We Drove to the East Coast and Back ~And yes, there was a Nor-Easter

Our family had this trip to Scituate, MA, planned for months.

With the forecast of a Nor’Easter bringing rain, wind,

flooding, and power outages, we needed to stay

inland for a couple of extra days.

So when we came across Destiny USA in Syracuse, NY,

we decided to stop and check out the shops and have lunch there.

The second largest mall in the country,

second only to the Mall of America in Minneapolis…

It was easy for us to spend a few hours here.

Back on the toll road again,

we happened across an Amish Farmers Market, 

where we purchased an onion, garlic, tomatoes, a cucumber,

and this fun stalk of Brussels Sprouts.

All for six dollars.

By the time we got to Massachusetts and the Nor’Easter…

It was gloomy and raining.

Making the best of the unfortunate weather situation,

We found a charming place to stay and in the Berkshires.

To be honest, stopping in the Berkshires has been on my Bucket List,

ever since our daughters lived in Massachusetts.

The next day, we made it to The Cape.

With raincoats, hoods up, we ventured out to see the lighthouse,

the vicious waves, and look for pretty shells and rocks.

Making sweet memories.

Take care,

~Natalie

Fall is for Friends and more Football ~ It Looks Like I’ve got some Catching Up To Do

It has been a Busy Month for these retired empty nesters.

Imagine if we were working and away from home for nine hours a day?!

And what’s been keeping us busy?

For starters, that’s Hubby’s new vehicle.

It’s Football season, and I’m not sure which I enjoy more?

Sitting with with good friends at the Game, or

Watching our Favorite Team Win?

Definitely being with good friends.

And Winning is fun, too.

We’ve managed to attend home games at 

Hubby’s Alma Mater, Northern State University.

Plus, we made a couple of Weekend Trips to Fargo for

games at North Dakota State University,

my Alma Mater.

It was great to see Julie, who served as our

Kappa Delta National President.

Our chapter is proud to claim her as one of our own.

We had great seats in the Fargo Dome,

For the game and to watch the Gold Star Marching Band.

A warm hug from this woman,

Dr. Virginia Clark Johnson, was a highlight of my weekend.

She was an instructor and my advisor at SDSU when

I earned my Masters Degree.

She then crossed the border to NDSU to serve as the 

Dean of the College of Human Services and Education.

I enjoyed visiting with her…She is an inspiration.

And Winning.

Winning is a Highlight.

After the game we like to drive part way home,

then find a small town pub for a bite to eat.

This is Barney, ND

Population = 43 residents

The servers were delightful and we shared a rack of ribs…

Which were tasty and fall-off-the-bone tender.

This may have been one of Hubby’s Weekend Highlights.

I see that my last blog post was over a month ago.

We had a plenty of blog-worthy things going on,

so stop back again to hear all about it.

I hope September was good for you, too.

Take Care,

~Natalie

Are you Ready for Some Football? ~The Season of Friends, Football, and Good Food

Ready or Not, Here we come!

We kicked off the Football Season with two big Games.

We made a quick weekend trip to Fargo.

The Football fun begins here, in the Tailgating lot.

It’s the perfect place to catch up with college friends,

like these Kappa Delta Sisters.

We made a lot of memories together in the 70s.

Joan and I were roommates and

she was a Bridesmaid in our Wedding.

It was great catching up with her and all the girls.

The atmosphere in the dome was electric.

There were over 18,000 fans, and they were loud.

Our seats were amazing, in the third row.

Right behind the home team.

It felt like we were on the field…a part of the play!

NDSU won their Home Opener.

Just two days before, we attended the Home Opener for NSU,

our home town University where Hubby went to school.

We had fabulous seats here, too. 

We were honored to be invited to watch from the Presidents Suite.

There are outdoor seats, along with places to sit inside,

complete with food and beverages.

Our husbands like to watch the Marching Band, too,

as they were once members, decades ago.

The night capped off with a perfect view

of that beautiful full moon.

A Football Game is not complete without Good Food.

A couple of Notable Mentions…

~Poblano Chicken served over fresh Tortilla Chips,

covered in creamy chorizo Queso.

lettuce, pico de gallo, and cumin lime aioli.

And this Brunch Pizza

~Cheese Sauce

Parmesan Reggiano Hash Browns

Bacon, Scrambled Eggs

Five Cheese Blend

Drizzled with Maple Syrup

It was a good weekend, as both NSU and NDSU

won their Games.

I look forward to doing it all again this week!

Take care,

~Natalie 

Monday Memories ~Counting our Blessings

We celebrate Hubby’s Birthday in August.

After walking around in the barns at the Brown Co Fair,

we were ready for air conditioning, a Birthday beverage, and lunch.

We enjoyed the goats, sheep, pigs, cows, bunnies,

And a variety of big birds…chickens, turkeys, ducks, 

Guinea fowl, and an Emu.

It was a perfect day to have ice cream for dinner.

My summer is not complete until I have had a Turtle Sundae…

Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel, and Chopped Pecans.

Speaking of Treats,

We’ve been enjoying these gifts of

Freshly Roasted Whole Bean Cowboy Coffee,

Gourmet Bear Snack Mix,

a Roasted Coffee Scented Candle

and, almost too pretty to use…

This beautiful set of Jams and Marmalade

created by Meghan Markle, herself, 

along with her Lifestyle Company called As Ever.

It was the one year anniversary of Hubby’s Heart Attack

and quadruple bypass surgery.

We are thankful for the Sanford Cardiac Team here

and at the Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls.

We are so blessed with this group of friends.

We all keep busy with work, travel, house chores & projects,

appointments, aging parents, and grandchildren.

We all gathered for an evening together,

the first time in months.

Savor what’s left of our Summer.

Take care,

~Natalie

Thankful Thursday ~It’s the Little Things that make me Smile

Like these memories.

You might remember it was a year ago that I

stayed with family to help with childcare.

This was Granddaughter’s Summer Birthday gift,

along with the promise to create these little projects together.

The kit contains separate packets with all the materials

needed to complete each project.

The popsicle sticks were already colored,

so no messy painting is involved.

Each packet contained simple instructions with illustrations…

Easy enough for a preschooler to follow with

just a little guidance from this Gigi.

Every preschooler loves stickers!

Getting those feathers to stick was a bit of a challenge!!

These were an exercise in patience and persistence.

Each of the colored pom poms was dipped in glue and carefully placed.

A perfect task for tiny three-year-old fingers.

Naturally, Moose wanted in on the action.

The memories make me smile.

Time spent with grandchildren is time well spent.

Take care,

~Natalie