Right Wisdom

Bluffing Wisconsin/Minnesota Style

2026-09-05T12:29:36.881-05:00

Work is getting in the way of my blogging so I'm catching up on some things I wanted to write about. First of all be sure to check out my other two blogs, bvftw.blogspot.com and sportsshortshots.blogspot.com. I'll be writing on those today as well.

Before my son headed off to college we had one last day trip. My son likes to plan and take trips to different places. This time one of his friends tagged along. We had a great time as we drove to LaCrosse WI checking out hiking trails and the beautiful bluff country in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Our first stop was Maiden Rock Bluff in Pepin Wisconsin. This hike was a fairly easy walk along a mowed trail on a prairie landscape. This trail brought us out to the "Madien Rock" overlooking lake Pepin, with beautiful views and hawks flying overhead.

Our next stop was in the quaint town of Alma Wisconsin and a drive up to Buena Vista Park. This park is on top of a bluff overlooking the mighty Mississippi and the town of Alma. We ate our picnic lunch under one of the pavilions. Try not to use the restroom here as it was being overtaken by spiders and spider webs.

Our next stop was at Perrot State Park and as the boys climbed the steep trail to Brady Bluff I checked out the confluence of the Trempealeau and Mississippi Rivers. Did you know that if you're not a Wisconsin residence you pay more to visit their state parks.

In LaCrosse we visited the Dahl Car Museum. They have some old and some new cars in the museum and is was a lot of fun talking to Jim the man who was in charge that day. If you are in LaCrosse be sure to check this out. The cost is very reasonable. We'd been to LaCrosse before so we didn't spend too much time there except at the museum. I can tell you that they have finished the painting of the world's largest 6 pack of beer. Last time we were there it was under renovation.

We like to stop at large roadside attractions and we found two along the way. We found the world's largest catfish in Trempealeau WI and the world's largest sunfish in Onalaska WI.

On our way back home we traveled up the Minnesota side of the Mississippi and didn't hike any bluffs but we did visit Frontenac Sate Park and enjoyed an overlook that we were able to drive to. We stopped in Red Wing and had dinner at Andy's Sports Bar & Grill. We always like to eat local when we are on these trips.

My highlight of the trip was on our way back having two eighteen year olds picking Chrisitan songs and singing along to them. Praising and worshiping God for the beauty we just enjoyed and knowing these two have a heart for Jesus.

Back To School

2026-08-11T11:39:59.604-05:00

In just a few short weeks the kids will be heading back to school. I head back on Monday. I'm a teacher and with school just around the corner I want to reflect on those days of anticipation when we made that pilgrimage back to school.

As a teacher heading back to school is excitement (at least for me). A chance to see a new batch of kids, teach a subject you love (math), and interact with colleagues. As parents it was great to get the kids back to a regular routine and done telling you they are bored. I'm sending one off to college so he won't even be around, it will be different being an empty nester.

Kids heading back to school was different. While it is possible we didn't mind connecting with friends, getting some new clothes, or learning something new it was that sense of rigidness that we didn't like. It was having to follow a routine. The summer was a time to be free, do what you want (within reason), play with friends, sleep in, and not eat school lunches.

For me personally my birthday always fell on the first week of school which was always a bummer. Despite my birthday technically being a summer birthday I didn't reap the benefits of a summer birthday because we were all back in school. I also didn't always get recognized at school because it was too early in the year and they hadn't worked out all the kinks yet.

Growing up in Minneapolis in the 60's and 70's we didn't have school buses to take us to school. When in elementary school we were close enough to walk so that is what we did. In my early years we even walked home for lunch and would watch Casey Jones. Once we got into Junior High and High School we took the city bus to school.

I really don't remember hating the thought of going back to school it was more the disruption to the freedom of summer that brought about the dislike. It seemed a lot less stressful back in my day than it does today. Of course we didn't have social media back then so it was our own little world that could bring us the joy and the sorrow.

I'd love to hear what my readers think about their days of going back to school.

Rhymes with Purple?

2026-08-04T13:01:10.567-05:00

There aren't many words that rhyme with purple so I can understand why the University of Wisconsin Whitewater doesn't use any in their slogans. Here are a few of those words that are exact rhymes but there are others that you can twist or make work.

Curple: A term referring to the hindquarters of a horse.
Hirple: A Scottish term meaning to walk with a limp.
Empurple: To make something purple.
Interpel: To interrupt or question someone formally.

You might wonder why am I mentioning UW Whitewater and the color purple? Last week we took our son to orientation at the campus and their colors are purple and white. It is a beautiful campus and Whitewater Wisconsin is a beautiful little town.

Last summer we took a tour but this time was more about registering and learning more about the school and expectations. We did do some walking but we didn't have to hirple around the campus.

The school comes up with little slogans but none of them rhyme with purple. We got water bottles that said "Proud to be Purple" so they do use alliteration.

My son is going in as a Sophmore since he earned credits via PSEO and an AP course he took in high school. He is a Geography major with a music minor so he will have ample opportunity to Interpel ideas and concepts in his class.

We did not see his exact dorm room but we saw a sample of what his dorm room will look like and from the looks of things they want you to empurple everything.

The mascot is a warhawk (not sure what that is). If they would have been smart they would have had a horse as their mascot then everyone would have seen a lot of curples at their sporting events.

All in all is was a fun trip and great to see our son excited to get his next chapter of life going. I can say we are a proud warhawk family and proud to be purple and not a curple.

Canada or Bust

2026-07-23T14:28:10.436-05:00

This week I'm on vacation in northern Minnesota. I want to share some sights and sounds of where I went and what I did.

Every summer we go to Wilderness Point Resort in Pequot Lakes. During this time, my son always plans another side trip that he and I take. This year our side trip consisted of a trip to Rainy River in Ontario, Canada, along with several stops along the way.

My son collects city halls he takes pictures of them and posts them on a discord server. Our first stop was a visit to the Walker, MN city hall. Along the way to Canada we also stopped and got city hall photos for the following cities: Cass Lake, Black Duck, and Kelliher.

A big highlight was getting out in Shooks and taking a picture at the Royal Shooks Motel. Shooks is an unincorporated community, but at the intersection of highways 1 and 72 is the hotel, conveniently located in the middle of nowhere.

In Minnesota and the upper Midwest, there is the legend of Paul Bunyan. We like to visit as many of the Legend's various statues and places. In Kelliher, Minnesota, there is Paul's grave and headstone. We had to stop and pay our respects to the giant lumberjack.

From Kelliher to Baudette there is not too much to see except for the Big Bog Recreation Area. There is a boardwalk you can walk along to see the bog, the nature area, and Ludlow Pond. We stopped there, hiked along the boardwalk, and took in God's beautiful creation. If you are in the area I highly recommend you visit this beautiful area.

When we got to Baudette (The walleye capital of the world), we took in an adventure lab. This is a type of geocache; instead of finding a container, you are visiting various locations in a city and answering questions. One of the stops on the adventure lab was seeing a roadside attraction, another thing we like to do. This roadside attraction was visiting Willy the Walleye statue, a giant walleye statue. Of course my son got a picture of the Baudette city hall.

Across the border into Canada is Rainy River our final destination before heading back to the cabin. In Rainy River we decided to eat first at a little bakery that also served lunch. When in Canada you must get poutine. My son ate most of the poutine, lunch was delicious. We did an adventure lab, visited a river side park, and got a tour of a train museum. It is always fun to learn about the history of cities we visit. This beaver was part of the adventure lab and it was outside the visitor center.

On the way back we stopped at the southern part of Big Bog State Park and saw part of Red Lake. We also stopped at numerous other city halls.

One thing I am going to start to do during these summer months is visit small town baseball games. Minnesota is big on town ball on Saturday I went to a town called Nimrod and watched the Nimrod Gnats play baseball and win 16-3 over the Vergas.

There are some of the highlights of my week.

Math, It's For Everyone!

2026-07-08T13:34:21.092-05:00

I used to write a lot on this blog about leadership and you can still read all of those blog postings. I may still write about leadership but this blog and my other two will focus on things I enjoy. Not to say I don't enjoy leadership but I'll be mixing it up more. I have a bible verse for the week blog and a sport blog and those will focus on those things.

This Blog will focus on leadership, politics, trips, math and topics I find interesting. Today I want to mention that I started a YouTube channel on math topics. I posted my first one last week and it dealt with finding 10s when adding a lot of numbers together.

Whether you like math or find it to be the worst thing in the world please know that math is everywhere and in everything you do. Math isn't about crunching numbers, it isn't made to torture you. Math is more about problem solving, understanding processes, and making things easier.

Everyone can be successful in math; you just have to understand the language of math. It also helps to be good at head math, solving simple things in your head. I'm a big proponent of no calculators especially for the easy stuff you should have learned in grade school. If you have to find a log or a sine or a cosine calculators are necessary.

One thing I will show in my videos are quick and easy hacks that will help you be better at the head math. I'll also show fun and interesting things about math that will hopefully pique your curiosity and you will want to explore more. If you are interested, have kids who are struggling with math, people who like math then subscribe and watch my math videos, some will be very short others may be a bit longer. I'll try to post one weekly.

Here is the link to my YouTube Channel. Math Channel

250 Years Strong!!

2026-07-02T13:18:56.115-05:00

In two days, America will be 250 years old. I remember celebrating the 200th birthday of America, they had special quarters to commemorate the occasion and there were parades and other events surrounding the celebration. It really brought everyone in America together with a sense of pride and love for the country, despite what the country had gone through.

Fast forward 50 years, and the climate of America isn't too different from that of 1976, when America was divided about the Vietnam War, Watergate, and the 60s civil rights movement. There are people out there today who hate America and they live in this country. To me America is still the greatest country on earth.

The freedoms we have in America are unmatched, and the ability to write your own destiny and be what you want to be is up to you. The government isn't going to tell you what career you need to go into. They aren't going to stop your creativity or your ingenuity. On the flip side however don't expect the government to babysit you and coddle you. It isn't up to the government to feed you, clothe you and give you money. Go out and do what made and makes America great work your can off in a profession you love. If you don't like the amount of money you make then do something about it, further your education, work harder to get promoted, or start your own business. That is what makes America great it is up to you.

Another thing that makes America great is the diversity of cultures. How many other countries can you find restaurants from every corner of the world all in the same city. In America we celebrate special cultural days like St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, and Diwali just to name a few.

Even though this nation was founded and built on Christian values the government isn't going to impose a religion on you. You can worship whoever or whatever you want as long without retribution. For more details read the 1st Amendment especially the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.

July 4th is our opportunity to come together as Americans and celebrate this beautiful nation of people, landscape and culture. Let's all come together regardless of race, religion affiliation, financial status, or location and celebrate what a great nation this is. Let's keep it great for another 250 years.

Festivals 6/26 to 6/28

2026-06-26T12:34:45.395-05:00

This week I'm writing about upcoming festivals for this weekend. I'd love to hear from you about festivals you've attended and ones you would like to go to.

There are always a lot more than I highlight here in my blog. Make sure if none of these pique your curiosity then do some research on ones you might like.

MINNESOTA FESTIVALS:

Afton Strawberry Festival (Afton, MN): June 27th to June 28th: Are you interested in visiting a historic small town on the beautiful St. Croix river? Then head to Afton this weekend. They are holding their annual Strawberry Festival. This free outdoor event features over 80 makers and artists, vintage vendors, and delicious strawberry-themed treats. Afton Strawberry Festival

Dan Patch Days (Savage, MN): June 25th to June 28th: First of all, the big question is: Who is Dan Patch? Dan Patch was a standardbred pacer from the early 1900s when harness racing was a huge sport. He was the fastest pacer at the time. If you want to stay closer to the Twin Cities then this kid-friendly, highly active community festival celebrates summer and Dan Patch. It includes music, food, and live performances. Dan Patch Days

Loons & Lakes Festival (Crosslake, MN): June 26th - June 27th. If you are heading up north then this might be of interest to you. Enjoy outdoor, family-friendly events, including guided loon pontoon boat tours at the Cross Lake Recreation Area. As well as vendors, exhibitors, food trucks and live music. Loons & Lakes

WISCONSIN FESTIVAL:

I'll try to feature a festival from another state. Today it is Wisconsin. If you have a state you are visiting and would like me to feature festivals please let me know.

Murals In Menomonie (Menomonie, WI): June 24th to June 28th. Twelve large-scale murals will be painted in and around Menomonie. Come and watch the artists paint, enjoy live music, social events, a farmers market, and even a kids' play area. These murals will celebrate the history of Menomonie and the surrounding area. I always enjoy seeing the murals painted in towns, it can give you a history lesson of the area. Murals

That is all for this week. Please drop a comment and be sure to check out my other blogs.

Weekend Festivals

2026-06-19T15:17:18.827-05:00

One thing I used to do on this blog was to write about festivals in Minnesota. Every Friday during the summer, I am going to give you a list of some things you can do in and around Minnesota to enjoy what cities and towns have to offer.

Maybe you are a music person and you like to go to music festivals. If art is your thing then an art festival might be in the offing. Maybe sports are your thing and you want to know about local sporting events. Or maybe you just want to experience a bit of Americana and see what small towns, suburbs, and big cities are doing to celebrate their town.

What is happening June 19th - 21st.

In the Cities:

Stone Arch Bridge Festival June 20-21: Come and enjoy the Mississippi waterfront in Minneapolis and listen to music, enjoy art, and people watch. Of course there will be food there for you to eat. Here is a link to more information https://stonearchbridgefestival.com/

If you prefer St. Paul and you love Jazz.

Twin Cities Jazz Festival June 19 - 20: Head over to Mears Park in Saint Paul to enjoy one of the Midwest's largest free jazz events. Here are some of the musicians who are performing Yellowjackets, JazzMN Orchestra, Yogev Shetrit Trio, Sullivan Fortner Trio, and many others. Check out this link for more information https://www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com/

If you prefer to avoid Minneapolis and St Paul check out these two that are closer to the cities.

Buffalo Days June 14-21: Maybe you like to see a city you've never seen go to Buffalo MN besides taking in these events see how many Buffalo statues you can find. Head to Sturges Park in Buffalo for a multi-day family celebration featuring a beer garden, DJs, and a free carnival. https://www.buffalochamber.org/event/buffalo-days
Cottage Grove Strawberry Festival June 18-21: How about visiting Cottage Grove for the Strawberry Festival. Located at Kingston Park in Cottage Grove enjoy live music, food, and family fun to kick off the summer harvest. https://www.cottagegrovestrawberryfest.com/

There are a number of Juneteeth Celebrations. Check out the internet for a local one near you.

Outstate:

If you are outside the metro area there are always a number of festivals happening in small towns around the state. Here are a few happening this weekend.

Grand Marais June 19-21: If you want to visit Lake Superior in one of the cutest small towns (My Favorite) then come to Grand Marais for the Summer Solstice and Wooden Boat Festival. It is sponsored by the Boat House Folk School and will display many crafts and you can enjoy the longest day of the year at one of the most beautiful places on earth. https://northhouse.org/events/summer-solstice-festival-2026

Virginia MN June 20-21: Land of the Loon Festival staying up north in Virgina MN you can celebrate the diversity of the area by enjoying a wide range of ethnic foods, arts & crafts, and music from around the world. Located in Olcott Park come and enjoy the fun and check out the iron range while you are there. https://www.landoftheloonfestival.com/

Pine River MN June 19-20: If you are a Country Music fan you will want to attend the Rocks n' Cows Country Music Festival. A weekend full of relaxing, camping, food, and of course country music. A few of the artists who will be performing: Mark Petersen Band, Moonlight Mile, Dalton Dailey, Tennessee Jet, and many others. Location is at the Cass County Fairgrounds in Pine River. https://www.rocksncowsfest.com/

If you don't live in Minnesota check out areas around your location for festivals near you. As the summer goes on I try to include one from outside of Minnesota.

Look for more festivals next Friday on my Blog.

Who Is Up for the UP?

2026-06-14T18:33:29.193-05:00

My son likes to plan trips. One he had planned that we just returned from was a 3-day trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My wife, son, and I had never been to the UP. Being from Minnesota, I have made many trips to the North Shore of Minnesota enjoying views of Lake Superior and other sites in the area. I assumed the UP would be very similar, and for the most part it was, but there were some differences.

I'm going to write about some of the highlights of the trip, and I'll point out some differences that I observed.

The first day found us traveling through Wisconsin. Our ultimate destination was Houghton Michigan. Let me tell you about Houghton.

HOUGHTON:

Right outside our hotel is the visitor center for the Isle Royal National Park. We visited the visitor center but didn't go to Isle Royal. That would be a fun trip to take but if we go we will leave from Grand Portage in Minnesota because you can just spend the day on the island and you don't have to camp.

We learned a little bit about the history of Houghton through an adventure lab we did. An adventure lab is a type of geocache except instead of finding a container you are instead finding a location and answering a question and educating yourself on that location. We do these whenever we go to a town and there is one available. In fact we did 4 of them. Besides the Houghton one we also learned about Hancock, Calumet and Fort Wilkins. It is a fun way to learn about places you visit.

Another thing we always like to do is eat at a local restaurant. In Houghton there is a restaurant called The Library this is so the students attending Michigan Tech can tell their parents they spent all night at the Library. The food was really good and the layout and decor was like an old library with books everywhere.

CALUMET:

Calumet was probably my favorite city we visited because of the preservation of the old buildings. Here is a picture of the type of buildings they are preserving in Calumet.

Besides admiring the architecture we also did an adventure lab and it told some interesting stories about the old buildings. One story you can read about at this link Italian Hall Disaster.

COPPER HARBOR:

Copper Harbor is a cute little town almost at the end of the Keweenaw Peninsula. We had stopped and had seen a lot before we got here. We decided to eat lunch at The Tamarack Inn restaurant that closed at 3. Everything in the town closed at 3. Fortunately, we got in there about 2:40. I had Lake Superior Whitefish for lunch (delicious). Because everything closed at 3 I wasn't able to get dessert at Jamsen's Bakery, a donut glazed in thimbleberry.

OTHER SITES:

Before we got to Copper Harbor, we stopped at several waterfalls and lighthouses. We drove up the Brockway Mountain road to one of the most picturesque views you will ever see. These pictures don't do it justice. One side you see this valley with the lake and the other side you see Lake Superior.

Here is a short video of the valley.

After Copper Harbor we drove the loop around the other side and headed back toward Houghton. We stopped at a number of spots along the way and the one thing that I found different from the Minnesota North Shore is the seemingly desolation parts of the Keweenaw Peninsula. We would drive for a while without encountering anyone, and stopping at places they would not be as busy as you might expect.

One place we stopped at was a small town called Gay. We found an actual geocache there. We also found this interesting plaque on the ground at a park, "On This Site in 1897 Nothing Happened". A random small town on Lake Superior with a goofy plaque in a random park.

There is so much to see and I could show you so many more pictures. The last thing I want to share is the next day, when we were heading back home we made a stop at the Porcupine Mountains (The Porkies). This is a state park and we were able to drive up to the lookout and while the views on Brockway Mountain were spectacular these also were extremely remarkable. Be sure to experience the Porkies as well as the whole UP. It is a beautiful place to visit. I definitely would go back.

Leave a comment and let me know places you've visited and found to be beautiful or fun.

The Heart

2026-06-08T16:57:45.979-05:00

The heart is a very fragile organ, and yet it is the most important organ in the human body. Today I'm going to write about the heart.

There are a lot of phrases and idioms that have the word heart in them. Some examples of these can be found at the following webpage https://www.thoughtco.com/heart-idioms-and-expressions-1210654. I'm sure many of you have used some of these in the past, I know I have. These are fun to use and think about but how many of them actually hold truth.

The truth of the matter is that we need to take care of the heart. Treat it like the important organ it is.

A little over a year ago, I had an ablation done on my heart because my heart was in Afib for quite a while. Both of those sound scary, but they really aren't too serious. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is what an ablation is.

Cardiac ablation is a minimally invasive procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib) that creates tiny scars in the heart to block faulty electrical signals. It is highly effective for restoring a normal heart rhythm and improving quality of life, especially when medications fail or cause harsh side effects.

This procedure was successful for me as I have been in normal heart rhythm since. However, about a week after that procedure, I was back in the hospital with congestive heart failure. They told me this can happen after that type of procedure. Here is what congestive heart failure is.

Congestive heart failure is a long-term condition that happens when your heart can’t pump blood well enough to give your body a normal supply. Blood and fluids collect in your lungs and legs over time. Medications and other treatments help manage symptoms like swelling. Congestive heart failure is life-limiting for many.

They got the fluid out of me and put me on a low sodium diet. Everything is back to normal. So why did I write about this. The heart is so important that you need to take care of it. Make sure if you feel anything strange that you get to a doctor. Make sure to also verify if your family has a history of heart issues and stay on top of monitoring your heart and taking care of it.

Get to the heart of the matter and make sure you stay healthy. Especially as you get older.

Consistent Writing

2026-06-04T13:03:28.452-05:00

I wrote on this blog about a year ago that I was going to be more consistent with writing. Well, how did that go? I wrote a few more blogs after that and then I went silent. I apologize if you were looking for some consistent insight into my world but life/work got in the way.

Here I am a year later writing again. Hopefully this time I will be more consistent. Please send me messages of things you might like me to write about. I will recap some of the trips I have planned this summer.

My son graduated from High School this year and will be heading off to college. I decided not to run for city council but throw my support behind some other well qualified candidates. With all that I should have more time to write.

I'm going to work on some things to write about and I'll be back tomorrow with a list of some topics and dates soo you will know when to read my blog.

Vacation

2025-07-12T13:35:00.001-05:00

I just got back from being on vacation. I spent a week at a lake in northern Minnesota. One tradition my son and I have when we are up there is that we take a day and travel to different parts of the state. My son posts pictures of city halls throughout Minnesota. His goal is to get every city hall in Minnesota. Here is a link to his Instagram account that shows pictures of the ones he has visited. City Halls

The other thing we like to do is check out roadside attractions. On our last trip we saw a number of them. Here are the ones we saw and where they were located.

Colonel Cobber located in Backus Minnesota. In Backus they celebrate a corn fest every year.

Lucette Kensack located in Hackensack Minnesota. This is Paul Bunyan's girlfriend

World's largest Tiger Muskie located in Nevis Minnesota.

World's largest Dilly Bar located outside a Dairy Queen in Moorhead Minnesota. Unfortunately you can't eat this one. But we did get one you could eat, of course it was just the normal size.

World's largest Turkey located in Frazee Minnesota. Don't be fooled by the smaller one by a gas station.

We also saw this big beautiful troll named Alexa located in Detroit Lakes.

We drove from Pequot Lakes Minnesota to Fargo North Dakota and stopped at a lot of little towns in between. On my next post I'll write more in depth about some of the other things we saw and did along the way.

Team of Rivals

2025-06-23T13:59:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to give you a book review. My favorite books to read are non-fiction books about baseball seasons, baseball players, presidents, or history. The book I'm currently reading and almost done with is "Team Of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin published in 2005. This book is 754 pages and I have 23 pages left so I think I can give you a good indication about the book.

This book is really a retelling of the political career and presidency of Abraham Lincoln as told through extensive research into diaries and memoirs of those who worked closely with Lincoln. I have really enjoyed this book and the writing of Kearns. She is able to piece together all of her information about Lincoln's presidency and life during that time. She gives us up close narratives of the behind the scenes at the White House and his cabinet especially during the civil war.

More often than not Presidents will give cabinet spots to friends. This book shows that Lincoln surrounded himself with not necessarily friends but instead the best person for the job. He chose people who ran against him for the presidency in 1860 because he knew they would do a good job. Not everyone in his cabinet agreed with him on slavery however Lincoln's attitude toward it changed throughout the civil war. The civil war at first wasn't about slavery it was about preserving the union and preventing the southern states from secession. However, it became evident that the one thing that was dividing it was slavery and it had to be dealt with in order the preserve the union. The emancipation proclamation was not only Lincoln's way to free the slaves but also his way to get them to fight for the Union.

I'm not going to give too much more since everyone should be learning about this stuff in history in school. I highly recommend this book as a good winter read. Despite 754 pages it reads quickly and the copy I'm reading (paperback) has two sections of pictures which gives you some visuals into how everyone looked. One picture shows troops in the White House and the caption read "Even during the Civil War, ordinary people had nearly unlimited access to the White House. Volunteer troops bivouacked in the East Room in May 1861." Could you imagine if we could "bivouac" in the White House today.

Great book, great writing and you get learn something. Go read "Team of Rivals".

Where Have I Been?

2025-06-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

The title of this article is apropos since I haven't blogged in almost 12 years. I plan to start this blog up again and try to blog on a consistent basis. I will also be broadening the topics that I write about. Be sure to subscribe so you can get notifications about when I post.

So what have I been up to since that October day in 2013 when I made my last blog? Let me recap for you. When that post happened I was in the middle of my Toastmaster journey and I'm happy to say that I crossed the Toastmaster finish line by earning my DTM. I didn't continue in Toastmasters after that since I changed jobs and took my leadership skills to Mathnasium and started running a Mathnasium in Blaine MN in 2016. I got the opportunity to blend my education degree with my MBA and use it as the Director of the Mathnasium in Blaine. I also had the opportunity to be the director at one in St Louis Park and one in Andover. I ran these until 2023 when I decided to go back into the classroom and teach.

In 2023 I started teaching math again. It was nice to get back into the classroom. I taught at a Charter school in East Bethel MN named Star of The North Academy. I taught math to 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. I only worked their for a year because an opportunity came up for me to teach at PACT Charter school, 10 minutes from home and where my son attends. I was supposed to be the intervention teacher but the needed a 7th grade teacher so I taught one intervention class, three 7th grade pre-algebra, one 7th grade honors pre-algebra and one personal finance class. I also coached boys middle school soccer, 1st-2nd grade boys basketball, and the assistant speech coach. I'm looking forward to next year and teaching intervention only and doing some more coaching.

In 2024 I dipped my toe, maybe not dipped but dove in to the political realm. I ran for city council and it was really a lot of fun to meet new people and practice utilizing all those leadership skills. Unfortunately I didn't win but I'm leaning toward running again in 2026. I'll keep everyone posted on that decision. It is true what they say once you run for office you get the bug and have the desire to run again.

Not all I've done has been work related. I spent time participating in some APBA tournaments, joined an APBA league, taking day trips with my son around Minnesota, and recently one of my daughters got married.

Look for my next article in a few days.

The Journey Day 93

2013-10-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday October 1st the Frontier Division Speech contest was held. What a fantastic event it was! We had 6 contestants for the Table Topics contest and 6 contestants for the Humorous speech contest. We packed the facilities with guests, contestants and helpers from across District 6. There were even a number of Toastmaster dignitaries there to enjoy the festivities.

As Division governor I have the task of putting together this contest. However it could not be possible with out great helpers and quality contestants. Leaders must always find those people who have the vision to take things to the next level. Whether you are leading a project at work, coordinating a special event or leading a department the most difficult thing in leadership is making sure you have quality people surrounding you.

The six area governors for the Frontier Division put on fantastic contests and sent quality contestants to the next level (The division contest). A big thank you to my 6 area governors, Ed Mason 21, Ellen Brockmann 22, Judi Holloway 23, Teri Recht 24, Jay Redington 25, Janice Janes 26. I have a great leadership team.

I will be sending a formal video thank you to all those who helped at the contest. I want to thank my Toastmaster Dan Grundtner for a job well done. Also the contest chair Cathy Olson who coordinated a great feast of food and helped with some finishing touches on the contest.

Most of all congratulations to the top three in each contest for giving a great Table Topics Response and a wonderful humorous speech.

Table Topics:

3rd Place: Noel Field

2nd Place: Stephanie Morse-Noland

1st Place: Brian Nordling

Brian Nordling, The Trio and me

Ashley Melville, The Trio and me

Humorous Speech:

3rd Place: Jason Sonnek

2nd Place: Jeffrey Fish

1st Place: Ashley Melville

Leadership isn't easy but it can be if you surround yourself with quality individuals who make leading easy. The first three months as Frontier Division Governor has not been easy but it has been fun and we are working to make new leaders in District 6.

The Journey Day 77

2013-09-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

Contest season has begun all across District 6 Toastmasters. Clubs are finishing their contests and the Areas are conducting theirs. One Division contest has finished and nine more lay ahead in the coming weeks. The culmination is a trip to Thunder Bay for the District 6 Humorous and Table Topics contest.

In the Frontier Division Area 26 completed their contest on Wednesday evening. It was a fun and exciting contest. The winner of the Table Topics contest was Stephanie Morse-Nolund and the winner of the Humorous contest was Sonja Froyen. All contestants did an excellent job. A big thanks you to Janice Janes the Area 26 governor for a great contest.

The Frontier Division has three more area contests this week. Tuesday is area 24, Wednesday is area 21 and Thursday is area 23. It will be agreat week for the Frontier Division as three more areas crown their representatives for the Division Contest.

The division contest will be held on October 1st at Deluxe Corporation. Please join in the celebration as we crown the best of the Frontier Division.

The Journey Day 62

2013-09-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I last wrote about my journey as the Frontier Division Governor for District 6 Toastmasters. We have been in the throes of officer training and is has been a hectic month of August. August 31st spells the end of officer training and it is time to evaluate how the Frontier Division did in getting their officers trained.

I want to first commend my Area Governors for a job well done on training officers. They did a great job and they also encouraged and club officers to attend. Our goal in the Frontier Division was to be 7 for 7 for every club in the Division. I know what you are saying, "That is a tall and almost impossible task". It may seeem daunting but we thought we could do it. If we couldn't reach taht goal maybe we could get all the clubs to have at least four trained so they wouldn't lose their DCP point.

How did we do? These numbers may change as some final day numbers and adjustments may be made. As it stands now the Frontier Division did quite well. We have 30 clubs in the Frontier Division. Of these 30 clubs 20 of them were 7 of 7 officers trained that is 66%, awesome job! Of the 30 clubs 28 of them had 4 or more officerss trained only two failed to get the required number of 4 officers trained, this is 93% of the clubs had four or more officers trained, great job! We had 210 officers that needed training 184 of them received training that is 88% of the officers trained in the Frontier Division.

As you can see it was successful in our efforts to train the officers however there is room for improvement. For the second round of officer training we will be shooting for 100% across the board in the Frontier Division. The next round is from December - February.

As we enter into September we are gearing up for contest time. Humorous and Table topics are the contests this fall. Look for more on that later.

Congratulations Area Governors on a job well done with officer training.

The Journey, Day 24

2013-07-28T22:35:00.000-05:00

I held my first Frontier Division Council meeting on Wednesday 7/24. I spent the first 30-40 minutes training on how to put on a contest. Thanks to some previous material other Toastmasters had created I only had to create my powerpoint with my perspective and use the information previously created.

We then spent the remaining 50-60 minutes talking about challenges and how each of the area governors are doing with their areas. We talked about the contest dates. The Frontier Division contest is on 10/1 and all the areas need to have theirs done before that date. We also talked about officer training. All officers from each club within the District should get trained and the Division and Area Governors do the training.

Part of being a leader is making sure those you lead are well trained and ready for their leadership roles. The Frontier Division will work as a team to make sure we service all the clubs and their members within the Frontier Division.

Looking forward to my continued journey. I have six excellent area governors and I am excited to work with all six of them.

Looking forward to helping them out with some officer training, coming up Monday and then throughout August.

The Journey, Day 20

2013-07-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

I spent Saturday at the District 6 TLI (Toastmasters Leadership Institute). I got the opportunity to training the VP Education officers. Had a lot of fun telling them about the DCP (Distinguished Club Program). I handed out index cards and those who didn't have a card had to put the group in order of the DCP points. I think they had a lot of fun learning about the DCP this way.

I really enjoyed the keynote speaker, Roger Revak. He did a great job and it was a great speech on taking your Toastmaster talents outside of your club.

I also took in an education session on a program called "Strive, Revive and Thrive". A proven program that helps clubs grow and stay strong.

Also attended the awards luncheon.

As division governor you are expected to attend as many of these district events as possible. that is a good thing it helps grow your leadership skills and gives you an opprotunity to share your knowledge and network with other Toastmasters.

I'll be back blogging on day 24 of my journey.

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2013-07-04T22:56:00.001-05:00

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The Journey Day 2

2013-07-02T23:25:00.000-05:00

Now that you may have listened to my speech on my vision for the Frontier Division you may be wondering just what a Division Governor does? The hirearchy within the Toastmaster structure is as follows.

District - Within the district there are 10 Divisions

Division - Within Each Division there are 4-7 Areas
Area - Within each area there are 4-6 clubs
Club - each club should strive for 20 members but there is an average of about 14 members per club.

As Division Governor I oversee 6 area governors. I mentor and train my area governors. I conduct 2 Division Contests each year and I work with my area governors to find new clubs and help build up and grow existing clubs. I also conduct and help area cgovernors conduct officer training.

Today I met with one of my area governors to discuss his plans for his area. Looking forward to my final three one on ones that I am having I had two of them last week and one today.

On Day two I found out that all the clubs in the Frontier Division earned their first point in the DCP program by turning in their officer lists. Congratulation Frontier Division clubs for 100%.

The Journey Begins

2013-07-01T23:42:00.000-05:00

Today, July 1st starts my 365 day journey through the Frontier. Not the final Frontier but the Frontier Division in District 6 Toastmasters. I am starting my year as Frontier Division Governor and looking forward to it. The year for me didn't start today it started a while back when I made the decision to run for Frontier Division Governor. Then I thought about my vision and what I wanted to accomplish as division governor. I decided that this year I will journal my journey and I want to welcome all of you along for the trip. Check back frequently for updates on how the journey is going.

To kick off the Toastmaster New Year I have attached a link to my vision speech I gave. I hope you enjoy it. Frontier Division Speech

Lessons from Dad

2013-06-16T22:44:00.000-05:00

I wrote and gave this speech last fall. This is honor of my dad on fathers day!

It was Thanksgiving Day 2002 and my wife, kids and I had just arrived at my in-laws house to celebrate Thanksgiving. You could smell the turkey and hear the sound of football in the background along with young cousins jabbering about the fun they were about to have. I just settled down on the couch when the phone rang thinking nothing about it until my brother-in-law tells me the phone is for me. Someone calling me at my in-laws is not a good sign especially on a holiday. It was my oldest sister and the moment she spoke I knew it wasn’t good news. She went to pick up my dad for Thanksgiving dinner and found him dead in his bed. He passed away the way he always wanted to go, in his sleep. It didn’t make it any easier for the rest of us. My mom had passed away 6 years earlier on New Years Eve so it was now left to the three of us to be the leaders of the family. The drive that day from Andover to Eagan was the quietest and longest drive my wife and I had ever taken.

This isn’t about my dad’s death it is about the legacy he left behind. Despite the fact that my dad wasn’t your proto typical dad who took me to sporting events or played catch with me. I'm the one who turned him on to sports but we had a lot of fun times together. There are some great lessons I learned from him. Sometimes many of those lessons aren’t realized until someone passes away and we are well into our adult years. That is how it was for me. The three major lessons I learned from my father over those years we were on this earth together are INTEGRITY, DEDICATION and FAITH.

INTEGRITY:

My dad didn’t grow up wealthy and he didn’t think he was that smart, but one thing he had was integrity. He obtained his GED and then enlisted in the service and spent part of World War II in northern Africa. Once married he was dedicated to providing the best for his family he got a job as a customer service rep for a trucking company and stayed there until he retired. But it wasn’t the only job he had he also was elected the treasurer of the company credit union and stayed in that role even after he retired. I said earlier that he didn’t think he was the smartest but it was his integrity that helped him be successful at what he did. There wasn’t anyone else that the credit union would rather have had as treasurer than my dad. He was able to provide a comfortable life for his family. We were never without and the partnership he formed with my mom (his wife) for almost 50 years made our little life on 34th Avenue in Minneapolis almost Ozzie and Harriet like.

DEDICATION:

My dad had dedication. Not only was he dedicated to providing for his family he was dedicated in everything he did. He knew that despite everything and anything that can happen, you must remain strong, dedicated and you must persevere through every storm in life. He never gave up until his heart gave out and then it was peaceful and restful because he knew he was dedicated to his family and his life. I remember a time when my dad got up for work he usually drove but this particular day there was a snow storm so he decided to take the bus. He could have easily stayed home and said it was too bad out there, but he was dedicated. He walked to the bus stop and waited, and waited, and waited but the bus wasn’t coming so he started walking. He was dedicated to get to work. He knew at some point the bus would catch up to him. It never did, he made it all the way to work walking in a snow storm only to get there and find all the doors locked. That is true dedication to his job. He was the only one to make it to work that day.

FAITH:

My dad had unwavering faith for his fellow man and especially for God. He always looked to find the best in people and seemed to always be friends with everyone. Sometimes this can be a detriment because people may take advantage of you. This wasn’t the case for my dad he was too well liked to be taken advantage of. It was his faith in God that really defined him and helped shape who I am today. I believe that when people are getting close to the end of their time on the earth they can sense it and know their time is short. I think that was the case for my dad. What does this have to do with faith? He told me something about two months before he passed away. He said “ I pray for all the grand kids everyday because I need to know they will be safe when I leave”. Instead of praying for himself he unselfishly was praying for others, true faith in action.

My dad George Andersen born on George Washington’s Birthday and died on Thanksgiving. That is fitting for a man who presidentially led his family and died giving thanks to God for the life he led. He continues to lead today by guiding me with the legacy he left through his integrity, dedication and faith.

I love you and miss you dad

I'm Back

2013-05-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have been away from blogging for a while. We moved to a new house in February and about that time I started working a second job. Sometimes as a leader you have to do things for a season that you might not normally do. I am going to try to blog more but you may not see it on a consistent basis. I will try it once a week but with the number of things I have going on that may not always be the case.

As I said earlier Leaders have to do things for a season and sometimes they do things to grow their leadership and expand their circle of influence. On Saturday I was elected to be the Frontier Division Governor for District 6 Toastmasters. We had a great time at the dinner and International speech contest. I am looking forward to my growth as a leader by being the Frontier Division Governor for the 2013-2014 Toastmaster year.

Look for more blogs in the coming weeks on other things leaders can do to expand their influence and grow their leadership.

Opportunity versus Risk

2013-01-31T22:30:00.000-06:00

I am watch the show "The Men Who Built America" on the History channel and they were talking about JP Morgan investing money in an unproven commodity, electricity. They said that JP Morgan saw opportunity where others saw risk.

Any time a leader is about to invest time, money or energy into a venture they want to weigh the risk and reward of that venture. They need to determine if the opportunity far outweighs the risk that is involved. JP Morgan was a banking man and he didn't find success by investing in bad ventures. When he saw Edison's light bulb he knew that the opportunity was too great to pass up when compared to the minimal risk. We still to this day use the Edison light bulb and electricity so JP Morgan seized that opportunity and it paid off.

Pay offs don't always occur you have to make sure what you are investing in seems worthwhile and will establish itself as a strong comsumer commodity. For instance if someone approached you to invest in a new business they were starting you would have to ask a few questions before leaping up and investing.

You might ask:

Has this ever been done before?
Is there a long lasting need for this product or commodity?
Is the appeal for this widespread or isolated?
What is the ROI (Rate of Investment)?

There are other questions you might ask but these four should give you a good indication if it is worth your time and money to invest. If you do decide to invest I hope the payoff is successful and if not wait for the next big thing and look to invest in that.