Sue Bruns

“Happy New Year.” “Happy New Year to you.” “Did you make any resolutions for 2015?” “No, I don’t make resolutions. After six decades and counting what could I possibly still have to work on?” “No comment there. I made a resolution last year not to make resolutions...

My sister will be getting a bird ornament for Christmas this year — a replica of an old glass ornament with delicate details and real feathers. She won’t be surprised when she opens the box; I’ve given her bird ornaments for the past several years, not because she’s a lover...

In the past several weeks, I’ve made four trips to Fosston and East Grand Forks to supervise student teachers. One of the best perks about the trip is that it allows me time to try out small town cafés between stops. On my first trip, I selected the B-B Cafe in McIntosh, open...

Having recently hosted our son’s wedding, reception and wedding dance in our yard, I feel the need to pass along some advice to anyone considering such an event. First, don’t worry. Author June Hunt wrote: “Worry is most often a prideful way of thinking that you have more...

A recent “Pickles” cartoon in the paper started out with the old man saying, “The great thing about dogs is they make you feel good about yourself. They’re nonjudgmental.” I hadn’t ever thought of that, but the old man was right. That’s probably one reason why so many...

Shadow, the big black lab, dances at the promise of an overdue walk while Rusty, the little white dog, lags behind, not even feigning enthusiasm. At 17, Rusty is pretty deaf, doesn’t see well and shows signs of doggy dementia. Gary and I wait at the mailbox for her before crossing...

I recently celebrated my birthday, although some might not consider the way I spent my day to be much of a celebration. My earliest birthdays were family affairs with siblings, cousins, or with my favorite great aunt and uncle, a childless couple who lived in town in a very clean...

Newscasters in pre-campaign 2016 speculation mode have been talking lately about how old certain potential candidates will be on the day the next president of the U.S. assumes office. “Hillary will be 69,” they tell us; Biden, even older. They debate the effects of age on the...

I’ve been thinking a lot about plastics lately. Remember the advice given to young Benjamin in The Graduate by a friend of his father? “Plastics!” says Mr. McGuire to Ben. “There’s a great future in plastics.” Back in 1967, when the movie was released, plastics...

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to hear any more about the weather. That said, I’ve decided to say a few things about averages. After a month of March with a reported average temperature of 15.5 degrees (Did it seem that warm to you?) and a yearly average so far for...

An appreciation for word play comes fairly early in language development and can be an important part of that development. Children are fascinated by jingles and rhyme, alliteration, puns and malapropisms long before they even know what all of these things are. Let’s start with...

(Doorbell rings.) “Hmmmmn. Who could that be at this hour? (Opens door) Yes?” “Hello, M’am. Are you Mrs. Bruns, Mrs. Susan Bruns?” “Yes. And you are…?” “Seymore Stuff, NSA.” “NSA? Do you have some ID?” “You can look me up on the internet.” “I’d...

While cleaning my office in late December, I came across some poems from my college days. One, titled “Home,” written during Christmas break of my freshman year, was about the absence of “home.” It talked about “going home” for Christmas, but, upon arriving at the...

Around the holiday season, nostalgia creeps up on me with selective memories of the past, minimizing the hurts and disappointments of childhood and adolescence, filled instead with fond remembrances of ordinary things and everyday occurrences. Some of my favorites include nickel...