Tag Archives: books

Areavoices Digest #81 – Tatted Lace and more

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Happy soon-to-be 4th of July everyone!

When you’re not out  barbecuing or watching fireworks, be sure to check out some of our newest and hottest blogs on Areavoices, including a brand-new-to-our-platform crafting blog that’s bound to get a little “pin” interest.

Have a great 4th of July!
Tatted Lace
ladytatslace.areavoices.com
Longtime blogger Jeanne Lugert is new to Areavoices and shares her talents in tatted lace and more. Welcome Jeanne!

Moorhead Library – Your Community Living Room
mhlibrary.areavoices.com
News and information from the public library in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Cultural Diversity Resources
culturaldiversity.areavoices.com
Building communities that value diversity through serving as the intercultural bridge that strengthens bonds and facilitates understanding among diverse communities.

Boomer’s Bliss
boomersbliss.areavoices.com
Writer Beth Bradley’s blog is “the place to be when your midlife crisis has expired.”

Outdoors with Sam Cook
samcook.areavoices.com
Summer is a good time to check in on Sam Cook’s popular blog  exploring the great outdoors in Minnesota.

Areavoices Digest #57 – Check these blogs before you finish your Christmas shopping

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Can you guess how many iPads will be sold this holiday season? According the the technology research firm Gartner about 63.4 million media tablets will be sold in the last three months of this year, about 3/4 of them are iPads.

We don’t have iPads on our Christmas lists this year, but my kids have asked for a Nintendo 3DS (isn’t her other DS okay?), laptops, phones, and more. Whatever happened to asking for a Barbie? My kids might be disappointed in a few days.

Our Christmas’ are undoubtedly getting more tech-saturated. It’s hard to sort what you need to know from what isn’t important.

That’s why I’m happy to recommend a couple of great tech blogs this week. They offer news, information, advice and analysis for those of us trying to keep up. But, if you need advice on how to set up a Barbie Dream House, I’m your woman.
Grand Forks Gourmet
http://grandforksgourmet.areavoices.com
Your guide to food and dining in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The Connected Wire
http://theconnectedwire.areavoices.com
News, reviews and analysis from the world of technology

GhostWriters
http://ghostwriters.areavoices.com
A unique blog in which readers can build upon the story being published

Literary Engineer
http://literaryengineer.areavoices.com
Suzi Retzlaff is a part-time writer, occasional engineer and stay at home mom who blogs
about her two obsessions: reading and writing.

Sundog
http://sundog.areavoices.com
The latest news and analysis from Sundog: a Fargo-based marketing and technology services company.

More outdoors news coming on Areavoices – Areavoices Digest #49

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For those of you craving more hunting, fishing, and camping news, we’ve got it on Areavoices. Brad Dokken of The Grand Forks Herald is supplementing his outdoors coverage from the paper with a blog. He hopes it will provide space for outdoors news that might not otherwise make it into the Sunday paper or is better suited to the timeliness of the blog.

It’s just the first  in this week’s recommended blogs. Enjoy!

Compass Points
http://braddokken.areavoices.com
Brad Dokken has been an outdoor writer for The Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald since February 1998. This blog will provide hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor information.

The Hawthorne Neighborhood Blog
http://hawthorne.areavoices.com
Hawthorne is a beautiful old tree-line neighborhood in South Fargo. This blog shares news and happenings with its residents.

Volunteer Bemidji!
http://volunteerbemidji.areavoices.com
Your link to community stewardship in the Bemidji, Minnesota region

Not So Vintage Packers
http://notsovintagepackers.areavoices.com
Sara Boom is new to blogging. But as a Packer lover she has a lot to write about in what’s been a very successful season for the boys from Green Bay.

The Book Shelf
http://pleasurereading.areavoices.com
Sherry Pekas is also new to the blogging world, but is anxious to get rolling in her first book blog. Stay tuned for reviews, recommendations and more.

Areavoices Digest #48 – This is fall, really?

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My husband has been in a funk lately. He’s not a fan of hot weather. He’s longing for what he calls “real fall weather.” You know crisp, football weather. As for me, I’m all about milking every last warm day out of fall that we can get. As I write this, the old temperature gauge outside says 84 degrees. That’s fabulous if you ask me.

That crisp, football weather is not far away. All you have to do is look up to the trees and see for yourselves. Despite the July like temps, the trees are screaming September. The colors are starting to change throughout the upper Midwest. If you’d like to see some of mother nature’s most spectacular hues, check out the first of this weeks’ recommended blogs. After that, put on those flip flops, get yourself a boat drink and sit on the patio. Just keep your sweatshirt close by. Enjoy!
Images of Fall: Autumn in the Upper Midwest
http://fall.areavoices.com
A photo blog scrapbooking the changing colors in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Peace Garden Mama II
http://peacegardenmama.areavoices.com
A garden blend of faith, family and following the muse.

Blackwood Press -
http://blackwoodpress.areavoices.com
An independent small publishing blog comprised of works contributed primarily by unpublished authors and visual artists from around the Northern Plains.

Stevens County Sheriff
http://stevenscountysheriff.areavoices.com
A blog to inform the public about the services of the sheriff’s department and how to access those services.

Prairie Reads
http://minnesotaprairiereads.areavoices.com
News and events from the Morris Public Library in Morris, Minnesota.

Areavoices Digest #46 – Should I watch the game or read a book?

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I was torn this past Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings were playing late that afternoon but I was also smack dab in the middle of a great book. I’ve never claimed to be a huge Vikings fan. In fact, I grew up cheering for the Washington Redskins because my family is originally from that area. But over the last couple of years, I’ve started to become a Vikings fan too. I think its a combination of a couple of things. First, I now have three members of my family liking the team. I didn’t pay much attention when it was just my husband cheering for the Vikes, but now that both daughters are joining in it’s hard to stem that tide. I guess I figured if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em. Second, I kind of liked watching the Vikings when Brett Favre joined the team. I enjoyed watching a player about my age still out there playing the game. Inspired my old creaky bones. But I’m not going to lie. I think Brett Favre is also kind of cute in that Wrangler rugged stubbly kind of way. But I digress.

I was saying that I was torn this weekend. I did want to watch the game, but I was just about finished reading “The Help,” the bestselling book about the relationship between black maids in the South and their employers in the 1960′s. Great book! Should I read it or watch the game?

For those of you torn between a good book and a good game, this digest is for you. My recommended blogs of the week are geared around football and literature. Enjoy! And for those of you, like me, torn between a good book and a good game, remember that’s what timeouts are for.

Literary Engineer
http://literaryengineer.areavoices.com
Suzi Retzlaff writes this blog “because reading and writing are my two obsessions.”

The Book Nook
http://thenook.areavoices.com
A collaborative Areavoices blog where writers review local literature.

Purple Haze
http://purplehaze.areavoices.com
Random thoughts on the Minnesota Vikings by fan Eric Coughlin.

Minnesota Vikings Talk with Brian Shawn
http://bshawnsblog.areavoices.com
Fan Brian Shawn recaps Minnesota Vikings football throughout the season

Gregor’s Packer Analysis
http://packeranalysis.areavoices.com
Greg Gillis previews and reviews Green Bay Packer action

The Catch with Jeff Plattner
http://thecatch84.areavoices.com
Professional and collegiate sports with a Minnesota feel.

 

 

 

Areavoices Digest #42 – A terrific twosome

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When it rains it pours. These days in addition to some of my regular duties I find myself immersed in two pretty cool projects here at Forum Communications. You could say I’m just getting my feet wet with our water project “Living with Water.”  (Pardon the pun, but I couldn’t help myself.) The project involves  FCC’s print, online, and broadcast journalists chronicling how water impacts our lives. And most importantly, we need your input too! To read more about it, click on my blog post from a couple of days ago or go to http://water.areavoices.com to learn more about it.

Beautiful Women of Committee

Now, we’re undertaking another special project that is near and dear to my  heart. It’s called “Beautiful Women of: Letting Inner Beauty Shine.” As a mom of two daughters I’m well aware of the media imagery they face everyday. Knowing the effect the media has on body image among young girls and women in our society, our organization has an opportunity to create awareness and have a positive influence on our community. Using the multimedia platforms of Forum Communications, including here on Areavoices, we will celebrate the stories of the beautiful, inspiring women in our area. You will be able to nominate the deserving women in your life. We will then select a few women each month to feature here, and readers will vote for woman they most want to see featured on an upcoming WDAY news broadcast, in The Forum, and on WDAY radio and these companies websites. The woman you select also will be treated to a generous prize package.

Two very different undertakings but so worthwhile and fun! Those are just two of the blogs I’m recommending in this week’s digest:

Living with Water – http://water.areavoices.com A Forum Communications Special Project with the goal of building understanding about water and its impact on our lives across the region.

Bison Sports Blog: Bison Rubes talk NDSU – http://ndsubisonsports.areavoices.com Kyle Roth is senior at North Dakota State University majoring in broadcasting. He writes for Bison Illustrated and the NDSU Spectrum and started the Bison Sports Blog as a place for fans to talk Bison sports.

Joe Fitness: Personal Training and Bootcamps - http://joefitness.areavoices.com   Joe Ketterling is a personal trainer specializing in fat loss.  In addition to his personal training business he runs FM Bootcamps, in Fargo, North Dakota.

Cover to Cover – http://covertocover.areavoices.com -  Krista Thom is an avid reader who reviews books from the local region and beyond.                               

Beautiful Women of: Letting Inner Beauty Shine – http://beautifulwomenof.areavoices.com   A multi-media project from Forum Communications celebrating and recognizing remarkable women throughout the region.
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Areavoices Digest #41 – Ole and Lena go to Sturgis?

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Awhile back during the spring flood I stumbled across a great blog called “The Adventures of Ole and Lena.” In it, “Lena” documented the troubles she and “Ole” faced living near the rising Buffalo river near Moorhead, Minnesota. It wasn’t all gloom and doom though. Lena’s blog also helps us understand Norwegian culture. Advising us on how to make lefse and lutefisk and explaining the proper usage of “Uff Da.” Well, we got the Scandinavian scoop for now and the water has subsided so what is Lena to write about now? How about her adventures at the 71st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota? The thought just makes me smile.

Ole and Lena are just two of the contributors to a blog set up by The Forum about this year’s rally. Check them out along with the other recommended blogs of the week:

Heading to Sturgis – http://sturgis.areavoices.com A blog written by people participating in this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In addition, you might want to check out:
The Adventures of Ole and Lena: A Stud and a Hotdish – http://oleandlena.areavoices.com , a blog started by Lena to document the spring flood near their Minnesota home. Now Ole and Lena are off to Sturgis!

North Dakota State College of Science: the Science of Success – http://ndscs.areavoices.com News and information from NDSCS in Wahpeton, North Dakota. I’m so excited to add this school to our other Areavoices college and university blogs!

Minnesota State Patrol: Northwest Region – http://mnpatrolnw.areavoices.com News from the Minnesota State Patrol. A great place to check road conditions and other news from the Minnesota State Patrol.

The Presidency – http://presidentialrace.areavoices.com Local journalists are the authors of this blog that covers the 2012 campaign from a regional perspective. A hot topic with two Minnesotans battling for the Republican nomination.

Truth through Fiction – http://truththroughfiction.areavoices.com Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth – Albert Camus. Stay tuned for reviews of local authors, their works, and the author’s reflections on both.

Areavoices Digest #39 – Learning more about Home Schooling

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In the past few months Areavoices has been happy to welcome dozens of schools into the blogosphere. From preschools to elementary schools from  high schools to colleges, administrators, teachers and students are publishing their own news right on the homepages of our Forum Communications news websites.It’s a wonderful way to share news with parents, alumni and the community that the papers can’t always cover. If you’re interested in learning more about school blogging, by all means give me a jingle. I’d love to get you up to speed before those little kiddies go back to class.

But of course, not all students, walk the halls of our public and private schools. Some are home schooled and until now we hadn’t seen much representation from the home school community on Areavoices. However, last week, a home school parent out of Grand Forks, North Dakota told me about a new blog entitled, “Homeschool: Exploring Alternative Education.”

For anybody interested in learning more about home schooling or even those critical of it, this blog provides some interesting insights. I would highly recommend it and these other four blogs in this weeks’ Areavoices Digest:

Homeschool:  Exploring Educational Alternatives – http://k12educationalternatives.areavoicesc.om

Jesse Light is a homeschooling parent who started this blog as a place where anyone concerned about k12 education alternatives can discuss and share ideas about what educational options outside traditional institutional schooling.

 

Shelf Life: Discussing Books,What are your thoughts?  - http://shelflife.areavoices.com

Carolyn Fiechtner is the moderator of what could be called an online book club. She hopes to select books and read write along with her audience and follow that with some great discussions.

Eye on Kid’s: Thoughts on growing up it today’s world and encouraging children to discover their own personal strengths – http://uflipp.areavoices.com

This blog is written by 3 child experts whose education and experience working with children in individual and group settings, collectively spans over 50 years. They work in clinical psychology, school psychology, counseling, social work, special education, and speech/language pathology.

 

Look at This – http://lookatthis.areavoices.com

Tami Tagtow is a librarian and researcher chronicling life in Atwater, Minnesota.

 

Red River Valley Fair – http://redrivervalleyfair.areavoices.com  The fair, located in West Fargo, North Dakota says it’s blog is all about family, food and fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Areavoices Digest #36 – What is the worst movie of all time?

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We all have our choices. For me, it was a movie called “The Sweetest Thing” starring Cameron Diaz. Normally, I really enjoy chick flicks and romantic comedies. But this is unworthy of being on the same DVD shelf as “When Harry met Sally” and “While You Were  Sleeping.” It’s awful. Period.

If you’re going with what IMDB rates as the worst movie ever  – hands down – the winner (or loser depending upon how you look at it) is: “From Justin to Kelly” from 2003. It rated 1.7 out of 10 stars. You might remember this one. It paired American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson with runner-up Justin Guarini in a romantic beach romp. One reviewer wrote: “It is inconcievable to me that anyone could make a film this hopelessly, endlessly, mind-meltingly bad. This is not a bad movie – it’s a war crime.”

If you love bad movies or just want to get in on the debate you’ll want to check out one of this week’s recommended blogs. The other four are pretty great too. Enjoy!

The Film Fool – http://filmfool.areavoices.com Jon Thorp writes of himself, “Jon is just a guy who likes movies…and used to have a rockin’ mullet. That’s about it.” He’s using this blog to celebrate the really awful movies out there. 

 
The Book Bag – http://bookbag.areavoices.com
The author says “The Book Bag will attempt to read and review books of local interest and written by folks in the greater Red River Valley. I can’t guarantee I’ll get to everything, but I’ll be honest.”
 
A Nice Ring to it – http://kaitlinring.areavoices.com Kaitlyn Ring is a college student from Williston, North Dakota currently attending UND. She’s a great writer who covers a lot on her blog. I laughed out loud when I read her posts which range from comical/practical advice she got from her father to crazy memories from Medora vacations to how she’s convinced she has cankles. It’s a fun, young blog that I think a lot of younger readers will especially enjoy.
Through the Eyes of a Cobber – http://cobbergen.areavoices.com  This is another blog written by a college student. Geneva attends Concordia College in Moorhead. She’s also the author of “Social Media Etiquette” on Areavoices (http://facebook101.areavoices.com)  I think both her blogs are worth a look. Again, appeals to a younger audience.
And since I’m on the subject of young bloggers/audience, I’ll remind you again about Becoming Midwestern – http://becomingmidwestern.areavoices.com. I recommended this blog a couple of weeks ago. But I’ve noticed a lot of comments/traffic on her site already. She’s a transplanted East and West Coast girl who now lives in ND. She’s embracing her Midwestness by writing about her life. She’s tweaked her blog to include a Midwest Dictionary (“UFF-DA”) and Midwest Recipes (Hotdishes).