Thoughts of Meditation

Thought for Meditation

My neighbor may not
seem to me
To be just what he
... ought to be.
But then you know
it might be true
I'd do worse things
than he would do.
The faults in me
might really be
much bigger than
his faults I see,
so really folks it
isn't wise
for me to talk
or criticize.

Heide's Mortuary
Bowman, ND

This was found on the back of a Joseph Loder obituary but I don't know what year.  A friend of mine sent this to me. The Loder name is familar to me, but I have never heard of Heide's Mortuary. Must have been before my time. I only remember two owners Ohm and Krebsbach.

Cold

We have  a long weekend this weekend. The teachers have an inservice on Monday, the para's and other staff get the day off. I have been looking forward to this long weekend. Had perpared my honey due list for me and Jim. Won't you know - I've been fighting a cold and I think I'm about ready to wave that white flag. I slept in yesterday and today hoping that sleep would help. Didn't go to church this morning or to Wibaux's annual meeting. Decided at day of rest is what I needed. But as the afternoon and evening are slipping by my throat is getting scratchy and my nose is starting to run. Time to dig out the night quil and hit the bed. So much for those honey due lists. Hoping I will feel better tomorrow, want to get a good start on the newsletter at church.

blue and white coveralls

Isn't it funny how we remember just certain things that have touched our lives? Most memories filed away are very happy ones - there are sad ones and ones that can make you angry. One of my favorite memories is of a man that I can't even remember his name.  The memory starts with Sunday morning church, after church we would go downtown to Gene's Restaurant for carmel rolls, long john's (maple sticks as some call them), or a full breakfast. Outside the cafe was a wooden bench, always on the bench was an elderly gentleman that wore blue and white coveralls and a red IH farmers cap.  He had snow white hair and talked very slow with an accent possibly Norwegian.  As I would approach the bench he would be flipping a 50 cent piece. He would say "Here little girl, buy some candy." Makes me wonder how much money he gave me over the years. I would eat breakfast and as fast as I could and run to the Bennett Pharmacy (there were two pharmacies in Bowman that would alternate being open on Sundays) - they had a great selection of candy to a little girl!  What a happy memory to have filed away!!

Windy Wednesday

You must really love North Dakota to put up with the daily weather changes. We have had weather below zero to climbing over night to 23 above. This morning we wake up to 36 above with high winds. Guess it beats the snow we had yesterday with the wind. The only thing good I see about the wind this morning is it is warm and it is melting the snow offour deck that faces the north.

Found this last night and thought man Jeff Foxworthy sure nailed our state.

NORTH DAKOTA... through the eyes of Jeff Foxworthy:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in North Dakota. If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't even work there, you may live in North Dakota. If you've worn shorts and a jacket at the same time, you may live in North Dakota. If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with s...omeone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in North Dakota. If "vacation" means going anywhere south of Minot for the weekend, you may live in North Dakota. If you measure distance in hours, you may live in North Dakota. If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in North Dakota. If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you may live in North Dakota. If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Nort h Dakota. If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both doors unlocked, you may live in North Dakota. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in North Dakota. If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in North Dakota. If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in North Dakota. If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in North Dakota. If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in North Dakota. If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in North Dakota.

Grandma's visit

After spending 2 and a half hours of shoveling yesterday, Kelly and I decided at 2 PM to make a flying trip to Bismarck. Being Jr. class advisory I have to make sure that there are plenty of goodies for the concession stand.  We had a great night in sales at the last home game, and boy are we picked over. So this was the main reason for the trip to restock the candy.

I called Denise from Walmart and informed her we would be stopping out after we figured out what we wanted to eat for supper. A few minutes later she sent me this picture. I do like to think that Brody was standing at the gate wondering how long until Grandma and Auntie Kelly get here, but I do know more than likely he is wondering how to get to the bottom of those stairs.  It is amazing how much he changes just in 6 days. This visit he is crawling much faster and able to go from crawling to a sitting position. He has such a great little laugh when he finds something funny.

Denise and Brian were going to go out for a friends birthday, but decided to stay at home for the evening. They have dish for their TV, their receiver went out. So we all ended up at their neighbors house to watch the Packers/49er's game.   I hope they get their new receiver soon.

It is fun to go for a day, but the next trip has to be sooner leaving time or staying over has to be in the plan. Getting home at 12:20 AM makes for a long sleepy trip home.

Enjoyed my visit with you Brody James!

Awh - Thursday

I'm so ready for this week to be over. It has seemed to go so slow.  It seems most everyone has been so crabby this week. How can we already have cabin fever just a week after returning from a break?

Last night I helped with Luther League, we took the Christmas decorations down at the church and then enjoyed some fellowship time with snacks and root beer floats! The kids are so fun to listen to they have some amazing ideas and just silly stories. They have had a stressful week also, the kids at Beach are taking their semester test this week.

Yesterday I was asked to do something I enjoy - make a wedding cake. But I am afraid I will have to say no. The bride wants it frosted in black - have any of you made black frosting? It takes so much black color and for some reason it just never quite blends in nice. I think I will talk to her and see if she would do a white cake with a black satin ribbon. I think that would be very elegant.

Wishing everyone a great day!

Trip to Bismarck

    Kelly and I took a quick trip to Bismarck yesterday. We went to church at Sentinel Butte and we were on the road by 8:45 am to Bismarck. Made a quick stop at Dickinson to grab a little breakfast at McDonald's. Arrived at Bismarck around 11:00 am mountain time.  We had an enjoyable lunch with Denise, Brian and Brody. The boys took off for shopping at Menard's while we girls took off for David's Bridal.  We got Kelly's dress ordered for Michelle's wedding. The dress Michelle picked is lovely!
      Patty and Denise ordered their dresses on Saturday. Kelly and I were unable to go, as there was a home game on Saturday night. Being Junior class advisor has some disadvantages at times.  But Denise said Brody had a great weekend seeing all of his aunts and grandma over the weekend. 
Brody is starting to remember things which makes life so fun!   
    After our day of shopping we spent about an hour at the Osmond house.  I was sitting on the love seat, Brody crawled over and sat on my foot and looked at me like come on grandma what are you waiting for. The past few times I've seen him I have put him on my leg and played horse with him.  So guess what he was telling me.  Wish everyone could have heard Brody laughing! What a fun time I have being Grandma!!! Love that little guy so much!

Christmas Eve

Sharing some of our Christmas of 2012. Jim, Kelly, Michelle, Joey, and I traveled to Bismarck to spend Christmas Eve with them. The girls and I went to church at Lincoln. The pastor was amazed at the number of people that filled the church. They ran out of bulletins and candles.  It was a beautiful service - had me in tears when he did his sermon about 26 stockings that were hung that won't be filled this year. :( Blessings to those family's.

Going to be a light day here in our house. Getting geared up to watch the NDSU Bison play for the NCAA FCS football champoinship. work concessions at the Girls Basketball game  game this afternoon. So Jim has hooked up our Christmas gift from the kids, a recordable DVD player so I can rush home and watch the Vikings and Green Bay. So no scores please! Lets go Vikings!!!!

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Pondering

      Last night as I was laying in bed, I was wondering what compelled me to want to try this whole blog thing anyway. I knew one reason was I love reading my friends blog everyday. She has interesting stories and often an uplifting message.  But truely deep down inside I feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder! A modern day lady of the prairie wanting to journal her life through not pencil and paper, but computer, keyboard, and the web! Do you suppose someday my thoughts could be published as life in Western North Dakota changes once again?
     Just thinking of how life on the prairie has changed just in my 48 years. Growing up on the farm northwest of Bowman we had small equipment with no cabs to protect from the harsh summer sun. Our air condictioning was the west warm breeze. If I were lucky I would get a lovely red and white umbella propped up to protect me. I was in charge of all summer fallowing, raking of the hay, and evening feeding of the cows, pigs, sheep, buffalo, or whatever animals my dad and brother felt we needed to have at the time! I remember one afternoon of raking hay and coming home to find my dad and brother busy at the welder. Of course I must find out what they are building. It was our first cab they built for the old Case swather, complete with air condictioning. Boy now I was jealous, but dad did not allow me on the swather, much to dangerous for a young lady he would tell me. So I still got the best sun burn in the west! I believe the neighbors were a bit jealous also. Soon one of them had their son over checking out the contraption and trying their best to make one also.
     Now the tractors are huge, complete with GPS that will drive itself. Not much for summer fallow around these parts anymore, most everyone has gone to no-till.

 Similar to our old Case swather, before the cab of course!
 
Just like the old IH tractor I drove to rake hay! Awh the good old days!!

Monday on Thursday!

Christmas break seemed to fly by this year. I must say I could use about another week! We are still working in the kitchen to clean up the mess the fire exgisher made. (Very thankful though that it's just a yellow powder mess to clean up  - it was about time to clean out all the cupboards anyway.)  I keep telling myself that everything will be back to normal someday! But it is time to get back to work at school. I'm sure the kids are ready to get back to their studies too. They will have wonderful stories to tell of what their parents, grandparents, and friends gave them and of course what the jolly old man left in their stockings!
Happy Monday on Thursday everyone!

Being Prepared

Waking up this morning was way different than yesterday. Woke up at 6 AM to help Jim shovel the few business' that he does. They wind had managed to blow a nice drift across our driveway last night. After shoveling for about a half an hour, the wind picked up and there were a few snow flakes in the air. I think everything we shoveled this morning will be needing it again this afternoon.

Of course you would think that living in North Dakota one would be prepared for most everything.  I asked Jim as I was getting dressed what the tempture was, it was 20 above at 6 AM with no wind or snow in the air.  No need for the under armor today I told myself. Now I should not have talked myself out of that so fast. By 7 AM the wind was making my legs ache from it's oh so bitter chill, even though the temp kept right on rising.  Now you think Mother Nature could have held off on othat wind until 9 AM, she could cooperate with me once in awhile! It is now noon and I still have not unthrawed. 

Happy New Year

Happy 2013! Woke up to the most beautiful winter morning, the sun making the snow sparkle like millions of little diamonds sprinkled across the white ground. The air is crisp and clear, with a beautiful aqua blue sky this New Year's Day.

As I look forward to this new year I see Brody turning one, Michelle graduating college, Kelly graduating high school, and Michelle and Joey getting married. Starting to look like a very busy 2013.

If you look close you can see the sparkle! I love winter!! :)

 

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful and prosperous New Year!