We went to our first Hot Tots game last week, and it brought back a flood of memories about the affinity North Dakotans have for tots. Photo, Amy Allender Let’s talk about tater tots. Is that a weird opener? To be honest, I’ve been battling a bit of writer’s block....
“It’s enough.”This is the reminder I have been giving myself since June. Like the proverbial broken record, these words are on a continual loop in my mind. It’s enough. You’re having enough fun. You’re spending enough time outside. The kids are having enough lazy...
“It must have been the wind.” That was my first thought when found soil strewn about the stoop and some freshly planted annuals uprooted from their pots. It had been windy overnight. The soil was light. This was a plausible explanation. If there’s anything I’ve...
“You’re so flexible.” Unbelievably, the words were directed at me–spoken while standing in a shady driveway I know well. The voice, too, was familiar. A soft, comforting tone that conjured up memories of high school antics, college summer vacations long past, and cold...
I’ve lived in Indiana, Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Dakota, and North Dakota. In each place I did my best to make our house into a “home.” On the casual end of the spectrum that meant painting a wall or two. On the extreme end, it meant tearing out walls during...
Summer is upon us in Hot Dish Land. For locals this means trips to “the lake.” For military families it means “PCS season.” For all of us it means days outdoors, shedding the translucent pallor of winter, and gloriously long days. Sky Fest at Ft Stevenson State Park...
“Ugh. North Dakota? Isn’t it like, really, really cold there?” This is the lament I hear most often when I tell someone we live in Minot. My reply is nearly always the same. “It’s only cold in the winter, and the summers are always worth it.” Then I’ll ramble on for a...
The snow is gone—for now. The streets are dry—for the most part. That crazy ice dam near Jersey Mike’s and Noodles & Co has melted. Signs of winter are fleeting—although the forecast still insists on including a chance of snow flurries, just to keep us on our...
I love seeing the return of plants, and hatching chicks as much as the next person, but my favorite sign of spring is much more mundane. Amy Allender Photo At this point in the year, it would be easy to bemoan the seemingly endless chilly days. I could fill this...
My youngest son, Silas is quite a ham.Amy Allender photo “Where going, Mama?” My youngest son, Silas asks this question almost relentlessly. As soon as I glance at my shoes, or the coats rustle on the rack, I hear rapid two-year-old steps headed my way. “Where going,...