Memorial Day

Today we went to Stanford for Memorial Day.  Our first stop was the Strouf Pioneer Cemetery.  It is located pretty much out in the middle of nowhere south west of Denton.  It's just off the county road that is a cut-across from Denton to Stanford.

I've always called it the "family cemetery".  The first occupant of the cemetery was Anna Strouf, (1843-1908).  She would be my great-great-grandmother. 

This is my dad's side of the family.  My grandparents, great aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles, etc. are buried there.  If you dig back through the lines far enough, I'm related to almost all people there. 

It was very interesting walking through there today.  It is definitely a pioneer cemetery.  Just reading the names on the headstones, you can clearly see that this area was inhabited by Bohemians and Germans:  Kreinbring, Ernzer, Makovsky, Fogltanc, Hetzel, Svejkovsky, Lokjicek, Ostertag!  In fact the cemetery was originally called "The National Bohemian Cemetery".  There were a few stones that were actually carved in Bohemian: Otpocive Jte V  Pokoji.  (I have yet to translate that).  I have found out that "Narozen" is "born", and "Zemrel" is "died".  I have written down some more phrases that I have found that I need to translate.


There are no signs pointing the way to Strouf Pioneer Cemetery, so it can be difficult to find.  There have been a few occasions that the hearse has missed the turn-off for the burial and someone has had to chase them down and get them turned around.  This has happened enough times that now one of our family members takes the lead and gets everyone there safe and sound.

Oh well. It's a nice quiet, serene spot, with a great view of Square Butte.

 

Tiffani Turner

It is with a very sad heart that I write today.  My friend, Tiffani, passed away peacefully this morning from a very hard 2 year battle against cancer.  While my heart breaks, I do take comfort that she is with the Lord now, free from her pain.  Her beautiful red hair is back, she can walk now. 

At a company party

In her short 31 years, she has touched so many people.  She hasn't had the easiest life, but never pulled the "why me" card.  She was very fiery and determined, full of life.  She was very close with her family and fiercely loyal to her friends--loved by all who knew her. 

Halloween 2004

I met Tiffani in 2003 when I came to work at Finn and Porter.  She was the manager.  It didn't take us long to become friends.  She always came up to the hostess stand and hung out with me in the early morning hours until the next hostess came on.  We would stand there, our eyes barely open.  Every day we tried tackling the crossword puzzle.  We shared so many laughs.  On sundays was brunch day.  We would have to haul all the tables in from back in the banquet area.  They were huge 8 foot tables, heavier than heck.  Tiffani and I would always haul the tables together.  Just her and I.  We deemed it our "work out" for that day.  We would go back there, stare up at the huge tables leaning against the wall and take a huge breath to prepare ourselves.  It was 6:00 in the morning mind you.  Too early being doing such strenous work!  But we always managed.  That was the neat thing about having Tiffani as a manager.  She was one of us.  She never sat in the office and turned her back on us.  She was out there with us, seating people, bussing tables, running food out, taking reservations, setting up brunch.  She even sat back in the breakroom and had lunch with us.  A true team player.  She took care of us, and we all respected the heck out of her.

Our Sunday tradition after brunch- have a drink at Al's and do the Sunday crossword.

It is very sad to lose such an amazing person.  And we all ask why.  It's not something that we can understand.  And maybe we aren't supposed to.  We just must trust in the Lord.  And we must also know that this is not good-bye.  We will meet again.  I know you are smiling down on us.  You truly are an angel.  I will miss you greatly, but I will see you again Miss Tiff.  May you finally rest in peace.  May God bless you and your family who is grieving.  May He bring you comfort and peace.  Please lean on Him during these difficult days.  Time and memories will help to ease the pain.

I plead with all of you to please take care of yourselves.  It feels like very week I am hearing of someone else who has cancer.  I'm tired of hearing it.  I hate it.  We need to stop this cancer and find a cure.  I have been supporting the American Cancer Society for a number of years now.  I have also been participating in the Women's Run and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  I know that everyone knows of at least 1 person who has cancer.  I just read in the paper today of another person I know that has passed from this horrible disease.  Please support these causes, for it affects us all.  And take care of yourselves.  Thank you and God Bless you all.

My birthday 2004

St. Patrick's Day 2005

Gardening

We were finally able to put our garden, right before it rained!  So it was pretty good timing.  We will still wait a couple of weeks before we put in the plants that we started inside.  The nights are still getting pretty cold, and you just never know with this crazy Montana weather what it's going to do.  I will say that we will have a plethora of hubbard squash and spaghetti squash.  That's okay since it freezes quite well.
It's amazing after that last snow storm how much things have greened up and and started growing!  My chives are going crazy.  I have some flowers ready to bloom and my poppy is getting huge.  I finally looked out back the other day and checked out the rhubarb.  It is growing like crazy and was going to seed all over the place, so I picked a lot the other day.  I have bags and bags of it.  Still have some leftover from last year.  I'm always looking for new rhubarb recipes since I don't really care for it and Tim loves it.  I found this recipe online; though I'd share it with you.

Rhubarb Custard Dessert
Crust
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Filling

8 cups diced rhubarb

Custard

6 egg yolks (whites are used in the meringue)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup flour

Meringue

6 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar (2 tsp at a time)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1  Preheat oven to 350; butter a 13x9 pan.

2  Cream butter with flours and sugar, spread in prepared pan, pressing into corners and bottom; bake for 5-10 minutes (it will get bubbly--sort of).

3  While that is cooking, cut up the rhubarb.

4  In a blender or a mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy and fluffy, add sugar and continue mixing, then add other ingredients until thick and rich; set aside (rewhip right before pouring into pan with rhubarb).

5  When crust is baked, spread rhubarb pieces evenly (press lightly into crust--lightly!); pour custard over rhubarb; return pan to the oven for 45 minutes (knife poked in middle comes out clean).

6  While THAT is cooking, prepare meringue; beat eggs until forming soft (firm) peaks, adding sugar 2 teaspoons at a time, then salt and vanilla last, mixing until stiff.

7  At end of baking time, remove pan from oven, turn heat up to broil; spread meringue over rhubarb/custard, smooth with a spoon into pretty swirls. Broil until meringue is lightly browned.

Weekend in Helena

We went to Helena for the annual Susan G. Komen - Race for the Cure Against Breast Cancer.  It was a wonderful weekend, the weather was so nice out.  We had dinner at Toi's Thai, which is just awesome.  And we discovered a new Big Dipper Ice Cream store just opened, so we of course had to check that out-- twice!!  The race started at 10 Saturday morning.  It was amazing to see that many people gathered together to support this wonderful cause.  People as far as you could see. 

One racer did the 5k in pink high heels!  I don't know how she did it.  I wonder if she did the whole race in heels?  There were little cheerleaders posted along the way to cheer us on.  And there were even some bag pipers.  After finishing we went to Karmellos and had a great Mexican lunch and then did some shopping in the afternoon.  That night Carol prepared a wonderful barbecued meal.  So all in all, great food, great company, great cause, great weekend!

On the way back through Great Falls, we stopped to see Sarah and Jimmy who have just moved to Great Falls!  We are so excited to have them so close.  Happy unpacking, and welcome to this side of the divide!

Women's Run/ Torch Run

Saturday morning, I took part in the Women's Run in Billings.  This is the 3rd year I have participated.  The Women's Run is held to promote women's fitness and health.  All the money is donated to various local entities.  I participated in the 2 mile walk.  I am soo not a runner!  It was an amazing day.  The weather finally cooperated and there was no snow or wind!  It was a beautiful morning!  There was a record breaking attendance with close to 8,000 women participating this year.  It is an amazing event and a lot of fun.

Today, it was Tim's turn to take part in an event.  He participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run.  The Torch Run benefits the Special Olympics.  The run began on April 26th and has 14 different starting points as it makes it way to Bozeman (a journey of 2,500 miles) where the opening ceremonies will be held.  The Wheatland County leg of the race started in Harlowton this morning and made it's way to Big Timber.  Kim "rock star" biked for 19 miles-- all of it hills!-- before Tim took his turn at biking 3 miles.  He really lucked out and got a nice stretch of flat highway.  The rain was just starting when he took off, and by the time he ended and it was Jeff's turn to carry on, it was coming down pretty good.  The torch will continue on into Big Timber and make it's way to Bozeman where the cauldron will lit on May 12th to commemorate the opening ceremonies.  Another great cause!

Bundle Up!

Here Come's the Escort!

And Away They Go!

He Made It!

This weekend we will be going to Helena to take part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day we went to Fort Benton for a wonderful buffet at the Grand Union Hotel.  It was a nice day for a drive.  I hadn't been to Fort Benton since highschool when we had our divisional volleyball tournaments there-- always a blast!  I'm pretty sure I wanna retire in Fort Benton.  It's such a pretty little town right on the Missouri River.  And it's so historic too, which fits in nicely with my useless History degree! 

Downtown there is a little monument dedicated to ol' Shep.  Shep was a sheep dog that belonged to an old sheep-herder in the area.  When the sheep-herder died, his body was shipped back east on the train.  Shep had accompanied the body to the station.  Every day Shep would wait at the station, waiting for his master to come home.  Many people took pity on Shep and tried to adopt him, but he would never stay, showing up every day to see if his owner had come back for him.  He did this daily for about 5 years until he died.  For a way better, more complete story, please click "HERE".  It's very touching.  I've always loved that story.

The Grand Union, built in 1882 was open for around 100 years before closing in the 1980's.  Some people from Montana bought it in 1997 and began the long process of restoring it to its former glory.  It is very beautiful inside and out. 

The buffet was out of this world!  They had 3 different seating times, with each time having a different menu.  Our menu consisted of a flatbread appetizer with carmelized onions, a spinach and strawberry salad, Turkish apricot cous cous, basil whipped potatoes, mixed vegetables, roasted chicken with a honey glaze, pork loin stuffed with blueberry stuffing, and a perfectly grilled flank steak with an ancho-chilli lime sauce.  The food was absolutely astounding. I couldn't pick out a single favorite.  It was unbelievable.  Oh and the dessert table!  It was so disgusting how we piled our plates up, but man was it yummy!  There was the caramel cheesecake.  Oh man. To die for.  And so many many other things I can't even think.  Needless to say we didn't need supper when we got home!  Mom and I had to take a little walk down the block and back.