A place to call home

I'm thinking not everyone has a place to call home. Sure, everyone has a house, an apartment, perhaps parents and siblings, but not everyone has a place to call home. I do. What a gift. What's home? Well, last night we went to Wishek to see Dakota Air - a program by Merril Piepkorn that airs on Prairie Public Radio. We went for two reasons - okay maybe more. It's been a long and snowy winter in North Dakota and without much daylight, one feels the need to stick close to home. Also, I have been working every weekend since the beginning of March. Not that that's a bad thing, but boy, I need a couple of days off in a row to recoup. So, we decided to go see a show. Sure it would have been easier to see the show at Belle Mehus in Bismarck when it was here, but it wasn't home.
By making the drive in some of the most beautiful rolling prairie this state offers, not only did we feel entertained but, for me, it was like going home. The community center was filled to the gills with uncles, aunts, cousins, second cousins, my mom's cousins, second cousins once removed and friends. It was a blast. I wish I could have stayed all night - however, we barely made it home by midnight and I'm on the road again today - traveling to Valley City for the movie FRESH.
It's a movie about food - and let's face it - those Germans from Russia love to eat. In fact I baked 12+ kuchen yesterday and four pies before we went to dine in a small restaurant in Linton. Only to find out that the fireman were having a fund raiser in Wishek and we missed it. Not to mention the homemade food for $8 bucks or less.
Seeing everyone was awesome, but what really hit home the most was Ron Vossler. He was from Wishek and is a professor at UND. His work with the heritage and history of the Germans from Russia really has made me appreciate my heritage. I didn't when I was young and I regret not getting to know my family in a deeper way before they all retired, moved off the farm or moved away. And, yes, some have passed... but the reality is our family is blessed by longevity - and food.
Ron talked about wurst - and if you come over to my house I will try and say that with the spice and smoke that he did although I did not have the opportunity to learn how to speak German as a youngster. It save me from the German accented English, but I would love to be able to speak that language. Hearing him tell jokes, sliding in and out of English to German and back again made me long for the days around the kitchen table where English was the second language. I could go on and on about how wonderful the evening was - topped with pieces of prune and rhubarb kuchen before bedtime, but I must be getting ready to travel again in about an hour or so...
Here is a photo of the St. Andrews Centennial Choir - part of the evening. If you go to this website, you can find the broadcast schedule. And if you have never heard a joke told in German before, you need to listen to the show. It was hilarious and I would make the trip again in a heartbeat. Until next time... Gut Essen.