The List

Hello and welcome to the LAST Saturday of January here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is January 31st. 

Hoowee! We made it through Januar-ee! I'm thrilled to share that January 2026 has been a personal improvement over Januarys past. I give the credit to Vitamin D, good hydration, exercise, adequate rest, and a workspace with windows where I can bask in warm sunny rays like a cat on the days when we have it. I love winter, but even I will admit that making it through winter is a little bit like running a marathon. I feel relieved to have made it through this stretch and I'm holding the celebration at bay as I ready myself to tackle the next stretch - February.

I'm actually pretty excited about February. Right out of the gate, I have two things to look forward to. In last week's blog post, I mentioned that our kids' teams were competing at the Lego League Qualifier in Grand Forks. The Brick Bobs won 1st place for Core Values and Warbotics won 1st place for Innovation Project. Both teams performed well enough to advance to the Lego League State Championship next Saturday in Grand Forks! Last week, I said that the WAKWIR 2.0* would write a recap. Well, today he's with a group of his Bob teammates building a buoy prototype to improve underwater archeological site markings. I'll have him back to the blog with a full report after the state championship next Saturday!

The second thing I'm looking forward to is caucusing on Tuesday. I've been to one caucus, and that was probably twenty years ago. I brought my enthusiasm and energy, but no knowledge about the purpose and process of caucusing. This year, I'm feeling much better prepared and have a much better idea of what it's about.

In my own words (as opposed to AI's, also per last week's blog post), a caucus is an opportunity to bring your list of items important to you, and share them with one of the two major political parties. That's right, only the two major political parties are allowed to host caucuses. That does not mean you can't attend if you're a member of a different political party. It does mean that, because they are run by political parties, those in attendance should "generally agree" with the principles of the party hosting the caucus. You also have to pick. Most caucuses are held at the exact same time, 7-8pm, so you can't attend both. (Note: Here's a link to the MN Precinct Finder: https://caucusfinder.sos.mn.gov/ )

The Subject Line at the top of my list of concerns is Community. I love my community. Wannaskaland has taught me about the value of community. It's the place where I've learned to live side by side with people who think differently from me, come from different backgrounds, have different goals, different life experiences, different interests, etc. Small towns are a bit like families. You learn to accept the few cranky guys who talk a little too loudly at their daily kaffeeklatsch at the gas station because you know them. You know their families. You know their stories. You understand why they're cranky. You get it. And so, you love 'em anyway.

The subheader on my list is Neighbors. I've waxed poetic about my neighbors here before. Let me do it again. In the last two weeks, my neighbors have: 

• Given me an egg
• Given my kid a ride home
• Provided shelter for said kid when he found our house locked and didn't have his house key during sub-zero temperatures
• Checked on our cats
• Let us know the car tracks in our ditch were because they'd slid off the icy road in front of our house.

I care about my neighbors as much as they care about me. When I think about my neighbors (and community), I think about what they need - what we all need. 

And what do we need? The bulleted items on my list include:

• Basic human needs: clothing, food, and shelter.
• Warmth and protection from our harsh winters. 
• Reliable vehicles. 
• Good jobs that pay (all) the bills. 
• Stability and ability to provide for our families.
• To feel loved and supported in times of crisis.
• To feel seen and heard.
• To know that I/you/we matter.

As a nation, the United States has shared values of individualism and independence. Americans, as a cultural group, like to make their own choices and retain their autonomy. We also live in a republic where we agree that a central organizer - in this case, a government -  stewards an infrastructure of systems that provide access to services and ways of getting our needs met.

Like the wiring in an old house, over time, infrastructure can wear down and become outdated, flipping the breaker (at best) or burning the entire house down (at worst). Caucuses provide the perfect opening - that wide and welcoming front door thrown open - for folks to bring their ideas for updates and improvements.

And, I'll be ready to walk through that door Tuesday night with my list.