I Fit All This Into One Weekend?

I had the most jam-packed Saturday and it was all fun, fun, fun! Well, except for the weather, which was crappy (barely reaching 40 degrees and cold and gray). But I won’t dwell on that. Instead, I’m dwelling on our little trip out to my parents’ farm on Saturday for some family festivities. Normally, spring planting would be in full-on mode for my brother and Dad, but the weather hasn’t cooperated this year – not good at all for the farm, of course, but a nice bonus Saturday for all of us to hang out.

1) I found spring in Minnesota! And it’s at Babe’s Blossoms, a garden store in the middle of the country. (Okay, specifically I mean it’s smack dab in the middle between two small towns – Hector and Cosmos – on farm right off of Highway 4.) My family’s farm is just a couple of miles north of Hector, so I’m definitely partial to this little flower oasis in Renville County; however, beyond my local connection, this store has an amazing array of annuals and perennials and the staff knows their stuff. It’s gorgeous inside and all their plants are top-notch quality. It’s worth the drive.

2) Happy (early) Mother’s Day to my mom, who has taught me many things, including how to arrange flowers to make a pretty pot; why it’s important to turn any old ordinary Saturday into a family celebration with delicious food, good wine and and lots of laughs; why sometimes you just need to buy new shoes; and the proper way to iron a shirt. (Although that last one is a distant memory as I don’t do too much ironing anymore – sorry, Mom!)

3) Prom Night – with a Go Big Red Theme! My nephew (and Godson) Davis attended his senior prom on Saturday night, so the whole family turned out to see him and his lovely girlfriend walk in the grand march at Buffalo Lake-Hector High School. The color of the night for these two was definitely red, which also happens to be the color of Davis’s college of choice next fall – the University of Nebraska. He wore a Nebraska tie with his suit and his girlfriend gave us a sneak peek of her Nebraska garter belt! (I don’t know how I missed a photo of that, but I did!)

4) Back to High School. (Or Whoa – Memories!) Before the prom happenings started, my sister and I snuck into the halls of Buffalo Lake-Hector High School, where both of us graduated. Full disclosure – technically I was the last graduating class of Hector High School (same building, just one town back in the day – long live the Bulldogs!). As we wandered down the dark hall, we could still remember approximately where our lockers were and what classes were held in the different classrooms. We even said the school still smelled the same, which sounds weird, but it did. Not in a bad way – it just has a certain smell that we remember. We found my senior class picture collage on the wall right across the hall from my Dad’s (class of 1958) – although oddly, my sister’s senior class collage was missing!

5) Kentucky Derby Fun! After the prom grand march was over and all the photos were taken, we went back to the farm to enjoy mint juleps and watch the Kentucky Derby. Later, we noshed on a variety of make-your-own pizzas, opened some wine and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Good times!

Sunday morning Teacher Man, Joe and I headed home. I spent the better part of the afternoon getting the rest of my gardens ready for spring while Teacher Man tackled the buckthorn, a very invasive weed, on our property line. (This is not a fun process, by the way – buckthorn is nasty stuff – but we feel it’s important to try to get rid of it so that the native trees and grasses on our property can thrive.) The weather took a much-needed turn for the better – sun, light winds and 60+ degrees, which apparently was warm enough for Joe and his friend, Kody, to get out the water hose and proceed to get thoroughly soaked. Finally – some outdoor fun away from the video games! 😉

Now it’s on to the work week – keep your eye out for a new Facebook page for this blog. I am planning to set it up soon and will let you know when it’s ready!