It was one morning in June last summer when our phone rang, and my brother, Jeff, from Arizona called. He wanted to treat me with a special birthday gift in November, but I just had to get out to Arizona to enjoy it! He was reserving tickets for himself and his wife, Jane, to see a live performance by the Minnesota storyteller himself, Garrison Keillor. And would Dan and I like to be their guests? I told him YES, WE WOULD LOVE IT…but I would have to check with my farmer husband, because November 17th is sometimes too close to harvest time.
Dan told me he would have to think about it, but when I asked him again in just a few hours he consented and said to “go for it”. For the rest of the summer and fall I have been anticipating a fun birthday get away in the Arizona sun. Little did I know it would not only be a great time, but we would actually miss the first winter snow storm! Special thanks to those left behind who did the chores and kept the animals corralled.
We had a grand evening in downtown Scottsdale, singing along and laughing with Mr. Keillor. I have always enjoyed his stories on the radio, but I did not know he had such a soft, mellow singing voice. His performance was two and one-half hours, without any kind of intermission. It was amazing and so entertaining. He is seventy-four years old, but suffered a stroke at the age of seventy-two. He shared about that experience and the time he spent in the Rochester Mayo Clinic. If he has side effects from that illness, they certainly weren’t visible on stage!
Before and after this special day we enjoyed time with friends and also our daughter, Ranell, in Yuma, AZ. The night before my actual birthday a few of us enjoyed supper out and the movie, Hacksaw Ridge. It was powerful and emotionally stirring for me to see. The movie takes place in 1945 in Okinawa, and is based on a true story. It brought up many memories of my father, who was a World War II veteran, and an added appreciation for all those who have given of their time and lives to fight for our country.
When Sunday arrived we attended church with our daughter who is a Church Administrator and also the Director of Children’s Ministries in Yuma at her church. We’ve been there several times so it is always fun to catch up with those we have met before. While taking part in watching a children’s talent show one of the evenings at the church, we purchased some pretzels that became addictive! I will give you the recipe below to enjoy, maybe with your family and friends during this upcoming holiday season. I pray that your Thanksgiving celebration will be relaxing and blessed, full of great family time, and making some new memories. We will have all of our 15 grandkids at our home celebrating this year…YAY!!
Garlic Ranch Pretzels
One 16 oz. jar of Redenbacher’s Popcorn Oil
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix (dry)
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 large packages of any shaped pretzels (twists or sticks work fine)
Whisk oil, dip mix and garlic power in small bowl. Place each bag of pretzels in a large Tupperware bowl. Pour half of the oil mixture over each bowl of pretzels. Cover, shake and stir for 24 hours until pretzels are well-coated and ‘dry’. Enjoy!
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