Hill City Prevailer

The kindness of strangers

Published by admin on Wed, 12/06/2023 - 9:15am
I am a great traveler. I think it is one of my best skills. I learned early how to take care of myself without having to rely on others, how to read maps, how to navigate complex transportation systems and how to feed myself even when I have no money.
I could write a book on some of the interesting adventures I have had, from dumpster diving for mushrooms at an Aldi in Australia to deciphering the Cyrillic train system of Moscow in less than a few hours.

Christmas like a child

Published by admin on Wed, 11/29/2023 - 9:13am
Last Wednesday I spent some time walking up and down Hill City Main Street delivering copies of Down Country Roads magazine to the businesses. At every stop, the businesses either had Christmas decorations up or were in the process of decorating. 
Now twinkly lights glimmer in the store windows, crèches dot the streets, garlands drape the sidewalk railings and all that is before you reach the Alpine Inn, which has transformed into a winter wonderland. Hill City has a way of making the Christmas spirit contagious. 

The story of the reluctant journalist

Published by admin on Tue, 11/21/2023 - 8:54am
A few weeks ago for a work assignment I had to attend a creative writing seminar, during which we were tasked with talking to a fellow attendee about significant moments in our life when we were children, young adults and at an older time in our lives. After we discussed these events, we then had to pick one to write more in depth about. I chose to write about my young adult life, when I decided what I was going to major in while I was at Chadron State College (CSC).

The power of stories

Published by admin on Wed, 11/15/2023 - 9:50am
Last week I traveled back to Minnesota to visit friends. Rather than doing anything big or exceptional together, my friends and I primarily told stories. 
We had deep conversations over breakfast and shared the stories of our trials over dinner. We curled up by the fireplace in the evenings with cups of tea and talked about our dreams and the longings of our hearts. We talked as we walked and as we worked. And it was wonderful. 

The gratitude cup

Published by admin on Wed, 11/08/2023 - 9:24am
What a month is November! Not as spectacular as October, not as festively-inclined as December, but with its own spice and savor. We’ve been dazzled by the first of many frosts sparkling in amber-rose sunrises; we’ve seen the first winterish stars appear in the pale blue of a clear-cold sky, with the slivered moon hanging just above the horizon. Winter is approaching. 

A little more stillness

Published by admin on Wed, 11/01/2023 - 9:24am
Does anyone else need more stillness in their life? Before the snow flew, I’d been going to Tracy Park just to sit by the creek and soak up the stillness. I loved the sound of the water as it bubbled across the rocks and continued on its merry way. The occasional bird sang, and it was all so peaceful. 
It seems like life is going too fast lately. There are way too many things to juggle, and all I really want is a little stillness. Not silence, but stillness. 

The safety of strangers

Published by admin on Wed, 10/25/2023 - 9:34am
Nightly vacation rentals. Vacation rentals by owner. AirBnB. No matter what you call them they likely elicit some sort of response in you. Perhaps you have stayed at one and have fond memories of being able to take your family, extended family, and/or friends and house them under one roof without feeling the constraints of space. Maybe you live next to one and are concerned about not knowing your neighbors or the people who come and go next door. Or  are you thinking about buying a home as an investment property as a means to make extra money on the side?

What I didn't know about being a journalist

Published by admin on Wed, 10/18/2023 - 8:55am
I didn’t know I would need to know about water towers to be a journalist. Or rodeo for that matter. Not to mention sports, the public school system, different art forms, local politics, small businesses or country music. Yet since becoming a journalist, I’ve learned about all of this and so much more. 

We need more Jerrys in the workforce

Published by admin on Wed, 10/11/2023 - 9:40am
At my second job I work with various people, one of which I will call Chad. 

Falling leaves and ponderings

Published by admin on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 9:27am
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” wrote L. M. Montgomery in her book “Anne of Green Gables.”
I quite agree. I would be rather lost without the four seasons to count the passing of time. From the sweet hope of spring, to the celebrations of summer, to the colors of fall, to the twinkling beauty of winter, I love it all. And today it’s fall. 
The other day I saw a quote printed on a wooden pumpkin that said, “Autumn reminds us that change can be beautiful.”