Pre lutefisk dinner

 

It takes a lot of time to coordinate the Lutefisk dinner.  Many people are busy baking pies for the dinner including myself.  Others are setting tables in the dining room, decorating, peeling potatoes, rutabagas, and carrots.  Then the lutefisk crew comes in and does their magic.  After I finished packing buns and lefsa for take-outs I was free to go until 3:30.  Then it is a rush to get the take out orders ready.  We usually pack over a hundred orders to go.  It is a great money maker for the church.  Love it.

teenager saves the day

My first mistake was keeping my wallet in my laptop bag. My second was failing to zip up the pocket that I put it in. My third was somehow managing to let my wallet fall out of my bag as I walked out of the coffee shop this morning.

I would have gotten into my car, driven away, and not even noticed it was missing for several hours. It's got all my credit cards and my IDs and a decent amount of cash. I guess this story should end with me getting robbed and my identity stolen.

Instead it ends with a kid chasing after me, yelling to me just as I was getting in my car, and returning my wallet. I asked him his name, but he didn't tell me. I offered him some money, but he didn't accept it. I wasn't trying to insult him; I just thought he deserved a little finder's fee. ...

He told me that he saw me drop it from across the room. Two other people -- an older woman and a man -- apparently looked down and noticed my mistake, but didn't make any attempt to alert me. So this kid came running from the other end of the store and saved the day.

Imagine that: a teenager setting the example for two grown adults.

So, thank you. I don't know who you are, or if you'll read this, but thanks. It's a small thing. It's something you'd hope anyone would do. But a lot of people wouldn't, man. Trust me. You saw that for yourself today. Most of us live our whole lives and are rarely presented opportunities to be superheroes. Instead, we're defined by the little things and the little moments.

You're on the right path. Thanks for bailing me out today.

 

Matt Walsh

Jamon's 30th

Jamon hired a bus to take his guests 15 miles to Spiritwood Resort.  It picked the guests up at the Hampton Inn and arrived at the party half hour later.  I knew most of his friends and their wives.  He served a keg and pizza and one of his friends made the cupcakes.  The three grandparents brought the kids out and we stay until 7:00.  Then the three of us braverly took the kids home to bathe them and get them into bed.  What a circus.  We finally got them in bed and sleeping. Looking back I really had a great time.

Jax first birthday

 

Mickey mouse theme party.  Looked at Jamon's baby book and his first party was a mickey theme too.

The family gathered for Jamon's 30th birthday party.   It was so chose to Jax birthday we decided to have his first birthday celebration the same weekend.  The house was full of people.  Mostly Natalie's family.  It was busy, fun and noisey.  Jax open a couple of his present until he found a ball and he was off to play with it.  He calls all balls footballs.  He got a lot of presents.  Then we had lunch and cake to follow.  It was an ice cream cake.  All was going well until Jax got a brain freeze.  He really howled.  He got about four new outfits for this winter.  Natalie's next job is to get him to stop taking off his socks.  He takes them off as soon as he can. 

Out of the mouths of Babes

The joys of having Girls.
 My mother taught me to read when I was four years old (her first mistake). One day, I was in the bathroom and noticed one of the cabinet doors was ajar. I read the box in the cabinet. I then asked my mother why she was keeping 'napkins' in the bathroom. Didn't they belong in the kitchen?

 Not wanting to burden me with unnecessary facts, she told me that those were for 'special occasions' (her second mistake).

 Now fast forward a few months. It's Thanksgiving Day, and my folks are leaving to pick up my uncle and his wife for dinner. Mom had assignments  for all of us while they were gone. Mine was to set the table (her third mistake).

 When they returned, my uncle came in first and immediately burst into laughter. Next came his wife, who gasped, then, began giggling. Next came my  father, who roared with laughter. Then came Mom, who almost died of embarrassment when she saw each place setting on the table with a 'special  occasion Kotex napkin at each plate, with the fork carefully arranged on top. I had even tucked the little tail in so they didn't hang off the edge!!

 My mother asked me why I used these and, of course, my response sent the other adults into further fits of laughter.

 'But, Mom, you said they were for special occasions!!!'


 Life is too short for drama and petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly, and for heaven's sake, use the good napkins whenever you can.

 

 

Division street

Division street is the street that I use to go to Bemidji each day.  There is a mile of that road that I call the gauntlet.  It was a very narrow road.  Also there is many deer in the woods on both sides.  Also there is a steep incline down to Twin Lake.  And I haven't even mentioned the people that think they are running the Daytona 500.   Well they fixed one of the problems by adding 36 inches on each side of the road.    The is a total of 6 feet wider.  That is a great improvement.

Homemakers council

The homemakers council met this Friday for our bi-monthly meeting.  We are members of the extension learning circles.  We had treats with our coffee and held our business meeting.  Then we listened to Becky Livermore speak on mulching for winter.  I learned that normally peonies don't need to be mulched, but mine must be.  Mine were planted this fall and in a raised garden.  Until they get rooted they will need to be protected from the cold.  Becky is such a good speaker.  She keeps your interest.  She also gave us tips on raising holiday cactus and amaryllis.  She gave us great tips on storage for the winter and how to spur them on to bloom.