Milestones: Connor Accepts Position In Minneapolis, MN — September 28, 2021

 Netspi.

The rhubarb plant.

Future Plans For The Lot Behind Jan's House, Owned By Bruce And May -- August 20, 2021

1. I have no plans to ever build on my lot, 183 Sunset Ridge.

2. I am 70 years old, and plan to own the property for another twenty years.

3. The lot will pass to my heirs, our two daughters. Both daughters are about forty years old, neither of which have any desire to build on the lot, either. I will ensure that there are funds available after I leave the lot to my daughters to continue paying property taxes and HOA fees to keep the lot in our family's name, as an open space.

4. The lot will be watched over by my sister who owns a home on the lake, and whose home/lot adjoins my lot. She appreciates the lot being kept in the family but not building on it. It's possible she may plant a small garden on the corner of her lot which could bleed over onto my lot if the HOA approves but that's pretty limited in the big scheme of things.

5. Prior to recent city/county utility infrastructure work being done on the lot last summer (?), the lot looked pretty good but since that earth was replaced, it's become a bit weedy. I want the lot to look as good as possible. The lot is regularly mowed, as required by the HOA, and I plan to have the lot sprayed for weeds on a regular basis. I can't promise anything but hopefully it will look better by this time next year.

6. Things change. I can't promise anything. But I have no plans to change anything; no plans to build on the lot; and neither of our two daughters want to build on the lot.

7. You have no idea how much I appreciate "open space" in and around Mission View. I think this area contributes to the overall open space.

8. My wife, May, concurs with all of this. She has no plans to build on the lot and will not need to sell the lot for any reason as things stand now. I don't think that will ever change.

9. If anything changes along this line, I will immediately let you know.

10. There may be typographical/grammatical errors in the above, but I believe the sentiment is clear.

Last Major Project Before The August, 2021, Family Reunion -- July 14, 2021

Last major project before family reunion. Putting down asphalt for widened driveway. Turned out to be really, really nice.

Look at the haze from the fires from the Canadian and Pacific Northwest fires.

Letter #1 From Jan -- July 13, 2021

 Greetings,

We are less than a month out!  I will be sending emails out periodically this next month. There will be no rhyme or reason. Emails will just arrive.

 

Today's topic will be arrival dates, August 3 and meal plans.

Arrivals: Bruce will arrive VIA Portland AMTRAK  :         July 29 AM - August 10

              Sofi and Jesus arrive by air                               July 30  PM- August  10

              Yvonne's entire group (10)  arrive by air            July 31 PM - August  06

               Anna, Kevin and Avery arrive by air                  August 1 PM - August 09

               Karla's Group unknown,please update

               Kathy and Jorge by car                                     August 1 PM- ????????

August 3, 2021 will be Mom's memorial day. The pavilion here is reserved, the service is being planned and the meal has been ordered.  The service will be at the Eidsvold Lutheran Church at 4:00ish (yet to be confirmed ). It will be less than an hour and it will likely be hot.  Wear comfortable casual attire. We will spend the evening at the pavilion down by the water. 

Meals: 

 

August 1: There will be a meal at the OK Corral (the house). It will be crockpot style, so anytime after 3:00pm it will be ready.  Get settled in and come for a meal and time together.  The pastor may be here to get some conversation regarding mom since he did not know her. We have not firmed that up as of yet 

August 3 : A very nice meal has been ordered and will be semi catered after the memorial service. 5:30 set- up by the DESOTO GRILL 

August 5: BBQ  at OK Corral (Cheesy, notice my boys are not on this email) More on this at a later date.

Our fridge will be stocked at all times with sandwich meat and condiments,chips, ND DOTS, bread, buns and snacks for anytime you are hungry. There will be filtered water and seltzer water available, as well as plenty of ice. There will also be lefse and oreos.

I would like everyone to provide their own beverages, wine, beer and spirits. I will have many coolers set up as well as a small fridge in the garage. 

I am trying to keep things loose so people can do their own thing in the area but also have some planned meals for us to gather as desired. 

 

Please be at the house as often as you want. There will be lawn toys, water toys and

fun all day long. 

Breakfast: There will always be breakfast served also. I'll keep you posted on the morning menu. 

If anyone has any ideas or feedback please reply as we are all in this together. 

I'm looking forward to our time together. TTYS!

 

Jan 

Planning For Large Number Of Guests

Items to think about when planning for huge family reunion. 

Information center with message board:

• natural place is on dining room cabinet, but it gets too congested there;
• suggestion: on folding table on patio
  
• folding table
• binder with information for the day, the week
• erasable board with dry erasers for folks to leave messages
• e.g.,
• Kevin: going to Kalispell at 2:00 today; anyone want to join us?
• Dave: taking garbage to Lakeside later today;
• Jan: towels being washed today at 1:00 p.m.

Storage areas for each family: cabinet upstairs between kitchen, dining area, for keys, wallets, purses, etc.

• Williston klan
• Tucson klan
• Minnesota klan

Beverage:

• number one beverage everyone will forget about, but most critical -- and it will vary from family to family with all those kids: milk -- what type of milk needs to be kept in refrigerator?

*******************************
Seating Areas

Guiding principal: house will get very crowded if everyone in the house at the same time.

• house inside:
• downstairs: TV room, televised sports: 8
• upstairs: dining room, tight, crowded; need to keep table clear: 8
• house outside:
• upstairs balcony, best spot: 8
• downstairs: patio, extending on to lawn, and even to the commons: unlimited
• lakefront:
• down by the kayaks: unlimited but chairs need to be brought down; consider four folding chairs each morning
• pavilion: unlimited
• pontoon boat, second best spot: 12

*************************
Meals 

Memorial Day: I'm assuming Jan will have the Memorial Day for Ruth sorted out.

Specials:

• Pizza Day: four large pizzas
  
• Spaghetti Day
• Hot Dog / Hamburger Day
• Rotisserie Chicken Day: four chickens
• Casserole Day / lasagna -- store bought; Tyson chicken strips, microwave
  

Stove/oven:

• 06:00 -- 08:00
• batch of pancakes

• 10:00 -- 11:00:
• spaghetti
• hot dogs

• 2:00 -- 4:00:
• casseroles, lasagna
• jello
  

Island separating kitchen from dining room: 

• clear it off
  
• paper plates, plastic cups, plastic utensils
• coffee cups (disposable)
  
• sharpies
• rolls of paper towels
• syrup for pancakes
• cereal: three family-size boxes -- Cheerios, other
• assortment of breads, buns, bagels
  
• chips; perhaps several family-size bags, but also individual assortment
• popcorn: microwave
  
• all beverages in beverage refrigerator down stairs

Breakfast: assume most folks will have breakfast where they are lodging

• pancakes seemed to be a hit when Karla and I were there in July; consider plate of pancakes every morning;
• cereal on the kitchen/dining room island
  

Evening meals: assume most folks will return to their lodging for dinner, but many will want to stay late

• spaghetti: prepare during the day;
  
• hamburgers, hot dogs;
  
• salads: 
• lettuce, cabbage, baby carrots
• three salad dressings
• bacon bits; shredded cheese
  

Lunch:

• upstairs kitchen refrigerator 
• clear out any "unnecessary" items
• door: condiments
  
• remove all drinks (exceptions, of course)
• luncheon meats
• luncheon cheeses
  
• kitchen table:
• keep clear
• for food preparation
• 
  
• ice chest, at least three, for beverages:
• one on balcony;
• one one patio;
• one on pontoon boat;
  
• hosts need to keep ice chests full

 *******************************
The Klans

Note: "klan" is Norwegian for "clan." 

Five klans.

• Twenty-eight people in all.
• Twenty adults.
• Six children.
• Two teenagers.
  

Greenwald klan (4 / 0).

• Jan
• Dave
• Cameron
• Connor

Kathy's klan (6 / 1):

• Kathy
• Jorge
• Anna
• Kevin
• Avery
  
• Sofia
• Jesus

Karla's klan (3 / 2 / 1):

• Karla
• Rob
• Toby
• Caleb
• Caitlyn
• Gemma

Yvonne's klan (6 / 4): arrive Friday 1:30

• Yvonne
• Terry
• Eric
• Alicia
• Julian
• Bennett
• Jennifer
• Greg
• Amelia
• Oliver

Bruce's klan (1 / 0):

• Bruce
  

 ***************************
Travel Arrangements: Bruce

Flight:

• DFW -- PDX -- DFW: $294. One person.

AMTRAK:

• PDX -- Whitefish -- PDX: $159. One person.

No rental car.

• Had I gotten a rental car, insurance for the car itself, $22/day x 12 day = $264.
• If a rental car was available: about $90/day x 12 = $1,080.

Uber:

• PDX to Laura's home: $31

Summer Reading: A River Runs Through It -- June 6, 2021

The backstory to A River Runs Through It is finally here, forty-five years later, from The Washington Post.

From the linked Post  article:

His son, John N. Maclean, is also an author, and his latest book, Home Waters, is a lyrical companion to his father’s classic, chronicling their family’s history and bond with Montana’s Blackfoot River. His storytelling — from the fishing with his dad to the life and death of his Uncle Paul — is reliable, elegant and charming.

After a 30-year career as a journalist, mostly as a correspondent for the Chicago Tribune in D.C., the younger Maclean took to writing well-received nonfiction about wildfires in the American West. He hadn’t considered a family memoir.

What Is It About Rhubarb Pie And North Dakota? Was That A "Thing" On "Little House On The Prairie" -- Asking For A Friend -- May 22, 2021

UPDATES

September 23, 2021: surveyors confirm the huge, beautiful rhubarb plant on the southwest corner of Jan’s lot is actually outside of her lot. Jan will move the plant to the property line with Bruce’s lot to the northwest. The original stalks came from Ruth’s garden in Williston, ND,

ORIGINAL POST

Beautiful Badlands. Wow, what a site.

From that site:

• the Little Missouri River is a great challenge to cross;
• best rhubarb pie in the west;