Back At It Once Again....

Well, after a hiatus from my blogging, I feel like getting back into it.  Since my last post, my summer has literally zipped right by.  I find it so hard to believe that we've already seen the 4th of July, Labor Day and Halloween pass by.  We're now looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Last week as I walked into Walmart to pick up a few things, I began to hum along to the music that was playing overhead.  It only took me a few minutes to realize that the tune I was humming was "Jingle Bells!"  Really?  How is it that the Thanksgiving holiday is always skipped right over and we jump to the Christmas season--and this is all before Halloween! 
The month of November is the month for people to really look at what they have to be thankful for.  I've noticed on Face Book, a few people will write about what they are thankful for, on a daily basis.  Each day they stop and think about what they have, or whom they know, or what's going on in their lives and actually state those thoughts for the world to see.  No matter how minuscule or possibly silly it would seem to you and I, they truly are thankful for them.  Do you do that too?  I'm guilty myself for not doing so.  Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for everything about my life.  I'm just terrible at making myself stop my busy daily routine to think about it and appreciate everything about my life. 
I've been quite busy with my business, Tastefully Simple.  Especially the last few weeks.  This is a great time to host parties, as people like to be stocked up on snacks and such for the holiday get-togethers with friends and family.  So my schedule has kept me on the move.  I have recently done a couple of craft fairs as well.  Tastefully Simple has a wide selection of gift collections also and my customers are taking advantage of that. 
I know that I have two more parties before Christmas and then my party schedule slows way down as people are trying to relax and recuperate from the hustle and bustle of the season.

REWIND:
At the end of July, myself and about 25 other friends gathered in Blackhawk, Iowa for a weekend of camping and mud volleyball.  Most of us had tents and we were set up in the yard of my friends' Mom, Mickie.  She has a lot of yard and we took up most of it with our tents.  It was a blast!  The heat was relentless but the evening cooled down and all had a great time. 

Our mini tent city.  Mine is on the left, the beige top and green bottom. 

Our team....I'm in the front, center. 

Throughout the course of the summer months, as you all heard on the news, the Omaha/Council Bluffs area was dealing with Mother Nature and the wrath of the flooding that hampered our area for the better part of 4 months.  I-29 was literally under water and had to be shutdown.  I-680 that is part of the metro on the north side was also shutdown due to water.  Homes and businesses near the airport (Eppley Airfield) where I work, were also under water.  The airport took extra precautions early on and put sand bags all around the terminal and other structures that are an integral part of aviation.  This was done in anticipation of the levees (that surround the airfield) breaking and the Mighty Missouri making it's way onto the airport property. 



The sandbags around our bag room.

We survived without any water getting onto the airfield.  The airport authority employees were to thank for that.  They kept a twenty-four vigil on the levees and made repairs to sink holes or weak area on the levee walls whenever necessary.  We heard many comments from pilots and passengers both regarding what they saw from the air upon arrival into Omaha.  The water literally surrounded the airport.  The end of our runways are just to the inside of the levees and the planes flew directly over the Missouri and the flooded areas. 
Once the water subsided and the sand bags were removed, we still found ourselves walking the same paths that we had to with the sand bags in place.  They had been there for so long, it became habit to go around them, even when they were gone!  We're so glad it's behind us.  The interstates are now repaired and open and things seem to be getting back to normal. 

I hope you continue to tune in and I'll try to keep this updated.  Luv ya!




Flower Power

My flowers have once again gone beyond my expectations when it comes to their growth.  The only thing different this year is what types I planted.  I pretty much stuck with Moss Roses, Marigolds and Snapdragons in the front yard.  Even though a few of the plants have died off during the course of the summer heat, the majority have survived and flourished.  In the back on the deck I once again went with Pansies.  They like partial sun and it's the perfect place for them to show off their petite petals.  I also have a mixed basket containing flowers of which I don't know what they are.  But it was so pretty that I had to buy it!  

Pansies

 

More pansies and the mixed basket



Moss Roses in my front yard

Moss Roses, Marigolds and Snapdragons. 

This was a new plant I found and I don't remember what they're called. 



This is the other half of the above photo that I separated into a second basket. 



Gorgeous large blooms!

                                   


I just love having all the color mixed in with all the landscape plants.  It's definitely eye-catching to see the vivid shades of all the blooms. 

Blackhawk Days

The annual event, Black Hawk Days, in Lakeview, IA, is always a blast.  This year was no exception.  I never got an actual head count on how many people were all staying in the yard of Steve's Mom, Mickie.  But I'm sure the number was somewhere in the upper 20's.  Plus there were some staying in her house as well.  So roughly 30-40 people were all camping/partying/eating all in her yard!  Along with the human population that took over her house, there were 6 dogs and 2 cats staying inside as well!  Crazy!!!

Mickie has a gorgeous, spacious yard that she and her sons continue to work on each summer.  There is a dock all set up for the paddle boat, an area for dogs to walk down into the water with ease from the otherwise steep banks, a ladder for swimmers to use to climb out of the water, an enclosed hot tub, a huge all-season porch, an area with the fire pit and benches and beautiful landscape work all around the yard. 

All of my friends were there with me:  Steve, Tammy and two of their kids, Dee, Chris and baby Ian, Trisa, Jamie and Gavin, Tina, Teresa, Lisa, Scott and their 3 kids, Tracey and Garry, Jenine, Mike and their two boys, and other people that I didn't know well but had met before.  

 It was actually a pretty smooth event.  The sharing of the two bathrooms wasn't usually an issue either!  We all had a great time just playing games, swimming, grilling, drinking adult beverages and overall enjoying each other's company.  The weather was very hot and humid.  It cooled down at night with a nice breeze that made sleeping in our tents comfortable.  The first night we were there, a thunderstorm rolled through.  Typical...it wouldn't be our normal "Blackhawk Days weekend" if this didn't happen!  We woke in the middle of the night and went into the garage to wait it out.  Everything survived the wind and rain and back to bed we went. 

In the back corner of Mickie's yard is a nice quaint area with a fire pit and benches to sit on to enjoy the fire itself.  The adults stayed up quite late each night laughing and drinking.  The second night we actually played a game.  I believe it was about 3 AM when we all retired to our tents! 

Prior to the big weekend, we organized what our meals would be.  Each family brought his/her own meat for grilling, a large side dish to share for each meal, their own beverages, snacks, buns/plates/toilet paper, lawn chairs, shower supplies, etc., to use.  It was perfect.  All the coolers that everyone brought were lined up in the garage to keep the hot sun from aiding in the melt down of the ice inside them. 

 The main event for our group was the Mud Volleyball tournament that was held on Sunday morning.  Teams consisting of a minimum of 10 players were entered in the single elimination contest.  Matches of 3 games were played.  We only played our first 3 (losing 2 out of 3) games and were done but it's always fun to get down and dirty.  The way we rinsed off was to walk over to the nearby Black Hawk Lake and get in the water.  It was the best way of getting the mud off of our clothes and out of our shoes.  Showers were taken later on back at Mickie's house.  The massive amount of people in attendance was unbelievable.  It grows more each year. 



Enjoying the shade.

Cooling down.

Tent City...my tent is on the left with the green bottom.  I believe there were 9 tents in all once everyone had arrived. 



Enjoying the paddle boat and a blow up floaty.



A nice shady place to hang out in the back yard.



Mike, Tracey, Chris, Steve and Scott....just trying to stay cool in the heat of the day.



The girls favorite place to hang out.  The bottom of each seat has mesh and allows for the water to keep you cool.



Ian and Mom Dee.  He's so cute!!!



Madison, Me and Sadie, the Chocolate Lab.



Our mud volleyball team enjoying a beer after the mud volleyball games were done.



Doesn't it look fun?  It was a blast!  I'm in the front row, middle spot.

I don't go to BlackHawk days every year but when I do it's always a blast!  Thanks to Mickie for allowing all of us to invade your space!  You're the best!

Tanya's 21st Birthday!

My friend Tammy's oldest daughter, Tanya, turned 21 this past weekend!  It's so hard to believe!  I've known her since she was a young girl.  It's scary how the years have sped by.  Her actual birthday was spent with a group of roughly 20 friends in Lincoln, NE, where she lives and attends college.  They all took her around town where she had 21 shots of liqueur throughout the night!  She did it the smart way though.  She drank lots of water in between the shots.  Each one was a different flavor and they documented each one with pictures!  Her birthday gift from her best friend was a small home made picture book and in it was the description of where they went and what she drank, in numerical order!  Apparently it was very fun and she remembers all of it! 

So this week, her Mom Tammy and the rest of her family decided to have their relatives and friends over to celebrate with her as well.  Tanya made the drive from Lincoln to allow for all of us to see her.  Of course, more alcohol was consumed...I know, shocking. 



Tammy and Tanya



Celebrating together!

Happy 21st birthday Tanya!  Thanks for sharing some time with us!!

Studer Birthday Boys

My friend Lisa and her spouse Scott have three children, two of whom have birthdays over the fourth of July weekend.  Logan, the oldest at 7, celebrates his day on the fourth and Kaden, the youngest at 3, was born on the sixth.  And each year there is a party for both of them coinciding with a party for the fourth itself, at Scott and Lisa's house. 


Kaden and his "class clown" smile!  He's a funny kid!



Kaden on the bottom of the slide and Logan, third from the bottom.  Their sister Madison between them. 


Well this year they still had the big birthday party but decided not to do a big bang party to celebrate the fourth, due to cost and lack of funds to support such an event.  However, all of our closest friends still gathered for the birthdays and cake.  We also each brought a side dish to eat along with the hot dogs and burgers that Scott grilled.  I had made a dip consisting of Mexican Velveeta Cheese melted down and stirred together with browned hamburger and served it with tortilla chips. 
It was unusually cool (the normal humidity levels was low for a brief time!) for the weekend of the fourth of July.  So we were able to be out on the deck without being in misery and watch the kids swim in the above ground pool that sits in the back yard. 
It was a short night for me as I had to work again the next morning bright and early.  But we ate heartily and had a few adult beverages as well.  It's always good to gather with my friends and even get in some girl talk. 

Trisa's birthday

Today I joined my friends Trisa, Brenda and Tina for breakfast.  We were celebrating Trisa's birthday!  I couldn't join a bunch of other girls yesterday for breakfast as I had to work.  So a few of us took Trisa out today, on her actual birthday.  She chose Harrah's Casino buffett.  They always have so many different food bars to pick from.  It was a Sunday morning and there were hardly any people in there.  So we had a nice quiet breakfast.
The day before, four other friends had surprised Trisa. She was actually thinking that she would be babysitting for my friend Dee. So after she arrived, three other girls were already there and had the plan to go for breakfast instead! She was shocked, from what I was told.  They gave Trisa a birthday gift from each of us during that time as well.  Earlier in the year we had gone on a wine tour.  I sent one of the pictures from one of the tour stops to a local artist so she could use it as reference and draw a picture of us all together.  This is the finished picture. 

This is the picture I sent to her for her reference.  

  Breakfast at Harrah's was delicious as always.  I made many trips back to the buffett and it wasn't long before I was wishing I had stopped with the last plate full!  We made our way out to our cars and decided that we wanted to go the Nebraska Furniture Mart.  It was simply a "window shopping" spree.  No one had anything in particular to buy but it's always fun to look and wish. 

I think Trisa's weekend over all was pretty good.  She loves to have all her friends together and just have fun.  Happy birthday girlfriend!



The Flood of 2011; Nebraska and Iowa

The Mighty Missouri River actually began to swell back in late May, after having record rainfall in both Nebraska and Iowa.  But going up river towards South Dakota, Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, SD, began releasing water to ease the concerns of flooding in that area, which, in true domino fashion, began the unforeseeable and what would be record-breaking flooding down the river. 
I know the flood of 2011 has been on the news non-stop, especially in Minot, ND.   But here in Omaha, the main flooding concern has been at Eppley Airfield, the airport where I have spent the last almost 16 years working.  So far the levees around the airfield have held up but not without the extraordinary efforts of the employees of the Airport Authority.  They keep a 24 hour watch on them and make repairs where needed.  It's been a battle too.  They have been re-doing drainage pipes, adding pumps to take ground water back out to the river and repairing sink holes and sand boils.  Here is a timeline of all the major occurrences since May 20th.  I feel like I work on an island.  We are literally surrounded by water.  Carter Lake, IA, sits to the west of the airport terminal and has more water in it than I've ever seen.  And the river itself curves around from the north, around the east side and then back around on the south edge of the airfield.  So many businesses have moved out as a precaution or have been forced out because of the water. 
Portions of Interstate 29 and I-680 have been closed as well because it's under water.  There are many people that work at the airport that have to take other routes which in turn creates longer drives for them to get to work.  Many live in Iowa and commute (under normal circumstances) an hour or two.  Now, those people have to allow at least another 45 minutes to be at work on time.
There have been many aerial photos taken of the Missouri and all the victims of the flood.  You can view them here.  As for my own house, I'm in no danger.  I live on the west side of Omaha, nowhere near the Missouri River.  But my heart goes out to those that live near the airport, either in Omaha or Council Bluffs, IA.  Numerous homes have been flooded and property destroyed by the water.  Council Bluffs sits directly on the east side of the river.  Many businesses and home owners have been evacuated over there as well.  The water levels aren't expected to go down anytime soon either.  Reports have stated that it may be into September before any relief is seen. 
I've seen endless photos on Face Book that have been posted from all the devastation up in Minot, ND too.  I grew up in that area and I've never seen anything like it.  I have extended family and friends as well, that have had to leave their homes because of the Souris River/Mouse River overflowing it's banks.  The national news provided coverage from that area for several days.  Amazing....
As far as my job and airline service at the airport here in Omaha goes, it's a day to day thing.  As long as the levees aren't breached, I'll be able to go to work.  If flooding occurs right at the airfield, that's another story.  Efforts would be made by us as employees to get some of our equipment to higher ground and try to salvage as much as possible before the water would reach the actual terminal where we work flights.  That is, as long as we can get to the airport or just happen to be there if it happens.  But my own vehicle is a priority as well as far as I'm concerned!  I'll be making sure I get it away from the airport so that I still have something to drive!
Cross your fingers that Mother Nature decides to have mercy and soon!  She has been quite the force to reckon with this year.  It hasn't been very pretty to this point. 

Happy 40th Anniversary Southwest Airlines!

Southwest Airlines = continued milestones.  June 18th marked the 40th anniversary for SWA.  Fare specials for travel are just one way that the company is celebrating.  One way fares of $59 are available in select markets.  Tickets must be purchased before July 14 for travel between August 23rd and December 14th.  You can go to http://www.southwest.com/ to get your travel reserved!  It's such a great deal! 



An employee in Denver celebrating the big milestone.

At one of the gates in Denver, a little cake with candles! 

I remember my second year with SWA.  It was our 25th anniversary.  Fare specials were $25 one way.  Even employees were buying tickets just so they would have confirmed seating and not have to fly on a space available basis.  It was crazy!  Our ticket counter had a line so long it went half way down the terminal! 
We've also began a big transition.  Southwest and Airtran are becoming "One Luv!"  May 2nd was the day that Southwest began the acquisition of Airtran.  There will be many more months of work ahead and in the meantime, each airline will operate as they always have.  In celebration around our system, food was brought in for all employees to enjoy and cookies were served at the gates for our customers. 



In Little Rock, AR, the ramp agents are smiling big!

The Little Rock ticket counter is excited too!

The two airlines airplanes in Dallas in front of SWA hangar. 

This has been an exciting journey for me with Southwest Airlines.  I've seen many changes and many different employees come and go.  Friendships have been made that I'll value always, no matter what city we all work in.  I'm proud to be part of such a great corporation.  I'll be celebrating 16 years with them in October.  Congratulations to SWA and all the employees for a job well done!

Ronald McDonald House Summer Picnic 2011

It's once again summer and the smell of grilling is a typical scent around town these days.  This is no exception at the Ronald McDonald House.  Each year employees of Southwest Airlines serve a couple different meals to the guests of the RMH; a summer picnic which usually involves barbecuing and then again in November, a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  The RMH is our largest charity.
So last night we gathered at the local RMH and brought all the makings for a BBQ:  hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, buns, chips, soda and cookies for dessert.  Nothing complicated. 
Six employees from our local station here in Omaha were there to grill the dogs and burgers and also to set up the buffet-style counter top with the rest of the food and serving items.  A couple of friends also attended to lend support, one of which was a former SWA employee.  The volunteers of the RMH called each room to notify the guests that the meal was ready to eat and they slowly trickled in to join us.  It's always fun to look at the large map of the USA that hangs on the wall in the dining room.  On it, names of the guests are placed on their respective home towns, which shows just how far they travel just to receive the necessary treatment needed for their children, here in Omaha.  Some even come from other countries! 
But meeting the guests and seeing all the little babies and kids is fun as well.  Seeing them with their little IV's and oxygen bottles, or even cosmetic scars from surgery makes us realize how lucky we are not to have the issues they are dealing with on a daily basis.  

Employees and a couple friends that helped serve our meal.

The weather cooperated and even though it was a bit warm, the clouds helped to shade the patio where the grill stands.  Thanks go out to all the people that helped to make the meal a success. 

Class of 2011

It's Memorial Day weekend and many high school graduations are taking place around the city of Omaha as well.  Millard South High School is no exception.  If you remember, back in January, news spread of gun shots being fired in a high school.  Well, that happened at Millard South, merely a couple miles from my own home.  It was a very sad day as one of the two victims that had been shot, died from her wounds, as well as the shooter who took his own life. 

After working overtime today I would be celebrating with a young lady, Rachel Smith, at her graduation open house.  The actual ceremony took place yesterday at the Civic Auditorium located down town.  It was bittersweet for the senior class as they had a moment of silence to remember the day of the incident involving the shooting. 

The high schools have so many students in the senior classes that the school gymnasiums would never be large enough to hold all the people in attendance.  So they usually take place at the Civic.   

So after arriving home, I took a short nap, and then got cleaned up.  Rachel, the daughter of one of my co-workers on the ramp at Southwest Airlines, has grown up before my eyes.   I've known Rachel for the better part of 14 years as I've worked with her Mom for at least that long. 

I went to their house and found everyone outside on the driveway or just inside the garage.  There was a long table of food and beverages for all to enjoy as well as a long table of photos featuring Rachel as she grew up through the years.  It also had her diploma and several yearbooks for anyone to browse through. 



Rachel

Her grandparents from Iowa, her aunt and uncle from Iowa and the east coast, her boyfriend and many school friends were there to help her celebrate.  The weather was perfect even though the humidity was a bit high.  The sun was hidden behind some clouds and aided in keeping the temperature at a comfortable setting.  After enjoying some food and company, I congratulated Rachel on her accomplishment and decided to head for home.  Another successful education.  Congratulations Rachel!  A job well done!

Overtime Galore!

Over the years of my employment with Southwest Airlines, I've seen a lot of ramp agents either quit, get fired or simply promote to supervisor.  Whichever of those things happens, a position on the ramp opens up which in turn creates over time.  I'm not usually one to turn down the extra pay or the extra hours.  I'll work over time pretty much anytime I can if I have nothing else happening. 
This spring has been no exception.  All of a sudden we had three positions open up on the ramp.  Wow!  Over time hours were in abundance!  I decided to cash in. 
I signed up to work overtime on both my days off, Sunday and Monday, for the next two weekends.  And I knew I would get it too.  There were so many shifts available that they actually had to mandatory agents if there weren't enough people volunteering to work it. 
I remember one year, maybe about 14 years back, having worked a month straight without a day off.  Some of it was voluntary and some of it was mandatory.  But I raked in any hours I could because it definitely enhances the paycheck!  We get paid time and a half on our first day off and double time on our second consecutive day off.  So it's worth it to put in the time.  I knew I was in for a long couple of weeks by doing this but I wanted to take whatever I could get. 
I'm so used to getting up early that even when I do have a day off, I'm up by 6AM, as a rule.  So why not just work and make some extra money? 
I was ready for the long haul....bring it on! 

Girls Night Out

Every once in a while, some of my friends and I will have a girls night out.  We go for drinks and then dinner.  This is usually just an excuse to share with each other, some of the details of our lives that we may need advice on.  Tammy, Trisa, Susan Mortensen and myself met tonight for our monthly night out.  We met at a place called The Upstream in West Omaha.  There are two locations in town and this was the easiest one to get to for all of us.
We ordered cocktails, appetizers for all to share and then our own individual selection for the main course.  We proceeded to talk non stop while we waited for all the food to be brought to our table.  Typically we each take a turn at venting about whatever is happening with work, relationships or kids.  There's never a dull moment or a silent moment for that matter!  I know, four women and no silence.  Shocking, right? 
We had asked for a table that was in a more secluded area so as not to disturb those around us.  But we were actually right in the middle of the main dining area.  So much for that idea!  But we did manage to keep our volume down to a low roar and the other patrons didn't seem to notice us.....much! 
Our food arrived and we dug in but it didn't slow our conversation at all.  We were eating as fast as we were talking.  This is pretty typical for us.  The waiter kept coming back to check on us and even though we picked on him a bit he didn't seem to mind. 
A few hours later we seemed to have talked everything out and decided it was time to go home.  We all had to work the next day anyway or I think we would have sat there for a few more hours! 
Our girl time is special to us even though our huge group of friends gets together pretty often at someones home.  But the nights we can gather without the men or children is much more productive!  I love you girls!!! Thanks for the great night! 

Happy "10" Anniversary Trisa and Jamie!

May 5th marked 10 years married for my good friends Trisa and Jamie.  I had told them several weeks before that they should do something special, just the two of them.  Because they have a young son in school, I told them that I would even take care of him while they were gone.  Then it wouldn't upset his schedule and the dog would be taken care of at the same time.  So the planning began and for them the biggest challenge was to figure out just where to go.  Jamie wanted to be somewhat close by yet out of town was okay too.  Trisa was game to go anywhere.  But going somewhere they hadn't been before was a must. 
After making the decision to go to Nebraska City, NE., I arranged to have an extra day off for the weekend. 
Gavin, their son, had a soccer game on Saturday morning.  I went to watch him play along with Trisa and Jamie and Judy, Trisa's Mom.  From there Trisa and Jamie left for their overnight trip.  Gavin had a birthday party to attend at noon immediately following his game.  I took him to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza where he found his friends and I stayed to have a little bite to eat myself.  The Grandma of one of his friends came by to pick up both boys and take them to an outdoor amphitheater for a couple of hours.  So I had time to go to my house and change clothes, take care of my cats for the rest of the day and go to Gavin's house in time for him to be dropped off.  He had been a very busy little guy for the whole day up to this point.  He was glad to be home and changed clothes. 
He relaxed for quite a while and played his XBox 360.  After awhile we went outside and played soccer on the driveway.  I saw another friend of mine (that is a neighbor of Trisa and Jamie) sitting outside with her kids and enjoying the outside air.  We walked to her house and visited with her for awhile. 
That night, after getting to say hi to his Mom and Dad via a phone call, Gavin fell asleep pretty early.  I turned in myself shortly afterwards. 
The next morning after sleeping in, Gavin and I had some cereal for breakfast.  It wasn't long after that the Jamie and Trisa arrived home.  It was a short 45 minute drive for them.  I made my way home and being it was also Mother's Day, made a call to my step Mom Beverly to wish her a good day. 

Southwest Airlines Goes Bowling!

Our local station likes to have fun with our employees.  Not just on the job but away from work as well.  It's been awhile since we've done it but last night, we went bowling!  It's a great way to get out and have some fun. 

My co-worker, Tim Wald, operations supervisor, was in charge of arranging our night out.  He spoke with the owners of Sempeck's Bowling Center.  We were able to do some trading with them; buddy passes for travel in exchange for some of the services they offered.   This night was an employee and spouse/date night only.  Typically, we try to have "family oriented" events set up.  But sometimes you just need to leave those kids at home, right?!  

Each person from our group that bowled, was given a free pair of nifty socks with a design of a bowling ball and pins around the ankle.  How neat!  The women's varied slightly from the men's.   We had 4 lanes reserved just for us and at each lane there were chips and salsa for our enjoyment.  Alcohol had to be purchased and it seemed to be flowing quite easily for some.  We had such a great time! 

Co-workers Lori, Nanci and Tim

Nanci and Lori



Me, Tim and Lori



Me and my gear.  Do I look professional? 



Me walking like an Egyptian!



Our entire group that came out....so much fun!



Co-worker Don and his wife Kathy

Co-worker Scott and his wife Cindy

Co-workers Lisa, Don and I



Co-worker Lori having just bowled a strike.  The proof is on the computer moniter over her head! 



Co-worker Tim being a geek with cowboy boots and a drink in his hand.  Only Tim can pull this off.....


We had 2 hours to bowl as many games as we could or wanted to.  After most everyone left, Tim, Lisa and I stuck around for one more cocktail at the bar and then headed home.  I still had to work the next day bright and early so I couldn't over do anything!  Thanks to all the employees that were able to make it out!

Easter Sunday

Today will be a quiet day as Beverly is in the hospital and Dad and I will go there to spend a good portion of the day with her. 

I got up this morning and made a big breakfast of french toast with sausage and coffee.  While we were eating, I had put some bedding in the wash to help a little in the house.  After getting to Dad's last night, I changed the bedding for the bed I was using and then this morning Dad took the sheets off their bed as well. 

We planned on going to the hospital in time for Beverly's dinner and also eat there with her.  While we were all eating, Beverly's daughter Kathy (Jacobson) Huravitch walked in for a visit.  She lives in Stanley, ND and came to Tioga for part of the day. 

After spending several hours there, Dad and I went back to their house to relax a bit and visit. I actually fell asleep while sitting in a comfy chair for awhile.  Sister Cathy called from Oregon and brother Kevin called my cell phone to see where we were.  He had tried Dad's house but he was on the other line with Cathy and didn't answer!  So eventually, we all connected for an Easter visit! 

That night for supper I made spaghetti and garlic bread for our supper.  I had scrounged in the freezer after I arrived the night before to find things to make for our meals.  Dad later went back to the hospital for another visit with Beverly.  I stayed home to clean up after our supper.  While I was sitting in the living room watching TV and using my lap top, I heard someone talking and discovered my Aunt Penny, Dad's sister, coming in the door.  She knew I was in town and stopped on her way home from a trip to Williston.  It was fun to visit with her! 

She left for home and soon after, Dad arrived back home.  We sat up for a long time just talking before going to bed.  It had been a very relaxing Easter Sunday, albeit much less food and excitement than would normally occur in our family on Easter!

Dad and Hattie....Kathy Huravitch's dog



Hattie showing off her pretty pink bows on her ears. 



Just a Quick Hop Home

My last trip home to ND was last summer in August.  One of the reasons it's been so long since I was there is the simple fact that the weather there has been relentless.  It seems like they have had one storm after another since last fall.  At Christmas time, my family came to Omaha.  In January when I always have vacation during the first week of the year, I opted to stay home again, because Mother Nature felt the need to stir things up in the upper Midwest.  The roads were always icy or covered with snow.  Each month since then, I've heard the reports of other snow storms that had passed through as well.  The state of ND just couldn't catch a break this winter!  So I've post poned my trips back home whenever I've thought I would go.  Finally, the weather in ND was supposed to be nice for the Easter holiday and I decided to make the trip home.   

My plan was set in motion to drive to my brother and sister-in-law's house today.  Then Saturday I'll go to Dad and Beverly's.  I still had to work today until 1:30 PM.  After work I went home to get my things ready to go and make sure my cats would be okay until the next day when one of my friends would stop by and check on them.  I stopped for gas on the way out of town and when I finally got on the road, it was 3 o'clock.  I thought for sure that I'd tire very soon due to the fact that I'd been up since 3 AM for work.  But I guess I was really excited to go home because I didn't stop one time to nap; I felt wide awake! 

The weather was nice which made for good driving conditions. 

As I was driving through SD near Brookings, Dad called to see if I had heard the weather report for ND.  The forecast was for snow/slushy driving conditions near Bismarck and travel would probably be an issue.  Really???  Great!  What happened to the nice weather?  I needed to stop in Brookings anyway, for refueling and something to eat.  So while I was there I checked the weather conditions on my phone and texted Kevin to see what the weather was like in Dickinson.  It looked like the south edge of the weather system that was moving through was hovering over Interstate 94, my route to Kevin's.  Lovely.....

I was hoping by the time I got to the Bismarck area, that it would be out of there or melted....one or the other.  So after making my stops I continued on my way north up Interstate 29.  Wouldn't you know it, about an hour later, I drove into rainy weather and eventually fog.  The fog was so thick that I could hardly see directly in front of my own vehicle.  This continued for about 20 miles.  Little did I know that the rain would never end, for the rest of my drive!  I had MANY hours to go!

Thankfully, the roads were only wet for the rest of the drive.  However, I'd had enough of rain for one day!  It is a little monotenous to have to keep watching the window wipers!  I made a few more stops along the way and arrived in Dickinson around 1AM mountain time.  It was almost 24 hours since I had gotten up for the day.  Ish. 

My nieces didn't know I was going to be there.  Well, at least two of them didn't.  Suzanna had seen some comments I had made on Face Book and kind of figured it out.  So the next morning after having slept a little upstairs in Hillary's room, I snuck down to the basement and found Suzanna awake and watching some TV.  She wasn't exactly surprised to see me!  But we still giggled with excitement to see each other.  Then I went to Abigail's room and woke her up.  She was so surprised she lept out of bed to give me a hug!  Then we went into Suzanna's room where Hillary was asleep on the floor.  Abigail told her we had a surprise for her.  She saw me and said "Auntie Sandy!  I'm so glad you're here!"  It was fun to surprise them!  We all went out to the family room and just sat around talking and laughing.  Upstairs Kevin and Susan were listening to the squeels and getting breakfast ready. 

That day, I was going to help Kevin with his weekly Saturday meal that he prepares with the help of one of the girls or Susan. He nominated me to help this week being I was there.  Here is what we prepared, in Kevin's words.  We made the meal for dinner instead of for supper, as I would be leaving for Dad's and they had church to attend.  It was very yummy!! 

Later we played Norwegian Whist and soon it was time for me to leave for Dad's.  Kevin's family had to get ready for church and eat supper before hand.  So we said our goodbye's and out the door I went for my 2 1/2 hour drive north. 



Abigail, Me, Kevin, Hillary and Suzanna

Abigail, Hillary and Suzanna coloring Easter eggs. 



Driving north to Dad's.  The scenery is gorgeous even though the roads are pretty bad with craters from all the oil field traffic! 




Sunset over ND



One of the hundreds of oil drilling rigs that have moved into the area. 



Gorgeous

Highway 22 north out of Dickinson and then highway 1804 takes me most of the way to Dad's.  However, when I got to the junction of 1804, there was a construction sign that said "road closed to thru traffic."  Really???  Great!  It was my connection to highway 2 that goes to Tioga.  I only had about 30 minutes left of my drive!  I had to drive west, almost to Williston.  I found the gravel road that goes north into Epping.  From there I made my way to highway 2 and then into Tioga.  Sheesh!  It was almost 10 PM when I arrived at Dad's!  An extra hour added to my drive that should have only taken 2 1/2 hours! 
After I got there, Dad and I went to see Beverly, whom was in the hospital and had been there for a couple of days by then.  Now, you have to realize that Tioga hospital is small.  Even at the late hour, we were able to go see Beverly.  The nurses know Dad and let us in.  We sat there for about an hour. 
Then we went to their house and visited a while before going to bed.  Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.