A Love Story That Started 74 Years Ago ~Happy Anniversary to my Parents in their Heavenly Home ~Here’s How they Celebrated their Special Day

 Today my parents are celebrating their

Wedding Anniversary in their Heavenly Home.

They were married 74 years ago,

after my dad came home from WWII.

He was a man of few words, however he wrote to her

frequently during the four years that he was gone.

I have those letters, tied with a ribbon

in my mom’s Hope Chest in

one of the bedrooms downstairs.

Along with this book of wedding mementos...

...such as this Newspaper Clipping

and handwritten story of their engagement.

You can see in their Wedding Photo that a bride of that time

often wore a nice suit instead of a long white gown.

It was practical, as they could wear it

for special events over and over again.

Plus those women grew up during the Depression

and were accustomed to making do with very little.

Also in that book of memories, is this photo of their first home,

this majestic old farmhouse. They lived here from that June day

until we moved during the Winter of 1970.

For their anniversary celebration, I picture my mother

spent the afternoon getting ready by setting her hair with rollers,

and sitting under the dryer while polishing her nails.

She would get dressed with her nylon stockings,

pencil skirt and jacket. Of course she wore heels.

My dad came in from working in the field.

He cleaned up and put on a suit and tie.

They would drive the 20 miles into Devils Lake to go to a nice restaurant.

My Dad would order the Ribs.

It would come with a finger bowl on the side.

If the band played Alley Cat, he would ask my mom to dance

and they would two-step around the dance floor.

One of the Bye girls would come to babysit me,

And when I got up the next morning,

I had the treat of eating a package of those fancy crackers

and playing with the little plastic sword that came in my mom’s beverage.

Sweet Memories.

Take care,

~Natalie

Flag Day 2020 ~Remembering my Grandmother on her Birthday ~Happy Birthday to my Blog ~My Annual Birthday Give Away

The Origins of the first American Flag Day

go back to the Revolutionary War, and involve

the nation’s founding father, George Washington.

He tasked seamstress Betsy Ross with the making of

a flag for the American cause. On June 14, 1777,

the Congress approved the design of the official American Flag.

Centuries later, in 1949, President Harry Truman

proclaimed June 14 to be Flag Day.

I found this quote by Senator John Thune of South Dakota,

“I believe our flag is more that just cloth and ink.

It is a universally recognized symbol that

stands for liberty and freedom. It is the history of our nation,

and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”

June 14 was a day when we celebrated my Grandmother’s birthday.

If you have ever scrolled to the bottom of my blog,

you have seen this photo. She is there in the center.

Today, she would have been 127 years old.

This photo was taken on Thanksgiving Day in our old Farmhouse.

That is me sitting on my Grandpa’s lap.

Then Grandma Rhuda and Grandma Hilda seated next to him.

Standing behind us is my Daddy and my Uncle Milford.

My Grandparents lived nearby and we saw them often.

I started this blog on Flag Day in 2008,

with a tribute to my grandmother.

A woman who taught in a one room schoolhouse,

got married, and raised a family of nine children.

She milked the cows, baked all their bread,

and grew all their produce in her garden.

How she found time to sew quilts

and crochet bedspreads is amazing.

Today, on my blog’s 12th Birthday,

I am hosting my traditional Birthday Give-Away.

Anyone who comments on this post, will be considered.

I will draw a name on my birthday, which is June 23rd.

I have done this every June and it is fun to see

where all the packages have traveled to.

I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

 

Pizza Friday ~Addendum to my Report ~Two New Favorites ~Taco Pizza ~Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

Trust me...there is a slice of pizza under those toppings.

I don’t think it gets any better than this...

combining two of our favorite foods, tacos and pizza, all in one.

I mean, there are Doritos on this pizza!

When it came out of the oven, it looked like this...

taco meat, sautéed peppers and onions, tomato slices,

black olives, and two kinds of cheese.

Fresh ingredient toppings include Romaine lettuce, tomato,

and Cilantro from our Patio Herb Garden.

I’m pretty sure we’ll make this one again!

Remember last week, after having a procedure done at the hospital,

I wasn’t really in the mood for Quarantine Cooking,

so Hubby Picked up this Take and Bake Pizza...

Chicken, Steak, Red Onion, Green Pepper, and Tomatoes.

Another Favorite was the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza

that we created the week before.

There’s seasoned Ground Beef, Mushrooms, Onions, and Red Pepper.

(The Hamburger Dill Pickle Slices are optional)

This one also needed a little Sharp Cheddar

along with the Italian Blend of Cheeses.

This was so tasty.

Now, here’s a little tip...

Please learn from my mistakes!

When finishing a pizza, I like to put it under the broiler,

just long enough to lightly toast the cheese.

The first time I made the Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza,

the Bacon was exposed on top and got a little too brown.

So, last time I made sure it was under a blanket of cheese.

We have also settled on a favorite crust recipe.

Remember I have experimented with several...

We prefer a thin crust, and I like to add

a teaspoon of dried Italian Seasoning with the flour.

I have a Pizza Pinterest Board

if you are interested in any of these recipes.

Have a Wonderful Weekend.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~Leads to Things in our House Thursday ~Anniversary Report ~Quarantine Cooking ~Patriotic Face Masks

 We celebrated our Anniversary this week...

My flowers still look pretty and bring cheer to my morning!

Just in case you needed a reminder...

it was 39 years ago.

Next year we will celebrate, big time!

What else happened this week?

If you are over 50, you know what this means...

“Aging is not for the weak”

Hubby and his woodturning buddy took a road trip

with the big pickup and a trailer to a SawMill in Wisconsin

to get a load of wood for their projects.

That was an opportunity for me to make

one of my favorite dishes...

this is how it starts.

And this is the finished product.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad.

More Quarantine Cooking includes these Blueberry Scones,

This Spicy Rub for Chicken on the Grill,

And Rhubarb Marmalade.

With Flag Day right around the corner,

I’ve expanded my Patriotic Mask inventory...

As our country starts to open up again, many places

are requiring a mask. Please let me know if you need one...

I have several fabrics to choose from.

Stay safe and well, everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie

Where Great Grandma Grew Up ~Weekend Road Trip ~This Old Dog Struggles to Learn New Tricks

This is what social distancing looks like in the Dakotas...

not another car in sight!

 

It was a beautiful day for a drive out in the country.

Hubby got his big pickup ready for a little road trip.

We picked up his mother and headed northwest

to visit the little town where she grew up,

went to school, and met her sweetheart.

This was her childhood home.

Oh how we loved to hear her reminiscing

about the house, her family,

the neighbors, and the local businesses.

I was disappointed that we couldn’t find

the little country cemetery where her mother is buried.

Hubby suspects that it is underwater.

In fact, he had to use four-wheel drive

just to get us back to the road.

It was a beautiful day for an outing.

We spent the whole afternoon and evening looking around.

The perfect ending to our day was

a Twist Cone Turtle Sundae!

Take care,

~Natalie

Perhaps you are wondering what “new tricks” I am referring to?

Google apparently felt the need to update their Blogger App.

There have been plenty of kinks and glitches,

which explains why my posts have been few and far between. 

I know, I’ll be the first to admit,

it’s a challenge for this retired empty nester

to adjust to new technology.

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

Honoring Those Who Serve and Have Made the Ultimate Sacrifice for our Country

"As we express our gratitude, we must never

forget that the highest appreciation

is not to utter words but to live by them."

John F. Kennedy

Take care,

~Natalie