Monday, September 30, 2019

Our Weekend Report ~Celebrating the Inauguration of a President ~Congratulations Dr. Alan LaFave

,
We enjoyed a wonderful weekend of celebration 
with our friend, Dr. Alan LaFave,
and with his family and friends.

Events started on Thursday evening with a recital.
Alan is such an accomplished musician.
He performed beautifully on the clarinet.

Here he is with his Graduate Professor, Advisor, and Mentor,
Dr. Robert Spring of Arizona State University.

All of these musicians shared their talents with us.
The recital was just so inspiring.

Then everyone moved to a nearby venue for a reception.
I was proud of our Aberdeen Jazz Group 
that provided the entertainment.
Alan joined them for a couple of tunes.
And the food was delicious.

We gathered early the next morning.
Here I am with the First Lady of VCSU.

The Processional was so impressive.
Many of us were moved to tears.

The collegiate choir performed 
such a special arrangement of a song called “No Time”.
It was truly beautiful.

Then the big moment.
It was time for the Investiture and
Presentation of the Presidential Medallion.

The Inaugural Address by our friend was heartfelt,
emotional, and uplifting.

Valley City State University’s President enjoying a photo session
with representatives of the student body.

It was time for everyone to relax
and have fun the rest of the evening.
After some appetizers at a nearby Sports Pub...

We attended a concert by Transit Authority,
a Chicago Tribute Band.
We all just loved the music.

Alan was called up to the stage to address the crowd.
The trombone  player to his right,
was one of his students when he taught music.

It was a lovely autumn day.
We all made our way home, leaving
Valley City State University in very good hands.

Congratulations to our dear friend, Alan.
We were honored to be a part of your special day.

Take care,
~Natalie

Thursday, September 26, 2019

National Daughters Day ~And a Couple of Throwback Thursday Photos


It was National Daughters Day yesterday.
I am blessed to have these two wonderful women in my life.

Since they live far away, 
I don’t have any recent photos of the three of us.
Please enjoy these Throwback Thursday Photos.
This one at a Bridesmaid Luncheon that Amy hosted 
for her sister Emily before their wedding.

This one, just a couple of years before that,
when Emily hosted a Bachelorette Party for her sister Amy.

And this sweet memory...
Both daughters home from college for Thanksgiving.
We were up early to go out and about for Black Friday Shopping.

Happy National Daughters Day, girls.
Love you.

Take care,
~Natalie

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Happy Fall Y’All ~Time to Bring out Autumn Decor for the New Season

While it was the First Day of Autumn, our weather 
is still quite summer-like. No complaints here...I love summer!

But because the calendar said so, it was time to swap
out the summer decor for the rich, warm colors of Autumn.

Remember, last year I went up to the attic and found Hubby’s 
Vintage Toy Pickup? This year, I purchased these felt pumpkins
at Target to take the place of the Christmas Tree...for now.

On the Coffee Table, I replaced the Hydrangeas 
with these Fall Flowers.

Little Witch with her Black Kitty.

This was created by one of my Blog Friends.
I think it is awesome!
Thanks, Brenda

This Ghost greats you in the foyer...

You can see it from the top of the stairs.
See the box? I am also packing up some 
of my summer clothes for storage.

Another gift, a fresh crisp towel for the kitchen.
Thank you, Debra

Soon it will be time for fall baking...
Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cinnamon.
This special vanilla is from Emily and Jake.
Thank you!


Another greeter in our foyer.

Big witch with her Black Kitty.

This cute pumpkin can stay on the shelf through Thanksgiving.


I guess Black Cats are a favorite.

Happy Fall, Y’All

Take care,
~Natalie

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Looking for the Blog Worthy ~It’s Been Nine Days Since my Last Post

My days have all been the same...
Physical Therapy, House Chores, Crafting

When I haven’t posted to my blog for a while,
I look at my camera to see what photos I’ve taken...
and then, I know where my time has gone.
Most of the photos are of our cat and 
of what we’ve prepared for dinner.

We’ve had plenty of rain here in this neck of the woods.
Our plants out front are thriving!

There have been a few breaks in the wet weather,
enough for Hubby to grill something for dinner.

I graduated from Physical Therapy this week.

We enjoyed some live jazz music at The Ward.
Always a great way to kick off the weekend.

Saturday is Bison Game Day.
This week our Football Food was Super Nachos.
As you know, I like to make our own Taco Seasoning,
so I can limit the amount of salt in my diet.

Aren’t the spice colors pretty?!

OMG, Lizzie, GET DOWN!

I had my back turned while I mixed up the taco seasoning.
I have never seen her do this before...and I hope I never see it again!

So...I saved the Taco Meat, 
and we enjoyed Nachos with all our favorite toppings.

Here’s Lizzie staying calm and watching the game with Scott.

Another weekend highlight was 
a little FaceTime with Amy and Jack.

Hubby has perfected our Sunday Brunch of
Hash Browns
Bacon
Egg and Toast

Then, just like that, the weekend’s over,
 and it’s another week of the same routine.
I hope this finds you all dong well.

Make your life Blog Worthy!

Take care,
~Natalie

Monday, September 9, 2019

Where the Weekend Went ~Lots of Rain ~Live Jazz Music ~Great Friends ~Bison Football ~Good Food

It has rained here for three days straight.
We have had about 4 inches of rain in this area.
(I saw it on Facebook so it must be official, right?!)
No complaints here, it was a nice gentle rain.
Our thoughts are with those that have suffered
from the effects of Hurricane Dorian.

We kicked off the weekend with
the Jazz Group playing at the Ward.
This is what it looks like when your hubby is the drummer
and you get there early to set up.
That’s the venue’s owner and the bartender to the right...
I had a choice of the best tables.

The band sounded great...
they hadn’t played together for a while.

Lots of folks came downtown to listen.
We enjoyed visiting with some friends that 
we haven’t seen for a while.

Saturday was Game Day...NDSU vs. UND.
The oldest Football Rivalry in ND History. 
We did house chores early so we could be ready for kick off.

Lizzie was in her Game Watching Chair early...

Then hubby and I joined her,
But not before preparing Football Snacks.

A favorite...Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders.
I cut strips of Chicken Breast and coated them with seasoned flour.

The second bowl is olive oil and garlic.

The last bowl is Panko Bread Crumbs,
Parmesan Cheese, and Herbs.
If you would like the recipe, look for it on my Pinterest Page.

With these in the oven, I could focus on a new recipe...
Homemade Mac & Cheese Bites.

Stir the Roux so it doesn’t scorch.

Once it bubbles and is slightly thickened,
you can add the sharp cheddar, cream cheese,
and an egg for binding.

Bake in a mini muffin tin.

Here are the Chicken Tenders with a little dipping sauce.

Here are the Mac & Cheese Bites with a Fresh Basil garnish.

Lizzie was soon bored with the game.

But we Bison Fans had plenty to cheer about.
I hope your favorite team won.

Take care,
~Natalie

When all the Grandparents Come to Visit

This little girl was pretty excited to have all four grandparents around the dinner table. It took her little Toddler Mind a few minutes to ...