and darkness descending, I saw the light of hope. That comes across not only in this vigil, but also in a message posted between stones honoring branches of the military. The poster reads: “If you are looking for a sign to NOT kill yourself today—This is it. You are loved. You do belong. You are worthy.” What a powerful message of hope.

An eagle and eternal flame center the Rice County Veterans’ Memorial by the Rice County courthouse. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

On this Veterans Day, when we honor all who served our country in the military, those caring words matter. They matter because people (whether veterans or not) are struggling. Perhaps struggling with finances, relationships, mental health or any myriad of issues that create feelings of hopelessness.

Loving messages on a veterans’ boot. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Flags, boots, roses, all honor the veterans who died via suicide. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)
Love and grief on a pair of boots. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Each pair of boots placed at the Rice County Veterans Memorial or at the foot of the courthouse steps represents someone who loved and was loved, but who now is among the twenty-three.

I really like this message spotted on a dog tag on a veteran’s boot. “His story isn’t over.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo November 2024)

Operation: 23 to 0 is dedicated to being there. To listening. To supporting. To networking. To doing. To raising awareness. I see that. And I am grateful.

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FYI: If you or someone you love is feeling hopeless, know that someone wants to help you. Talk to a friend, family member, professional. Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Learn more about Operation: 23 to 0, which is based in Stillwater and has three chapters in Minnesota. You are loved.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Whooping cough warning & my story November 8, 2024

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CONSIDER THIS A PUBLIC SERVICE announcement. A warning. A firsthand account of a disease you don’t want to get. That would be pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

Nineteen years ago, I experienced a severe case of whooping cough which left me coughing uncontrollably, gasping for air and using an inhaler. I would not wish this bacterial respiratory tract infection on anyone. It’s that bad. I was sick for three months. Terribly sick. It isn’t called the 100-day cough for nothing.

NUMBERS ARE HIGH

So why am I writing about something that infected me nearly two decades ago? Well, because whooping cough cases are raging across the country, including right here in Minnesota. We are at an eight-year high with 1,622 confirmed and probable cases reported to the Minnesota Department of Health as of November 7. That compares to only 61 total cases in 2023.

Right now, my county of Rice has 11 of those cases. As one would expect, densely-populated areas rack the most reports of pertussis. In the eight metro counties in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul, 1,308 people have had whooping cough thus far in 2024, according to MDH stats. That’s just reported cases. The southeastern section of Minnesota, where I live, is also seeing plenty of pertussis.

I can throw more statistics at you. But I won’t. Rather, I’m attempting to increase awareness, to suggest you check your vaccination record. That shot you got as a kid does not last forever, as I obviously learned in 2005. I have a message in to my doctor right now checking my vaccination status for a possible booster.

UNCONTROLLABLE COUGHING, EXHAUSTION & FIGHTING TO BREATHE

Looking back to the summer of 2005 when I was infected with pertussis, I remember how awful I felt. I laid on the couch, coughing uncontrollably, beyond exhausted because I couldn’t sleep for all the coughing. The worst was the night I felt my airway closing. I gasped for air, struggled to breathe. In hindsight, my husband should have called 911.

It took three visits with my then doctor to get a correct diagnosis. Only when I coughed in his office (whooping cough has a distinct sound, thus the name “whooping”) did my physician suspect I had pertussis rather than bronchitis. I was his first diagnosed case in his 30 some years of practicing medicine. Early symptoms of runny and stuffy nose, low-grade fever, and mild cough mimic the common cold.

HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS

How do you catch whooping cough? The answer my doctor gave me back in 2005 was this: “You could have gotten it waiting in line at the grocery store.” He’s right. It’s that contagious.

Once diagnosed a month out from symptom onset, I went on an antibiotic, although it was a little late to gain the full benefits of that. My entire family also got on antibiotics. Still, two of them got pertussis, albeit much milder cases.

The gravestone of Deloris Edna Emilie Bode in Immanuel Lutheran Church, rural Courtland. My aunt died of whooping cough. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

DEADLY SERIOUS

Pertussis can be serious, especially for the little people in our lives. My Aunt Deloris died of whooping cough in 1935 at the age of only nine months. Granted, more medical intervention is available today. But still, this darling baby, daughter of Lawrence and Josie, died of pertussis. My heart breaks every time I think of baby Deloris.

So that’s my health spiel for today. Be aware that whooping cough is out there. And you really don’t want to catch it.

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NOTE: If you are anti-vax, know that I am not and I will not publish that viewpoint on this, my personal blog. I moderate all comments.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Inside the Paradise: So much art to view & experience November 7, 2024

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Yulia Sholomova won first place in the Halloween Group Show for her costumed kitties. The show at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault runs until November 16. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)

TO VIEW VISUAL ART created by others feeds my spirit in a way that I can’t fully explain. Perhaps it’s the kinship I feel as a creative. Perhaps it’s the appreciation I hold for their work. Or maybe it’s simply because of the feelings sparked by viewing a work of art.

Admiration. Joy. Serenity. Chaos. Calm. A myriad of emotions can arise when looking at a painting, a sculpture, mixed media, a photo, whatever the artist creates.

This shows a section of “Melody” done in micron pen and cut paper by Shelley Caldwell. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Recently I popped into the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault specifically to see the Halloween Group Show. But then I was drawn to the other galleries. There I saw “Unfurling,” mixed media drawings and an installation by Shelley Caldwell who creates art from her Faribault County farm near the Iowa border. Her exhibit seemed familiar. And it should have. In October 22, Caldwell’s work was featured in a smaller installation at the Paradise.

Some of Shelley Caldwell’s art, which rings the main gallery walls. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Then, as now, plants focus her art. She combines drawings of natural subjects with abstract drawings to create art that is signature identifiable as hers. This time Caldwell worked with micron pen and cut paper to craft black-and-white framed pieces rather than artfully staging spider plants.

This shows an overview of Shelley Caldwell’s exhibit, including dangling leaves. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Real plant leaves, though, dangling and dancing, shape the focal centerpiece suspended from the gallery ceiling. There is movement. Freedom. A certain airiness.

“Stars & I,” an acrylic painting by Angelina Dornquast. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Raspberry Cupcake,” an acrylic by Angelina Dornquast. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Angelina Dornquast’s acrylic, “Peace and Love.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

From Caldwell’s exhibit, I turned the corner to look at the acrylic paintings of Angelina Dornquast, a recent Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School graduate. To think that someone this young can be this talented in portraiture impresses me. I thought in my head, “Wow, this girl can paint!” Plus, I sensed the confidence this young artist has in herself and in her work. That shines.

This portrait by Jaclyn Theiss Garlock is part of the Paradise’s permanent art collection. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

As I was about to head to the next gallery, Paradise Executive Director Julie Fakler pointed out an over-sized portrait of a glamorous woman on a stairway wall. The painting is the work of Jaclyn Theiss Garlock of Clear Lake, Iowa, and was a gift to the Paradise, part of its permanent art collection. The woman in the painting exudes strength, sass and attitude. I rather like her.

Two of the horses in Walter Salas-Humara’s trio of paintings which hang in an office at the Paradise. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Inside Fakler’s office hangs more art in the permanent collection, including a trio of horses by Walter Salas-Humara of the musical group The Silos. The bold, long-legged horses are a signature subject and style of Salas-Humara. I enjoyed getting a peek at the permanent collection not typically seen by the public.

A grouping of animal portraits in clay by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Miro Turquoise Circles” created in clay by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
More animal portraits in clay created by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Fakler is a gifted artist, too, not unexpected from someone who leads an arts center. She specializes in animal portraits done primarily in clay. I’d recognize Fakler’s dogs, cats, goats, chickens, cows, pigs anywhere. They are bold, with personality. I could easily envision them on tee shirts, tote bags, greeting cards. They are uncomplicated and folksy in a way that reconnects me to my farm upbringing. And they are currently on exhibit in another Paradise gallery along with the work of those in a creative aging class.

There’s so much to see, experience and feel when viewing all of this art inside the Paradise galleries. Current art will be up until November 16, after which the works of more creatives will go on display beginning November 18. To have access to all this art in my community sparks gratitude within me. I had only minimal access to the arts as a child. Now I see, and experience, the arts often, much to my delight.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A brief stop in St. Peter, what I saw & learned November 6, 2024

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A stunning historic building anchors a corner in the heart of downtown St. Peter along Minnesota Avenue. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

A COLLEGE TOWN. A river town. A town once destined to become Minnesota’s state capital, except for a stolen legislative bill and a judge’s ruling. A town where Jesse James and his gang rode through en route to robbing the First National Bank of Northfield. A town two-thirds destroyed by a March 29, 1998, tornado. The town is St. Peter, population around 12,000, nestled in the Minnesota River Valley.

I felt right at home inside this picnic shelter with the grain bin roof. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
An eagle soars high above the Minnesota River at Riverside Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
The Minnesota River shoreline as photographed from Riverside Park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Recently I spent a bit of time in St. Peter while on a fall color drive. Randy and I picnicked at Riverside Park—Mill Pond & Campground. I watched volunteers prepare for a haunted hayride along the park’s trails, nearly twisted my ankle in an unfilled hole in the grass, noted how murky the Minnesota River appeared, observed an eagle soaring, and noticed the roof of the small picnic shelter. It looked like the top of an old grain bin, much to my rural roots delight.

I appreciated that books inside the St. Peter Thrift Store were mostly displayed horizontally, making it easier for me to read the titles. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Following lunch, we stopped briefly downtown when I spotted a thrift store. I always enjoy poking around second-hand shops. Not that I’m looking for anything in particular. Often I leave empty-handed. But this time I picked up a clutch of greeting cards because I’m one of those people who still sends cards on birthdays and other occasions. Randy found a cassette tape of some radio talk show, nothing that interests me.

Outside the Arts Center of Saint Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)
Inside the arts center, I viewed this and other collages by Mankato artist Holly Dodge. Her exhibit has closed. The gallery space now features the work of artists participating in the BUY-AND-TAKE INVITATIONAL and also Bianaca Wilson’s “SIEMPRE BUSCANDO.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2024)

We’d parked along busy Minnesota Avenue/US Highway 169 directly in front of the Arts Center of Saint Peter. So, of course, I had to check out the gallery exhibit—collage art by Mankato artist Holly Dodge. The exhibit has since closed. I meandered, photographing some of her pieces. I’m always impressed by the diversity of art, how creative minds work.

Paul Granlund’s sculpture offers a unique perspective through which to view downtown St Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Once outside, I aimed my camera lens toward the distinctive bronze sculpture, “Mobius Strip,” crafted by Paul Granlund, a noted Minnesota sculptor, 1952 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College (across town and up the hill), sculptor-in-residence there from 1971-1996, and much more in an illustrious career. Granlund’s sculpture is an eye-catching identifier of the arts center. Only after I returned home did I learn about the artist and about the many Granlund sculptures gracing the Gustavus campus. A return trip just to see those is now on my must-do list. I also found heron and eagle sculptures tucked into a pocket park in this block of downtown.

The heron sculpture is to the left, the eagle to the right (hidden by the shrub) in this pocket park. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I discovered, too, Poshinate Kiddos, a beautiful baby and kids gift boutique where I looked, but didn’t buy (not this trip). I loved the merchandise and the friendly, helpful shopkeeper.

A row of historic buildings sits along US Highway 169, where a center island divides the roadway in downtown St. Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Historic buildings lining Minnesota Avenue drew my interest. About a dozen are on the National Register of Historic Places. Rather than cross the wide, wide street where traffic whizzes by at speeds that make me uncomfortable, I zoomed and photographed. I appreciate historic architecture and when a community cares enough to save it.

One of the Embassy signs… (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
And then on the other side of the Embassy, this sign. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Within the single block I walked, I also noticed signage on the Embassy Bar, or Blaschko’s Embassy Bar & Grill, depending on which sign you view. Signs always draws my interest, not only as identifiers but also as works of art.

This and other words tag the windows of the Arts Center of Saint Peter. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Retracing my steps from River Rock Coffee & Tea, a busy place at the end of the block, I paused at the arts center again. On the second floor I spotted a singular word—writing—spanning a wide window. Now, when you’re a writer like me, you get excited about a word that celebrates your craft. That left a lasting impression on me as we pulled out of St. Peter intent on seeing what we’d come to see, the colorful trees along Highway 169 heading north toward Le Sueur. But the trees weren’t colorful. Not at all. Could have been the timing or the day, which was extremely windy with hazy skies.

I didn’t go into the River Rock. But I looked through the large windows to see the coffee and tea shop teeming with customers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Although disappointed, I was not disappointed in the river town, the college town, the historical town of St. Peter. I need to return, devote an entire day to exploring a place that once could have been Minnesota’s state capital…if not for the theft of a legislative bill in 1857 by politician Joseph Rolette and the judicial ruling that followed.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Peace, just peace November 5, 2024

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I purchased this retro peace tray at an antique shop in St. Charles, MN., in 2015. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2015)

PEACE. Sometimes it feels especially elusive. And today, the day before the election (because I am writing this Monday afternoon), peace eludes me. I am so unsettled that I am binge-eating potato chips. I can’t recall the last time I had a bag of potato chips in the house or engaged in this type of eating behavior. This just is not me, someone who tries to eat healthy. But I am stressed.

I hope I feel differently in a few days. Feelings about my personal peace aside, I hope peace washes over the entire nation. We need it.

We need a calming, a break from all the negativity and barrage of craziness (a word I don’t often use and don’t particularly like, but it fits here). We need a return to normalcy and decency and respect.

We need to start caring about one another again, to stop the attacks and finger pointing and all the behavior that spirals us into discord. There’s been way too much bullying, too much name-calling, too many lies, too much degrading and hateful rhetoric. Too much. I want it to end. And I imagine I am not alone in feeling that way.

Peace. I’m talking inner peace. I’m talking peace within families and neighborhoods and schools and communities, where, even if we disagree, we can get along, set aside our differences, listen, compromise, work together.

When I was coming of age in the tumultuous early 1970s, peace was a buzzword. It was everywhere. On protest signs, in fingers flashed, in words spoken, on clothing, in pleas made… Looking back to that time period, I recognize that peace felt elusive then, too. But somehow we found our way back, until we didn’t.

NOTE: As the creator of this blog, I moderate all comments. This post is not meant to spark political sparring, but rather reflects my thoughts and feelings.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Vote, just vote November 4, 2024

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This shows a portion of a photo by Steve Somerstein featured in a 2015 exhibit, “Selma to Montgomery, Marching Along the Voting Rights Trail,” at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo)

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I voted early, in person. I waited in line for 30 minutes to cast my ballot. I didn’t mind. And I’m not a patient person. But this, this election, especially, I wanted to ensure that nothing would stop me from voting. Because we never know what life will throw at us at the last minute, I decided voting early was the right choice for me.

Genola City Hall, where I found a sample primary ballot posted on the door in September. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

A woman staffing my polling place shared that “busy” and “a steady stream” have been the norm at this location since absentee/early voting opened in Minnesota. It’s clear that people are invested in this election, more so than any I can ever recall. There’s a lot at stake. And we have a voice in the outcome.

A close-up of the sample primary ballot on the door of the Genola City Hall. Genola is a small town in Morrison County in central Minnesota. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

My ballot included not only the all important Presidential race, but also voting for those who will represent me in Washington DC, St. Paul and locally (school board, city council, mayor, etc.). There were additional questions on the ballot about a local sales tax and about continuing to fund environmental programs with state lottery monies.

I attended local candidate forums sponsored by the American Association of University Women, read newspaper Q & A’s and more to learn about people and issues on the ballot. The forums proved especially eye-opening. Audience members were able to anonymously submit written questions to the moderator and you can bet I did. People don’t always come across the same in person as they do in print or other media. The value of forums/debates/whatever you want to term them is in the unexpected. Being put on the spot. Hearing questions that may otherwise not have been asked. Listening not only to how a candidate responds, but also observing their body language and interaction with other candidates.

I photographed these ballot instructions inside an historic building at the fall 2024 Rice County Steam & Gas Engines Show, rural Dundas, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo September 2024)

When I went to my polling place, I knew exactly who would get my vote. I felt fully-informed. There was never a question about what’s important to me. I value honesty, integrity, compassion, a candidate who cares and truly represents the people he/she serves. An individual who works for the common good, not for himself/herself and his/her personal agenda and power. An individual who listens, to everyone. An individual who does not degrade others. At the local level, I want someone who keeps politics out of places they don’t belong. I value that. I value truth.

The American and Minnesota state flags fly on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I value freedom, democracy, the right to vote my conscience.

Please exercise your right to vote if you haven’t already done so. It’s your responsibility as an American.

NOTE: This post is not meant to spark political debate or discord, but rather to share the importance of voting and what centers my vote. As the creator of this blog, I moderate all comments. The decision whether to publish a comment or not is my choice.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Even scarier than Halloween October 31, 2024

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A Halloween mask and costumes for sale at Something for All, a thrift shop in Lonsdale, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

OCTOBER 31. Halloween, the one day when scary is celebrated in a big way. But October 31 also marks another notable day, the final day in Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is far scarier than any ghoulish, frightening, unsettling costume or event. Domestic violence and abuse are real. Real scary.

Warning signs of relationship abuse from an event held in Faribault many years ago.

Abuse can be physical, psychological/mental and/or emotional. Death, injuries, scars, trauma and so much more result from abuse which is, at its core, all about manipulation, power and control. Those can be insidious or blatant.

My fictional story, “Evidence,” is published in this anthology.

With that brief background, I am sharing a fictional story printed in Talking Stick 32—Twist in the Road, a literary anthology published by northern Minnesota based Jackpine Writers’ Bloc. I wrote “Evidence,” which won an honorable mention in the 2023 Talking Stick writing competition. Please read my story and then my comments following.

Some victims of domestic abuse/violence flee with minimal belongings in a single bag or suitcase. Some leave with nothing at all. Leaving marks the most dangerous time period when exiting an abusive relationship. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Evidence

She waited inside the bus station, body molded into a hard plastic chair, battered suitcase at her feet nudging shoes that needed a good polishing. Beverly felt restless, lost, as if at any moment she would awaken from her nightmare of a life. She pressed her right thumb into her sweaty left palm, a soothing habit that sometimes helped calm her. But not today.

Only hours earlier she’d fled to this place after tossing several changes of clothing alongside her diary in the bag now resting on the sticky, worn floor soiled by a thousand feet, a thousand stories. Today her story.

Her mind drifted to those first years when she wrote in flowery script, embellishing her writing with hearts. Love, so much love. He cherished her, loved her, embraced her with words and flowers and praise. Until he didn’t.

It was all so subtle, how Thomas, not Tom, chose to slip hurtful words into conversations, wearing her down. Day by day. Complaints of undone laundry and cold dinner and dirty dishes. And then the accusations flew. Where were you? Why were you speaking to him? Why can’t you ever do anything right? Then he slapped her. Repeatedly. Often.

She felt beaten. Weak. Exhausted. Trapped. Her writing reflected that, emotional words looping across the lined paper. Uneven and running together and sometimes nearly unreadable. Tears traced through the ink and wrinkled the pages.

For the longest time, she endured, pulled inside herself, determined she could do better, be better, love him more. Yet, it was never enough. Thomas continued to berate her, to find fault in everything she said and did. And she recorded it all in the journal zippered inside the suitcase stuffed in the back of their closet, the suitcase now at her feet. Evidence.

Beverly pulled herself back to reality, checked the time on the massive clock inside the bus station. Soon the Greyhound would roll in. She grabbed the worn handle of the battered bag, rose from the uncomfortable chair, and headed toward the boarding area. The momentum of hurrying passengers, their shoes slapping against the speckled linoleum, carried her. The bus doors pulsed open. Beverly stepped inside, handing her ticket to the driver. Her mood shifted, lightened with each step down the aisle until she saw him through the window, face flashing anger, fists clenched at his sides.

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This text was published in a book, “She Stays,” by Eric Staab-Absher, director of HOPE Center in Faribault. (Text copyright of Erica Staab-Absher)

COMMENTS: If you recognize yourself or someone you love in my fictional story, first know that you are not alone. Help is available through organizations that will support you and/or your family. That may be a shelter or an advocacy/outreach organization focused on preventing domestic violence, providing education and resources, and simply being there for you. If you’re not ready for that step, talk to a trusted friend or family member. Seek help.

Leaving an abuser is not easy. It’s scary and difficult. Even dangerous. But you (or someone you love) are so worth living a life free from manipulation, control, abuse and/or violence.

VIOLENCE FREE MINNESOTA has released its “2023 Homicide Report: Relationship Abuse in Minnesota.” In 2023, there were 40 confirmed victims of intimate partner and domestic violence-related homicides in the state. That’s the highest number since tracking began in 1989. Gunshot is the leading cause of deaths. This report honors victims across Minnesota with photos and information. It’s packed with statistics and other valuable information and is well worth your read. Click here to read the full report or a summary of it.

To learn more, start by clicking here to reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A wildflower mural blooms in Nerstrand October 30, 2024

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Wildflowers bloom on a mural along Main Street in Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

NERSTRAND, POPULATION 295, is one of those small towns where not a lot changes. Until something does, and then you notice.

The mural is painted onto a corner of WildWood of Nerstrand. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

On a recent drive through this community in far eastern Rice County, I noticed something new. A mural. The wildflower-themed painting stretches across a corner of a brick building marked as WildWood.

I found Jordyn Brennan’s signature down low on a lily stem. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
“Love for All,” a mural in Faribault that celebrates my community’s diversity. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I felt a sense of familiarity with the artwork. And then I saw Jordyn Brennan’s signature climbing the stem of a dwarf trout lily. The Minneapolis artist’s colorful “Love for All” mural, complete with hands signing the word “LOVE” and plenty of flowers, covers a spacious exterior building wall in the heart of downtown Faribault.

Heading east out of Nerstrand, WildWood is located at 315 Main Street, next to Lake Country Community Bank. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

And now her work can be seen in the heart of downtown Nerstrand on WildWood, a restored brick building housing an event space and photography studio. I peered through the window of the locked front door to see more brick and wood. Lovely. Rustic. Down-to-earth visually appealing.

The mural adds an inviting nature-themed backdrop to The Wilderness green space. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Tricia and Nick Streitz, with the help of family and friends, worked many years to renovate the space, which previously housed a woodcraft business and was then used for storage. Tricia’s business, Sweet Shibui Photography, is now located in a portion of the historic building. The rest is available to rent for gatherings in the 1,800 square foot The Great Room and outdoors in the 2,400 square foot The Wilderness green space.

A Monarch caterpillar spotted among the flowers. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
A bumblebee feeds on a coneflower. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)
Way down low on the mural, near the ground, I found this ladybug. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

But on this Saturday afternoon in late October, I focused on the mural of coneflowers, dwarf trout lilies, sunflower, butterfly weed and several other wildflowers unknown to me. I found a Monarch caterpillar, Monarch butterfly, dragonfly and bumblebee interspersed among the florals, almost missing a ladybug.

The mural is on the left side of the WildWood building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I love public art, especially in small towns where art is often not easily accessible. This mural splashes color into the few blocks that comprise Nerstrand’s downtown business area. But the mural is also a backdrop for The Wilderness outdoor gathering space. I can easily envision family and friends gathering here and on the concrete patio to celebrate a small wedding, an anniversary, a graduation, a baby or bridal shower, whatever brings people together in life’s celebratory moments. Yard games are part of the package rental. WildWood is hosting an indoor/outdoor Makers Market from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, November 16.

That’s the rare dwarf trout lily to the far left in this section of the mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

This day I celebrated the discovery of the wildflower mural on the side of a new business in town. The over-sized art honors nature, including the endangered dwarf trout lily, which only grows in three places (Rice, Steele and Goodhue counties) in the world. That includes in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park just to the west of town.

The WildWood name fits given the nearby Big Woods and Tricia Streitz’s backstory. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Even the name of the business, WildWood of Nerstrand, is decidedly appealing for the images it brings to mind. A favorite young adult book and treasured childhood memories of playing in the woods inspired the name, Tricia Streitz shares on the company website. Hers is a poetically-beautiful story. Imagine children running free, into the woods, building forts, climbing trees…

A Monarch butterfly lands on a coneflower in Jordyn Brennan’s mural. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

All of this I learned following a drive into a small Minnesota town, a town where not much changes. Until it does. I noticed the change. Stopped. Embraced the beauty of that wildflower mural, public art that reaches beyond art to connecting community in a celebratory space.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The art of Halloween in Paradise October 29, 2024

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This shows part of “Roach Motel,” mixed media art by Sara Caron. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

DARK, FRIGHTENING, CREEPY, unsettling and even sweet. That’s the mix of art you’ll see in a Halloween-themed gallery exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

A list of the Halloween Group Show artists hangs in the gallery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Eleven artists participated in the Halloween Group Show. This collection shows how these creatives took a theme and created a diversity of art with mixed media, stained glass, acrylic, intagio, clay… The results are as varied as Halloween costumes. And I loved it, even if a bit creeped out by some of the artwork.

“Hand of the Beholder” by Sara Caron. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Take Sara Caron’s “Roach Motel” mixed media piece featuring a flower-potted mannequin crawling with roaches. Or her “Hand of the Beholder” broken fingers on a hand nestled in netting, presumably a bridal veil. There’s definitely some underlying meaning going on here as implied by the title.

“Smile” by Taylor Sterling. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Taylor Sterling’s blood-dripping, eye-popping, cracked skull acrylic painting titled “Smile” also taps into Halloween’s ghoulish side.

This shows a portion of Breanna Adams’ piece, “Lady Dina and Dark Horse.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Likewise Breanna Adams’ “Lady Dina and Dark Horse” reminded me of an unnerving performer I saw on the television show “America’s Got Talent.” Not that the AGT contestant was half pumpkin-head like Adams’ girl whose face is mostly veiled by long, dark hair. But that’s where my mind went…back to AGT. The uneasiness I felt then and in viewing the “Lady Dina” painting were the same.

“Johnny Cash as Frankenstein,” a stained glass mosaic by Sushila Anderson. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

How we see and react to art is part of the artistic experience. Only the artist truly knows why they created what they did, how they did. As a writer, I was recently asked about the ending of a short story, an award-winning dark piece I wrote within the constraints of word count limits. It intentionally leaves the reader hanging. I couldn’t tell my sister-in-law how “Dear Mother” ends, because even I don’t know. Sometimes creativity simply flows without understanding of its root source or conclusion. I expect that can apply to both literary and visual art.

Yulia Sholomova’s trio of costumed kitty paintings titled, left to right, “Bedtime Tales,” “Warm mug,” and “Favorite Doll.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Or maybe the 11 artists featured in the Paradise Halloween show can tell you exactly what inspired them. Perhaps memories of trick-or-treating or fears or going through a haunted house or a long ago Halloween costume party.

Three top honors were given in the exhibit as judged by artist Tami Resler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Yulia Sholomova’s trio of costumed sweet ghost kitties done in acrylics certainly lends itself to warm, cozy feelings. Her “Favorite Doll” painting earned first place in the group show. Sushila Anderson got second place for her “Johnny Cash as Frankenstein” stained glass mosaic. And Caron earned third place for that bug-infested mannequin.

“Cat with Pumpkins 1” by Julie Fakler. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

Julie Fakler, who creates animal portraits and is the executive director of the Paradise, brings her talent to the show in clay, including the cutest cat nestled between pumpkins.

This shows a section of Aaron Dawley’s “Trick or Treat” artwork. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

There are many other pieces to be seen and appreciated, including art by Alison Albright, Aaron Dawley, Justin Delesha, Char Johnson and Sue Leech. It’s a real treat to view this Halloween Group Show, which runs until November 16.

Just inside the gallery door, a creepy clown holds this sign promoting the Halloween bar crawl. Chel Mattson created the poster art. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

FYI: The Paradise Center for the Arts is hosting a Fari “Boo” Bar Crawl fundraiser from 7-11 pm Friday, November 1, at the center and at four downtown Faribault bars. The event includes a costume contest, optional tarot card and psychic readings (for an additional fee), a horror movie, music, snacks and costume awards ceremony. For details, click here.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

About that PUMPKIN SPICE OIL CHANGE October 28, 2024

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A pumpkin spice sign, far left, banners a fence at Glenn’s on the corner of Central Avenue and Seventh Street NW in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

ONLY At…Glenn’s For A Limited Time. PUMPKIN SPICE OIL CHANGE.

That message bannering a corner fence at Glenn’s Service, a full service auto repair shop, gas station and towing service, 628 Central Avenue North, Faribault, certainly grabbed my attention. Not that I needed an oil change given my sort-of-retired automotive machinist husband services our vans. But, I wondered, what exactly is a PUMPKIN SPICE OIL CHANGE?

The sign led me to call Glenn’s and ask about that oil change. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

So I called Glenn’s, expecting to learn that oil change customers will be treated to a pumpkin spice latte. Not that I’ve ever had a latte. I haven’t. I brew my own plain black decaff coffee at home in my mini coffee pot. Nothing fancy for this girl, although I wouldn’t mind trying a fancy coffee drink.

The guy who answered the phone—the guy who isn’t Glenn, because Glenn passed away years ago—told me the whole PUMPKIN SPICE OIL CHANGE offer is a joke. Oh, so there’s no free pumpkin spice latte with an oil change? Nope. I didn’t ask for a detailed explanation because I know service stations are often busy places and I didn’t need to take anymore of this guy’s time. But he did volunteer that a customer had the sign made for the shop a few years back.

Glenn Rasmussen opened the business at this location in 1937. In 2010, Glenn’s son Donny sold the business to the Bock family, dad Bruce and his son, Steve. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2024)

I can only imagine mechanics and customers joking about pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that. And then coming up with that PUMPKIN SPICE OIL CHANGE idea and someone ordering a banner and the guys hanging the sign, laughing the entire time.

It’s clever marketing, for sure. Humor works in marketing as does a message that elicits interest. That banner at Glenn’s has likely been the source of more than one entertaining story between oil changes, car repairs, tows…during this season of all things pumpkin spice.

© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling