Vol. 8 , No. 1 JANUARY, 2016

The

2016

SKARSTEN FAMILY REUNION FEATURED IN

JANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

Extends

Readers

Best

Wishes For a

SKARSTEN TIMES

To Thoroughly Enjoy the

TIMES of Your Life

JANUARY, “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE

“karste Ti es is a o -proit, pri ate e terprise, e s-leter pu lished periodi ally at 9 Fair ay Dri e, Apt

i La aster, Califor ia 9

Ho e Pho e: -

Cell Pho e: - e-Mail Address: skarste j@ s . o

““karste Ti es We site: skarste -i es. ee l . o

Editor………....…….JIM “KAR“TEN

Editor Mo ile Pho e Nu er: - Editorial Oi e La d Li e: - Editorial Ce ter e-Mail Address: skarste j@ s . o

Ma agi g Editor…………...... DAVID DIXON

Asso iate Editor…………… MICKI “KAR“TEN

Te h i al Editor……..ADRIEL APOLONARIO

E e ui e Editor………………..GAY BO““ART

A““I“TANCE MANAGEMENT TEAM

A a te Apolo ario...Ma ager

E a Apolo ario...Assista t Ma ager

EDITOR’S INKWELL

with

JIM SKARSTEN

Editor

2016???

JANUARY, 2016 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 4

Jim

Write Now! SKARSTEN

TIMES

To comment that 20l15 was a “banner year” could encompasse a gross understatement!

According to various reports, everyone who attended the 2015 Skarsten Family Reunion expressed expressed no disappointment! It is always hard to think of anything better.

Hoever, there are good days ahead. The 2018 trip to Oregon promises to be a particu-larly exciting adventure considering the famed Lewis & Cl;ark expedition that visited that state more than 200 years ago!

Considering the adventure was so successful is surprising. Many people of that day never expected to see anything of Lewis & Clark nor the expedition again!

During the late 1960s another great team vis-ited the moon and returned. Just getting there and back safely was in itself a ble feat of equally incredible magnitude!.

Such events as the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806 and the Apollo moon landing during July, 1969 are remarkable examples of human achievemnet. Undoubtedy, explorers of the Lewis & Clark time had never yet envi-sioned automobile and air travel like that which we’ll all enjoy in travelling to Oregon!

Such activities as the Lewis & Clark Expe-ditin have contributed to the comparative lux-uries that we now enjoy on the super higheays or soaring thousands of feet above the very ground over which Lewis & Clark struggled so long ago!

Well, that’s the way history itself maneuvders through the vagaries of time and space! Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to improvements of travel throughout the years!

Until the 2018 Skarsten Family Reunion we can sit back and remember the five reunions

L

KOUT LINE NEXT “KAR“TEN FAMILY REUNION AT A PORTLAND, OREGON LOCATION

L

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

PROJECTABLE

PORTLAND

PERSPECTIVES Pu pose of this olu is to p o ide e i fo aio a out the e t, fo th o i g, eu io .

Ho e er, there ill e litle dei ii e i for aio a out the up-o i g si th “karste Fa il Reu io hi h is s heduled to take

pla e so e here i the Portla d, Orego area so ei e duri g 8. Details ill e pro ided here i the Outlook he e er

the e o e a aila le.

A tuall , the e is o p essi g e ui e e t fo a i fo aio a out the Po tla d pla s si e 8 is th ee ea s he e. The “ka ste Ti es ill p o ptl epo t a a ou e e ts as soo as i fo -

aio e o e a aila le.

This eu io p o ises to e pa i ula l e e ful. It is ei g pla ed Bill a d Pegg Ale a de , ho o a ho e i Fo est G o e alt-

hough esidi g i “a ta Ba a a, Califo ia. The eu io is ei g hosted g a d hild e of Bill a d Pegg ho o eside i Fo est G o e.

Repo tedl , Bill a d Pegg , hose pe a e t eside e is o i “a ta Ba a a, Califo ia also o a ho e i Fo est G o e. Du i g he hildhood, Pegg g e up i Fo est G o e he e he fathe , D . M>O> “ka ste , as a p ofesso at Pa ii U i e sit he e he also se ed as Regist a .

While i Fo est G o e, D . “ka ste pu lished a ook a out Geo ge d ouilla d, guide fo the Le is & Cla k e pediio to O ego f o

8 4 th ough 8 6. I this histo i al o el, D . “ka ste po t a s M . D ouilla d as o e of the ai ke s to the su ess of the Me i-

ethe Le is a d Willia Cla k t ips to the West Coast a d a k.

Lite a o ks of D . “ka ste is u e tl a aila le at ooksto es a d the i te et. The iog aph of D . “ka ste , The Least of These , as e e pu lished. Ho e e , opies of the Least of These a e i possessio of so e eade s. A o e i te ested i seei g a op of The Least of These should o ta t Pegg .

Mea shile, a i ipat io of the 8 eu io is gai i g o e -tu . This p o ises so e e i te esi g e pe ie es as i all p e ious eu io s..

8 “KAR“TEN FAMILY REUNION

GREAT EXPEDITIONARY EXCUR“ION

JANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 6

JANUA‘Y, “KA‘“TEN TIME“ PAGE

The e is a o se sus that the o l a to i g pea e to the t ou led Middle East is to eli i ate the I“I“ s ste that is g aduall e o i g e t e hed at a lo aio s th oughout the o ld.

A ia le ait-a d-see alter ai e has e o e a u pop-ular approa h i light of the “a Ber ardi o, Califor ia ata k that let 14 people dead.. Waii g lo ger efore

ore posii e a io is e erted stre gthe s the ‘I“I“ re-sol e.

Follo i g the terrorist ata k i “a Ber ardi o, Califor ia o er for safet of the A eri a people has i te siied

proporio atel As e ide ed past o li ts, the U ited “tates ai tai s a for ida le reputaio for resisi g a -o e threate i g the i tegrit of the A eri a superstru -ture.

The e is also a g o i g disposiio to efuse Musli e t i to the U ited “tates a d p oili g Musli eside ts. B dei iio , p oili g is to a al ze the ps hogi al a d e-ha io ial ha a te isi s eo e su e dete io a d eli i aio of te o ist fu da e talists.

P oili g is ot desig ed to e a to tuous p o ess. It is si ila to the e o ds of ilita pe so el se i g i the U ited “tates A ed Fo es.

The e is a good ha e that app op iate a io ill e i ii-ated du i g the e P eside t s heduled to esta -lish a foothold ate ei g ele ted dui g the No e e ,

ele io . Agg essi e a io is e essa to dest o I“I“ .

It has ee oted that P eside t Ba a k O a a failed to eet the polii al e pe ta ies fo i ediate ea io to

the I“I“ situaio . The “ka ste Ti es opi io is that P eside t O a a’s p ese taio as as su sta iall o -pete t as ould e e pe ted fo the i ediate i u sta -es.

Ade uate esista e ould e p o ided p o pt i se -io of , g ou d fo es i “ ia that ould stop I“I“ i the Middle East. Methods to dissol e I“I“ i othe a eas

ELIMINATE I“I“

ONLY AN“WE‘? I i es of a i e estless ess, he e e sta d o

a ot e he e e ill e i the e t o e t. I ust e e e e ed that, histo i all , o od has a tu-

all e e o the a .

The e is a aitude that the U ited “tates ust e o e i ol ed to detai I“I“ . T adiio all , the U ited “tates is e pe ted to step fo a d he e e the goi g gets pa -i ula l tough.

Vi to ies o atleields a e ot the esult of si gula efo t as e ide ed th oughout histo . The e is o e ua-to et ee the ost of a a d the p i e of pea e. E e-

o e i ol ed e o es e g ai ed i ala i g o e -

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

V V V

ENDURING OBJECTIVES MUST MIRROR WORLD

PEACE CONSIDERATIONS

WORLDWIDE TEAMWORK ESSENTIAL PRIORITY

JANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 8

The dei its as ell as the e eits.

Th e is o side a le e ite e t o oth sides of the polii al se se. It is edita-

le that P eside t O a a is ai tai i g so e ese aio a out se di g g ou d fo es to the Middle East. Thus fa , the U ited “tates has p o ided efe i e ai st ike suppo t po e uest of allied fo es o the g ou d.

It is e e e ed that the U ited “tates as ii ized fo ithd a i g soldie s

f o I a a d Afgha ista . It a e that A e i a p ese e a agai e tu ed to the I a a d Afgha ista f o -ie s as ell as to “ ia.

At least fp the last ea s o so the U ited “tates has ee a ajo e te -p ise i e e e gage e t that has o -u ed i the Middle East. It o ap-

pea s that A e i a is e pe ted to e-o e the I“I“ th eat f o the Middle

Easte ou t ies.

This is P eside t O a a’s se e th ea i the oi e of the P eside . Follo -i g the ele io e t No e e , a e P eside t ill e hose the people to lead this ou t .

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

JANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 9

MARTIN LUTHER JR. REMEMBERED

JANUARY ,

ON FOLLOWING PAGES

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION JANUARY ,

The e a e fe igu es of A e i a histo as o pel-li g as that of D . Ma i Luthe Ki g, J . hose i th-da is e e e ed e e ea o Ja ua .

Sudde l a i i g o the sce e as the ci il ights o e e t iole tl e ploded i to the A e ica sce e, D . Ki g ad o-

cated peaceful ea s o4 d a ce e t of the ci il ights o e e t. A d a ic pe so alit , D . Ki g ielded a

st o ge i lue ce i ci il ights tha a o e i histo .

E e o e as ag ei all at a ted to the philosophies e te ded a d a io s of D . Ki g. A a of p i iple as

ell as o ds, D . Ki g agg essi el oi ated pa i ipa ts i the i il ights o e e t i the di e io s of fu da e -tal e ualit fo all..

I his a paig s ualit , D . Ki g pe suaded ps ad o ai g that o ad a e e t of i il ights ould e efe i el atai ed ith iole t ethodolog . Pea eful appli aio s

e e the fou daio of D . Ki g’s ad o a o e e t.

Not o e to tole ate pu li dis ega d, D . Ki g a ake ed the aio ith his ai st ea ole i his leade ship of the i il ights a h o Washi gto , D.C. August , This is e og ized as the o e sto e of the i il ights ad a e-e t efo ts.

Bo Ja ua , i Atla ta, Geo gia D . Ki g follo ed i his fathe ’s footsteps i the “outhe Bapist i ist i as e de to the ad e t of aio al leade ship fo hi h he e e fa ous. Fo his outsta di g o t i uio s, D . Ki g ea ed the No el Pea e P ize a a ded hi du i g .

I the histo i Ma h o Washi gto fo Jo s a d F eedo o Ma h , , D . Ki g p ese ted his fa ed I Ha e A D ea spee h, o e of his ost oted histo i o ato i al appea a es. Befo e a o d of , , that spee h has

ee hea alded as o e of the g eatest spee hes of the th

Rep odu io of D . Ki g’s I Ha e A D ea spee h hi h as deli e ed i Washi gto August , , see s ii g

i these pa i ula l tu ule t i es. Whe eas D . Ki g’s

efo ts a e o histo i , the spi it of his o k e ai s ali e i the e o ies of A e i a.

Most e tai l , D . Ki g ill e fo e e e e e ed fo his ole as a ke igu e i the fate of the aio .du i g his i e.

A e lopedi list of a o plish e ts t ailed D . Ki g ho as assassi ated Ap il , i Me phis, Te es-

see. A aio al da of ou i g as esta lished fo D . Ki g o Ap il , .

I , Co g ess de la ed Ja ua of ea h ea as a

I HAVE A DREAM

Coninued on following pages

JANUARY, 6 “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE

I am happy to join with you today in what will go

down in history as the greatest demonstration for

freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose

symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the

Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous de-

cree came as a great beacon light of hope to mil-

lions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the

flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous

daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not

free. One hundred years later, the life of the Ne-

gro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of seg-

regation and the chains of discrimination. One

hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely

island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of

material prosperity. One hundred years later, the

Negro is still languished in the corners of Ameri-

can society and finds himself an exile in his own

land. And so we've come here today to dramatize

a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to

cash a check. When the architects of our republic

wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution

and the Declaration of Independence, they were

signing a promissory note to which every Ameri-

can was to fall heir. This note was a promise that

all men, yes, black men as well as white men,

would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is

obvious today that America has defaulted on this

promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color

are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred

obligation, America has given the Negro people a

bad check, a check which has come back marked

"insufficient funds."

UNEXPURGATED VER“ION, DR MARTIN KING “PLEECH, I HAVE A DREAM , 96

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice

is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are

insufficient funds in the great vaults of oppor-

tunity of this nation. And so, we've come to

cash this check, a check that will give us upon

demand the riches of freedom and the security

of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to re-

mind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This

is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off

or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promises of

democracy. Now is the time to rise from the

CONTINUED ON FOL-LOWING PAGES

JANUARY, 6 “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the ur-

gency of the moment. This sweltering summer of

the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until

there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and

equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a

beginning. And those who hope that the Negro

needed to blow off steam and will now be content

will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to

business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor

tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his

citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will con-

tinue to shake the foundations of our nation until

the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my peo-

ple, who stand on the warm threshold which leads

into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining

our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful

deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for free-

dom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and ha-

tred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the

high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not

allow our creative protest to degenerate into physi-

cal violence. Again and again, we must rise to

the majestic heights of meeting physical force

with soul force.Tarvelous new militancy which

has engulfed the Negro community must not

lead us to a distrust of all white people, for

many of our white brothers, as evidenced by

their presence here today, have come to real-

ize that their destiny is tied up with our desti-

THI“ “WELTER-ING “UMMER OF DI“CONTENT “HALL NOT PA““

ny. And they have come to realize that their free-

dom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that

we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of

civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can

never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the vic-

tim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.

We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies,

heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodg-

ing in the motels of the highways and the hotels of

the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the

negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a

larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as

our children are stripped of their self-hood and

robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGES

JANUARY, 6 “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE

here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of

you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And

some of you have come from areas where your

quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by

the storms of persecution and staggered by the

winds of police brutality. You have been the vet-

erans of creative suffering. Continue to work

with the faith that unearned suffering is redemp-

tive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama,

go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia,

go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and

ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that

somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say

to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of

today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a

dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise

up and live out the true meaning of its creed:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all

men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of

Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons

of former slave owners will be able to sit down

together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of

Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of

injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression,

will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and

justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will

one day live in a nation where they will not be

I Have A Dream Today

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

JANUARY, 6 “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE 4

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama,

with its vicious racists, with its governor having

his lips dripping with the words of

"interposition" and "nullification" -- one day

right there in Alabama little black boys and

black girls will be able to join hands with little

white boys and white girls as sisters and broth-

ers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall

be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be

made low, the rough places will be made plain,

and the crooked places will be made straight;

"and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and

all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go

back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the

mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this

faith, we will be able to transform the jangling

discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony

of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able

to work together, to pray together, to struggle

together, to go to jail together, to stand up for

freedom together, knowing that we will be free

one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day

when all of God's children will be able to sing

with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land

of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of

I And so let freedom ring from the prodigious

hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty

mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heighten-

ing Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-

capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curva-

ceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Moun-

tain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout

Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and

molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let free-

dom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow

freedom ring, when we let it ring from every

village and every hamlet, from every state and

every city, we will be able to speed up that day

when all of God's children, black men and white

men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catho-

lics, will be able to join hands and sing in the

words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last!

FREE AT LA“T!

FAMILY NEWS

NEEDED NOW Filli g the 8-page “karste Ti es ith stri tl fa il e s is a for ida le edito-rial goal for e er ear, espe iall the prese t reu io ear, 5.

Ho e er, ith a litle efort o pur part, this goal a e a hie ed. If e er o e

ould pit h i , the results ould e asto ishi g.

E pa di g the “karste Ti es to 8 pages is a i is ule ilesto e. There’s e ough goi g o to easil ill u h ore spa e!

Thus, here e go fro here duri g the forth o i g ear of 5 is a i porta t step i the rite dire io ! There is othi g to lose, e er thi g to gai !

Depe ds o the readers a d the editor! Togeth-er the ake a for ida le tea , ithout o e or the other…..litle!

Wrii g for the “karste Ti es is ’t eas , just less de a di g tha prepari g for su issio s t a

ajor jour al or ook pu lishi g o pa . Co -peiio for spa e is ’t as kee i the “karste Ti es as it ould e i Ti e agazi e.

All su issio s are re ie ed o l o e editor ho has ore tha a half e tur e perie e i

the edia i dustr as ell as e te si e a ade i a hie e e t. For those ho’re thi ki g a out pursui g a areer i jour alis , the “karste Ti es ofers ou a ha e to get our foot i the door !

Perhaps a good thi g to re e er is rii g for

The “karste Ti es is solid e perie e!

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

HOLIDAYS END, BACK TO WORK!

Co sideri g realiies akes people o der if the a ual La or Da hi h egi s i “epte er should e ale -dared for the irst eek of Ja uar he ost e plo ees retur to ork follo i g the le gth a ual holida s

hi h egi ith Tha ksgi i g duri g No e er a d e d a ruptl follo i g Ne Years’ Da o the irst o th of the ear!

A tually, o i g La or Day ould ser e o useful purpose

as that ould lea e orkers ithout a y holiday i “ep-

te er! Nope, the syste ould ’t tolerate the tra sfor-aio of La or Day! Fro

yet a other perspe i e add-i g a other holiday ould just delay the ago ies of hii g the ro ded free ays a d heari g the ar stories of fello orkers relai g e e ts of the holiday seaso !

Therefore, it is pro a l eter e get it o er a d do e ith

at the sa e i e e er e ar. Who said repeiio is the ade e of the u i erse ?

Pro a l the ost popular pu lisha le ords for des ri i g goi g a k to ork follo i g the holida s has ee Ba k to the old gri d . There are a other des ripi e adje i es that are ot suita le for pu li aio .

A tuall , u h of th, ork for e is ’t afe ted the holida ork s hedule of the -da ork eek group. Mu h of the orki g for es, ork gri di g 2 hours per da , se e da s per eek s hedules de oid of holida s .

Ne ertheless, people i ol ed i all areas of e dea or i d a s to ake the est of the ear-e d holida seaso s.

There are a ou ries a d religio s i d i e to take ad a tage of the holida s, espe iall at i es he the stores lose a d the ars ope .

Of ourse, the holida s i the U ited “tates are ot all dedi-ated to erri e t. Ater all, the holida s i the U ited

“tates ere all origi all of reli-gious origi , later i ludi g so e other ideas as ell.

E perie ed etera s of past Christ as holida s re o e d that the est a to ge a k i to the proper aitude is to just pi k up here ou let of. That is, if o e a re e er e a tl

here.

It a ot e a good idea to ap-proa h the e ear a difer-e tl tha other ears. Di e i like lear i g ho to s i so as

ot to si k he i u dated the elated orkload.

I so e respe ts, ta kli g the e ear rese les ei g hit

a opposi g pla er he least e pe ted! Do ’t fall to the grou d, take e as e a io a d s ore a tou hdo !

This is the i e to e a he-ro a d get the udget out of the red!

JjJANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 6

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

JANUARY FUN

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

JANUARY, 6 “KAR“TEN TIME“ PAGE 8

V

With JIM “KAR“TEN, Editor

DOWN ON THE FARM

“tayi g ar a d keepi g the Fossto Far fro freezi g up ere the prioriies of Ja uary ith the usual i iously old te peratures a d deepe i g s o !

I e ha ge fo la o i g, the eathe e ui es s o e o al a d othe i te ho es. Keepi g the fa a i als safe f o the i te eathe , safe i the

a , as the p i a fa a i it du i g the o th of Ja ua .

Despite the frigid te peratures, isited eigh ors aki g up for ei g too usy for so ial ork duri g the su er. Mai e tertai e t i luded Whist ard playi g. “o e of the eigh ors ere ery o peii e at the Whist ta les, e o i g upset he so eo e ade a istake!

Ho e er, i the e d e erythi g as all o sidered good fu . “eldo did a eek pass i Ja uary he so eo e isited us or e isited the . Upo arri al at the far

duri g 1949 at age 4, the “karste t i s ere talk of the o u ity. As soo as the t i s arri ed, the late Al ert “karste ega tea hi g the ho to play Whist .a d pari ipate i the lo al ard paries.

Fi ally the t i s played Whist ith the adults at a irthday party, e o i g the talk of the to . Pro a ly the t i s , Gary a d Gra t, ere the you gest ard play-

ers e er i the Heier o u ity.

Noted for his good hu or, Al ert a d Rose oth e joyed sho i g of the t i s a d e tertai i g e eryo e at h-i g the play Whist . For years, Gary a d Gra t ere

ell re e ered for their early i trodu io to the Whist ard playi g ir uit.

Mea hile, the i ter i ds a d lo i g s o typi al of the Mi esota i ter o i ued outside. Ne ertheless, there as al ays e essary outside far ork to e a -o plished i the frigid te peratures of the harsh i ter!

A ar house ith heery ar th as al ays el o e o the Fossto Far duri g the i ter. , espe ially i Ja u-ary! Ti es ha e ha ged, ith the Whist ard playi g so ial gatheri gs o just fo d e ories.

“karsten Twins Joined Card Paries at Age Four

JANUARY, 2016 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 19

DOWN ON THE with

JIM

SKARSTEN Editor

Sound of crows arriving is each year the first sign of spring in Northern Min-nesota, “Down on the Farm”!

Seldom is the spring season far behind the call of the crows which is well known by most Minnesota residents. It is very simply a “caw-caw-caw” song.

Noise made by the arriving birds also represents a “wake-up” for the famers who have been in comparative hiberna-tion since the last field work was ac-complished during late October of the past year. Return of the crows meant it was a reminder that critical spring field work was now approximately only one month away!

Included in summer plans were means of dealing with the crows who damage crops while grazing first on newly-

planted crops.and later the mature plants themselves. The main and less cost-lydefense against crow infestation is hunting the crows, the noise of the dis-charging guns at least scaring the crows away if not first killing them. Apparent-ly, additional means have become necessary to cope with the growing crow population

that has been experienced since the 1950s during the years when I was “Down on the Farm”.

Hunting crows was excellent sport. The smart crows had devious ways of avoiding becoming a hunting statistic so hunters couldn’t often get very close to a crows, which usually flew alone during the day.

Actually, blackbirds were another culprit. However, crows maintained the “first-return” championship since blackbirds usually began flying in during April which was later in.the spring season, always too late to beat the crows! Furthermore, blackbird were much easier targets than the crows which were more crafty.

“About the only thing those damn crows don’t know is how to play pool!” a resident remarked after missing several shots. In-deed, the crows are renouned for evasive-ness.

Frequently smaller birds would chase crows. A primary objective were the crows’ eyes as the clumsy crows were somewhat defense-less against smaller flyers such as blackbirds.

A neighbor covered the garden with netting to keep out crows and blackbirds. It seon

became obvious the blackbirds and crows were somewhat beneficial as they also fed upon the worms that quickly became more destructive than the birds. Through that ex-perience this neighbor learned that worms are more formidable opponents than crows and blackbirds!

Curiously, the collective name for a group of crows is a “murder”. The genus name is “Corvus” in the family “Corvidae”.

Researchers have concluded that some spe-cies of crow are capable of making and using tools. Crows are known to be among the world’s most intelligent animals.

Crows usually survive to age 20 with many living to be 30 years or more. The oldest captive crow died at aga 59.

CROW ARRIVALS

HERALD SPRING

JANUARY, CROSSWORD

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

ACROSS

. Pai s of o e

. Bu ket . Ail e ts

. E ete

. Dou le- eed ood i d

. Tid

. Spo i g e ue

. Cofee dispe se s

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. Suppo i g olu

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. Ai ai es

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. Medi al d essi gs

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. Cha ged pa i les

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. E a o ed

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. Wood shapi g a hi e

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. Moo of Satu

. Raps allio s

. Food thi ke e

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. "Co es a d ____"

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JANUARY, CROSWORD

NOVEMBER CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

JANUARY, 6 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

DECEMBER CROSSWORD

ACROSS

. You a hai

. Weight loss pla s

. God of lo e

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WHATTA TREAT!

Grim Smarten Ancient Viking Mariner

JANUARY, 2016 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 22

The “Skarsten Times”

Gourmet Reciple Page!

NORWEGIAN POTATO LEFSE

Peel the poptatoes and cut them into large, uniformly-shaped chunks.

Place over medium-high heat, bring the water and the pot atoes to a gentle boil, cook until the potatoes are very soft and easily

Using a potato masher, potato ricer, or a dinner fork, mash the potqatoes as thoroughly as possible; you don’t want any lumps. Cut the butter into small chunks and mikx it with the potatoes. Add the cream and salt. Keep mixing until the butter and cream are completely absorbed. Taste and add more salt if desired. Refrigerate overnight or up the three days.

Mix the mashed potatoes with 1 cut of the flour. At first this will be very crumbly and floury, but the mixture will gradually start coming together. Turn the dough out on the counter and knead once or twice to bring it into a smooth roll. Roll it into a thick log and then divide it into 16 equal por-tions for small 6-8” lefse ot 8 equal portions for large 10-12” lefse.

Roll the lefse gently onto the rolling pin, as if you were transferring pie dough and laty it into the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until speckled with golden-brown spots. Transfer the cooked lefse to a plate and cover with another clean dish towel.

While one lefse is cooking, roll out the next one. Keep all the cooked lefse under the towel to keep them warm and prevent them from drying out. If the lefse starts to stick to the pan, melt a small pat of butter into the pan and wipe it away with a paper towl to leave only a very thin coating of fat on the pan.

Spread the lefse with your topping of choice and roll it up to eat. Leftover lefse can be stacked with wax paper between the layers to prevent sticking and should be kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for three months. The lefse can be eaten cold from the fridge or warmed up for a few sec-onds in the microwave.

Incredients/Service 1 pound starch o all-purpose potatoes

1/4-cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon of salt, plus more to taste

1-1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Makes 16 small flatbreads or 8 large flatbreads. You can substitute two cups of leftover mashed potatoes for the mashed potatoes in this recipe.

“

NORWEGIAN

LATTERSALVE

NORWEGIAN

ENGLISH

OLE: Hørt at Yvar går av med pensjon. LARS; Ja, det så ut som han skulle fortsette å arbeide alltid! OLE: Han hadde jobbet i den samme jobben det for 35 år! LARS: Hvorfor gjorde han velger å pensjonere?

OLE: Heard that Yvar is retiring. LARS; Yes, it looked like he was going to continue working forev-er! OLE: He’d been working in the same job there for 35 years! ARS: Why did he decide to retire?

January, 2016 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 23

NOVEMBER, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

Ja uar , SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

FAMILY REUNION HALL OF FAME

: Portla d, Orego Hosts: Ale a der Fa il Relai es

Past Reu io s: :Wisco si Dells, Wisco si

Host: Hildegarde McGo

: Hill City, South Dakota

Host: Dr. Ph llis Skarste Di o

8: Fossto , Mi esota Hosts: Gra t a d Be erl Skarste

:Decorah, Iowa Host: Ms. Ag es Skarste Hjelle

: Braha , Mi esota

Host: Gar Skarste

January, 5 SKARSTEN TIME PAGE 5

V

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NOVEMBER,

Your

Vote Counts!

JANUARY, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

htp://skarste -i es.wee ly. o /

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MARCH, SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE

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SKARSTEN FAMILY COAT OF ARMS

JANUARY, 2015 SKARSTEN TIMES PAGE 28

This is the famous photograph of everyone who attended the 2015 Skarsten Family Reunion at Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. This photo will appear in each issue of forthcoming “Skarsten Times” until a similar photo of the 2018 Skarsten Family Reunion group

Photo By Dr. David Dixon

2015 REUNION TEAM

“ Skarsten Times” Managing Editor