Nebraska Stories Episode 806: Finding Life in the Everyday

This week’s Nebraska Stories remind us all of the life that we can find in the everyday. There is a beauty in working hard at what you are called to do. NET’s press release is bulleted with my own thoughts on each segment italicized.

“Sowbelly Canyon” looks at restoration and conservation efforts that are helping to preserve this little-known paradise near Harrison. This part of Nebraska is so breathtaking. Finding out how community is restoring the natural beauty of the land is inspiring. Everyday they are working hard to protect this canyon area.
“Team Armstrong” follows Husker softball standout Alicia Armstrong of Beatrice and her parents who attended every game of her collegiate career. Everyday former Husker Alicia Armstrong showed up to play her best, even through pain. Almost everyday her parents showed up too. While softball may not be the best known Husker sport, this athlete is worth learning more about.
“Doc Middleton: The Unwickedest Outlaw” explores the notorious life and times of Doc Middleton, a man who was regarded as the Robin Hood of the Old West. I must confess that I did not know much about Doc Middleton. If you go up near Valentine, signs advertise where he used to “hang” out. Middleton considered himself a rescuer of the everyday man.
“Extraordinary Vessels” looks at both sides of Jenni Brant’s life – from her day job managing an international artist-in-residency program to her nights and weekends creating colorful functional pottery. If you have not been the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, you definitely need to stop by sometime. Although Jenni Brant is no longer the director there, the story of her everyday pottery is still inspiring. Jenni is now Jenni Petersen, and she and her husband work at the Art Haus in Decorah, Iowa. You can find out more about her art at Jenni Brant Ceramics. By the way, the image features the backyard of this fascinating Nebraska City location.