Forty Two Years Ago ~We said “I Do”

This is where we stood to speak those Wedding Vows,

Forty Two years ago.

We were surrounded by our family and friends.

On our recent hometown visit, we spent time at our farmhouse,

the cemetery, and driving around the town.

Along with the family farms, the flood water swallowed up

many of the buildings in the community, including our beautiful church.

This photo shows the parking lot,

 with lake water right up to the building.

This Bell Tower in the church yard, displayed the bell

from our original church, established in 1895.

The men and women of our community worked tirelessly

to save the beautiful artifacts. That bell is now at home in our Cemetery.

If you look closely at those photos…

…you see the old church were I was baptized and confirmed.

The addition was built in 1967, where I enjoyed teaching Bible School,

and those Lutheran Pot Luck Dinners.

When the new sanctuary was built in 1976,

the stained glass windows were incorporated into the design.

It was the perfect setting for our wedding.

Now, those stained glass windows, the pulpit, and lectern are 

in the Chapel at the Eventide Heartland Care Center.

With no restaurant in town, our wedding reception was here, in the yard.

The church ladies prepared the meal. That smaller porch on the side of the house

was just off the kitchen & dining room. Family and Friends sat at picnic tables

to enjoy a beverage and a home cooked meal.

This was the Venue for our Wedding Dance.

Yep, that Town Hall was the site for all community events.

We had live music, a keg, and plenty of fun that evening.

Happy Anniversary, Honey.

Cheers to Many More 🥂

 

Take care,

~Natalie

Catching Up on The Homefront ~A Burger Battle Entry ~Spending Time with Friends ~Priceless

My favorite time of the day…

the early morning sun, shining on my Junkyard Cats.

With the patio doors open, I can hear the birds singing.

After meeting with the USDA Conservationist, we started out for home.

Jamestown was the halfway point, and the Buffalo Grill

was perfect for a lunch break.

Of course, we ordered “the usual”

My side salad…

….and Hubby’s Mushroom & Swiss Burger.

A restaurant size half pound burger is plenty for me to share

just a little bite of that tasty entree.

A quaint shop next door,

filled with flea market and handmade items,

Provided a place to get our steps, and some inspiration

for my creative projects waiting at home.

We met sweet little Ruby.

She was born in March, in a Blizzard,

right before our Spring Break Trip.

She joins Big Sister, Ari, who is the perfect age

to be a good helper for her Mama.

Ari surprised me with these pretty spring flowers.

And we surprised the family with a new stroller.

I think Ruby likes it!

Thank you for spending a little time with

these Retired Empty Nesters.

And someday we can show Ruby

where that Yellow Brink Road takes us.

Take care,

~Natalie

The Hometown Visit ~Weekend Fun ~Enjoying Two Kinds of Brews

Hubby and I spent a weekend in my ole stompin’ ground.

We had to hang around till Monday for our

appointment with the USDA Official.

This caught our attention on Main Street,

Black Paws Brewery.

It opened less than a year ago,

and they open their doors in time for lunch.

Black Paws is the first Craft Brewery in Devils Lake.

While it looks like no one else was there,  the place

was hoppin’ by the time we left.

I appreciated a unique Non-Alcoholic Beer,

brewed in Portland, Oregon.

Hubby ordered one of their in-house Brews.

Cheers!

The next day, we were up and out early.

My beverage preference in the morning, is a different kind of brew.

Dunn Brothers Coffee, another new establishment,

And another new favorite.

While I waited for a freshly brewed dark roast,

I walked around to admire their charming decor, I have

that same coffee pot on shelf in my kitchen at home!

I also chatted with the owner,

She married one of our HS friends and her in-laws took our wedding photos.

She was there roasting beans…

Yeah, that’s fresh.

Since I grind my own beans, she gave me cups of samples.

Two favorites of some of the local folks

Back on the road again.

This old building tugged at my heartstrings.

My mother wrote the Hometown news column for our weekly county News Publication.

Every Monday, she would take phone calls, write their stories,

and type it all up on an old manual typewriter.

Then we’d hop in the car and drive the 11 miles

to drop the latest news off here.

Don’t forget this advice from Dunn Brothers…

Today’s Plan: Drink Coffee and Be Awesome

Take care,

~Natalie

The Hometown Visit ~White Horse Hill ~Spirit Lake Casino ~Grahams Island ~Woodland Resort ~Devils Lake Area Attractions

These Retired Empty Nesters spent a long weekend visiting our

 farm and the family that farms that land.

We visited the Cemetery and took care of some unfinished

business there.

We met with the USDA District Conservationist

to discuss the water issues.

In between meetings and appointments we found

things to do in the community.

White Horse Hill, a Natural Game Preserve, provides plenty of family enjoyment.

I have fond memories of going there every summer

to attend our Church Picnic. We had a Potluck Lunch,

played on the swings & slides,

and climbed the Hill.

Mid afternoon, the ice cream was announced, so we all raced to get

in line for an ice cream cone before packing up to go home.

The Prairie Dogs never disappoint.

One can park their vehicle and get out to

watch them scurry around and listen to them chatter.

Whenever we went to visit Grammy and the farm, we all got in the car

to drive through the Preserve, hoping to see animals.

All those years of taking our young daughters and my mother,

 we never saw one critter.

This year, a pleasant surprise…

We spotted some Elk,

And this big guy.

If you are from North Dakota,

you say Bizon, with a Z, not Bison.

And if you see more than one? We still say Bizon, not Bisons.

The Visitor Center is quite impressive with

a display of all the animals you might see in the Game Preserve.

And I loved the table of Fur Pelts that you can touch and feel.

The restrooms are clean, and there’s a neat little gift shop.

Back in our vehicle, we continued our tour around the lake…

Our next stop was at the Spirit Lake Casino.

Of course, Hubby wanted to try his luck.

We were not there very long.

It is quite a complex, where you can eat, sleep, gamble,

and enjoy the water.

Graham’s Island is a State Park, 

since we don’t have a Park Sticker, we did not drive in.

We did go to the Woodland Resort.

This is what the cabins looked like when we first stayed there.

They have made some improvements over the years.

If you are serious about fishing, in the winter or the summer,

add this to your Bucket List.

Stop back to see how we found

 some fun in town.

Take care,

~Natalie