Articles written by Mary Honrud
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Surviving and Thriving
I have survived my first week plus of this Whole Life Challenge. I am feeling better about my health and my stamina. Those two miles on the treadmill are being accomplished in slightly less time, partly because I’m walking faster and not feeling...
Trying to Get Healthier
While in Florida our daughter talked several times about a Whole Life Challenge she and her husband had done shortly before (and during) their trip to Israel. She was signed up for the next one and talked me into signing up also. The challenge...
It's Good to Be Home
We are home again with no immediate plans to return to Florida. It’s really nice to be sleeping in our own bed again. The air bed we slept on was good for two weeks, but wasn’t so great the third...
Gloating Bites Back
So my gloating about being in “sunny” Florida is rebounding on me, biting me in the backside, as well it should. It’s been very rainy the past couple of days, with areal flood warnings as well as a tornado watch. While we haven’t been...
Not Sorry This Time
We are heading off to Florida to have Christmas with our middle daughter and her family. This time Dennis is with me, having had his shoulder repair surgery and then receiving the doctor’s okay to travel. I’m sure we’ll have nicer weather...
Snow and Soup
Some of you might cluck your tongues at me, but I’ve already opened and used two of my this year’s Christmas presents. The snowblower arrived Thursday night, and was assembled by noon on Friday, and in use before dark. I’d have used it as soon...
This and That: Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
By the time you read this, we’ll have made another trip to and from Billings. There’s always a follow-up appointment after a surgical procedure. That’s a good thing. I appreciate a doctor who wants to make sure you’re healing well and followi...
Back to Regular Life
I have returned from sunny Florida to somewhat grey and gloomy northeastern Montana. It wasn’t as bad as I’d expected, although I found it rather chilly the first couple of days. Of course, I was lucky enough to be away for the record-breaking co...
Sunny Florida
Dear readers - I’m sending this dispatch via the magic of email from sunny Florida. I’ll try not to gloat about the fact that it has been in the 80s every day I’ve been here. Well, I’ll gloat a little bit, but I also realize I’m going to su...
Winter's Early Onset
A last mowing to suck up leaves from the lawn has been accomplished. The mower is stored for the winter, with the addition of a shot of Sta-bil in the gas tank to prevent gumminess next spring. All...
Mowing Leaves, Winds and Pesky Bugs
We did have our harvest festival potluck after church last Sunday, and the ginger carrot cake (recipe shared last week) turned out wonderful. Of course, as usual, there was too much food offered, and...
Indian Summer
Finally, we are enjoying some Indian summer. I wasn't sure if that was an allowed expression any longer, or if we'd gotten so P.C. that the term should now be "Native American summer," so I looked it...
Family Reunions Are Always Great Ways to Catch Up After Years Have Passed
We have been away from home for the past week, traveling for a family reunion. My two younger sisters made the arrangements, and since they both live in southeastern Missouri, that's where we went....
Winter in the Fall
Last week was not conducive to finishing my garden-clearing plans. Translation: the carrots are still in the ground. Or should I say, still in the mud? A couple more inches of heavy, wet snow fell...
End of Summer
It's official. Summer is over. We woke up to a light coating of snow this morning. Yuck, yuck, double-yuck! I'm never ready for the end of summer, but I'd rather ease into winter than get thrown in,...
Fall Has Arrived: Tomatoes and Green Beans
An unexpected early frost has pretty much ended my gardening for this year. It was late in the evening on a cold and rainy day when I realized it might freeze that night. A sense of fatalism set in,...
Cleaning the Garden?
It seems as though our hot summer weather has departed. I don't expect prolonged heat to return so I've taken our two window air conditioners out. They're stored for the winter. If we do get an...
Living in a Mess
Another week has passed me by, and I still haven't been able to do any housework. In fact, it's gotten to the point that once I do find the time I won't know where to start. Does anyone else face...
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
None of my plans for last week panned out. First off, while I had seriously contemplated dusting and vacuuming, Dennis decided we would make a run to town for various things on Monday. We headed down...
The Big Harvest and All the Go, Go, Go
There hasn't been much gardening or cooking done this past week as we've gone after harvesting our yearly income. When the wheat is ready to combine, that's what we do, almost to the exclusion of all...
Procrastination Rears Its Ugly Head Again
I feel like I've done a lot of dilly-dallying these past couple of weeks. I started painting rocks when it got too hot to work outside. Even though we've since had cooler days, I've continued staying...
Running Hot and Cold
This is being written on Monday morning, Aug.13. After enduring several days of extreme heat, I'm searching for my sweatshirt and beanie instead of a tank top and sun hat. I had planned to pick green...
A Case of Mistaken Identity
Since both the raspberries and green beans are slowing down, I've had a little time to look around more at the rest of the garden. I'm still picking some of both, but there aren't nearly as many to...
Raspberries and Beans: The Magical Fruits
I will admit to having been a bit hasty recently when crying about my poor raspberry crop. I was doing the opposite of “counting my chickens before they hatched”. I’m not sure what you call that, but I was seriously wrong. There are sections...
Gardening and Grandsons
My garden has been producing summer squash from those too many plants I put in. I took a couple of the round ones, along with a couple zucchini-type ones, and arranged them to form the eyes, nose,...
