Native American Day

It may be Columbus Day where you are, but here in South Dakota it is Native American Day. Hey, I think I blogged about this before - isn't a blog cool!

When we lived here in Rapid City the last time, I knew there were Reservations around, but we never ever went to one. I wasn't even sure if you were allowed to drive to a Reservation. Did you need a special ID card or something?

We also never went to a Pow Wow or ate Indian Fry Bread. That's not true. I have eaten Fry Bread. Yum!

When we were in Hawaii, we really loved having the opportunity to learn about different cultures and get to know people from all over the place. It was strange to come back to the mainland and go to church with all white people, and see just older white guys sitting up in front of the chapel (The Bishopric)

We felt bad that we hadn't taken advantage of the opportunity in SD to learn more about the Lakota/Oglala Sioux people.

All this to say that our family has a really great assignment for our church. We had been asked to attend church in the tiny little town of Kyle, SD once a month. Kyle, SD is on the Pine Ridge Reservation, about an hour and a half from here.

Last month, our first time going out, we totally got lost. We found the address for the Kyle Branch Building on LDS.org, but our GPS led us to a little neighborhood, not to a church. We drove around the neighborhood about 3 times, seeing the same dogs and waving at the same grandpa... Then we asked a police man where the Mormon church was. He directed us to a Catholic Church.

At that point we were late. And feeling a little stressed.

We found a gas station and got directions to the tiny little Mormon Church.

It is the smallest Mormon Church I have ever seen.

There were people waiting for us, and we had a really nice service.

Yesterday was our second trip to Kyle for church. We knew where we were going and arrived early, and waited. No one came. Until right at 10am, when everyone arrived. Lots of people. There were almost 30 of us!

Hannah played the piano, we had the Sacrament, we learned about Temples, Testimonies were shared, and I really felt the Spirit. It is a blessing for our family to have this opportunity.

Then we had a pot luck! Sister Chang's Stew was a hit, and someone brought the most amazing cinnamon rolls. The drive home was beautiful - the fall colors across the prairie and the Badlands were perfect. It was a great day. I'm looking forward to our next trip...no special ID needed!

on why a blog is cool

It has been about 8 months since I last updated my poor blog. I'm going to blame it on the move and the home improvement show happening in our house. Moving makes me a little depressed. House projects are dangerous.

I SHOULD blog about the amazing fall weather in Rapid City

I SHOULD change my blog name back to Rapid Life - did we really live in Hawaii for 3 whole years? Waimea Bay? are you just a dream?

I SHOULD post photos of all the cool stuff Nathan has done to our 1970's dream house. Emily say's Nathan needs his own tv show. She's right, he is totally amazing.

I SHOULD sign up for a facebook account since I promised Kelley I would...for christmas...

sorry Kelley...

I AM going to write about how my blog saved my bacon. (or rump roast?)

I need to make stew for tomorrow. It is very important that I have a huge pot of stew ready by 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.

I started searching for a good stew recipe, but I couldn't find exactly want I needed. I wanted Sister Chang's Beef Stew recipe.

Sister Chang is an amazing cook. And when the Wahiawa YW needed stew for anything, we asked Sister Chang. She could whip up the best beef stew you ever had. You cannot beat Sister Chang's beef stew, eaten in a parking lot in downtown Honolulu, after walking around the City Lights at Christmas. Ono!

I googled beef stew, best beef stew, tomato beef stew, hawaiian beef stew, pioneer woman beef stew.... you get the picture.

I printed off a couple of recipes, but I none of them were quite what I wanted.

Then I remembered that one time I actually made Sister Chang's beef stew. She gave me the recipe after Sacrament Meeting one week so I could make stew for something with the young women.

I ran upstairs and searched through my pile of recipe cards and scrap papers. No beef stew recipe.

Then I started jotting down notes from memory - tomato sauce, cabbage, oyster sauce, etc. But I'm not the kind of cook who can just throw stuff together and have it turn into a hearty stew.

THEN I thought I should maybe search my blog.

And I did.

and I found it!

Thank you Sister Chang! Your stew is going to be perfect. I hope... I wonder if you can get oyster sauce in Rapid City, SD?

That's why a blog is cool. You can find stuff you forgot you had.

but only if you write about it in the first place....

Goal number 1. Just write. nothing fancy.

see you soon!