10/15/2021 0 Comments Monday, 10/4This morning was planned to be grandson time! We drove from our campground up to Brita’s rental condo, maybe about 20 miles. Their place is a 3 bedroom condo close to Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort. In fact, looking uphill from their patio you can get a partial view of a slope waiting for some snowfall! (picture below) Mom is staying there, too, getting a few days with her 3 great grandsons. But first on the schedule today is homework! Ian and Jack both have assignments to make up for missed days. And sometimes getting them to stay on task is a challenge. Brita needed a bit of a break from being teacher mom this morning so Bob and I worked with the boys to get some assignments done. Brita loves to do trail running and that’s what she got to do. That’s her therapy! Bob also got out to take a walk with Leo and mom. They walked up to the slopes and lifts and Leo’s attention was locked in on some equipment knocking down some trees. He’s always excited about things like that! Another little quirk of Leo’s is that he loves maps! Yes, paper maps! He lays the map out on the floor or table and uses a marker to draw routes to all the places he makes up as he goes. He likes the map apps online, too. He will give you turn by turn directions to your destination. After we made lunch, we all took the drive over to Glacier National Park and up Going To The Sun Highway to Logan pass at the top. That drive never grows old, it just gets better with time! The visitor center was already closed for the season, and it wasn't crowded in the parking lot. We've been up there before and couldn't find a parking spot. But today was nice enough to go hike along the Hidden Lake trail. It’s been rebuilt as a boardwalk, probably because it’s right by the visitor center and heavily used. We hiked partway, but mom and I turned back a little sooner than the others. It was good to get out and “stretch our legs” a bit. And, during the hike we witnessed a marriage proposal, a pair of ptarmigan poking about and a grizzly (at a distance). So that was like the cherry on top! On the way back down the mountain I must have been feeling the altitude or motion sickness. I ended up with a headache and upset stomach. So I took the rest of the night off while the others enjoyed some delicious pizza in town. We've all been constantly on the go for 4 days, and sometimes I need a timeout!
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10/11/2021 0 Comments Sunday 10/3We woke up to another beautiful sunny day! We have had perfect weather for this event and it makes fall in the mountains so much more fun. It was pretty quiet in the house, I think that just mom was already dressed and ready for the day. She has been a real trooper here. She has helped me out with getting food served and all the cleanup. We are all really concerned that this trip could expose her to covid, but she really wanted to be here so we made it work. I wish she could have flown a direct flight to Kalispell but that’s not possible from Sioux Falls. That’s the airport nearest her home, and over an hour away from her home. So her good friend and neighbor, Mavis, became her driver for drop off and pick up. Mom had to change planes in Denver but luckily, Ben, Brita, Ian, Jack and Leo were also changing planes in Denver and they could all be seated together for the rest of the trip. Those little guys love to see their great grandma! Then my brother-in-law, John, picked her up in Kalispell and drove her out to “the ranch”, another huge help. It takes a village! Dan is her 6th and last grandchild to tie the knot, so now she has a complete set! Mom visited Dan in Whitefish before, and she has visited Glacier Park several times before with Dad. This time is extra special! She will turn 92 next month and I’m glad she still feels up to some travel. We are lucky to have her! Breakfast this morning is quiche, already prepared, along with fruit, toast, juice and coffee. Actually, we are trying to push food on whoever comes over for breakfast! We have to pack up everything and leave soon, so we would rather disperse the extra!
Dan and Loti joined us, and feeling pretty good today! A lot of weight and pressure has been lifted off their shoulders, and even though Dan is still positive on a home test, we are encouraged that he seems to be recovering already. There is a lot of picking up, packing up, cleaning up to be done now, but they have such good friends and family who are all lending a hand this morning. They have a great community spirit! Another important event today: Brita and Ben’s 12th anniversary! They have accomplished a lot in this time- 3 big moves, creating 3 sons, job changes, buying and selling 3 homes and beating a brain tumor along with so much more! I’m exhausted from just writing all of that! They have had some tough and scary times, and work daily on growing their relationship and family. I couldn’t be prouder of them, nor love them more ever since their wedding day in Squaw Valley, California! 10/11/2021 0 Comments Saturday 10/2 Wedding Day!This morning dawned beautifully with the sun glinting off the tiny icicles hanging onto all those white chairs! Note to self: make sure those all get wiped off before people sit in them! We are staying in a large 3 bedroom vacation home with a nice full kitchen. So mom and I got some breakfast things ready to set out for anyone there. So it became a food hub for all the wedding party. I forgot to include the fact that there were places on the property for camping, and there were friends using their trailers, vans and trucks to stay in. I was glad they could all share in the breakfast in our cabin. Last night’s mood was a little low, but now, with an exciting new day, I could feel the blues disappearing. We took food to Dan and Loti, so they could still stay isolated. Dan said he was feeling a bit better, and he looked like he had a spark of energy now. There was a lot of rearranging of tables and chairs in the wedding and reception areas. The groomsmen, Dan’s group of friends, did a great job of handling the heavy lifting and electronics. The florist arrived with the special bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, as well as boutonnières for the guys. And a beautiful arrangement to be placed on the arbor. I’m not sure that’s the right word, but it looked something like this-- The sound guy appeared and got set up for the ceremony and reception. The photographer brought her equipment and got an early start with pictures of preparations. The bartender showed up and got everything arranged. The caterers brought the food and staff to serve from a buffet line. Loti and the bridesmaids were assigned to become even more beautiful than they already were! Hair and makeup were wonderful! The ladies all wore a dark red (?burgundy) gown of a style they chose. The guys were also getting all fixed up in their wedding attire: brown Carhart pants, white shirts with pearl snaps and a bolo tie with a beautiful brown stone set on the cording. And the littlest guys and girls were so special! The girls wore darling little white lacy dresses and their long blond hair was in beautiful ringlet curls. The little boys also wore brown Carharts with white shirts and bolo ties. Their ties had a Buffalo nickel mounted on the slide. And Leo had the honor of wearing brown Carhart overalls! Loti chose a beautiful gown for her wedding, and was stunning in it, in my opinion! It had lace details and a short train, a fitted bodice and a graceful neckline. She had a pearl necklace and gorgeous earrings. The earrings were beaded by a Native American artist that is a friend of hers. I had the privilege of steaming out a few wrinkles in her dress and buttoning all those little buttons on the back with a crochet hook! Guests started arriving and we had a few minutes to greet our family members. We feel so lucky and honored that so many made the trip. 11 came from Minnesota, 3 from Iowa, 2 from Arizona and 5 from California! At 4:30 the ceremony was began. We all got in our places and just enjoyed these moments. Bob had to take Leo to the back for a short timeout when he was messing with the flower girl's petals, but they were back to their front row seats for the vows. Afterwards guests headed for the reception. A few of our family members had to leave before dinner because they had an early start tomorrow for their trip back home. But we still had a good representation for conversation and catching up. We had chips and assorted salsas for appetizers and drinks were served while everyone circulated inside and out. The “signature cocktail” was Smith River Sunset. It was mixed with rosemary infused vodka from Spotted Bear Distillery and blood orange SanPelligrino. The guests could mingle either inside the pavillion or outside, thank goodness it was a comfortable temperature and barely any wind. The tables were quite spread out in the pavilion. Dan and Loti were seated at a table by themselves just outside the hall and a few other tables for wedding party people and their families. We had a taco bar for the meal with 3 delicious meats and sides of quinoa salad and seasoned black beans. It really turned out very well and satisfied the dietary needs of those avoiding meat, dairy and/or gluten. I loved the chance to customize my meal and everything was delicious! Many thanks to Fork In The Road catering. Speeches and toasts were made, and I could tell that Dan was feeling much better! As was Loti! Next up was dessert— pie and ice cream! The pies were specially made by a friend of Loti’s who is well known for her baking at her restaurant. They were scrumptious! I really wanted to eat 2 pieces, but I held off! The music started and we danced for awhile, until folks were moving towards leaving and I felt very wiped out! Dan and Loti didn’t stay up real late, wanting to get some rest to knock down that uninvited coronavirus. The party waned down, but not before a few late nighters baked pizza!
I think I must have fallen asleep that night with a smile on my face! Just thinking about my son and daughter-in-law feeling so happy together makes this mom happy, too. 10/11/2021 0 Comments Friday 10/1It’s a happy day today! We will be driving about 30 miles west of Whitefish to Star Meadows Ranch. We are loaded with some of the things that will be used this weekend to help Dan and Loti put together their dream wedding. Plus, our daughter (Brita), son in law (Ben) and 3 precious grandsons will be arriving on a flight from Reno. Plus, my mom will be arriving on her flight from Sioux Falls. Plus, my brother, Jared, and sister in law, Mary, are arriving today, too! So much good stuff!
But first, I had to make a quick run to Target for some last minute necessities. So I hurried off to get that done early. Then we headed out to Star Meadows Ranch. What a wonderful place to be on this wedding weekend! We had the whole place to ourselves. That includes the large pavilion, housing for family and wedding party, great outdoor space with grill and fire pits and games and just walking around. The pavilion is partial open air but can be somewhat closed to the elements with long draperies. It has a caterer’s kitchen, sound system, seating for more than we anticipated and a professional bar setup. We all found our rooms and as more wedding party and family arrived, we all got together to prepare the site the way Dan and Loti directed us. We were bringing out 150 white folding chairs and a wooden arch to the area for the ceremony, weather permitting. All the flowers that had been delivered 1 or 2 days earlier were artfully arranged for table decor. Dining tables were arranged and decorated with florist’s greenery and many candles. It was great to see that those lanterns that we had worked on to clean were useful in a variety of settings. Bob and I took on the task of creating a photo booth backdrop from a Whitefish promo structure. A lot of McGyvering was needed! But we did get it together and it did get used! There was a lot going on all at once, as would be expected. I even got to steam Loti’s dress which was kept in our room so Dan wouldn’t see it. It was a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon. Dan hadn’t been feeling well for this morning, and and now got results on his Covid test. It came back positive. What a hit! Dan was vaccinated so this came out of the blue. These 2 had worked around all the scenarios that would make it possible to still get married even with the Delta variant surging. Their invites and website asked specifically that unvaccinated invitees stay home and celebrate from afar. They wanted to be very cautious with the health and safety of everyone involved. Luckily, Loti was negative. Now, they looked so discouraged. They called together the wedding party group to tell us and and talk about what should be done. They were ready to call it all off if people felt unsafe and wanted to leave. But, everyone rallied together and supported the decision to go ahead with a few modifications. More masking, more distancing, no big hugs afterward. Dan self isolated in their room and took the Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough suppressant that he had brought along. And slept! But first, we had a coronavirus-style wedding rehearsal and dinner! Bob and Ben grilled a lot of steaks, pork chops, chicken legs and hotdogs for about 30 people. With the help of purchased side dishes and desserts, no one lacked for food. And many calls/texts were made to all the wedding guests to let them know the unfortunate news. Dan and Loti wanted them each to decide whether they would attend, given this unexpected change. We made plans to keep the wedding and reception as much outdoors as possible. There were talks and fun and s’mores around the fire pit until past my bedtime! It felt so good to relax and close my eyes! 10/10/2021 0 Comments Thursday 9/30/21My journal for this day records a lot of activity but no pictures, so I have started this off with a picture of autumn in Glacier National Park. This was actually taken in 2020 at about the same time of year. The larch trees are turning and fresh snow is showing on the mountaintops. These signs of approaching winter are welcomed by many residents. It means ski season is coming! Winter can be long and sometimes harsh here with incredible snowfalls. But having fun on the slopes keeps a lot of people happy and healthy.
This morning I did a quick load of laundry in that very nice campground laundry room. We were scheduled to drive down to Costco for a load of food for the weekend, but Dan had a list of stuff that he had to get done, too. We took a ride into town to pick up a prescription, we're in the Walgreens system so we can pick up wherever we find a store. This has worked great whether we're home or not, but you do have to remember to pay attention to which store you are using on their app for the next time! Dan had an urgent need to find a jigger of a certain size and those pour spouts for liquor bottles (for the reception), so Bed Bath & Beyond in Kalispell seemed like a good spot to try. I felt like I won the jackpot in there because they had my favorite Cinnabon cinnamon coffee pods! I love these, and I usually order from Amazon because they are not frequently stocked in the stores we shop at. But when we are moving around like this, it's hard for those Amazon people to find me! Now I'm set for the rest of the trip. We met up with Dan at Costco for groceries, and he whipped out this booklet that was our list! We were able to divide and conquer the job, otherwise we might have been there overnight! It was kind of a funny experience shopping with Dan like that because he was really feeling the stress of the wedding tasks, and he had to keep me on task and not waste our time! Role reversal! Now he knows what all those grocery trips were like for me when he was a kid! Loti was in need of some help to find something for the "flower children" to carry down the aisle, and I was near a craft store so I looked around and found 3 cute little shabby chic metal buckets that looked just right. They had handles and would hold plenty of petals! The children will be Leo, our little grandson, plus 2 darling little girls (sisters) whose parents are friends of Dan and Loti. In the evening we went to the Columbia Falls farmer’s market, which was also where we were going to meet several of the Hansen family that had just made it into town. It was great to see them and it was a nice night to be out. This was to be the last market for the season, so plenty of people were there for food, drink and live music. Dan and Loti were there with us for awhile, then people were hungry for something good to eat. So, we walked up the street to the Gunsight Saloon for supper and catching up on things. We were in the patio area and listened to some local musicians while we ate and talked. A good end to a great day! 10/10/2021 0 Comments Wednesday 9/29/21Not a lot for pictures today, but we accomplished a lot! We went to Dan and Loti’s in the morning to continue with our de-waxing tasks. It was nice because Dan was working from home today. He was there, not just to keep us in check, but to make sure that a flower delivery arrived as scheduled. Loti had ordered a shipment of assorted cut flowers to use for table decor at the reception, and they came all boxed up in good condition. Dan and I worked on cutting the stems and putting them into water buckets in the backyard since it was cool there.
Bob kept working steadily on the "wax off" project. Not wax on! And he put the final coat on the chalk boards so they can be taken to a friend who does those cool chalk graphics. Amidst all the preparations, I think I skipped lunch! Sometimes I just get involved and busy and forget about meals! Also, I'm still adjusting to my new Invisilign braces, which have to be slipped off any time I want to eat or drink anything but water. I have to pay attention to keeping them in place for the majority of the time. It really makes me realize how much I rely on snacking through the day! We dropped off garbage and cardboard at the nearby city disposal location and then went to Whitefish. Whitefish and Columbia Falls are neighbors and the back road between them is scenic and enjoyable. At Montana Coffee Traders we had coffees and I had a wrap to make up for my skipped lunch. We walked to the Toggery next door to look for a shirt for Bob but didn’t find anything. We had to make a quick stop in Walgreen's about a prescription refill that wasn’t ready yet. We drove down to Kalispell via the back way which was a very winding road. We were headed to Murdoch’s farm and ranch store. We found some possibilities for Bob's wedding attire. He tried several shirt/vest combinations before deciding on a set with gray tones and complementary to the brown Carharts. Looking very handsome! Success! In the evening, we met Dan, Loti, her father Ron, her sister Jacklyn, and her friend Kevin at Bonsai Brewery. It was the first time we have been able to meet any of Loti's family, so this was a special night! Bonsai is a landmark in Whitefish. They brew several top-notch beers and cook up some wonderful food, too. We have been here before because they have a large casual outdoor seating area. Dan has worked here once or twice a week, serving their beers. It seems like everyone we meet there is so friendly and tells us what a good guy Dan is, but we already know that! We had a beer and shared a delicious bowl meal while we talked with these members of Loti’s family. We got to know them a little bit, and it was a good conversation. It's easy to see how Loti has evolved int the person she is after a lively conversation. It's also touching to listen to Ron tell us how much he likes Dan. This is exactly what you want to hear about your adult kids, and knowing that all those trials during growing up were worth it! After dinner, we went back to our place and I worked on a special project. Loti has a small purse that belonged to her mom that she wanted to use on her wedding day. It was a unique bag made entirely of metal pieces linked together and painted. At first, I though it was beaded, but I was wrong about that. It was in pretty good shape, but had a few small holes in the bottom that needed to be mended. So glad I have a needle and black thread on hand! Even those little pink beads dangling at the bottom are made of metal! Only 3 days until the wedding! 10/10/2021 0 Comments Tuesday 9/28/21This was a day of preparation! We were so lucky that Dan and Loti trusted us to check off some things from the lists! I haven't really helped much with getting ready for a wedding since my own, 46 years ago! And weddings were a whole different thing then. In the communities we grew up in, it was not expected that guests would sit down to a dinner and dance. Nope, we were married in my church, had cake and coffee and nuts and mints in the church basement fellowship room and then we left! Family and friends cleaned up the flowers and food for us as we sped away.
When Brita and Ben got married, the wedding and reception was at a distance from their home, so they enlisted the help of a planner to get things done in that location. They lived in San Francisco and the wedding was at Plumpjack hotel/resort in Olympic Valley, CA. I did do some prep to quilt up a whole bunch of fabric for tablerunners, but aside from that, there really was nothing else for us to do. It was the easiest way out! Dan and Loti had a short engagement and a short time to get ready. Well, June to October time span. They got into a great venue (due to a cancellation), Star Meadows Ranch. And then they got the ball rolling with all of the big stuff. Now it's time for us to get in gear and help out with the details. Before taking off from the campground, Bob spoke with the manager and made arrangements to leave our trailer at the campground Friday and Saturday instead of hauling it to Star Meadows Ranch. Then, we drove over to Dan and Loti's place through a light rain. They were both at work, so we were met at the door by Huxley (the dog) who has a habit of barking at strangers. At first she was edgy and didn't know what to think of us, but she soon found her spot to lay in and kept and eye on us. This was the first time we had been able to visit their home, and it felt a little creepy to be there by ourselves! It was full of boxes and supplies for the wedding! Cases of wine and favors and rosemary vodka from a local distillery. And the San Pellegrino stacked up to be used in their signature cocktail! I did have to text Loti a couple times to put together what needed to be done, and since she was with her second graders I didn't really want to bother her. So we found the boxes that needed our attention and got to work. Loti had purchased a number of decor items, plus she "inherited" a bunch of wedding decor in a slightly used condition. First off, I found the box of tablerunners that needed to be ironed. They were burlap with lace trim, and I figured out that ironing them with steam on the wrong side was the best way to get rid of the folds. I'm not really adept at burlap, but now I feel qualified to iron all future burlap stuff that Loti wants! I didn't count them, there were maybe 24. While I was doing that, Bob set to work on the chalkboards. There were 3, and the frames needed to go from brown to white. They were kind of a plasticy finish, and the first swiped of acrylic paint didn't look so nice. Bob ended up digging around to find some sandpaper and roughed them up a bit. Then the paint went on better, but still took 3 coats. Next, we had lunch! Then we figured out how to best remove candle wax from the votives and lanterns that Loti was given. The plain glass votives were easy, I just microwaved them to get the wax warm and then wipe and polish. But, the lanterns were a different story entirely. We tried boiling water, but it just turned into a pot of boiling water and wax, making it very hard to get good clean results. It was at this point that I had to keep reminding myself that these lanterns and decor were not going to be held to a high level of scrutiny. They were going to be sitting amongst greenery and flowers with burning candles. I needed to let go of the impulse to polish each one to a perfect sheen! Bob and I ended up working out a system to heat the lanterns (made of glass and metal) in the oven turned on low. Then, the wax could be wiped off before they cooled down. Some friends stopped by to deliver a meal of chili and some flowers, and we worked until Dan got home. We weren't finished, but we had had enough of the wax for the day, so we picked up our mess and went back to our trailer for a quiet evening of Tater Tot Hotdish and Centennial (an old TV series on DVD). Tomorrow we'll be back to finish our jobs with the wedding decor. It's getting exciting! 10/10/2021 0 Comments Monday 9/27/21That font I used on the last post was weird and I couldn't figure out how to change it and didn't want to take the time to solve the problem so I just let it be. Now, I open this up and bam, it's back to the way it should be!
This morning we drove into Whitefish to do some shopping. It's a nice experience to walk the 3 blocks of main street and poke into shops along the way. One great thing about the main street in Whitefish is that the large chains, discount stores, and "big box" stores are absent. There are a few of those outside the downtown area, but a lot of them are about 20 miles away in Kalispell. We did see lots of new development in and around Whitefish, but mostly small scale. We bought some special olive oils at Trovare, and greeting cards, but no shirt for Bob. Bob's shirt for the wedding on Saturday is at home on my ironing board because I told him I would press it. And then forgot to do it! So we looked at some shirts that were way above our budgetary comfort zone. Especially since he seldom wears anything other than t-shirts! A few of the stores are closed Mondays, so we decided to put off buying a shirt until we could look further. We chanced onto a good little lunch from a new establishment inside the Palace bar (not a palace at all!). It was called Rebel Roots and operating on a small scale, having a few growing pains with service, but I'm glad we waited it out. We were able to share our grilled chicken bowl on riced cauliflower. It was delicious, and we got to sit at a sidewalk table for people watching. We returned to the trailer and I tried out the campground laundry. It exceeded my experiences at other public laundries! We bought some firewood and invited Dan and Loti out for a fire in the Solo stove. The Solo stove was a gift to us from our kids, and it is great! Bob loves to have fires, but the smoke really turns me off. If it's too heavy, I get headachy and don't enjoy the experience at all. The Solo stove is made in a way that really minimizes the smoke but still gives the ambiance. Win-win! It does not give off the heat of an open fire, but we have clothes for that! We had some popcorn and beverages, and talked about what our plans for the week would be. Dan and Loti looked so tired, so we called it quits and made plans to go to their place in the morning to start working on preparations. It was a nice evening out, so we waited for the fire to burn down before heading off to bed. 10/10/2021 0 Comments Sunday 9/26/21If you are wondering what's going on here on my blog page, I am writing journal entries about our trip this fall. I'm keeping notes on what we do daily, then when I have time and cell service strong enough to upload, I am putting up a day or 2 or 3 at a time. Bob and I have been keeping travel journals just for ourselves, but I thought it might be fun to try this way. So the writing style and content will be a little different. Just warning you not to expect anything that is truly prepared and edited for the public! You are free to disregard these travel journal entries if they don't interest you!
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February 2022
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Hi! I'm Pam! Join me on this journey through the next steps of life!
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