In early July, our hay field needed to be harvested. As farmers know, this is not an easy “cut-and-dried” process. You need at least four to five days without rain. First, a day to mow; then drying the hay; another day to “tedd” or turn it over; a fourth day to rake into large rows – and, if dry enough, to bail it into 50 pound rectangular bales. Needing additional help to unload and stack the bales in the barn, I calculated when to ask some guys to come. But text replies indicated no one

Few U.S. citizens witness a naturalization ceremony, and that is a shame because it is one of the most incredibly patriotic moments I have ever witnessed. My father had told me about his tests, but he had supplied scant details about being sworn in as a U.S. citizen. When my husband passed his tests, we took the train to downtown Chicago. That day there were representatives from all continents except Antarctica waiting to get into the room. The atmosphere was jubilant anticipation. Those being

For the first time in seven years, the Chicago Teachers Union is on strike. This work stoppage effects roughly 32,000 educators and 300,000 students. This obviously creates an inconvenience for parents as they scramble to find adequate care for their children while they’re out of the classroom. I feel for the student-athletes whose hard work and dedication may be in jeopardy as the playoffs are approaching. If there is one unionized group I would never hesitate to support or demonstrate with, it

The hummingbirds left first. And it won’t belong before the loons leave too, taking with them their happy, haunting music. All summer we enjoyed their company on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. And now, these feathered friends and hundreds of other species are leaving on their long journey across the country to as far away as the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. I wonder where they will find food and rest? How many miles will they cover in a day? Do they press on through the night guided by

We’ve all seen examples of competence and incompetence. I myself have seen people extremely skilled and other people who were making it up as they went along. But is there such a thing as incompetent competence, or compet ent incompetence? Take Christopher Columbus. He finally got a couple of European monarchs to sponsor a costly search for a sea route to India. By this time Europe had started to crave spices, but you could only find those in what today we c all Asia. So Old Chris took off with

The sight of a policeman greeted worshippers as they arrived at DeKalb’s synagogue in late September to celebrate the Jewish New Year. The reason for the guard? One year ago, 11 worshippers were killed by a hate-filled anti-Semite at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. As I walked into the sanctuary to find a seat, I had a vivid image of a gunman bursting into the room spewing hatred and gunfire. Suddenly the sanctuary didn’t feel like such a safe place anymore. For a long time, many

Lately, I’ve heard people mock the idea of thoughts and prayers in the wake of a tragedy, but I have seen the power of these prayers. Jesus says we’re supposed to bug God with our requests, and that we can ask him for anything. I have prayed for friends and seen their marriages healed. I have seen daughters take an interest in faith. I have found joy again. I prayed that God bless a woman I hated because every time my thoughts turned towards her, I sputtered about what I’d say to her face if I

Perspectives author Elsa Glover occasionally recruits fellow teachers or students to take over her regular slot in the schedule and share their opinions with WNIJ listeners. Today, we hear from Kaneland High School English teacher Mallory Sunday. As a little girl, I remember nights bundled in piles of quilts, tucked into bed while dad sang our family lullaby with his children. “I’m being followed by a moon shadow…” we sang, thanking God afterward for the best parts of our days at our cabin in

"In America, the big get bigger and the small go out," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Perdue made these comments at the World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisconsin, which touts itself as America's Dairyland and has lost 551 dairy farms in 2019 and a total of 1,654 dairy farms lost since January of 2017. More than one farm a day for the last three years. It has become so serious that Wisconsin’s legislature's finance committee voted unanimously last month to spend an additional $200

Over two years ago, I spoke in a Perspective about ways university degrees grounded in the liberal arts were denigrated in some loud quarters as impractical. It’s true that the cost of higher education in the United States, which has risen by 400% since the 80’s, must be fixed. It’s also true that as preparation for a particular job, vocational training is useful. But negative perceptions about well-rounded university degrees are beginning to wane in the face of an economy that needs adaptable