Where the Weekend Went ~Good Friends..Good Food ~Work Hard..Play Hard ~God Bless America

It has been tradition for us to gather with these friends

on Memorial Day. This was Pre-Coronavirus,

before Social Distancing was a part of our lifestyle.

This year was a different holiday, indeed.

We spent most of our weekend working at home.

Hubby worked hard on the yard and planting our flower pots,

while I worked inside on the everyday house chores.

A hearty weekend breakfast of eggs and toast...

my personal favorite is the Over-Easy Egg.

This is one of the Wash Tubs that my mom and I

used on Laundry Day. We salvaged it from the Farmhouse.

The highlight of our Memorial Day was the

Taps Across America event.

Trumpet and Bugle players around the world

came out to their balcony or front porch and

played Taps to honor America’s fallen heroes.

Several of us drove over to their neighborhood

to listen to our friend, Dennis, play his trumpet on the front porch.

He performed with perfection.

Later in the afternoon we gathered at Alan and Kari’s home

for some good food and great conversation...

with the appropriate Social Distance observed.

It was a beautiful evening, so we could be out on the patio,

roasting some marshmallows, making S’Mores.

If you are still in need of a mask for your summer outings,

I have several available in a variety of colors and prints.

Memorial Day is a special holiday to remember

and pay tribute to those that serve and

to their families who have given the intimate sacrifice.

Stay Safe and Well, Everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Woah, Oh Listen to the Music ~Doobie Brothers Concert ~ Here’s my Report

Hubby purchased tickets to the Doobie Brothers Concert

months ago...he worked till noon on Thursday,

and then we were on the road.

We drove cross-country,

and saw some cows that look like Oreo Cookies!

Driving cross-country also requires us to 

drive through a car wash when we get to the city.

Once checked into our hotel,

we changed into our concert attire.

Then, we left to hang out 

with the rest of the 70s Rockers!

First stop, The Toasted Frog...one of our favorite places

to get a pre-concert bite to eat.

Our good friend, Alan,

drove over from Valley City and joined us.

Then we walked over to the Civic Arena

for the Concert.

The Doobie Brothers did not disappoint.

They played all of our favorite songs.

We had seats in the second row of the balcony.

By curtain call, we were down on the floor!

Look how happy these boys are

in their new Doobie Brothers Souvenir Caps.

It was a great way to kick-off our weekend.

Take care,

~Natalie

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

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

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