Mother's Day Weekend at My Father's

My sisters and I spent part of the weekend in Tioga, ND, with our dad, helping him sort through photos, documents, and other items while we were all together. We ran some errands in Williston on Friday but spent Saturday at his house, reminiscing as we looked at old photographs, programs from our high school events, and other gems from the archives around his home!

This morning I made an early-morning departure so that I could get to Dickinson, ND, in time for church and brunch with Susan for Mother's Day. In the afternoon, we had a family video call with our daughters, who live in Tennessee and New York; and we ended the day with supper at El Sombrero.

By the way, Susan's Mother's Day gift from me was 13 bottles of wine: a variety of her favorites and potential new favorites, based on what I know she prefers. Why 13? Well, she will have 13 weekends off from school this summer, which means 13 opportunities to sit outside on our veranda on a Friday or Saturday evening, enjoying the summer weather and each other's company while sipping a beverage.

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The siblings: Sandy (middlest), Kevin (youngest), and Cathy (oldest).

The patriarch: Dad (oldest-oldest).

The western sky looked awesome Thursday evening when I arrived at Dad's in Tioga.

I took a walk around the neighborhood Thursday evening and enjoyed this view of my cousin Jeffrey's house with its lighting matching the sky behind it.

On Friday in Williston, we had a delicious dinner at Gramma Sharon's. These cheerful cattle greet patrons in their parking lot.

Cathy looks excited to start sorting and organizing.

It's always fun to hear stories from Dad about the days of yore. He wishes his memory were better for remembering recent conversations, upcoming appointments, or other short-term details. However, seeing an old photo or letter can trigger memories from decades ago, which he can retell in great detail. We love hearing those tales and continuing to learn more about our dad, even after having known him our whole lives!

I had had flowers delivered to Susan at work on Friday so she could enjoy them until I could get to town on Sunday. Happy Mother's Day!

Farm Photos

Susan and I spent Easter weekend in the Tioga/McGregor area with my sister Sandy and our dad. Here are some pics:

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Sandy serves as musician for several area churches, including First Lutheran in Tioga. We joined her for Easter morning service.

Before the service, the women of the church served a breakfast in the fellowship hall--so we arrived early and enjoyed a meal first.

We had spent the day before with Sandy. She lives on the family farm where we grew up. Note the Easter treats that she had waiting for us!

We enjoyed playing with her friendly cats.

Cool pattern of shadows on the deck.

The evergreens in front of and behind the house and surrounding the yard are the only signs of green so far.

Well, I guess there is a little green coming up in the yard, too.

Sandy took us out in her side-by-side (UTV) to explore the countryside.

When I was a kid, our dog and I used to "explore" and play in the pastures, tree rows, and hay fields of our farm. Might not look too exciting here, but this was one spot for many adventures during my childhood.

When we slowed down to take photos, we scared away the waterfowl from this creek north of the farm.

Pretty early-evening sky.

Guest Bloggers: Daughter Updates

I asked our daughters if they would share updates on what they have been doing lately, summaries that I could share here for you, Dear Reader, so that you may catch up on their lives. Here is what they offered from the first quarter of 2025:

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Hillary

• In January, I took a trip to Reno, NV, to visit two of my college friends. During that trip, I also got to visit relatives Connie, Laura, and Monroe Moberg.
• In February, one of my friends came to Murfreesboro to visit, and we went to the Cody Johnson concert in Nashville with Suzanna and Jake [Suzanna's boyfriend]. Suzanna and I also ran a 5K toward the end of the month.
• In March, Suzanna and I went to the T-Pain concert in Nashville. I just returned from a long weekend in New York City visiting Abigail at her new apartment! We attended a couple Broadway shows, tried some famous restaurants, and spent time with her medical school friend group.
• And in each month this year, I have been working my life away.

Abigail and Hillary in NYC, dining out.

Hillary and Abigail in NYC, exploring the city.

Abigail

• I started the year in my rental house in Islip, NY, doing clinical rotations at a hospital on Long Island. In January, Suzanna was able to take advantage of a snow-day weekend to come to NYC, and we spent a lovely (albeit short) weekend together.
• The rest of January and February consisted of studying and celebrating time with friends, especially after I passed my clinical comprehensive examination at the end of February.
• Now March has ushered in an exciting change: I moved to Brooklyn, where I will be living for the rest of my time in medical school, finishing my clinical rotations at a hospital in the Bronx. Hillary is the first one in the family to see my new place, and we just this past weekend had a wonderful few days together enjoying the entertainment and eatables of the Big Apple.
• I continue to study for my next big exam and prepare for my upcoming graduation at the end of Summer 2025!

Suzanna and Abigail in the Big Apple, dining out.

Abigail the med student, thriving in NYC!

Suzanna

• In January, I began my sourdough bread journey by mixing up my sourdough starter, which I have named "Dough-reen." I hate Doughreen but also am determined to make a successful sourdough loaf, so I am toughing it out. That month, Jake and I went to NYC to see Abigail. I got to see the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree all lit up; I got to eat lots of amazing food; and I got lost on the subway. It was a great weekend!
• Hillary told about the Cody Johnson concert and 5K in February. I also got to enjoy lots of time reading and snuggling with Zoey during all the snow days from school.
• In March, Jake and I traveled to Cleveland, OH, for a quick weekend visiting with his family. I also discovered my love for making homemade bagels (move over, Doughreen!). Zoey turned 5 with the cutest rodeo-themed birthday party.
• I continue working daily on homework for my Ed.S. degree (education specialist, a post-master's degree, this one in school leadership), and I am finishing my fifth year of teaching high school English.

Jake, Suzanna, and Abigail in NYC.

Zoey and Suzanna, celebrating Zoey's fifth birthday!