Inspired Media

Paul Hexom lives a life of service, laughter, and passion.

Interview and foreword by Sondra Carver

I’ve lived in Decorah long enough to know that everywhere I go, Paul is there volunteering. He is still a cowboy at heart and farms a 40 acre tree farm.

I thought he was an excellent person for this honor

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My father said,”don’t worry, but be concerned.” Trust in God and take one day at a time. You can’t change yesterday, tomorrow will be whatever, and we can do our best today.

How about the worst?
Somebody said get a new car for better mileage. I did and the mileage was the same as before.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Because of Roy Rogers, I wanted to be a cowboy. I also wanted to be a farmer. My first job was selling garden seeds door-to-door in elementary school for which I earned a guitar. After graduating from high school in 1957, I graduated from Luther College in 1961, then I spent 21/2 years in seminary. After hearing Bob Hope talk about the Peace Corps, I joined and spent 1964-1966 in India.

What was your career?
I was in sales and management for World Book Encyclopedia for 46 years. I’ve also been president of Nordic Fest, chairman of the United Way, president and vice-president of the Winneshiek County Historical Society, and president of Decorah JayCees. Presently I am vice-president of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum Board, vice-chairman of the Decorah Historic Preservation Commission, and chairman of the Locust School Museum. I also volunteer at the the food pantry.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.
I am well-organized, honest, calm, thoughtful, can work with all ages, and have a “long fuse.”

Do you have some favorite quotes?
Yes, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people,” by Victor Borge, and “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face,” by Victor Hugo. If everyone would hug someone everyday, it would be a more peaceful world.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Lefse

Name one thing you could not live without?
Sunshine

What is your favorite memory?
A trip to Norway in 2005

The Potluck: Taking a Midwest Tradition Local

Story and photos by Aryn Henning Nichols • Photo/Food Assistant Thea Satrom

Getting together with friends is the stuff of summer.

Getting together with friends, eating food grown by friends, is the stuff of a Driftless summer.

When you live in a place like the Driftless Region, you sometimes forget that you’re even eating local…you’re just serving up the produce grown by farmers up the road! They might even be sitting across the table from you – ‘cause this is the Midwest, people. We’re friendly. And we like to potluck.

In case this is your first day in the Midwest, a potluck is “a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the larger gathered group.”

It’s a beautiful thing not just because it’s a great format for a party, but also because sometimes summertime livin’ isn’t so easy; it’s busy. Make it a little simpler by having your friends make all the food. Okay…you still have to make one dish, but that’s a lot better than a whole meal.

What goes into planning a potluck? Just an email, text message, or phone call with a loose “you do a main course, I’ll do veggie, they’ll bring dessert” sort of thing. Take it a step further and challenge potluck-goers to use local produce in their dishes. Buying locally is good for your environment, economy, and – most importantly – yourself. And shopping in season at your area farmers markets and food co-ops is also way more affordable than you’d think!

We put together our own potluck of local foods for this issue – from local shrimp (yep!) to bacon-wrapped dates to a beet and apple salad to cheese curd caprese skewers, we’ve got you covered. We’re featuring the recipes online here throughout the summer. Today, we’re highlighting finger foods!

Make it a potluck-y summer, friends, and enjoy!

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FINGER FOOD RECIPES – PRINT HERE

Cheese Curd Caprese Skewers

1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 lb fresh cheese curds
fresh basil leaves, cut or ripped in half if large
salt & pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
toothpicks

Bring balsamic vinegar up to a boil in a saucepan, then lower heat to medium and simmer until it’s the consistency of very thin maple syrup, about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool.

Cut large tomatoes in half / leave small ones whole. Thread a small cheese curd, basil leaf, and a tomato onto a toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then alternate a drizzle of balsamic reduction and olive oil on top.

Bacon-wrapped dates (makes 36)
12-ounce package of bacon, cut into thirds
8-ounce package of pitted dates

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Using scissors, cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap one (third) piece of bacon around each date. Make sure the bacon seam is on the bottom, so it is less likely to unravel. Repeat until all of the dates are wrapped in tasty bacon.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crisp (go a little longer if they don’t look crispy). Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Deviled Eggs

12 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 T milk
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp salt ( or to taste, I use seasoned salt)
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Paprika for dusting

Slice the eggs in half lengthwise; remove the yolks, and set whites aside. Add all ingredients except for paprika into food processor (it makes it so much smoother!), or whisk by hand if you must. Spoon mixture into a plastic bag, snip one corner, and pipe into the whites. Sprinkle with paprika and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tzatziki Dip
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 C plain greek yogurt
1/2 C sour cream
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for 2 hrs. before serving.  Serve with fresh veggies and pita triangles, or try it on top of grilled or roasted meats like lamb, chicken, or gyros.

PRINT RECIPES HERE

 Interview by friend Elly Lensch

There are a few special people in the world who light up any room or hall they enter with rays of sunshine on a gloomy day. Bev Christen is one of those people. Bev is always so pleasantly positive, you can’t help but love her the instant you meet her. And every time after that, she will remember you and probably make your day by just saying hi with a smile. She does this so successfully because her smile and welcome are authentic. Her life is less about quantity and so much more about quality. What Bev gives back is priceless.

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandmother and mother instilled in me some really great advice: work hard (they came from farming backgrounds), do the best job you can, and be kind and considerate to everyone.

How about the worst advice?

Have one more cookie. Have one more roll. See, I like to eat, so that’s probably the worst advice or suggestion anyone could have given to me.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I thought about nursing, but as long back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a secretary.

What do/did you do?

I got married in 1958 while I was working at the Decorah Superintendent of Schools, and then I was a stay-at-home mom when the kids were small. I lived away from Decorah for 10 years and really enjoyed getting to know all the people and teachers elsewhere, but my husband, Elliott’s, job brought us back to NE Iowa in 1970. I had suggested he take the Waverly job, so I would be able to visit Decorah when the kids were out of school or on breaks, but he took the Decorah job! (Which ended up just fine, it’s just, I didn’t have anywhere to visit then!) Then I got the last and longest job I had, which was 27 years as the front desk secretary at NEIA Behavioral Health. A job I LOVED! I retired in 1999 from that job and have kept going ever since with volunteering, travelling, bridge, and coffee club. (Bev’s the one on the far left in the picture at left.)

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

• Good supply of food, water and Diet Coke or Pepsi.

• Television – I do like my television; it’s a good source of entertainment. Nothing specific, but I do like detective shows.

• Some kind of project to do to help someone with something.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.

If there’s a job to be done, I want it done two weeks ago (that makes me a little OCD I guess).

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Something sweet… I like most anything sweet and like to have my sweet in the morning, but I would want to be able to have my sweet every day.

Name one thing you could not live without.

My family, extended included, and my friends.

Recall a favorite memory.

So many good memories, it’s hard to just pick one. I was born in the house on the farm, and was two years old when we moved into town. I’m the middle sister, and am a graduate of the Decorah Class of 1956 (the best class!). I was a cheerleader because I was a busy body who always liked to stay active. I was Homecoming Queen, which I wasn’t happy about that day because I could not cheerlead that game. We had an end-of-August wedding. It was an evening wedding as they all were back then, and had a nice little honeymoon up north of the cities. We have wonderful kids and their spouses, and a great grandson who has brought us a lot of joy and who we got to see because he went to Luther. I love my church and enjoy volunteering there. I am enjoying retirement, bus trips, loved travelling to the East Coast and had the experience of driving to see my previous boss in the fall through the northeastern states. Just beautiful. The best thing that has happened to me overall is the volunteering I do. I volunteer for the Winneshiek Medical Center Auxiliary, the Chamber, and Aase Haugen Homes. To be able to bring joy to other people and fill someone else’s life is priceless. We’re really blessed here in Decorah. Very lucky to be here and have all the activities, attractions, and arts at our disposal. And to have Family Table coffee time. Keep going as long as you can.

Bev’s Words to Live By:

Spend time with those you love.
Cherish your grandparents.
Have fun.
Do what you can for others to the best of your ability.
A smile and hello go a long way.