Brownsdale Study Club

The Brownsdale Study Club met Jan. 17 at the home of Fern Paschke.

President Shelley Vogel opened the meeting with the reading of the collect. Ten members answered roll call to “How many members of your family served in the armed forces?”

Old business: Fern reported she delivered $50 cash to Adria Vargas, our Brownsdale city clerk, as our donation to be used toward the new city park pavilion that is being planned. A receipt was obtained.

There was no new business. The meeting was adjourned.

Mary Gallaher will host the February meeting.

Hazel Schlichting gave the main topic.These old worn clothes may be the most useful, tools on the farm. Raised in the 50s and 60s, we were not accustomed to modern paper towels or fancy dishcloths. New rag had many uses. Attaching a white one to a pole was for daddy, indicating it was time to come in from the field for lunch. Farmers used them to wipe grease and grime. When we needed a bandage, mother tore a strip of rag from an old sheet to wrap around the wound.

Hazel’s second topic was superbugs. Everyone knows germs are bad, so the best things to do is fight them with antibacterial soaps. Not so fast.

Recent research indicates antibacterial products can actually make us more vulnerable to health problems. The chemical used kills most germs, but the ones that survive become more resistant and become tougher to kill. For around the house, cleaning alcohol, lemon juice and bleach simply rupture the germs without giving them a chance to develop into superbugs.

Mary Gallaher gave the outside reading, “March of the Penguins.”

Penguins are a flightless bird that use their flippers to swim. Their wing bones are dense and flattened and joints are still, which give them power under water. On land they look awkward. They balance on their web feet and short tails. They spend their winters in Antartica. In the spring they march from the sea to nesting sights. In May or June the female lays a 16 ounce egg. The mother then transfers the egg to the father and she returns to the sea for foo. Father incubates the egg until hatched in late summer. Then the chicks are on their own.

National Geographic printed an article stating Antartica could lose its penguin population due to climate change.

In 2006 the movie, “March of the Penguins,” came out to movie theaters.

Fern served rhubarb dessert.

Duplicate Bridge

Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Mower County Senior Center, six tables playing. Gail and Ray Schmidt; second,  Joyce Crowe and Millie Seiver; third, Larry Crowe and Bill Momsen; fourth, Barb Engebretson and Orrin Roisen; fifth place, Barb Rofshus and John Laurie; sixth place, Chuck Borneman and Jim Fisher.

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 11 teams played at the Mower County Senior Center. First, Eunice Michaelis and Barb Engebretson; second,  Dave Ring and Orrin Roisen; third, Loren Cleland and Bud Higgins; fourth place, John Laurie and Rick Stroup; fifth place, Vandy Newman and Ron Peters.

Players were from Austin, Albert Lea, Adams and Rose Creek. All bridge players are encouraged to join us at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and noon on Wednesdays.