David grew up in the 1950's on a Minnesota turkey farm. These memoirs...or musings, tell the story of his childhood in a "Leave it to Beaver" lifestyle. David recalls two near death experiences while growing up! Join with him in these memories of a life that is much rarer in today's world of cell phones, social media and hectic lifestyles. If you grew up in the 1950s, you will relate to these memories of those days. Enjoy the journey back in time.David now lives in Vancouver, Washington with his wife Elizabeth. They have 5 children. His oldest, Jeremiah, died while serving in Iraq. They are also blessed with 6 grandchildren.

Life is full of choices, decisions, memories, photographs, and—most importantly—love. When life is moving at full title, there's not always time to reflect on those everyday occurrences. Retirement allows us the time and presence of mind to sit down and take stock. That's just what the writers in Memories & Musings did. Written by "vintage" Minnesotans from The Guided Autobiography and poetry classes at Whitney Senior Center, their stories and poems are a collection of life's journey and the many paths taken. Inside, you'll find writing submissions that explore: Paths into creative writing Trails and tracks in nature Pathways of family members Passages through life's journey This anthology will make you think, laugh, and cry at the peculiar human condition we all find ourselves living. So, pour a mug of tea or coffee—maybe settle in with a glass of wine—and savor the diverse flavors of each writer's journey.

Milbank and Mitchell, dissimilar in size and separated by more than two hundred miles, have more in common than might appear at first glance. In the first half of the twentieth century towns such as Milbank and Mitchell formed hubs for commerce, social activities, and culture. Eric Fowler and Sheila Delaney looked at their communities from different viewpoints, but their childhood and young adult memories of South Dakota share common themes.

The fourth Virgil Flowers novel by internationally bestselling author John Sandford On a cold late Autumn Sunday in Southern Minnesota, a farmer bringing in his harvest is bludgeoned around the head by a young man wielding a bat. Leaving the unconscious farmer to drown in the grain bin, the young man calls the sheriff's office to report the 'accident'. Suspicious about the nature of the incident, Sheriff Lee Coakley quickly breaks the teenager down. But when she finds him hanging in his cell the next morning, she doubts it was remorse or guilt that led him to take his own life. In fact, she's not convinced it was suicide at all. Worried that she is up against a far more complicated case than she first thought, Coakley calls in Virgil Flowers.For an investigator with his expertise, it doesn't take long for Flowers to uncover a conspiracy that has bubbled away under the surface of this sleepy community for generations - and a series of crimes so monstrous that the small town can never be the same again. * * * Praise for John Sandford and the Virgil Flowers novels * * * ‘Along the way to the satisfying ending, Virgil displays the rough humor and rough justice that make him such an appealing character’ Publishers Weekly on Deep Freeze ‘A knowing portrait of small-town life layered into a very well plotted mystery. Virgil understands that, in small towns, no one ever outgrows high school... One of the very best novels in a superior series’Booklist (starred review) on Deep Freeze ‘Add a gripping storyline, a generous helping of exquisitely conceived characters and laugh-out-loud humor that produce explosive guffaws, not muted chuckles, and you’re in for the usual late-night, don’t-even-think-of-stopping treat when Flowers hits town’ Richmond Times-Dispatch on Deep Freeze ‘An outstanding novel’ Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Escape Clause ‘Perfect entertainment’ Kirkus Reviews on Escape Clause

From Christina Baker Kline comes a novel about two women: one about to age out of the foster care system, the other 90 years old and carrying both a tremendous secret and a story of a life formed by a part of American history almost entirely forgotten: the Orphan Trains Molly Ayer has one last chance, and she knows it. Close to being kicked out of her foster home -- just months from turning 18 and “aging out” of the system -- Molly should be grateful that her boyfriend found her a community service project: helping an old lady clean out her home. Molly can’t help but think that the 50 hours will be tedious, but at least they’ll keep her out of juvie, and right now that’s all she cares about. Ninety-one-year-old Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine for decades. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are keys to a turbulent past. Molly is about to discover -- as she and Vivian unpack her possessions, and memories -- that Vivian’s story is a piece of America’s tumultuous history now largely forgotten: the tale of a young Irish immigrant, orphaned in New York City and put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other orphaned children whose destiny would be determined by luck and chance. As Molly digs deeper, she finds surprising parallels in her own experience as a Penobscot Indian and Vivian’s story -- and Molly realizes that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life. Rich in detail and epic in scope, THE TRAIN RIDER is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendships, and of the secrets we carry with us that keep us from finding out who we are.