daily bread: week 2

Here we go for the second week of photos!

Turns out, I do okay at actually taking the pictures, but am horrible at posting them!

[January 16] One of my favorite things about going to Atlanta and staying with Lizzy and John is walking their dogs in the mornings with Lizzy. Her dogs are crazy and adorable, and we get a free hour of therapy when we walk the dogs and talk...(We also stumbled upon this quite impressive snow fort built by some kids in her neighborhood!)

[January 15] Lizzy and John's house...great friends...football Sunday...TONS of food! We all gathered to cheer for our team and play games, and had a wonderful time. Check out this SPREAD of food!

[January 14] On the road again...Heading to Atlanta to spend the weekend at my second home (the Burge / Mello household...thanks Lizzy and John!)...

[January 13] Every Tuesday for the past year or so, Andy, Sarah, and myself have gone to one of my favorite restaurants, Taqueria del Sol, to enjoy our weekly Taco Tuesday. Because of the snow, we rescheduled for Thursday this week. Below is the "after" photo...empty Coronas, an empty basket of chips, and an empty cup of queso...YUM!

[January 12] On the third day of snow and ice, I went back to work, and then joined some good friends for dinner. We tried a new restaurant called A Tavola! and then had a yummy adult beverage at Normal Bar. My dear friends Carey and Brad were my company. Here, she is sporting his hat ;o).

[January 11] My next post will include more photos from the SNOW WEEK 2011, but my good friends Andy and Sarah came over to hang out during one of the few days that we had off of work, and during their visit my neighbor's dogs decided to stop by my front porch. My neighbor has two Alaskan Malamute dogs who just had three adorable puppies. We stepped outside and completely enjoyed watching them jump around in the snow...pure joy.

[January 10] My co-worker brought this soup to work one day, and I knew that I HAD to have the recipe. This was my first attempt at making it, and it was absolutely delicious! You MUST try it...

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Soup with Tortilla Strips

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped

1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapeno slices

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

8 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of one lime (2 Tbsp.)

1 ripe avocado, chopped

Tortilla chips

1. Saute chopped onion, carrot, and bell pepper in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat for seven minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add minced garlic and saute one minute.

2. Stir in chicken and next five ingredients. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to a boile, reduce heat, and simmer for twenty minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Serve with avocado and tortilla strips.

(Of course...I added cheese... ;o)).

Enjoy!

best words, part 7

"Then the time came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

- Anais Nin

[ps...posts from 'blizzard 2011' and week 2 photos are forthcoming...]

daily bread: week 1

As mentioned in my resolutions listing, I'm attempting to take a daily photo, which I'll be posting here.

Are you people ready for this?!

A daily (posted weekly!) dose of Danika!?

[Note that some of the photos were taken on the phone, which isn't super great...I've decided I'm going to try to stick to a real camera from here on out...]

[January 9] Today, I'm posting my first set of 2011 photos, from a delightful coffee shop called Two Story Coffeehouse, and drinking some green tea. Yum. Today, I'm thankful for photos, good music, and tea, and I'm hopeful for snow. Happy Sunday.

[January 8] I'm not sure what your favorite part of the weekend is, but I would venture to guess that most people are thankful that they do not have to work and can use their time however they choose to... For me, the highlight of each weekend is not the pure fact that I'm not at work, but rather the fact that because I'm not at work, I can wake up and make a delicious, hot breakfast...complete with eggs (with green onions and feta, of course!), turkey bacon, potatoes, toast, grapefruit, yogurt, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Coffee or tea are also a given... {very important}.

[January 7] I work with Andy, who is married to Sarah. During the last year, they have become two of my favorite people. One of our favorite hobbies is spending time at Walker's, drinking coffee or beer, and playing board games. (I feel confident in saying that Walker's and games will be mentioned a lot over the next year!) This is the newest game that we have started playing...called Dominion. It's semi-ridiculous but totally amazing and addicting. Check it out.

[January 6] This is probably something that no one will laugh at, except for my co-workers...who don't read this...however...I look at this at least 28 times each day, and laugh at least 27 of the 28 times, so I figured it was at least worth a mention. This is on one of the white boards in our office, and the hilarity is two fold:

1. The top box indicates restroom rules for proper trailer toilet etiquette: #1 ONLY in trailer #1 (where our offices are) and if #2 is required, the boys must go to trailer #2. Someone mentioned #1.5, and we're not even going to go there ;o)...

2. The trailer MOJO meter...we had a few tough things at work recently, and are working to increase our "mojo"...My co-worker's wife is the one who gifted this meter to us, and I love it.

[January 5] Technology is a great thing, however prior to my car telling me EXACTLY how much I can push it until I run out of gas, I NEVER would have run it down this far...one. mile. left. Thankfully, I made it to the gas station, but I was definitely sweating it for a minute...

[January 4] Because of a random night shift at work this week, I had a few hours off in the middle of the day, which I used to go CRAZY cleaning my kitchen. We're talking EVERYTHING. It's wonderful, and I feel so fantastic and productive when I do things like this...great way to start a new year. I fully satisfied my anal retentive cleaning tendencies. As usual, this cleaning experience didn't come without it's clutzy Danika moment, however... I managed to drop an entire (essentially full) can of oats on the floor. I couldn't help but laugh.

[January 3] Overall health is definitely an objective / resolution for 2011. Below is one of my major obstacles...CHEESE. Cheese is practically a food group in my world, and is a part of {almost} every meal. This photo was taken during my first grocery shopping trip of 2011, and I wanted all of it...BUT...I settled for a small portion of brie. Yum. I'm also throwing in a second picture...no great story...just liked it.

[January 2] Lizzy and John are two of my favorite people in the world. I have an unofficial bedroom at their house, as they are gracious enough to let me stay there whenever I am in Atlanta. I have enjoyed spending a lot of time with them recently. With them come two crazy pups...Charlie (a Chesapeake Retriever) and Rooney (a rambunctious mut). During my most recent visit, it was bath-time for the dogs. Charlie is slightly older and wiser, and handles baths like a champ, understanding that it will be over quicker if he just stands still and cooperates. Rooney (shown below) on the other hand, doesn't do *quite* as well, and requires assistance from Lizzy. We died laughing watching the little guy squirm...

[January 1] We celebrated the one year birthday of some good friends, Daniel and Rebecca. Below are Greyson (1 year) and Daniel (more than 1 year). I'm not sure who enjoyed opening Greyson's birthday presents more, Daniel or Greyson, but either way, a great time was had by all.

[blessings...over and out]

re:focus - 2011

Well hello there, my dear blog.

You have probably forgotten who I am, by now, as it is has been many months since I have visited you, but do not fret - I am back.

Let's get reacquainted...

[NEW YEAR'S EVE]

Everybody celebrates this day differently.

For me, the hype of doing something fancy and frilly is too much, so I prefer to just spend quality time with friends over food, beverage, and whatever brings the most laughter.

This year, that involved some great folks in Atlanta, ridiculous amounts of buffalo chicken dip , Miller Lite, and the game of Things (wonderful game...everyone should play!)...and it was perfect. (For those that know me well, you may find it hilarious that I was awake at 11:57pm and at 12:07am, but asleep at the stroke of midnight...pretty standard).

New Year's DAY, for me, often brings a time of reflection...

...of things that went well last during the past 365 days...

...of things that could have gone better...

...of things that I am thankful for...

...of things that I want improve upon / do differently in the next 365 days...

...and of things that I look forward to being completely new in the new year...

For me, the turn of the year serves as the perfect moment to regroup and refocus.

It's the end of a significant but manageable amount of time that is perfect for self-evaluation.

SO, after my moment of reflection, here's what I've got...

{success}

learned a LOT at work (and had fun along the way)

made new friends in and fell in love with a new town

{thankful}

for family

for health

for independence

for my beautiful world

and there's always {room for improvement}...so my 'resolutions' are...

• move: continue running. enjoy nature while doing so. run a 1/2 marathon. find new ways to be active.
• eat: eat healthy food. home cook food. try new recipes. cook without recipes. enjoy delicious food.
• budget: reverse my spending problem. save. budget. enough said.
• shoot: take pictures. lots of them. one per day, in fact. (will post here..)
• read: more. books. cookbooks. non-fiction. fiction. everything.
• love well.

I hope that the recently passed holidays treated everyone well, and I look forward to hearing and seeing from you all in the coming year.

Let's show 2011 the business.

{only love}

signs of spring

I took a walk today to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of spring.

They are plentiful in my darling, old neighborhood...

athens

As most of you know, I moved to Athens, Georgia in November to be closer to work. As much as I loved commuting 72 miles one way (NOT!), I decided that my sanity was going to be lost if I didn't relocate...

I was quite sad to leave Atlanta, but now, after having been in Athens for a bit and getting out and about, I have grown quite fond of this town!

Some of my favorite things [so far] are...

Jittery Joe's Coffee

Athens Church

Downtown Athens

I haven't been to these spots yet, but I expect to thoroughly enjoy:

Good Dirt Pottery Studio

Botanical Gardens

There are tons of great restaurants and people around this town, and I can't wait to enjoy the summer here. I might even buy a bike ;o).

I have rented an old house near the jobsite that is a bit crooked and slightly haunted looking from the outside, but it has great character and I love it! I also love the neighborhood...the enormous trees...the people...and the funny squirrels. (Seriously, even those of you who are familiar with the goofy squirrels on CSUs campus...these squirrels are even funnier!)

SO...come visit me in Athens ;o).

Here're the digs...

I love you, Athens.

fischer + sara

I think most of us would agree that many precious moments in this world are brought about by things children do or say...

Such was the case last weekend, when Sara and I stopped in to visit some old friends in Atlanta.

During most of our two years in Atlanta, Sara was a nanny for a boy named Fischer. Throughout that time, she became quite close with he and his family. I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of their generosity as well and shared many meals, weekend trips, and laughs with the French family.

Last weekend, when we were in Atlanta for a friend's wedding, we stopped in to say hello, and had a wonderful visit. We played trains, we drew, we sword fought...all pretty typical...

But just when you think you have a two-year-old figured out, two innocent statements from Fischer made us cry...

Sara: "Fischer, will you come say goodbye to me? I have to leave now."

Fischer: "Will you come back?"

Sharri (Fischer's mom): "Fischer, Sara is about to leave in the little red car."

Fischer: "Is there a seat for me?"

I'm sure that the darling-ness of these moments doesn't translate to some of you, but trust me...when someone has made an investment such as Sara did in the life of a child, it is precious to hear those words.

Love to the French family...

beat the street for little feet

In light of the fact that I am way behind on posting major life events and thoughts here, I'm going to throw another one out there...

*2009 has been a great year for me*

One thing I set out to do as a resolution in January was to "move a little bit more", and I am happy to report, that after about eight months of training, I completed my first 5k race on October 31, 2009 (which, as you know, my previous physical condition made this quite a challenge!).

[before]

I am so proud of myself for many reasons, but the main one is that I actually achieved something that I set out to do despite working long hours, commuting long distances, and dealing with whatever other things life threw at me this year.

I ran the race in 32:36, which I consider to be completely acceptable for my first attempt. Even more impressive to me than my time was the fact that I ran the entire distance, without stopping to walk, including the KILLER hill that they so graciously threw in there at about mile 2.75...ouch...but no less, I powered through and made it.

[after: it poured the WHOLE time!]

Next goal (in the foreseeable future): a 10k and a half marathon.

Long term goal (in the barely foreseeable future): A MARATHON.

I can't wait, and I look forward to continuing to learn about myself, my strength, and to what limits I can push myself!

Now, back to reality... After Sara and I ran the race that day, we ended with a delicious lunch with some friends at the VORTEX (an Atlanta institution...you actually walk through a skull mouth to enter the restaurant...it's a colorful place ;o)). Now this, my friends, is a HAMBURGER (fully loaded with pimento cheese)...does it get better?!

[MMMmmmm....]

biltmore estate

Basically since the day that Sara and I moved to Georgia, we have been talking about visiting the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

I always heard how beautiful it was at Christmas with all the decorations and how amazing the flowers were in the spring time.

But...you know how it goes...life gets busy, and things that take a little bit of coordination fall by the way side...

SO, Sara and I made a game time last minute decision a few weeks ago to bite the bullet and go...and we were far from disappointed!

It is the largest privately owned residence in America, and at 175,000 square feet (roughly, of course), it's pretty incredible. Maybe I need to find a Vanderbilt to marry so that I can live there someday! ;o)

I am very much looking forward to going back in the spring time to view the gardens, stables, and of course, visit the winery and get some delicious grub.

Check it out...

Biltmore Estate

It's beautiful!

day zero

Well, it's obviously been a while since my last post, which, as most of you know, is a sign of just how crazy my life has been of late!

I'll try to provide sufficient updates and hopefully some entertainment and food for thought, but it will take a few posts...

Here's a quick update: In May, the construction project that I had been working on since moving to Georgia completed (Haw Creek Elementary and Lakeside Middle schools), and I started work at McCarthy's Athens Regional Medical Center project in Athens, Georgia. My previous commute had been 35 miles (one way), and while I was extremely excited to be starting at the Athens project, it meant that my commute would become 72 MILES, one way. With my lead foot, I could make it door to door in an hour and ten minutes.

So here was my life from May until November...

- 4:15am: wake up

- 5:00 - 6:10am: drive to work

- 6:10 - 6:30pm: work

- 6:30 - 7:40pm: drive home

- 7:40 - 8:30pm: run

- 8:30 - 9:00pm: cook / eat (thanks to my lovely roommate, dinner was often waiting for me!)

- 9:30pm: bed

Now, you may have noticed that "free time" did not exist on that schedule...

SO, our lease was up in November, and I decided that since Sara was moving on to bigger and better things (NashVEGAS, lookout!), I should pick up and move closer to work for the sake of my sanity.

So I did.

I left the city I love so that I had time to read, sleep, cook, run, play piano, watch movies, see people, and in general...relax and do things I enjoy!

I moved the weekend before Thanksgiving, and have been in Athens for a few weeks now, but I have been back and forth between here and Atlanta many times for various holiday activities, etc., making it feel less permanent...until today, that is.

Sara has still been in Atlanta, as her last day of work was yesterday, so last night I went down to have dinner with her and the family that she works for (who is devastated to see her go!). We had a great time, and enjoyed delicious food and beverage for what may be the last time that we are all together. This morning, the time came to say goodbye to the family and to Sara, and I was totally caught off guard by a small sob-fest that hit me as I drove away...

While driving back to Athens, I reflected on what has certainly been two of the best years of life thus far...

I am going to miss having Sara as a roommate. I am going to miss going for a run at Chastain Park on Saturday morning with her. I am going to miss cooking breakfast on the weekends. I am going to miss MANY, very expensive trips to Target and The Gap where we encouraged each other to spend money on unnecessary things. She was so great to live with and to have adventures with, and I cherish the time we had together.

I also reflected on things I will miss about Atlanta. I will miss the abundant restaurants, shops, and things to do and see. I will miss the guy selling flowers at I-75 and West Paces Ferry, rain or shine. I will miss the Highlands. I will miss the buzz of city life. I will miss Piedmont Park. I will miss friends. I will miss the beautiful houses. The list goes on...

This certainly is the end of an era.

Tears were shed, though, not only for sadness of what will not BE any longer, but also for appreciation and love for what has been. I have been blessed.

And now, I go forward for whatever is next...

So here we are. Day Zero, as Sara says.

Tomorrow marks the start of a new era and adventure.

law of the garbage trucks

I got something similar to this via e-mail from my mom a long time ago, and found it again today while going through the process of cleaning out e-mails...I enjoyed it...hopefully you do too...

"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it, and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take THEIR garbage and spread it to work, home, or people on the streets."

{The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day}.

welcome little one

Let me tell you a little story...

My cousin Blaine (who my brother and I have adored since we were young tots!) had been out of state for a few years post-college for work. He eventually returned to Denver, and met a girl...Miss Whei Wong. The two worked together, but then seemed to be spending a ton of time together (we didn't even totally scare her off at family functions!). Blaine and Whei ended up getting a pup...Sambuka (who I think we DID scare at family functions, but he still tolerates us ;o)). Anyway, I'm not good with dates, but Blaine proposed to Whei and they were married a few years back. Whei has been around the family now for years and is considered as much a cousin as Blaine. For the past nine months, Blaine and Whei have been preparing the arrival of their first child! Blaine is the oldest of the cousins on my Dad's side of the family, making him the first to have a child, so obviously we are all very excited for them! I mean really, who doesn't want an adorable little baby hanging around the family!

[so, without further delay, let me introduce the newest addition to our family]

Keenan Kai-Ming Howerton

8 pounds, 8 ounces

22.5 inches long (!)

July 27, 2009 at 11:28pm

I obviously haven't met this little one yet, but all I keep hearing about is his full head of dark hair and long feet! I think he may end up super tall like his dad! ;o)

And here are the proud parents and ready-to-spoil-a-grandchild-grandparents of little Keenan...What a joyful day for the whole family! He already has been and will continue to be a blessing...I am so excited to watch these new parents raise this little baby.

[welcome to the world, little one. it's a wonderful place, and you're going to love it.]

*and i can't wait to meet you

recession 101

Alright.

As usual, let's be honest for a minute...

We are in bad economic times (I know that you are shocked by that statement and as you read this you are gasping).

Please understand this before I continue: I am in NO way trying to downplay the severity of the situation, as I personally know a number of people who's lives are pretty tough right now due to the economic downturn. I, myself, am feeling various pressures as a result of the recession.

However.

I read a billboard the other day that I liked...it kinda brings some positive perspective to the situation. It said...

[ Recession 101: It's a test, not a final. ]

So here's my bottom line for today...

YES - we are in a recession

YES - times are tough

YES - people are losing jobs

YES - it seems grim

BUT, we sure hear a lot about this terrible economy, so it's nice to be reminded that this isn't going to kill us.

***let's focus on the positive***

This is just a chance for people like me (who spend WAY too much money) to take a step back and correct some bad old habits.

I'm a believer that we're not put in situations that we cannot handle, and while certain things seem hopeless to a lot of people right now, I think we'll all be better for going through this.

Hang in there...it has to end soon!

best words, part 6

Here is a little something that Sara found recently, and I think it describes both of us perfectly...

"Good taste is the worst vice ever invented."

- Edith Sitwell

the brick

Ok, so I have received this via e-mail in the past (which makes me think the same may be true for many of you) but I got it again recently and like it...a lot.

Coming from someone who generally gets EXTREMELY agitated in the madness that is Atlanta traffic, this is definitely a good thing to think about.  Here's my paraphrased version of the story...(the forwarded e-mail is quite long, but you'll get the idea)...

A successful business man who drives a super nice car was driving FAST through a neighborhood where children were playing.  As he passed, a brick slammed into the side of his car.  Angered by this, the guy backs up to where the brick was thrown, and gets out of the car, where he finds a child.  

He yells at the kid and asks why he threw the brick, and points out that his car is very expensive and the repairs will also be costly.  The child begins to cry, and tells the man that that was the only way he could get someone's attention, and explains that his brother was in a wheelchair and had fallen off a curb.  The brother had been injured.  The boy was unable to help his brother get back into the chair by himself, and was just trying to get some help.  The boy is now sobbing.  

The man now (rightfully so) feels like a total jerk, swallows hard, and goes over to lift the fallen boy back into his wheelchair.  He wipes the boy's cuts and scrapes, double checks to make sure that no injuries are serious, and then watches as the boy pushes his brother back down the street.  The driver then leaves the scene.

The driver never repaired the very noticeable damage on his new car door: he kept the message to remind him of a very important lesson learned that day...

[here comes the take-away...are you ready!?]

...Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.

I know that on some days, a whole palate of bricks might be required to pull me out of whatever zone I'm in, and on those days, I need to be reminded of things like this.

*stop and smell the roses, or whatever other scents are surrounding you in your life. good or bad.  sometimes, it is NOT about me.*

good stuff.

mind over matter

Now, since I know all of you live and breathe by my blog {wink, wink}, you remember that I wrote a post in January in which I listed a few of my New Year's resolutions.  I am happy to report that after successfully surviving and enjoying five and a half months of 2009 (WHERE DOES TIME GO?!) I am keeping to my goals quite nicely...for the FIRST time in my life.  [SIDE NOTE:  Please be aware that I a) rarely even set New Year's resolutions, and b) never keep the ones I actually set, so we're talking about a small miracle here. ...Resolutions of the past would be "This year, I'm going to journal every day," and then at the end of the year, the only entry in the journal would be January 1st...you get the point].  Anyway...

Ok, now let's be real for a minute...

...I am an over-weight human being.  I know...you had NO idea ;o).  

In an effort to reduce my overweight-ness and increase my overall health, I have taken up running.  Now, I thought running would be just a method of exercise that would help me achieve better physical health, but in the mean time I have discovered that running (and intense exercise in general) is much more than that!

Maybe all of the amazing marathon runners / great athletes of the world already knew this and I'm just a late bloomer, but I have been totally amazing by how much of the running game is mental and not physical.

For me, while running, I have to have a constant conversation going with myself...

..."i can't make it up this hill. i should walk..."

..."RUN. c'mon. suck it up. you can do it..."

[And then after deciding that voice #2 is correct, I am partially up the hill when the next conversation begins...].

..."ok, i already made it more than i thought i could have...maybe i 

should walk the rest of the way up..."

..."c'mon, look, you're halfway there already, and getting closer 

every step.  just take one step at a time..."

Note that this is an extremely paraphrased version of my mental conversations with myself, but you get the point ;o).

[And then, MUCH to my surprise and excitement, I have made it to the top of the hill...Then the conversation goes...]

..."YOU DID IT...even though you didn't think you could..."

And I generally have an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and excitement and surprise.  And then I feel stronger.  And I realize that running, like most things in life, is a mind-over-matter type deal.  Sure, part of the battle is physical, but I am finding that most of the time, when I "can't" do something, the only reason I didn't keep going was because I gave up mentally...not because my muscles, lungs, and heart couldn't keep going.

So yes, I'm getting physically stronger from running, but I think the mental strength that I am discovering is the surprising part and perhaps the most rewarding.  I can talk  myself into a lot more things these days (compared to when I first started), and it's always fun to try to out-do myself.

Another thing I think about while I'm running is that running is the ultimate metaphor for life...

*Sometimes it is best to focus on the step-by-step / right here, right now, but others it is the best to gaze off into the distance towards the goal...depends on the day.

 

*There are uphills, downhills, and plateaus, and for one reason or another, each are good for their own reasons...also depends on the day and the route you take.

*Sometimes it's a sprint, and sometimes it's a marathon.

*Sometimes I want to listen to music and be distracted.  Other times, I want to hear my feet hit the ground, hear my breathing, and hear the sounds around me. 

*Above all else, the important thing that I am learning is to keep the conversation going so that I continue to push myself to achieve things that I never thought possible.

It really is [mind over matter].

fargo

[Disclaimer:  I have been in process with this blog for about three weeks, so it may be a bit past due, but I wanted to finish it anyway!]

No, not the movie...

...I am talking about Fargo, North Dakota, a place that is a sort of second home to my family and me, and where I visited 4+ times per year up through high school for one reason or another.  For me, Fargo sums up like this...

• mosquitos doubling as the state bird 
• TONS of bug spray to go with those mosquitos
• humidity (hence, the mosquitos)
• black dirt / mud (always ruining my brand new white KEDS each summer...a moment of silence for the KEDS please!)
• fun on the lakes (Mom - when can we go back to Lake of the Woods?!)  [My mom's maiden name is "Boone" and so the lake house that her parents owned for many years was called the "Boonedocks"...how cute is that!?]
• VERY cold in the winter, in fact it actually can literally take your breath away when you first walk outside.  It hurts sometimes.  
• my aunts and uncles living in Fargo
• my Grandpa's farm a few hours away from Fargo (though I was scarred for life when that bird died on the roof...Mom, Dad, and Andy...you know what I'm talking about.  I could never look outside that window on the stairs again.)
• the most awkward shower EVER at my Grandpa's farm (see through doors with a straight shot to the house main entry!)
• learning to drive a golf cart at the farm (God bless the family members taking turns in the cart with us...we NEVER got sick of it...I'm sure THEY did...)
• strawberry milk at Mary Jo's house
• the coolest sugar shaker EVER at Judy's house and Duane's milkshakes
• the playground behind Judy and Duane's old house
• good food always
• Norwegian jokes (we are all a bunch of norski's and believe it or not, there are quite a few norski jokes...don'cha know?  KIDDING...Sorry, Mom.)
• family
• photos
• Lilian (+ Jan and Yvonne...and all of the "little something" type meals they have prepared for us over the years)
• Duane's buick
• many interesting, sick, long, four-stop trips to get to Fargo [turns out...it's not the easiest place to get to...] 
• mostly, I love the fact that it always feels like home when we go.

ANYWAY, the reason I bring up the place that holds so many fond memories for me is because of the recent flooding events.  North Dakota had a record winter, and as a result, found themselves in a situation where the Red River was rising and they were preparing for the SECOND 500 YEAR FLOOD in less than 10 years!  I can't even understand that much water, but anyway, on to the point...

In 1997, the first 500 year flood came, and we went to visit No Dak shortly thereafter.  Pretty incredible.  We have pictures of Andy and myself with water lines OVER OUR HEADS in downtown Grand Forks.  Water damage everywhere.  Fire damage everywhere (weird how floods and fires go together, eh?).  Tree branches stuck in bridge structures with water 40 feet below (ie the water had been as high as the bottom of the bridge at one point but was now back to normal at 40 feet below...crazy).  Needless to say, picturing THAT happening in Fargo was difficult.

At the worst, the River became 9 miles wide.  It passed the 1997 record by multiple FEET.  I can't even grasp that at all! 3,000,000 sandbags were filled and used.  12 miles of dikes were installed.  The nursing home where my grandfather spent the last years of his life was evacuated (which makes it hit a bit closer to home).  Overall, a pretty terrifying situation.

BUT....

I kept kind of chuckling to myself when I heard the media talk about the impending flood... They were always shocked and amazed at the number of volunteers that had showed up to help sand bag, build dykes, provide food, etc. like it is a revolutionary concept to do what it takes to protect your life and your property.  When Homeland Security folks recommended evacuation, some Fargoans laughed and said "that's not what we're here to do."  I laugh because clearly these reporters have never been to North Dakota or met a North Dakotan (or any mid-westerner for that matter).  They are just straight up, hard working, do it themselves type people, and OF COURSE they are not going to evacuate!  If they are going to go down, they are going to go down fighting.  

I have heard many stories throughout this whole ordeal from my family members that are up there, and many of them are very touching, but perhaps my favorite was the large group of folks from New Orleans that came to "return the favor."  A bunch of North Dakotans had gone down after Katrina hit to help in Louisiana, and so in appreciation of help years prior, the same folks headed north to fight the flood.  People helping people.  Music to my ears.

To those of us who come from mountainous places, it is hard to imagine that much standing water, but I heard it described like this...Picture dumping a gallon of water onto a flat, wood table.  The water just sits there, and has no place to go.  Now, if you've been to North Dakota, you know that it is FLATTER than a table...  You know where I'm going with this.  

Anyway, it's pretty amazing...the coming together of people to help each other out.  If I had posted then when I planned on it, I'd say let's pray for the people of North Dakota.  But now, since I'm late, let's just be thankful that the worst has passed and that they were prepared.  

Visit North Dakota.  

It's the only state in the union with a surplus.  

They make good potatoes there.

And the people are fantastic.

CLICK HERE for some amazing photos...[Check out all the people inside working out the sandbag situation!]