ND Prairie Gypsy
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Custom Computer Wallpaper
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Continued Covid Recovery during Blizzard
Saturday I slept most of the day. As we’re in blizzard conditions all weekend, I was totally okay with burrowing into my blankets and resting. I was having bouts of chills and my feet were freezing all day so staying under my electric blanket helped. When I was awake, I read and scrolled on the computer. There were a couple YouTube videos on the Franciscan Secular Order that I’ve been wanting to watch and I finally got those watched. My son wanted me to do his taxes since he’d gotten his W-2, so I did that for him since he has a simple return. I did manage to give Blaze a good walk last night during a break in the weather before collapsing in bed for the night. We did a shortened version of our normal walk but he got some energy out. He was starting to get skittish towards the end and as it’s coyote mating season I was starting to worry about coyotes being in the neighborhood.
Today, Sunday, I actually had a small amount of energy. Temps were in the negatives so walking to church wasn’t an option and I watched it online. What a blessing having that option is now! We recently had Fr. Martin joined our parish and today was the first time I have heard him give a homily so that was exciting. My little sleeping area needed a freshening up and I also needed to do laundry as well since I haven’t had any energy. I really don’t like doing any housework on Sundays but even the disciples occasionally did things they weren’t allowed to do by Jewish law. Sometimes to refresh the spirit one needs to do a bit of cleaning. Poor Blaze went out to do his business and turned around and came right back in. It takes me 10-15 minutes to get all my cold weather gear on to have him decide in 30 seconds he wasn’t going out in that mess. Late in the afternoon I started having chills again so I crawled into bed for a nap.
This week I finished Inside the Cloistered Life Personal Letters of a Carmelite Nun by Sr. Marie of the Trinity and started St. Claire of Assisi The Unshakeable Faith and Miraculous Legacy of a Medieval Saint by Rev. Dominic Whitaker. St. Claire of Assisi and Mine is the Night are on Kindle Unlimited. I also started Mine is the Night One Perfect Murder Is Not Enough by Alex Wagner. I’ve been wanting to start a good mystery with either a nun or priest like Father Brown or Sister Bonafast and this has both. When I was too tired to read, I listened to Miss Marple mysteries on YouTube. I know they’re AI generated stories but they’re very relaxing to listen to.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Seeking silence
Have you ever asked God to help you with something and then totally missed the signs he was giving you in answer? I’ve been truly struggling with how to do my prayer time, devotional reading, and especially my time of silence. I’m really missing living by myself where I can control the chaos I allow around me while I’m temporarily living with my son and his family. I’m confessing that my prayer and reading time has come to almost a stand still and I’ve been praying that God will show me how to get time back to spend with him.
“Be silent and know I am God…” Psalm 46:10
Walking, especially our late evening walks, have been magical while I’ve been recovering from Covid. The nearly constant snowfall, watching the snowflakes float down, and marveling over the snow reflecting all the Christmas lights has distracted me. To try to be “productive” I’ve taken to listening to the Hallow app while walking thinking I was knocking two things out at once - yes I’m a recovering multi-tasker. I’ve realized this has been a losing battle as I get distracted by things on our walks or just block out the voice/s. Recently I turned Hallow on as we left for our evening walk and stopped at the end of the driveway and turned it off - I needed silence. It was nearly a physical pain, I was in such desperate need of silence - not just silence but God’s silence. It hurt at first since I’d gotten out of the habit of being in silence. I think when we’re most uncomfortable with silence shows how much we really need it.
While I was on this walk I was feeling uncomfortable that I should be doing something, praying or listening to something edifying - remember I’m a recovering multi-tasker. Suddenly I remembered having heard someone speak and say that PRAISING GOD IS PRAYER! Wow, it hit me then that my fascination with the beauty while walking was God showing me how to pray in silence. I didn’t need to be saying the Rosary or reciting prayers, I needed to be silent and let God in. This was my time to be with God and listen.
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Christmas 2025
Christmas Brunch:
Mimosas Buttery Biscuits Ham & Mushroom Quiche Fried Potatoes
Christmas Dinner:
Turkey Mashed potatoes & gravy Stuffing Green bean casserole Sautéed green beans Homemade oatmeal rolls Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream
I've been in North Dakota since 2012 and have moved to several different cities in that time. I'm single with a red tri Australian Shepherd (Aussie) to keep me company. Blaze is also a service dog to help me with balance issues that I developed after having a covid stroke back in 2021. I praise the Lord that my stroke was extremely minor and Blaze doesn't have to assist me as much as he used to. He continues to help me with my therapy by insisting on multiple walks every day - we walk about 2+ hours per day. My stroke was a couple months after having had my two hip replacements earlier that year. 2019-2022 were not great years health wise for me but I praise God that I'm healthy now with only minor issues from the stroke and other issues.
Other changes are that I'm currently living with my youngest son, his girlfriend, and my grandson, who is now 10. Hopefully it will only be temporary. I miss having my own space (and privacy). I do love the fact I currently live just a couple blocks from work and next door to a park with a wonderful walking trail that Blaze and I attempt to walk daily. Blaze and I love to stand on the pond dock and just watch the ducks. I bought an e-bike this summer and rode it everywhere, including work.
My biggest news would be that I had a face-to-face chat with God during my health issues and have converted to Catholicism, I was baptized into the church Easter of 2023. I know who would have thought the previous pagan would now be a very active Catholic! The tradition and beauty of the Catholic faith is what drew me. I watched a lot of YouTube videos while stuck in bed and videos by Fr. Mike started appearing in my video feeds and then he started a Bible In A Year series. I found a free Catholic bible at a thrift store and joined in. Next Bishop Robert Barron started showing up in my feed and it kept going from there. Sometimes God has to get your attention so he can speak to you and he had my full attention with being pretty much bedridden for over a year. I'll share more of my spiritual journey along the way.It's been a wonderful, although short chat, but I have Christmas dinner to work on. I pray you have a most blessed of holidays! ----Tammy
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Ramblings of Thanksgiving

I hope everybody had an awesome Thanksgiving. We took Jasper with us to Indiana for Thanksgiving. I'm so impressed with how well he did for being in the car so much. The trip each way was nearly 1000 miles plus all the driving we did while there. After getting caught in rush hour traffic in Minneapolis on the way there for nearly 3 hours, Mr. B was adamant we were going nowhere near a large city on the way back.
It was nice to see the family again. My aunt has been ill off and on for nearly a year now, including several hospitalizations, so it was important to get home and see her. My uncle came up from Alabama too. With my brother and his family and sister and her family, we were a gathering of 15 around the Thanksgiving table. My uncle gifted us all with homemade jellies and apple butter (yum). The jellies were made with beet water as a base. I'm loving the black raspberry beet jelly. Even Mr. B has been eating it, I just haven't mentioned the beet part. He also did a peach beet jelly that he used yellow beets to make. As I said, I just won't mention the beet part.
Wow, Plymouth has changed. It's been probably around 8 or 9 years since I was last there. I swear it doubles in size each time I go back. I wanted to take the lil dude over to the park but unfortunately, it rained Saturday and I wasn't able to. He could really have used some serious playtime with all the driving. I loved the park and spent most of my summers playing there. I loved walking my dogs along the trails by the river. The city pool was also located in the park and I spent a lot of time there also. Mom still remembers one of the last times I was back and my spending so much time in the park walking them. Man do I miss those pups, I sometimes wonder if the heartache of losing those 3 pups will ever lessen.
On Friday we drove down to Monterey and showed Mr. B where I lived. First, we had to stop and get a haircut for the lil dude as my son hadn't gotten it cut like I'd requested him to. He looked adorable afterward. We drove by Culver Military Academy and drove around the lake. I don't think I've been to Monterey since I was about 10 or so years old. Some things have changed as you can imagine but yet surprisingly some were the same. I remembered the bar, the post office, the school, and the library. I hadn't realized the school there had closed. We also drove by the farm. Mom had told me my step-uncle had stopped milking cows but I hadn't realized he'd torn down most of the milking barn. It looked so different!
Afterward, we headed over towards Breman to a store called Rentown. It's an Amish owned and run store. I wish we'd taken the truck so I could have loaded up with supplies there to bring back! The prices were crazy low compared to what I have to pay here in North Dakota.Jasper saw an Amish woman putting out cheese into the cooler and went over and picked one out. I cut it up for us to nibble on for the drive home. After Jasper took his first bite of the cheese he'd chosen he grabbed the whole container and said "mine!" I grabbed some German-style bologna for Mr. B. I bought a package that was at least a pound for less than $3 - it cost me $5.50 for a package at the store the last time I bought bologna at the store. I picked up several spices and herbs that I knew I needed.
Our next stop was a little scratch and dent store in Wakarusa, also Amish owned and operated. I picked Jasper up some of the gummy fruit snacks for $1.50 a box. Mom and my uncle picked up several things while here. I knew we didn't have a lot of space so I didn't buy very much. My uncle bought my mom a case of grapefruit for $13. My uncle stocked up on stuff to take back with him at both stores.
Our last stop was at another Amish business, Kuhn Orchard, to get apple cider, the real stuff - not the store pasteurized stuff. I bought honey as well and my uncle picked up some pickles, honey and apple cider vinegar.
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Reminiscing of Falls in Maine...
YUMMY AND WARMING FOOD:
READING:
I think I might have finished a couple more audiobooks but I can't remember which ones. I'm currently listening to the following books.

Sunday, October 13, 2019
Winter Started in October this Year!!!!
| Looking out window at work Yes, the snow drift is all the way to the roof! |
| A deer eating at the start of the storm |
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
AUGUST RAMBLINGS ....
GRANDKIDS:
READING/AUDIOBOOKS:
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| From TV series |
I also ordered a used copy of Trim Healthy Mama Plan off Amazon and the Audible version. I want to get the spiral cookbooks but at over $30 a piece that's a chunk of change so I'm going to investigate Ebay and see if I can find them cheaper. Since my injury, in February, I have packed on extra poundage, which I wasn't surprised about since I was laid up on the couch for over two months. I thought when I started working again I'd drop it but I only dropped a few pounds and the rest needs to go! I've experimented with possibly doing Keto but I've noticed major mood swings every time I've tried to start it. From the research I've done recently I think this approach might be a better option. I'll keep you updated! They sound like a hoot on the podcast I listened to so I added them to my subscribed podcast list. I've been neglecting my podcast though due to my addiction to Agatha Raisin. Tuesday, July 30, 2019
JUNE & JULY RAMBLINGS!
| This truck actually runs and drives! |
TRAVELS:
GARDENING:
READING:
The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran, read by Tom Pile (Audiobooks)
The Miracle Groom by Lucy McConnell (Kindle Unlimited)
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (Audible)
The Enchanged April by Elizabeth von Amim (Audible)
Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by M. C. Beaton (Chirp)
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M. C. Beaton (Chirp)
Made with Love by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore (Kindle)
The Jane Austen Diet by Brian Kozlowski (Kindle)
Custom Computer Wallpaper
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I hope everybody had an awesome Thanksgiving. We took Jasper with us to Indiana for Thanksgiving. I'm so impressed with how well ...











