The Crow's Nest - January 30, 2017
A Happy New Year to all you readers. Where has the month gone? Time has just flown by since Christmas. I know there was a time at the beginning of the month when I wanted January to just go away. It was SO terribly cold with days of sub-zero weather. One day that all changed and it was almost “Welcome to tropical North Dakota”! What a relief to experience weather above the zero mark. The rest of the month has run the gamut from rain, icy rain, snow and almost any other weather condition possible. I guess this is what keeps all of us here. North Dakotans are a tough group and ready to take on every type of weather Mother Nature wants to hand out.
Hope everyone has had a great start to 2017. It is hard to believe it is 17 years since we all wondered what the millennium would bring. Time sure does fly. I’ve been busy putting away Christmas decorations and getting my after-Christmas cleaning done. Sadness was prevalent in our household as we found out through annual Christmas cards that 3 of our friends from our military family had passed away. These friends were our age or younger.
Edinburg has been very quiet since the holidays. Of course, we do have quite a few people who are down south enjoying a warmer climate that we experience. I’m sure the cold weather does keep people inside where it is warm.
I suppose it is time to share my complaint for the month. Last night I thought, “why not fix that beautiful Christmas gift ham for evening dinner”? So, that’s what I did. I bathed it in a mixture of grey poupon mustard and brown sugar sitting on a lake of coca cola. Okay, if we were going to have ham we needed those luscious Hall potatoes made into calorie laden scalloped potatoes drenched with cream, cream of celery soup, cheese, onion and anything else fattening. Couldn’t stop there. If there is ham, we need dressing to go with it plus green beans and sweet potatoes with melted home-made marshmallows on top. By the time we ate, I was all worn out. Worst part was, after the meal, each dish looked like it had not been touched. I think all of Edinburg could come to our house for left-overs! Thank goodness I hadn’t fixed dessert or we would have had to start counting calories!
I am so happy to report that both Toni Monsebroten and Lori Olson have finished radiation treatments at the Cancer Center in Grand Forks. I know they are so happy to have reached this milestone. I was a patient at the Cancer Center a few days ago, (unrelated to cancer), and I have to agree with Toni and Lori when they say, “what a place”. This clinic is not where one wants to be, but if it is necessary, it is a wonderful facility. From the moment I walked in I felt like the staff really cared about me and my needs. How wonderful to be treated by people who really care. Of course, I feel the same way about First Care Health Center in Park River. The staff there is also so kind and caring and never seem to tire of my constant visits to Dr. Johnson or Lois Mathiason for blood work.
It was so fun to receive an email from Diane (Ulberg) Samuelson the other day. She said all was well in Minneapolis and is enjoying her family and stays busy with all the activities of her grandchildren.
Beverley Hall is visiting daughter Connie out in Boise. I am sure she is enjoying grand-daughter Mandy’s basketball games. Mandy will be a member of the University of Oklahoma Sooners women’s basketball team next year. That is very exciting for everyone.
Hope you all have a great day and we will talk later after I finally get my knee replaced next week. Surgery has had to be postponed twice already do to extenuating circumstances. I am trying to stay very healthy until February 8th!
This is a request from my daughter Kris who is head of corporate relations for the Norsk Hostfest held in Minot.
RECIPES WANTED: Do you have a great Scandinavian recipe? Maybe one handed down from your great, great grandmother? Norsk Hostfest is looking for your recipes to include in its 40th Anniversary Cookbook. To submit your recipe (and photo of the dish if available), please email to leannmellum@hostfest.com or mail to Lea Ann Mellum, PO Box 1347, Minot, ND 58702. For more information go to www.hostfest.com/cookbook Thanks for your recipes! They are looking for Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish or any other Scandinavian type.
