Walking for Love

A wind-blown Dan Lyons walked into Kimball mid-afternoon yesterday, stayed for supper and visited with us, spent the night and left early today. Walking to White Lake in a light rain.  Expected over there early afternoon.

Dan is an extraordinary guy. He left Olympia, Washington earlier this year, taking a northern route to avoid bad weather on a southern route. Headed to West Palm Beach, Florida.  Walking to raise awareness about Locks of Love, a program that provided a hair piece for his 17 year old daughter during her fight against breast cancer. Dan's on his fifth walk across the US. He started walking to bring awareness, but also to clear his head. You see, Dan lost his daughter to breast cancer and not long after that, his dear wife to a drunk driver. Dan walks so we can know.

The importance of story in your life, chapter 2

Update from previous post:

 from amillionmiles.com

Book arrived today, thank you very much.  I'll be diving right in...

Dan Lyons

 photo courtesy of Billings Gazette

 Who's Dan Lyons and why are we getting together with him?

Well, Dan is from California, and he's walking across the US to bring awareness to the Locks of Love program. He lost his daughter and wife to cancer, and is himself a cancer survivor.

Please join Dan for dinner and a brief presentation on the Locks of Love program at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28th, at Ditty's Diner. Dan is not soliciting funds, but has information on how to donate to Locks of Love.

Let's show Dan some good Kimball hospitality.

Spring at Christiansen Park

Christiansen Park, named in honor of Helen Christiansen who donated the land for the park, is a tiny bit of tree-shaded oasis in downtown Kimball. Purple phlox and other perennials have been poking their heads up.

Prairie Quilts

Our little community says *we love you*  211 times. That's how many quilts were dedicated.  They are heading to new homes around the world.

Hay River pumpkin seed oil

photo courtesy of Hay River (tm)

Just read a Facebook post from friends Jay and Ken regarding building their business at Hay River. They produce the most incredible organic pumpkin seed oil.  Now I know you want some of this. It's just a few clicks away - visit their website at Hayriver.net.  Buy directly from Jay and Ken and help them build their business.

Here's the back story. Jay and Ken lost their home to an early morning fire on March 27th. Because their pumpkin seed oil is not stored at the house, it's safe from the fire. Their plan is to build their business, which will help them financially and also benefit their community. Here's a quote from their website: " We don't want sympathy purchases, we want real customers."  

So get off this blog and go buy some pumpkin seed oil and pass this information along.

Around town

Saw these lovelies on latest walk around town. Tulips are pretty, but lily of the valley are my favorite flower...thus, making me love muguet de bois perfume as a teenager. 

Mural and phlox

I just love the mural at the downtown city park in Kimball, SD...and the phlox that grow there...

Eleven Days

Eleven days till my favorite summer hang out opens.  Easy on-off at I90 exit 248, Kimball,  South Dakota.

Springness

Signs of spring as seen around town this week...

 

Parking

Guessing the person in the red truck was late for the city council meeting, and our only police officer did not notice because he was at said meeting. On the other hand I've noticed this style of parking in other parts of town. It's nice living in a small town.

New Friends

Linda and Sonja are just the sweetest ladies. They own the The Quilt Shop on Main Street in Chamberlain, South Dakota.

Walked in there to buy buttons and emerged an hour later with two new friends, the cutest vintage buttons and some "other stuff". The most amazing thing happened in that hour...we found out how much we love our little towns and want to see them prosper. I'm thinking I'll be seeing more of Sonja and Linda, and I think you should, too.

That Dreams sign tacked to the face of the step leading to their shop says it all.

Local Theater

Looking forward to The Batchelor King tonight.

click image to enlarge

Roaring

Heard roaring today that reminded me of when I lived near Lake Michigan. The wind would come up, white caps would appear on the lake and lots of interesting stuff would be churned up onto the beach.  That spring roaring lasted 24 - 48 hours and then it was over, until the next time.


Heard that same roaring today, but no lake around.  Spring prairie winds.  It is blowing out there and it's a bit of a warm day. Friends here were surprised that today's winds sound just like lake winds. 

76°F | Current: Sunny Wind: S at 37 mph Humidity: 39%

Nirvana

Happy Hydros LLC is owned by some of the coolest folks around. One word description of their lettuce: nirvana.
Lunch today: one head of Happy Hydros bib lettuce. Sweet, and succulent, drizzled with hazelnut oil and apple cider vinegar, chased with mint tea. Thanks Mark and Teal!


Mid-March

Today.                                      

Happy Hydros, LLC
631 David Drive
Pukwana, SD 57379
Owners: Mark and Teal Scholl
650 894-4406
happyhydros@hotmail.com

Prom or Where Were You on Saturday Night

It's prom season. The local school prom was Saturday, April 10th. Proms in surrounding communities are scheduled for this weekend. School officials go to great lengths to make sure the kids have fun and are safe. Absolutely no drinking is allowed - what a change from my high school prom where it was dangerous to drink the punch within 15 minutes of the start of the prom.

Lots of folks showed up here for grand march, milled around in the lunch room until the doors were thrown open. Students were introduced, photos were shot, the crowd dispersed and the kids had their fun - until the post prom party ended around 4 a.m. All the while in a safe, safe environment.  The report the next day: everyone was safe and had a good time, and lots of adults were really, really, really tired.

I remember with some sadness the serious car accidents on prom night and the prom pregnancies that forever changed lives in our little rural community.  Things have changed - and that's a good thing.

The importance of story in your life

While checking my Twitter account today, I ran across an interesting challenge from Chris Brogan. The challenge is blog about the importance of story in your life, complete a form and perhaps receive a free copy of Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.

Quoting directly from  Brogan's blog: "The book is about story, but it’s not exactly a book about writing. It’s about seeing your life like a story. It’s about living a better story. It’s about learning how to be present and interact in your life’s story."

I have to admit, I'm intrigued. I do see my life as a story.  I consider myself truly blessed that when I've been at those points where I know I must make a decision in order to change the story, I've been able to make that decision.  Surely, not on my own strength, never on my own strength. My life is blessed with goodness because of all the folks who have been a part of it, who are now a part of it and who will soon be a part of it.

I'm thinking this book will be inspirational. So Mr. B, I'm looking forward to receiving a copy and passing along the message.

Donate Life Month

It's hard to not be moved by the stories I write and the folks I meet in writing them. Over at Central Dakota Times we are doing a series this month on area families and what they have to say about organ and tissue donation.  These are folks who are living the story, and praying and hoping and trusting in a good outcome.

April is Donate Life Month. Sign up to be an organ donor. Mark the organ donor designation on your driver's license. Let your family and health care profession know you want to be an organ donor.

For additional information on how to donate life, click here. For in depth information on organ and tissue donation, check out United Network for Organ Sharing.

Still time to sign up for Local Foods seminar

There's still time to sign up for the Local Foods Seminar coming to Kimball on Tuesday, April 6th.

C

Click on image to enlarge

Friends and Fire

Michael Perry is a favorite author / songwriter / performer of mine.  Mikey's blog sneezingcow.com is a source of inspiration, chuckles, and the latest news of import in his rural world.

Today's post is....moving.  Perhaps, not the exact right word, but close. I am in awe of the strength of those friends and how they are dealing with all this.  They are salt of the earth, strong, strong folks.  And I admire them for that.

It took me only minutes to decide to buy some books and pumpkin seed oil from their hay river farm. I don't know what I'd do if placed in their shoes.