Growth: Nebraska Stories April 25th

Growth is the ability to move beyond one’s current location or even frame of mind. For this Nebraska Stories Season 10 finale, each of the segments has to do with a different aspect of growth. The NET description is italicized, and I cannot resist providing my own brief insights. I think you will enjoy these stories!

Musical Growth

In the Listening Room with Andrea von Kampen: Join singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen in the music studio as she records songs for her first full album. Her soulful folk songs have amassed millions of streams on Spotify and her following continues to grow as this young Nebraska talent takes her music to listening rooms across the country.

Personally I think von Kampen’s sound is beautiful. I appreciate the fact that she is continuing to work on her craft. Her music is available through many different sources.

Growth and Innovation (Dessert Displays)

Haute Stacker: The handmade candies of chocolatier Melissa Stephens, owner of The Cordial Cherry in Omaha, are works of art in their own right. But, Stephens’ creativity also extends beyond the kitchen. With advanced degrees in science, she currently has a patent pending on her invention called the Haute Stacker. This is an elegant way to display and/or serve decadent desserts.

Someday hopefully I can try one of this chocolate shop’s specialties. But this segment is about so much more. The fact that a chocolatier happens to use her science background to develop a patent for displays is quite impressive!

Journalistic Growth

D-Day and the Oldfield Effect: A look back at the war correspondents recruited by Nebraskan and US Army press officer Barney Oldfield, including Omaha’s Bob Reuben, a Reuters news correspondent. Reuben was the first journalist to land in Normandy and the first correspondent to file a news report with a Normandy dateline, sent by carrier pigeon to Barney Oldfield 150 miles away.

In 1957, Bob Reuben sent Barney Oldfield a letter describing his experience as the first war correspondent to arrive in Normandy during D-Day, including sending his first Normandy story out to the world via carrier pigeon.

This fall, I am planning on teaching two journalism classes to some homeschool students. So this segment definitely intrigued me. Since I have written many articles, I do consider myself to be a journalist. But all of the requirements for World War 2 writers would have been too much for me!

Garden Growth

St. Gerald’s Garden: Connecting kids to nature has been the mission of St. Gerald’s Elementary School for over a decade. The school developed a hands-on program where students learn how to grow a garden from start to finish…and they simply love it!

Every school needs a garden! Possibly every house does as well. I am still learning to love digging in the dirt, but someday I will get there!

Growth of Understanding Cranes

The Sound of Spring: For Doreen Pfost, the Platte River is a place for respite, escape, and a source of inspiration. She documented her experiences in a book and shares her reflections about the annual Sandhill Crane spring migration in this story.

Rather than dragging her feet when her family moved, Doreen Pfost decided to embrace her environment. Her focus of cranes inspired her to volunteer and to write a book. A happy ending for all involved!