Nothing like a hike

Well, we have settled into our condo and awoke to blue skies and crystal clear air.. off we went for our morning hike, energized by the amazing landscape. We appreciate our health, our retirement and this time in our life. We do not take it for granted as we are well aware it is not a quarantee. May you appreciate your day today, wherever your circumstances find you. May your day be full of thankfulness and may you sense God's blessings in your life.

Once again...

We are soon to arrive in Sedona, Arizona, a place that has become such a spot of refreshment for our bodies and souls. We look forward to daily hikes surrounded by these amazing red rock views and blue skies.  6 weeks of sunshine coming up!

The white dress

Last week via facebook an old friend sent me this photograph she had of my father and me from 1969.  I was a member of the "Spring Court" at the college I attended my Senior year.  I think there were about 6 or 8 girls on the court and I asked my father to be my escort.  One of my close girlfriends, also on the court, did not like my decision to ask my father, she thought I should have asked one of the fellow Senior guys.  Fine for her, she was engaged to her escort... as were ALL the other girls on the court, I do believe!  I was determined to act in a way that made my day special and there was no one else that could have made it more special then to have my father escort me.  Little did I know that he would not be alive to escort me down the wedding aisle a few years later; he died just 2 months prior to my wedding.  So these pictures of the two of us, him in his white jacket and me in a white dress are more precious then I could have imagined.  (I did have pictures from this time, just not this one.  How fun to see it!) 

Facetime

Our youngest son is here in town briefly and his wife and many children are not.  There are some sweet grandchildren (7, to be exact!) that are missing their Daddy.  (Pretty sure his wife is missing him too!)   Last night I captured this cute picture of them chatting via facetime - I wish I could have captured it all, it was just so cute to see all of them excited to see and talk to Daddy!  (I think Daddy was pretty pleased to see them as well, actually.)   And, at my age, I still miss my Daddy.  Sigh.

Uncle Tall Boy

 

Our youngest son, the tall boy, is in town for a few days and we are enjoying his visit!  (It is a short visit and the rest of the family couldn't come, too bad!).  Last evening Uncle Tall-boy got to come with us to watch the 8th grade basketball team of our oldest grandson.  I think it was nice for our grandson to know his Uncle (who is a pretty fine basketball player) watch his game!  And the grandson delivered a mightly fine game himself - all in all, a nice family evening!  (The picture above is middle son, youngest son, oldest grandson and hubby.)   Family is a blessing and God has been quite gracious to us as we have been in a position to enjoy these blessings.  We do not take it for granted.

Cheerful flowers

This weekend we have been enjoying the home of our eldest son and his wife and 2 sweet grandsons while hubby recuperates from ear surgery here in Minneapolis for a condition called otosclerosis. The surgery went well and we are hopeful that the hearing in his right ear will improve significantly as it heals. We were greeted with these pretty flowers and lots of hugs. The day after surgery hubby felt well enough to attend our grandson's basketball game. This grandparent role is the best.

Dream Big

We have an eight grade grandson who loves basketball.  I think we have a good number of fun games ahead of us in the next years (along with the other 8 grandsons and 5 granddaughters and their sports, etc.!).  This grandson has springs in his legs and can really get UP to score (and also to rebound!).  I managed this fun picture of him, then put it in a program that had all sorts of filter choices, so I chose this filter, added these words and printed it out 8 x 10.  Hubby made a nice rustic frame for it and I think our grandson was quite pleased with it when we surprised him with this little gift.  Nothing like this grandparent role! 

Be...

I just feel drained with all the opinions back and forth regarding the culture of today.  I refuse to enter into the dialog on the internet.  If we speak in person and can have a civilized conversation I am all for it. But the social media sites are sucking the joy right out of me.  So here is some encouragement along with a favorite verse of mine from Micah 6:8 which reads "He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the LORD is requiring from you - to act with justice, to treasure the LORD's gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God."

Nightly visitors

Most every evening a number of deer come to our backyard to enjoy some cracked corn that hubby has put out for them. We never seem to tire of watching them. First we can see them from a long distance away because they stand out against the snow covered ground as they work their way out of their hiding places and towards our backyard which is quite wooded and safe for them. Last evening there were ten deer and one persistent bunny rabbit who wasn't so pleased with sharing the cracked corn with ten hungry deer!

Kumpe night

 At least once a year (and sometimes more) hubby and his buddy take over the kitchen in order to make a meal that they both grew up enjoying - it has Norwegian roots and has a number of names; we would say "Kumpa" (I believe it is spelled kumpe in Norske) , or Klub, or Kumla .. etc.  It is basically potato dumplings; raw grated potatoes formed into a dough (add a little flour and salt) and then into a ball with a small piece of salt pork in the center, then boiled. 

These two peeled 30 pounds of potatoes for the evening guests.

My job was to prepared the tables for the guests. We expected about 19 guests. 

Most of these folks had grown up with this food and just loved a chance to have some!

There are a number of ways to enjoy kumpe.  Some merely add butter and salt & pepper.  Some put honey or syrup on it.  I added some cooked carrots with the meal though it often is served just alone.

 Of course, we had to have a little dessert (not a big dessert, though, as kumpe is heavy, dense, and filling!).  Keeping with the Norwegian theme of the evening, we had cold heart-shaped Norwegian waffles with lingonberries and sour cream and, of course, coffee!

However, most every person who has grown up with this will also say that it is better fried the next morning.  Without exception that is said.. and it is true as far as I am concerned too.  (I did not grow up with kumpe and have not really developed a "love" for this meal.)  What are some of your ethnic meals from your childhood? 

Saturday night supper.

I am experimenting here with trying to place a photo from my iPad into my blog here. I think I have accomplished it and I choose this colorful picture of what we enjoyed last evening while sitting by the cozy fire and watching tv together. We have been eating well for a while now and sometimes I need the presentation to help me continue making good choices. Doesn't this look good? It was..

A Minnesota Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016!

We enjoyed half of our 14 grandchildren this Christmas. (The other 7 live in Oregon; we had to "facetime" with them instead of having them here in person.)

 

Adam and his family.

 

John and family.

 

 The tree with just the "candle" lights on.

 

 All the lights.

 

 Our cute little Snow village.

 Of course, food a big part of being together!  For Christmas Eve we have Wally's Norwegian milk rice.

 

 Gift opening Christmas Eve brings lots of excitement.  New football jerseys of #11 were a hit.

 

 Following gift opening we settled back to eating.  Fruit, nuts and sweets rounded out the evening.

 

 Christmas day turkey dinner.



 Time together means relaxing.  A Christmas puzzle is always fun.

 And then there are so silly games that Grandpa played when he was a boy.  Everyone got to try to get the toothpick in their mouth and get back on to the seat of the church without falling.  Some did, some didn't!

 Trying to pull the other person up; in this case, neither won!

 This little one is quite flexible since she does gymnastics!

 Games.

99 YEARS OLD!

 My sweet mom is turning 99!  Isn't she just the cutest?  She is amazing!

 

 We had two celebrations for her, the first was on the actual day of her 99th birthday and it was a reception in the Retirement community where she lives.  The second was at my brother John's farm with many family present.

 Her is my mom and her younger sister (97!) and my oldest brother.

 

 My mom and me.

 

That evening we enjoyed a dinner together where my mom lives.  Here is my oldest brother, my mom, myself and my sister.  (The youngest brother was not there.)

The second party took place at my brother John's farm in New Jersey.  He heated the barn and we had a fun time there!



His draft horses were hitched up to the wagon and off we went all bundled up for a great ride!

My mom is there with her hood up next to my sister with the red hood. 

 

Opening up a few gifts.

Here is my 97 year old Aunt and my 99 year old mom.

 

My mom with four of her five children.