A few weeks ago when I was down with my annual late winter cold, I remarked to myself, wow, you have not had any broken bones, owies, sprains or burns since last May (sprained foot walking in Downtown Denver). Not bad. That, of course, was dangerous thinking, such self-kudo-ing brings disaster. I awoke the next…
Some rules make me smile, like having permission to leave snowmen decor up all winter. Other rules make me feel like sloth, like the local yard rules. I arrived here in early Nov 2014, and when I looked out on the gardens I saw that everything was orderly and ready for the winter. The previous…
Rules: a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere. Football rules, classroom rules, family rules. They are not laws, which bring legal consequences if broken. Still, we learn to live by the rules established by our culture, our generation, our family, and we can suffer social…
The main topic on my mind this winter: rural healthcare. We have an excellent eye doctor and dentist who come here once a week, so I feel blessed! I receive my primary care from a small clinic about 25 miles south. However, for my annual physical, I drove 85 miles south, into South Dakota! For…
My muse emerges when I am in a peaceful and beautiful setting outdoors. Now, outdoor trips are rare thanks to deep winter in the north, when I am mostly indoors for months at a time. I moved a comfy chair next to the doors leading to the deck for some visual inspiration. The house across the…
I moved my living room chair for the winter. I now sit across from the little wood stove. This gives me a higher and wider view of the street and houses in front of me. Previously, the chair provided maximum bird viewing. From my new perch, I see people driving to work at the Assisted…
Remember my post “Sausage Situation”, where I selfishly refused to give up the last Wishek Sausage? Something funny happened after that! A church member brought me a heavy gift bag. First item: a homemade kugen, another tradition I will write about later. Then, two packages of Wishek Sausage!!! Ha-ha-ha, you read my blog, I said!…
Wishek Sausage is famous in certain circles. In fact, when I told a friend in Wyoming that I was moving to Wishek, he salivated right before my eyes and gushed about the local sausage. Many of our small town grocers make and sell sausage, each one with a slight difference. The favorite is always Wishek Sausage.…
What to do when you know a snow storm is roaring and twirling over the prairie and heading towards your hamlet? Go for a hike, possibly the last until spring. I checked in with Don the Baptist and he was ready for an adventure too. Tango, get your coat! We had fog and freezing temperatures…
I wrote recently about making kneophla soup for Santa Day and my dilemma (homemade kneophla vs frozen). We gathered on Thursday night to create our soups and sandwiches. I made a separate pot with the homemade kneophla, which worked well. I had a friend taste both and she told me she could taste the difference–the homemade…