I'm a wee bit sore today from all the ATV riding I did the last two days. In fact, I can barely move my left wrist and my hip abductors would like to have a stern word with me. But, who cares, it was fun! Turns out you can catch some serious air if you ride that thing at full speed over a mound of dirt.
The early signs of autumn are swirling around us. The flax fields have turned amber and are waiting to be harvested. The fields of sunflowers are a butter yellow as they droop their heads and prepare to drop their seeds. One block away, the corn field has been cut down. The breeze that once blew warm and sticky is now cool and crisp. The outdoor community pools are closed for the summer and Bismarck kids go back to school on Thursday.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Summer Storms
Yesterday, we were greeted by a morning thunderstorm. The loud thunder pounded and boomed for about 20 minutes before the rain came. Then the rain and hail joined the show. But, by 9am, the sky was clear and sunny. We had more rain last night with drops as big as marbles. And, it's raining again now. Usually, I hate rain. But, these summer storms make me think of Hawai'i. It will be 90 degrees outside and then these giant drops of warm rain water start to fall. And, above all that, we're having a terrible drought as most of the plains states are and we can use every drop of rain God sends our way.
In other news, my bee sting was swollen and the size of a 3x5 card yesterday. Yuck-o. Today, it's about half that size but still very itchy. I'm staying doped up on Benadryl to stop from scratching, but then I'm like a zombie. You just can't win.
In other news, my bee sting was swollen and the size of a 3x5 card yesterday. Yuck-o. Today, it's about half that size but still very itchy. I'm staying doped up on Benadryl to stop from scratching, but then I'm like a zombie. You just can't win.
Monday, August 7, 2006
Aloha 'Oe
Hello from ND! Today, I made history. That's right. I was the first Wolfer/Rose to get a bee sting in ND. Woo hoo. Yippee. Hey, at least I'm not allergic like Pops and at least it wasn't Adam who got the first sting. And really, after a few minutes it's just an ugly little welt, it's nothing major. But, it's historical.
We planted the remaining 30 arborvitae trees today. Left to plant at our house are 5 crape myrtles, 10 lilacs, 6 snowball bushes, 4 knock-out roses, 1 maple, 1 ash and 1 crab apple. Compared to the 90 other trees and shrubs we've planted at our house, this should be a breeze. And don't even get me started about the other 40 shrubs left to plant at Grammy and Pops' place.
Scott, Grammy, Adam and I went to the Capitol A'Fair on Saturday, which is a pretty large craft fair held on the capitol grounds. It was a good diversion for me since I was homesick for the Aloha Festival. My former halau (hula group) always dances at the Aloha Festival and had we stayed in CA, I would have danced on Sunday. *sigh*
On Sunday, we took a trip down to Fort Yates and Prairie Knights Indian Casino. I played a whole $2.50 and lost it. Pops won $40. Sickening. We were home in time to watch BB7 and the first Raider pre-season game. I hung my Raider flag with pride. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy. They're right. I have to tell you, fellow Raider fans, that Walters is our boy, the new QB did not impress me in the slightest. And, all those big names on first string better get their butts in gear because I thought first string looked pathetic. I still have a special place in my silver & black heart for Tui. Now I have 2 Tuis to watch. Okay, well, I better go do something productive.
We planted the remaining 30 arborvitae trees today. Left to plant at our house are 5 crape myrtles, 10 lilacs, 6 snowball bushes, 4 knock-out roses, 1 maple, 1 ash and 1 crab apple. Compared to the 90 other trees and shrubs we've planted at our house, this should be a breeze. And don't even get me started about the other 40 shrubs left to plant at Grammy and Pops' place.
Scott, Grammy, Adam and I went to the Capitol A'Fair on Saturday, which is a pretty large craft fair held on the capitol grounds. It was a good diversion for me since I was homesick for the Aloha Festival. My former halau (hula group) always dances at the Aloha Festival and had we stayed in CA, I would have danced on Sunday. *sigh*
On Sunday, we took a trip down to Fort Yates and Prairie Knights Indian Casino. I played a whole $2.50 and lost it. Pops won $40. Sickening. We were home in time to watch BB7 and the first Raider pre-season game. I hung my Raider flag with pride. I'm sure the neighbors think I'm crazy. They're right. I have to tell you, fellow Raider fans, that Walters is our boy, the new QB did not impress me in the slightest. And, all those big names on first string better get their butts in gear because I thought first string looked pathetic. I still have a special place in my silver & black heart for Tui. Now I have 2 Tuis to watch. Okay, well, I better go do something productive.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
1 Month Anniversary
Today marks one month since we moved into our new house. We're nearly unpacked and settled. I think there's 20 boxes left to unpack. Beyond that we still have pictures to hang in some of the rooms and little things like that. For those of you who want to come visit, the guest bedroom is coming along nicely. We have everything except the mattresses! Ha! A lot of people emailed and asked for more photos of the house, so we did our best. We'll continue adding photos as we finish rooms, etc.
On friday, we went with grammy and pops to our local wal-mart to do some tree shopping. 110 trees later we were home. That's in addition to the 40 trees they bought the week before. On saturday, we did some work in our yard. In the area near our front porch, scott constructed a white arch with bench then we laid a gravel path. Together, we planted wisteria (for the arch), bleeding hearts, tickseed, russian sages, boxwoods, yarrows, cedars, firs, lilac and a crabapple tree in that little area. Scott is finishing the antique-looking water-pump style fountain then this area will be complete for 2006 with planting additions planned for 2007.
In the coming weeks, we'll plant the trees in our yard and the others at my parents. We have an oak, weeping cherry, crabapple, pear, birch and maple to plant at our house. In the photos, you'll see the trees lined up along our porch awaiting their destinations in our yard. This is to keep them safe from the wind. we also have 40 emerald greens to plant. You can see them standing like soldiers along the borders of our front yard.
Sometimes when I stop and think about it, I'm weirded out by the fact that I live somewhere other than San Leandro. We went to the movies the other day (which is a post for another time) and as we left the theatre, it hit me hard that we weren't just on vacation. We live here in Bismarck. It's taken me nearly the full month to stop saying "back home" and start saying "in CA". This really is home to me and I'm happy to be here. It feels like I've finally come home, finally come to the place I was meant to be.
We think of you all often and hope you'll come visit us in our new home.
On friday, we went with grammy and pops to our local wal-mart to do some tree shopping. 110 trees later we were home. That's in addition to the 40 trees they bought the week before. On saturday, we did some work in our yard. In the area near our front porch, scott constructed a white arch with bench then we laid a gravel path. Together, we planted wisteria (for the arch), bleeding hearts, tickseed, russian sages, boxwoods, yarrows, cedars, firs, lilac and a crabapple tree in that little area. Scott is finishing the antique-looking water-pump style fountain then this area will be complete for 2006 with planting additions planned for 2007.
In the coming weeks, we'll plant the trees in our yard and the others at my parents. We have an oak, weeping cherry, crabapple, pear, birch and maple to plant at our house. In the photos, you'll see the trees lined up along our porch awaiting their destinations in our yard. This is to keep them safe from the wind. we also have 40 emerald greens to plant. You can see them standing like soldiers along the borders of our front yard.
Sometimes when I stop and think about it, I'm weirded out by the fact that I live somewhere other than San Leandro. We went to the movies the other day (which is a post for another time) and as we left the theatre, it hit me hard that we weren't just on vacation. We live here in Bismarck. It's taken me nearly the full month to stop saying "back home" and start saying "in CA". This really is home to me and I'm happy to be here. It feels like I've finally come home, finally come to the place I was meant to be.
We think of you all often and hope you'll come visit us in our new home.
Saturday, July 1, 2006
Transplant in Process
Recently, we picked up and moved to North Dakota. Besides a summer in England, I'd never lived anywhere besides San Leandro, California. In fact, I'd had the same mailman my entire life, even after I got married and moved out. When I was growing up, San Leandro wasn't unlike Bismarck. It was a tight-knit community where most everyone knew everyone else and you felt safe everywhere you went. But over the years, all of that changed and we knew it was no place to raise children. So we left. We closed our business, packed our homes and hit the road. I've since referred to myself, and my family, as transplants.
Here are my journal entries from the move:
June 18:
Our last official day as Californians, we celebrated Fathers’ Day then finished packing up the trailer. The plan was to leave bright and early the following morning. Somewhere between church and lunch, we decided to honor our tradition of leaving the night before our planned departure date. We pulled out of San Leandro at 9:42pm. It was Scott and Buddy in the RV pulling the ski boat. Following them was Pops, Grammy and Adam in the Denali pulling the trailer. And I brought up the tail, blocking traffic for the big guys up front, in the Dodge. We stopped for the night just north of Roseville.
June 19:
California became a distant memory when we crossed the state line at about 10am Monday morning. I told everyone via walkie-talkie, “Well, it’s only taken me 16 years to finally get out of California.” Grammy asked for clarification. I explained, “When I was 13-years-old, we went to Canada by car with Baba and Dido (Grammy’s parents). It was on that trip that I decided I didn’t want to live in California for the rest of my life and I cried the whole way home.”
After a long day driving across the Nevada desert, relying on bad jokes on XM’s comedy channel and strong-words from Dr. Laura on America Right, we finally made it to Cactus Pete’s in Jackpot, Nevada.
June 20:
If you want to know what a white plastic potty chair looks like when it’s flying through the air out of the back of the trailer, ask me! Hey, at least it was empty. We made it through Idaho and stopped in Billings, Montana for the night. Let’s not talk about it.
June 21:
“Country road, take me home to the place I belong…” Yes, I played this song for us via walkie-talkie as we crossed into North Dakota from Montana. A brief stop to look out across the Bad Lands near Medora was just what we needed to welcome us home. We made a quick stop in Dickinson to say hi to our realtor Tanna and pick up the keys to Grammy and Pops’ new place then head on down the road. We made it to Bismarck around 4:30pm and went to check out the new homes before resting for the night at the Ramkota Inn.
June 22:
We were filled with anticipation as we walked up the steps to our new home, which, coincidentally, we’d never seen before! Tanna (our realtor) and Karianne (aka She-she) saw the inside and sent us photos about three weeks before. Other than that, we’d only seen the house from the road back in January. Grammy and Pops had walked around the house, peeking in the windows, in March. Truly, the house was a gift from God. It is far better than we ever imagined and can’t express enough gratitude for this awesome blessing bestowed upon us.
Here are my journal entries from the move:
June 18:
Our last official day as Californians, we celebrated Fathers’ Day then finished packing up the trailer. The plan was to leave bright and early the following morning. Somewhere between church and lunch, we decided to honor our tradition of leaving the night before our planned departure date. We pulled out of San Leandro at 9:42pm. It was Scott and Buddy in the RV pulling the ski boat. Following them was Pops, Grammy and Adam in the Denali pulling the trailer. And I brought up the tail, blocking traffic for the big guys up front, in the Dodge. We stopped for the night just north of Roseville.
June 19:
California became a distant memory when we crossed the state line at about 10am Monday morning. I told everyone via walkie-talkie, “Well, it’s only taken me 16 years to finally get out of California.” Grammy asked for clarification. I explained, “When I was 13-years-old, we went to Canada by car with Baba and Dido (Grammy’s parents). It was on that trip that I decided I didn’t want to live in California for the rest of my life and I cried the whole way home.”
After a long day driving across the Nevada desert, relying on bad jokes on XM’s comedy channel and strong-words from Dr. Laura on America Right, we finally made it to Cactus Pete’s in Jackpot, Nevada.
June 20:
If you want to know what a white plastic potty chair looks like when it’s flying through the air out of the back of the trailer, ask me! Hey, at least it was empty. We made it through Idaho and stopped in Billings, Montana for the night. Let’s not talk about it.
June 21:
“Country road, take me home to the place I belong…” Yes, I played this song for us via walkie-talkie as we crossed into North Dakota from Montana. A brief stop to look out across the Bad Lands near Medora was just what we needed to welcome us home. We made a quick stop in Dickinson to say hi to our realtor Tanna and pick up the keys to Grammy and Pops’ new place then head on down the road. We made it to Bismarck around 4:30pm and went to check out the new homes before resting for the night at the Ramkota Inn.
June 22:
We were filled with anticipation as we walked up the steps to our new home, which, coincidentally, we’d never seen before! Tanna (our realtor) and Karianne (aka She-she) saw the inside and sent us photos about three weeks before. Other than that, we’d only seen the house from the road back in January. Grammy and Pops had walked around the house, peeking in the windows, in March. Truly, the house was a gift from God. It is far better than we ever imagined and can’t express enough gratitude for this awesome blessing bestowed upon us.
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