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This group of friends brought The Rake along to Europe not only because they “could not stand the thought of missing a single issue” but also because they wanted to share their love of Peter Schilling’s work with the world. They took The Rake racing on the autobahn, hiking in the Alps, sampling wine in Italy and eating one cheese covered meal after another. They had a great time taking plenty of Red Handed photos as well.

They also said: Thanks for “raising the bar” for local papers and keeping us entertained, informed and amused.

Photo 1: Mary Beth Lardizabal, Kristin Dean, Heidi Thorson in Venice, Italy. Photo 2: Heidi Thorson and Alex Marie in Venice, Italy. May 2006

Pat writes: We are at the beach down off Pelican Bay in Naples on our morning beach outing- and kids were starving for lunch – and they just kept drooling over the back cover- not the front cover.

George Ruth on a kayaking trip in Greenland in August 2006. He left The Rake in a rack with other publications in the lobby of the airport at Uummannaq. George writes: Paddling in the fiords and around icebergs was fun and very educational. At one point Bris Bandy (Ely, MN) and I were within 60 feet of two adult bowfin whales and one calf—they were feeding and we observed them for about 20 minutes.

Keep up the great work on the magazine. I read it faithfully after collecting it at the MGM liquor store on Larpenteur and Lexington in Roseville.

It’s dark outside and I feel a tad morbid. I’m chatting with a friend who is probably secretly depressed because he’s too serious when he’s not smiling and he sighs a lot for a guy. I’m Kao Kalia Yang and I am only four feet ten inches tall and I am moody over the rains in December, the rejection letter I got from an agent today via email, and the dismal circumstances that keep my mom still at work as night falls and falls and falls on all of us, and same with my dad. And I feel that it should be colder outside and my jacket thinner so that I can feel more alive in the season. I’m reading The Rake because it is quality distraction. I can enter a world of polished writing that I probably won’t ever do very well at. No jealousy or yearning for that, just a certain appreciation and a sense of humor in the matter. I like it very well because it reminds me of what other people can do—talented and young, and probably feeling the same weight on their days and their dreams.

Your comments in “Sippin’ Suds at the Single-Wide” hurt the three men who own Kappus Bud’s Place. Here are people who pay their own bills, don’t live on welfare, and provide a service to the area. Yes, Bud’s Place is unique and maybe the bartender didn’t look you in the eye, but maybe he sensed the mirth in your body language or the glint in your eye as you thought, “Ah, here’s a good story.” If you want someone to watch over your cabin, to plow snow, or to mow your lawn you can’t find better men. And—where can you find a beer for a dollar nowadays? These men are paying their way in this world even after being dealt a raw hand in life.

Christy DeSmith sets up a wonderful environment for a tale [“Sippin’ Suds at the Single-Wide,” January]. I loved the snapshot, but I’m left wanting to see the whole movie … even if she has to make it up.

Kudos to The Rake’s editorial staff for having the balls to publish the “Closed Doors” letter in the January issue. You are probably the only bleeding-heart-liberal publication that attempts to keep your mind partially open to someone outside of your Democrat-loving, communist-leaning readership. Keep up the good work!

Tom Bartel [“Paying for Crime,” January], please lead us out of this mess. It’s time for the community to take back its government. If our tax dollar can’t support our libraries, we need a Plan B. I suggest we contract with the American Association of Retired Persons. There is plenty of talent to staff these smaller libraries. Being retired, I’m receiving a generous pension, and I have health coverage and more vacation time than I can use. Let’s just say we are prepaid. All we would need is some corporate support for light and heat.

Unfortunately we live in a time of intolerance and incivility fueled by a bullying, divisive, and fear-mongering administration that increases our collective xenophobia daily. Thank you to Peter Schilling [“Postcards from Saudi Arabia”] for bringing some of us just a bit closer together by sharing his personal experiences and reflections. I am sure he made a better ambassador than many of our “leaders.”

I grew up in Saudi Arabia, where my parents worked for Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company). I found the article “Postcards from Saudi Arabia” [December] to be a very memorable and well-written description of life in the country based on my experiences growing up. Both my parents and I have many insights on the country from having lived there and been a part of the community up to and right after the first Gulf War. My parents started as farm kids from Minnesota, yet ended up as educators living in Saudi Arabia for twenty years, and lived through the first Gulf War. They gave me the opportunity to see the world as many have not, and I am very appreciative of the experiences I have had. I spent my formative years in Saudi Arabia (second through ninth grades), then had to return to the U.S. for boarding school due to Aramco policies, but was allowed to return during breaks. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit soldiers in the desert during the war and spend time with them over Thanksgiving and Christmas at my parents’ house in Dhahran. I’ve got great memories of the country as a child and am always amazed at the change that took place within the country and region after Saddam invaded and the U.S. landed as a military force. I love the article and it brings back many memories of a culture not many can experience.