It was a busy weekend! Memorial Day weekend; my daughter Molly had her wedding shower; my other daughter Megan flew home from Virginia for this; and Nick graduated from Augustana! Fun and excitement!
Proud parents! Nothing makes you happier than to see your kids succeed…other than seeing your kids happy, together, and supporting each other!
Megan surprised Nick by flying home for his graduation! Megan has always been like a “mother hen” to Nick. Nick may not show it, but deep down (really deep down!) he likes it, but just won’t admit it! It was great having everybody home…together!
With everybody home, it was a good time for everybody to get together for a wedding shower for Molly. The wedding date is coming up…August 17! The excitement is building!
We all went out to eat that night to celebrate Nick’s graduation. Just spending time together was wonderful!
Of course, Zeus could not be left out. I don’t know between the 2 who missed the other one more, Zeus, or Megan! It was a short weekend for having hugs, and Zeus was not going to miss out on any of them! If you could read Zeus’s mind, it would be: “What do you mean she has to stop hugging me? And what do you mean she is leaving already?”
Even though it was a busy, crammed weekend, there was still always time to go out and be active, and exercise! Megan got to have some walks with Zeus as well, so everybody loved it!
Sarah and I got some runs in! I am now up to 2 miles, and the last one was non stop…no walking breaks! Yay! It felt good, but boy, do I have a ways to go! I am glad I am back out trying to run too! Most of all, I am glad I am here to experience weekends like the one we just had. Spending time with family…nothing is better! This is why we strive to survive. This is what life is all about! I hope you had a great weekend too, and continue to keep creating memories for you and your family. It truly is priceless! Keep moving everybody!
Memorial Day is just a few days away and I am
guessing many of you have picnics and outdoor cooking/eating plans! Practicing
proper food safety is essential with summer outdoor cooking. Here are some easy
tips to make sure that you and your family have the safest and best picnics
possible this summer:
Safe food handling◦ Wash your hands before preparing your food and when dealing with meats and fresh produce. Try to limit cross-contamination by cleaning prep surfaces often. If you don’t have running water where you are, be sure to bring anti-bacterial wipes with.
•When putting your beautifully prepared food
in a basket make sure that you have utensils for raw food and cooked foods. If
you have uncooked meats like hamburger, chicken, etc., make sure that they are
packed in secure containers that won’t leak. Pack them together and at the
bottom of the cooler in case juice from the food leaks.
•One recommendation for properly cooked food would be a food thermometer. Make sure that your grilled foods reach a temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for steaks, roasts, and chops, 160 degrees for ground meat and 15 degrees for poultry.
Chilling picnic foods
Keep food at or below 40 degrees F
◦Pack in insulated cooler with ice or ice packs
◦A filled cooler keeps cooler longer than a partially full cooler
◦Have meat thawed in the refrigerator before your put in the cooler
◦Wait until the last moment to put perishable food items in the cooler
◦If bringing food and drinks, try to keep drinks in separate cooler◾This will allow for less cool air to escape
when getting beverages from cooler
Keep cooler in the shade ◦If perishable food left out for more than two hours throw away. If it is especially warm (greater than 90 degrees F) throw away in one hour ◦Keep cooked food above 140 degrees
Most of all enjoy the fun times spent with
family and friends!
The official kick off to summer and picnic season is this weekend: Memorial Day Holiday! This time of year always bring great cookouts and picnics. Typical picnic foods consist of burgers, brats, hotdogs, chips, and high calorie salads such as macaroni and potato salads. These are all very tasty foods, but they are also all very high in calories, fat, and sodium. Cookouts don’t have to bust the calorie bank. Choose your foods wisely and plan your menus to include a few healthy options and make substitutions like the meal examples below to help you fully enjoy each cookout while aiding in a healthy heart and waistline.
Eat This
90% lean hamburger with whole wheat thin bun
Grilled chicken breast
Grilled shrimp
Tossed Salad with light dressing
Fresh veggies with light ranch dip
Baked chips
Fruit salad
Angel food cake with light cool whip and strawberries
This weekend was the 15th Annual Fargo Half Marathon/Marathon. Many of us from Watertown, and our Watertown Area Run Club were there to participate. The weather was not very cooperative…cold, in the 40’s, and raining the entire time, with very strong winds. This is exactly as a runner what you don’t want for a race, especially a long race! Here I am wishing Sarah good luck, as this is the first time I was there as a spectator, and not a participant. Boy, was that different. Believe me, I will be running it again! By it was my turn to cheer Sarah on, and all of the other people of our run club. I was one of the official cheerleader/photographers for the weekend. Sarah has been to running events as a spectator cheering me on…now it was my time to do the same for her!
Still smiles on face as we were just getting inside the dome at Fargo to get ready to run. It was raining very heavy outside. Everyone was also a little nervous…”how will we do this?” “Am I wearing the right clothes?”
It was time to have fun, and relax. I took this picture in front of the poster they had set out. Fargo is known for being a flat course as it is pretty flat there. Here they are trying to fire up and make the best of the weather! We were still missing quite a few of our club members. They will show up at different times in pictures here.
The excitement is building. They are getting ready to line up at the start! These guys are all running the Half Marathon. The marathon runners already took off. 3 from our group were running the marathon, and 2 of them were running the marathon for the first time. Nerves were all over the place that morning. Thoughts of “did I put enough miles in training? Am I gonna make it? Will I survive the weather? Will anybody be back at the finish line to cheer me in, or wait for me?”
Greg is the tall one in the middle. This was his first. Owen is to his right, (left in the picture) and he helped pace Greg in. They just finished, and both of them look like they have had enough! Why do we do this? What makes us want to run a marathon? Believe me, we ask ourselves that sometimes as well. The final answer is always the same: “If I can do this, I can accomplish anything!” The marathon, or just running in general, makes you move, and work on your own health. Watching all those people come across the finish line…all ages, all shapes, all abilities…all working to accomplish a goal they set for themselves. When it comes to the marathon, you feel like you can “weather any storm” that gets thrown your way in life, especially with the actual weather we had on Saturday!
We were all there waiting for them at the finish line! They are going on down the line getting fist bumps from us all! Great job guys, and welcome to the marathon Greg!
Greg had his parents fly in from Washington to watch him finish! I don’t know who is happier, Greg, or his parents! Proud moment indeed!
Runners have a special bond with each other, and especially our run group! We are there to “help each other out”, not only during the race, but all the time spent before hand. We are friends, and are there to help each other! But we were not done yet. We were still waiting for Mark to come in. We had one more person to come in, and we were going to be there to cheer him on as well! It is no different with our regular run club runs. Our motto is “leave no one behind”. We may all have different paces, different abilities, different backgrounds…but we support each other, and encourage each other!
Here is Mark after coming across the finish line! Fist in the air…”I did it!” He lined up for his fist bumps and cheers as well. His wife Sally, who ran the Half Marathon, her first one, was there waiting to give him a big hug!!! They both did it! They all did it!
A bunch of us were still around after to take this shot with their medals. Huge accomplishment, and congratulations to all of you. I will be there running again next year! Being a spectator was nice, but being a participant is better. I would have rather been out running with you, even with the crappy weather and all! You all truly can accomplish anything…set your mind, and heart to it, and with a little help from our friends, we can do it! Nothing can stop us! Keep moving everybody!
Homegrown gardens are a great way to teach children about how food is grown and where it comes from and get them interested in healthy foods. Children are more likely to try a food that they have seen grow from a small seed.
Now is planting time!! Let them help you plant or if you already have your garden in, get your children involved or have them plant a seed of their choice in a pot so they can water and watch it grow. There are many tasks children can do in the garden setting such as planting the seeds, pulling weeds, or watering the plants. Get them involved and help teach them where our food comes from!
