dakotaprairiewindsong

2011-07-24T06:35:00.001-07:00

American in Oz: Tour de France

2011-07-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Birds are Singing

2011-05-14T06:46:00.002-07:00

Morning sun filtering, birds chirping, coffee being sipped. All is well. The problems that develop through the day require love and patience and calm willingness to be in the shoes of the other person. And a sense of humor. I am blessed with all of the above. Thanks be said. Today maybe a movie, we have not seen Water for Elephants. We plan to leave here for NoDak about June 4. Plenty to do and I will be reluctant to leave this wonderful home.

Home at Sweet Spring House

2011-04-11T12:02:00.004-07:00

We are now LIVING in Green Valley, AZ. Our new address is the Spanish word Manantial which translates: Sweet Spring of water flowing. What an amazing turn of events. I just took note of the passing of exactly 2 years since my left knee was replaced in Tucson and I was recuperating at the home of my friend Carol Lyen. She took me in to her "rehab" center in Phoenix. My recovery was speedy and on the 18th of April I flew to Bismarck and went to 3 days of school to be a qualified.....census worker. Now I am in partnership with Wesley Minear and we have moved into a wonderful house in Green Valley. We are having FUN making it our place. Lots of room to organize and put our stuff away so we can find it. Closet and cabinet space. Two bathrooms. A guest room, a workshop, a double garage, a patio and lots of other features that delight us.
The back yard is a magnet for birds and bees. Now the aloe vera are blooming and we have bird feeders and bird baths. The aloe vera are attracting bees and hummingbirds.
Cardinals and their cousin the pyruluxia. Good times.
This morning we had an over the stove microwave installed. Very spiffy. I may need the instruction manual for a few days. Let us surround each other with love and light in these times when we hear everyday about the natural and manmade disasters that are occuring all around the world. Prayerfully submitted. MNO

Windy Day. Arizona Style

2011-03-07T21:26:00.003-07:00

Yes the wind has been howling and blowing and moaning and moving everything around. Reminds me of a breezy day in Dakota with NO windbreaks. It let up a bit ago. We have a lot of Red Winged Blackbirds here chowing down at the feeders getting ready to fly north. I heard the Red Winged song a few days ago and if I closed my eyes I could have been at the edge of the cattails by the slough. Wes and I are going to Phoenix/Mesa/Chandler on friday. Saturday we will go to a Swap Meet for HAMs. HamFest. Nothing to do with pork, all to do with amateur radio. Wes has a lot of suff to sell. The plan is to come home with NOTHING. Meanwhile buying a house takes at LOT longer than buying a car. Another learning experience. We know can look very optimistically at getting the keys to 111 W. Calle Manantial Kent Green Valley AZ 85614. on the 17th of March. Sunday the 13th we go to Baseball games in Chandler. The Valley City Vikings, coached by Casey C. Olney will be playing in
Arizona for a week. I am really looking forward to some fun in the sun. I want to get settled in the Green Valley house soon so we can travel north in May. We are selling the motorcoach so we will be traveling without that spacious ride. All is well.

New all over again.

2011-03-03T17:47:00.002-07:00

MY Tooth cavern is healing very quickly and I am grateful. My friend is dealingwith/suffering with MURSA infection. It has settled in her spine. Very difficult situation. Our medics do not have a solution. very resistant virus.

Wes and I are SDP (sorting,discarding,packing). This includes giving away when we know of someone who will enjoy or use the item.. I this day and age recycele shops and flea markets are doing "land office" business. Wes is selling his motorcoach too so this involves another small household of kitchen tools, dishes and supplies.
It makes it easier when we have a lot of room to work with. This building is 4 by 80 feet. So we have areas in the garage for the boxes for each category. Wes also makes a trip to the dump ground every couple of days

Today we got a box of fresh garden produce from the organic garden just down the road. Carrots, cabbage, leaf lettuce, squash in the box this week. We get a box each Thursday. We do not have a choice of what is in the box, depends on the garden

Tommorow is my weekly Vitamin B shot and then we will take a load of stuff to the
WHITE ELEPHANT the local thrift store. We may have a game of dominoes on the agenda too..

More dental work

2011-03-02T01:05:00.002-07:00

Last Thursday I went to the dentist that I have adopted. Dental work is costly. I get very quiet and introspective and perplexed when I come to the point that I must find a dentist to FIX a problem with my chompers. The past 4 years have been very very costly for me in the dental department. It is a long story. Someday I will write it all out for my own benefit, so I'll know where the money I have been saving for a trip to Australia disappeared to. Today a good Doc pulled a molar out of my lower jawbone. I found out dentists swear. "come on out you little devil" was what he said. So it came out and now I am staying quiet and healing and taking ibuprofen, vicodin and antibiotics. What a combination.
Wes feels sorry for me so I got to watch The Good Wife without recording it tonight. Whoopee, simple pleasures. Strawberry smoothies, yogurt and bananas delivered to the recliner by my sweet caretaker, Wes.

Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit

2011-02-28T17:11:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of the marvelous month of March. I did a bit of research about my ongoing belief that saying rabbit, rabbit, rabbit the very first thing that you say on the morning of the first day of each month brings GOOD Vibes to you for the entire month.

Wicopedia says this is of English origin. Very commonly practiced by folks from the New England area. NOW the really important item that was mentioned there is tha
the good "luck" surrounds you if you say RRR anytime before noon on the first.
OK. Liberal that I am, I'm spreading the word. Let the good luck flow.

To the dentist

2011-02-23T07:30:00.002-07:00

A trip to the dentist is not my idea of a fine day. Now after writing that I go to
gratitude that procedures can be done to keep me chewing and "masticating" food. My teeth have been an issue. This visit today is maintenance. Wes just asked me what I do when I start up my computer almost first thing each morning. What I am doing is checking on the news from the outside world People are very important to me. You who are choosing to read this message/journal are very important to me. It is a way for me to check on my balance and perspective.

111 W. Calle Manantial Kent

2011-02-21T01:36:00.002-07:00

That is the address of the house. We call it the hacienda. This will be the home of Marcia and Wes. We are carefully planning our nest. Next week we will choose some new colors for some of the off white walls. Our friend and "spectacular" painter will help us so we have a no mess job. We will remove some very old and tired carpet and decide what to do after we see what is underneath. Then we will very very carefully move only the essential tools, items for comfort and precious possesions of the two of us. We have the luxury of temporarily storing the "stuff" we do not want to clutter our home with here at the MANSION at Arivaca for awhile and we will gradually sell it, give it away or discard. We are both very excited.

When March 11 comes we will drive to Scottsdale to attend a HAM Fest, a Ham radio swapmeet plus. We will take a batch of radio equipment and parts there with the hope of finding new homes. Then we will stay in Valley of the Sun cause Casey and the Valley City Viking Baseball team arrives the next day for a week of baseball in the sun. Double headers everyday. We get to cheer for the good guys. We have been looking forward to this all winter. Yeh.

February 17th.

2011-02-17T09:41:00.002-07:00

Life is full and wonderful. I am as happy as I have been in my life. Wes and I are organizing stuff. Signing papers for a wonderful house in Green Valley. We found an excellent home for Duke and get joyous reports on his place in the life of his new master, Chris Steele. Wes and Marcia are healthy. We wondrously take just 2 perscriptions between us. I ask for support in keeping my WEIGHT low, lower, lowest.
I am ready to be "skinny" I remind myself constantly to satisfy all of my problems without FOOD. Even hunger. Water is my friend.

Super Bowl Sunday Manana

2011-02-05T21:15:00.002-07:00

Yes Tom, there are plans for life after SuperBowl. I must add that life will be sweeter for Casey and his Mother when the Steelers win. WEATHER... we have had strange and difficult weather here is Southern AZ. COLD by any standards and of record making lows for Tucson area. 12 degrees here Thursday morning. EVERYONE has
broken or frozen pipes. They do not bury the water pipes very deep here. Brenda tells me she is ready for the sure signs of spring. For example the early spring training news: Catchers and Pitchers report-----.

Back in Arivaca and a New Vehicle

2011-01-25T17:13:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, returned from Fargo on Sunday. I had a wonderful time. Jennifer and family and Tom, Brenda and Casey, Kari went out of their way to brave the frigid
temps to visit with me. Oh yes, Brenda and I were in the warm and cozy in the house except for a trip to Hornbacher's (Horsefeather's) and to the mall for me.
Tom did the driving. I was glad to not have to be concerned about the snow pack
on the streets. Tom is a VETeran. Made it look easy. My friends Pat Brickley and
Carl Hass are here for a couple of days on their way to Mexico. The new vehicle news is that Wes was vehicle shopping while I was in ND. We drove a Ford Flex, 2009
home yesterday. It is very very nice. A color hard to describe. I will start with
maroon and then add a little gold metallic fleck. It is not a deep maroon, it is rusty, reddish. Oh well. I call the vehicle BIG RED. We are selling the motor home so we will be traveling in this rig this summer.

Below Zero

2011-01-21T16:00:00.002-07:00

Thankful that it is about 80 degrees warmer in Tom and Brenda's house than it is outside. A COLD SNAP here in Dakota. Visiting all day and half the night. Jennifer came over with Jayden (3years) and Drew (9mo). Casey came with his friend
Kari last evening too. We had lots to talk about. Remembering stories we have laughed about over the years and making new memories. We ate ourselves full of pizza that tasted wonderful. Casey delivered Valley City Baseball T-shirts.
We need to get a couple of child size shirts for the Hovland kids. I will be wearing mine when we get to cheer for the Valley City Vikings as they play baseball in Mesa AZ area the second week in March, The team will travel there for their spring training trip to the sunbelt. Yes I will fly back to Tucson on Sunday.
I hope the runway will not be icey.

10 Below and a cooling trend.

2011-01-20T12:52:00.002-07:00

Hello from Fargo. Allegiant Air brought me here on Wednesday. Brenda, Tom, Jennifer, Derek and the two wonderful kids are here and I am loving being with them. I fly back AZ on Sunday.

Red Eye revisted

2011-01-16T14:04:00.002-07:00

Yes all of my experts agree that the "redeye" is a passing inconvenience and for me a time to check out where there is PRESSURE in my life I will fly to ND on Wednesday and enjoy seeing the grandkids and Brenda and Tom and the snowbanks.
Freezing sub zero weather is predicted too. For Pat and Carl. I will be back here on Sunday evening the 23rd. I hope you can extend you SA explore until then. Wes will be here and you can phone him at 520-398-2722 and "tell" who are ready to use your room at the inn at Arivaca. I know you know the way. Coming from Mexicali I
would stay over in AJO and check out the Organ Pipe Nat Mounument. Kitt Peak. Have you talked to Carla??? I seriously want to see you two.

Red Eye

2011-01-15T10:30:00.003-07:00

Saturday morning, January 15, 2011. My left eye is "red", I am not getting on a late night airplane flight to NYC. A hemorrhage in the white of the eye. It is worrisome and not painful. The information I have is that is it is not an emergency.
There is NO treatment. I just have to wait until it reabsorbs. I am taking it easy.
I have plans to fly to Fargo on Wed. Today I considering the wisdom of flying. I will know more as I monitor the eye today. It being Saturday I am having a bit of a question about who to seek professional opinion from.

Aussie Visitors

2011-01-12T13:26:00.001-07:00

Here we are in Arivaca with my dear friends Graham and Dottie. Actually our dear friends. We are enjoying moderate winter temperatures while those we love are in sub zero, or deep snow, or flood waters. The mother nature is good to us.

Friday .. Last one in January

2010-01-29T08:15:00.002-07:00

Yes. good day and good eternity to all. Beautiful day to count my blessings.
There have been corners of my life that have seemed to be bleak and I have been
sweeping around them. Yesterday the lights came up very bright and brightened every corner that I could see. Optimism and positive attitude have manifested new prosperity and abundance and health and love and freedom. Wow. Now this morning I am
invited/challenged to take action. I am tentatively stepping out. Cautiously and
with excitement. Let the wisdom override fear and greed and let faith and love prevail. How is that for a criptic message????? Oh well I know what it is all about.

Middle of the Night

2010-01-26T01:14:00.003-07:00

Why or why am I awake??? Writing a bit on this tool may bring me an answer. Had an unusual experience today. Prepared about 8 gallons of soup for the RexRanch kitchen.
Split Pea, Onion, Potato Leek. Patty will prepare Chili to round off the selection.
Challenge to make tasty and "healthy" vegetarian fare. I am getting with it to the point that I like my own cooking and it is an on going challenge. Taste the flavors, salt enough to taste delicious and not too much. Really yummy requires salt. Or something. Today the something was onions. I peeled and sliced about 20 pounds. Beautiful reds (purples) and sweet yellows. Long juicy carrots, stalks and stalks of celery. A good sharp knife. An agreeable olde commercial Wolffe propane stove.
Yes all is well. Then "home" to share the experiences of a day when Wes and Marcia went separate ways. A lot to tell. Wes making inquiries concerning the repair of the damage done by the hurricane type weather this desert endured last Thursday night.
8 inches of rain and 50 mph winds through the night. The Minear Place hunkered down and rode the gale out with 'only' a bit of damage. Probably 2000 dollars expense will correct the damage. ---------Yes and now I will go to sleep. Thank you dear world for this tool.

Monday toothache

2009-11-16T07:35:00.002-07:00

Yes an aching tooth. How did this happen. I remember saying.."I've never had a toothache" and feeling fortunate. Now I know why. Relentless pain. All weekend.
Took my mind off trivial stuff. I did concentrate on study of the handbook for the Technician test for the HAM radio liscensing. I plan to take the test on Friday. I may decide to wait. When I pass the test I will be able to play with some of the equipment that Wes has here at the house. It is fascinating to learn how radio waves work and the complex set of regulations in place around the world to make the waves a tool and a life enhancing "toy". Millions of folks using the paths in the AIR and doing it without traffic jams and squabble.

Nov 14, Wind and Hope

2009-11-14T11:09:00.002-07:00

November is half gone. Just a few days ago I "celebrated" my birthday. I now have a
wonderful, compact recumbent exercycle. It is a gift from family members and Wes. So now I can keep my knees limber and supple. Today I am going to Rex Ranch to do a couple of massage appointments. This evening Wes and I plan to go to the Elks in Green Valley to DANCE. They have good live music and ballroom dancing from 7 to 9.
I am settling in to this life style. I now have time to take care of myself and all of my responsibilities and needs. Over the years I have become pretty good at putting my own stuff on the back burner. Oh yes. The wind is blowing moderately here today.
The dog and I have been out playing toss and fetch and I have watered the flowers. Beautiful pansies, they are quite resistent to cold and so they are thriving even though it gets down to the 40 nightly. I covered them when we have a 25 degree zap.

2009-11-02T19:28:00.001-07:00

Hi, the evening of my 70th birthday. I was looking forward to it as an excuse to celebrate. Celebrate what. Survival for one thing. Several folks my age and younger have passed away.
Each of them suffered with health problems that detracted from the quality of life. One greeting I received today mentioned that I have a youthful outlook on life. Yes I know that is true. I am more willing to change and adapt than some of those around my of my age bracket

My body hurts and resists movement I insist that it move and stretch and reach. If I accepted or invited this restricted movement I would be dying each day.

2009-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here I am in Illinois. Yes we left the wide prairie last Wednesday. Our destination is Arivaca, AZ.
Warmer climes there. On thursday morning we got reports of snow in Flaxton. I am thinking it is an early sample, just a tease, just a little glimpse of what can possibly be coming in the next months. We have had a bit of trouble. Could have been bad. We are very lucky. The ZIPDEE awning, the big long one, came loose in the serious west wind that battered the motor coach side on.
We we able to stabilize the flopping a little and drive on to Kenmare at 25 mph. The good guys at the Cenex let us into the shop for enough time to get everything totally back to normal WOW!!!
Hurray for Zipdee quality and North Dakota friendly generosity and knowhow.

Rabbit, rabbit rabbit

2009-10-01T05:20:00.001-07:00

And it is Carolyn's Birthday. Should that be capitalized. Yes, I think so. A big round
70th. Carolyn has been a very inspiring person for me since the day we met in 1952.
Yes we are olde. Happy Birthday to you Carolyn.

Windy Sunday

2009-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the windy air. The leaves are hanging on for dear life. The air is clear and pure and
chilly. I am seeing more and more of the surrounding prairie and the shield of leaves thins.

Adios Minot

2009-09-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yes "adios". I have enjoyed Mexican Food 3 of the evenings I have been here. This is a long time in Minot for me. Lots of TV, mostly after I fell asleep. Got some exercise walkeing in the Mall.
Now I know how to differentiate between a Housing Unit and a Group Living Quarters. The weather is gorgeous fall time stuff. I am headed home tomorrow and then looking forward to Con's visit and the Writing Seminar and the JOB and then getting ready to roll south.

Back in School

2009-09-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well they call it school. Training, really is what it is. 8 hours of training. I am staying
happy and positive. Counting my blessings. I am fortunate to have been choosen to work on the census project. The Census is Demanded by the US Constitution. Every 10 years since 1790. This the the 23rd. It is important in all of the ways that it affects economics. Representation in Congress is based on the census and projects and federal monies are distributed on the basis of the Census. A state like ND hopes to count every single living being.

Three and a half or four more days and then the 2-3 weeks of work will be FUN. I enjoy the driving, working with numbers and seeing new people and places.

Challenge to eat RIGHT when eating out is the only option.

Marcia's in Minot

2009-09-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

I got a call early Friday morning asking that I come out of retirement from the work I had done for the Census Bureau in May sooooooo--- here I am doing 5 days of school to be followed by 2 or 3 weeks of work. I am happy about this. I enjoy the work and the pay. So Wes Minear, with whom I am riding back to AZ in October gladly extended his stay here and we will travel south when
this work is finished. The Bureau projects about the 15th of October.

Meanwhile I have the Prairie School of the Arts Memoir Writing Workshop to plan for and anticipate and my Sis Connie is coming to visit for 10 days. All is very very well.

White Earth Valley

2009-09-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

Off to White Earth Valley and the Krieger Ranch. We will walk where our "first People Brothers and Sisters Walked" all these long years ago and now. It is a beautiful day. The weather promises to be absolutely loving.

I have newly dug beets to prepare. Pickles, buttered beets, Harvard Beets(like my mother would make). A gift from a prairie garden man who sees his labors like my father did. Harvest to share.

Time Flies By

2009-09-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening. What happened to Mon and Tues?? Wonderful Bluegrass Quartet Concert in Stanley. The harmony had the hair on my arms standing on end. I loved it. Beautiful weather, hot by most standards. low 90's. cool evenings, 50's. Trees are nearly bare. I can see the road from the house now. That is a nice change when it first happens and then I want the privacy again.
Wes picked more chokecherries. The syrup I made is disappearing on vanilla ice cream. I found Mereith's canning equipment for separating the cherry juice from the seed pits. The magic she worked with the juice will help me out I hope.

Grasshoppers everywhere. A zillion a least. They are on their last days as the greenery disappears. Today Wes counted the young spruce trees. There are 80 of them. All very healthy.
About 30 of them still need to be moved to spots where they will have enough room.

Sunday Morning

2009-09-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

A little CBS Sunday morning, a little face the Nation. A little walk on the prairie, very foggy this
morning. Heavy dew on the grass, Leaves are dropping from the trees, not a full blown raining down, just a gentle drizzle. A leaf here, a leaf there, like maybe she won't notice if we just take a nibble from the corner of the cake. --------A lot of color, rust, brown, pale yellow where a few days ago it was the full spectrum of greens. No birds at the feeders I refilled yesterday. It seems they gave up on me in those days when I neglected them.

Wes and I will drive to Stanley this afternoon to hear a Bluegrass musical performance at the Sybll Center. I am looking forward to that.

Great supper with Chef Dorothy and Graham at their little house on the prairie last night. Their sanctuary is an inviting place to visit!!!!

Saturday Morning-Dog on the Road

2009-09-12T09:17:00.001-07:00

Largest problem in my life is the Duke Dog on the Road. Fear, Fear.
Dog training involves teaching myself. I have lessons to learn, Patience,
perseverance and uniformity. Consistency....... A beautiful Dog. A tall regal,
shepard. Now we are watering Spruce Trees, picking chokecherries and training
ourselves and the dog.

Again on Friday.

2009-09-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Dottie and I have just had a summit meeting concerning activities of the Prairie School of the Arts at Flaxton. My assignment is to gather a mailing list. And so I am on the that now. I have committed on hour. Be interesting to see how long I can stay focused and on task. I am working on my focus and completion habits at this MOMENT. Love to all and especially to my. (smile) MNO

Friday, 9/11

2009-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

Back from a sweet trip to Lignite with DS. Creating a blogging habit.

Monday morning

2009-08-24T09:19:00.001-07:00

Good morning prairie, good morning world. All is green, healthy, well. I am again dedicating my writing daily.

Hello 2009

2009-01-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

The first entry of the New Year. A year for me of celebration and "taking care of myself"
I will focus my energy on my health, my needs, my happy outlook on life. I will count my blessings and I will not discount my intuition. I will check out the Meyers Briggs ENFP site.