Mountrail County Promoter - Columnists

A Day Trip To Bismarck
Dale and I were debating what to do last weekend. Looking ahead at the postseason winter sports schedules, we know that most of our weekends will be busy. We talked about going to Minot on Saturday, running a few errands and then having dinner. It would be a day we could spend together just taking it easy.
Then Dale suggested a trip to Bismarck. He had something he wanted to look at there, but it would also be a chance to see Amanda, Zach and the kids. That busy schedule also means we won’t have much of a chance to do that for several weeks either.
We took off in the morning and I made a stop at Starbucks for coffee in Minot. I should know better because I know it will mean more frequent stops, but I also knew I needed the caffeine.
We stopped in Max and put gas in the car. Then we stopped in Wilton out of necessity for me. I’m sure that was God moving in my life.
I walked into the Cenex at Wilton and one of the first faces I saw was Jana Hennessy. For those who are unaware, Jana’s son Martin Heberlie, who plays for Berthold, was injured this fall in a football game. He suffered a frightening injury that led to multiple doctors and months of therapy. Last month, they went to Mayo Clinic where Martin received a more definitive diagnosis. His spinal cord has healed, but his nerves, muscles and brain were not communicating right. Mayo’s therapy helped him get back out of his wheelchair and on the path to recovery.
I hugged Jana and she whispered that Martin was there. I waited with her to see him come walking across the room. I wanted to cry, I was so excited for him. I gave him a hug and told him how much I had been hoping and praying for this day.
I finished up in the Cenex and got back in my car to tell Dale what had happened and how that was so good for my soul. I know how many prayers have been lifted up for their family and this was proof that prayers work. In a world full of so much bad news and sorrow, this ray of hope was just what I needed.
We made our way into Bismarck and ran our errand. Then it was off to Amanda and Zach’s house. The grandkids were waiting for us and were so excited to see us. That might have been in part because I had agreed to go the St. Mary’s Carnival with them.
We went off to the carnival while Dale and Zach ran to Best Buy and got a snack. Jozie and Abel paired off with me, while Carter paired off with Amanda. We spent a couple of hours at the carnival, going from booth to booth as they tried to earn prizes. There was a prohibition on the goldfish booth. Apparently, Amanda and Zach were not ready to deal with goldfish yet again. Also apparently, some of the kids’ friends’ parents might have felt the same way. More than one “offered” a goldfish to the kids.
We had some cotton candy. There were a few trips around the cake walk. Most of all, though, there were happy faces as we helped them raise money for their school. I might have gotten “snookered” when the kids told me how many tickets I should buy for them, but they sure had a good time.
We went directly from the carnival to Texas Roadhouse for supper. Dale and Zach met us there. It was barely past 4:30 when we got there, but because we were a group of seven it would be about 45 minutes before we got a table.
We sat in the car and looked at the kids’ treasures from the day. We visited about all of our busy schedules. Mostly, we just spent the time together. We had a great supper and then Dale and I got back in the car to head home.
I love that the kids are only as far away as Bismarck. Sure, I would love to have them even closer, but Bismarck is close enough for a day trip. We can get up in the morning, spend time together and still come back home if we aren’t making a weekend trip. Spending time with Amanda, Zach, Carter, Jozie and Abel is also good for my soul.
As Seen On Facebook
I leave you this week with the following post I found early in January this year. It is attributed to motivation.app. I find myself stressing more than I should. Often it is over little things, things I can’t change or things that are not that important. I find myself wrapped up in more than one of the following “10 quotes to keep you calm when you feel stressed out” at times.
1. Don’t chase, don’t beg, don’t stress, don’t be desperate, just relax. When you relax, it will come to you. Make your wants want you.
2. Nobody is worth stressing over. People come and go. Move on and go find yourself, the world is yours. Life goes on.
3. Relax, beautiful soul. It will all work out for you.
4. You are stronger than you think. You have gotten through every bad day in your life, and you are undefeated.
5. If you can’t change it, let it go.
6. Whatever is worrying you right now, forget about it. Take a deep breath, stay positive and know that things will get better.
7. Don’t cry over the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful.
8. Overthinking is the biggest cause of unhappiness.
9. One day, you’ll look back at this time in your life and be so proud of yourself for never giving up.
10. Breathe. It’s just a bad day, not a bad life.