Our 45th Anniversary

August 6, 1966

I guess it is most surprising to us...that today we are married 45 years.  The number seems to suggest a long, long time ago.  But, in fact, it does not seem that far in the past.

To our beautiful daughters and their husbands, to our four beautiful grandchildren, thanks for the wonderful years of memories.  And to our friends, we look forward to being together with you all for many  years to come.

Off to the Bahamas!

My Blog Anniversary Winner!!

I have been overwhelmed with the response and words of kindness on my blog anniversary.  You will never know how I wish I could give each and every one of you this cookbook.  It is a beautiful book of the many lives that were driven out of Europe because of religious persecution, only to finally find "home" in Iowa.  I know all of you would enjoy reading it as well as trying some of the outstanding recipes.

So many of you are bloggers from when I started and found you and you found me.  Several of us even email each other when there are blogging problems, so I feel I have gotten to know so many of you.

Then there are the newer bloggers that have found me.  Every blog is different because every personality shines through so beautifully.  Of course, there are some old friends, a former high school teacher,  a friend of my daughter who has spent time in our home, bloggers from England, France and yes, a new friend from Sweden.  I am so pleased she commented.

That being said, I chose a winner by putting all your names into a hat, the old-fashioned way, and I had the Trout "fish" one out.  I thought that was quite appropriate.

I am so pleased to announce that the recipient of Seasons of Plenty is  KATHLEEN from

Cuisine Kathleen.  Kathleen send me your physical address and I will put this in the mail today.


Some of you have asked if this book is available elsewhere.  Check Amazon here to pick up your own copy.

Pictures I promised

In August when I posted that it was our wedding anniversary, we were in Montana and I did not have access to old pictures. I promised some of my oldest friends, those who were at our wedding, specifically, that I would post our wedding picture. You have to be in the time mode. This was August, 1966. Our country was not in the best of shape with Vietnam happening, etc. But, for a couple of young kids, (actually we were 22 and 21) we were setting out on the trip of a lifetime.
One short year later, we would not be able to spend our first anniversary together. Uncle Sam called loud and clear. This is a photo taken while a friend and I drove from Iowa to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to surprise our husbands. I learned first hand that the Army has many rules and one is that you do not make surprise visits.

Someone there had a heart and gave us time together. And as luck has it, after basic training, the Trout got orders for Germany instead of Vietnam.

These pictures bring back many memories. How quirky is it that I am wearing a military type shirt also?

August 6, 1966

That was the day Trout and I got married. It's been quite a journey since then. We actually had set August 12 for the wedding, but a week before I ordered the invitations, my brother, Corwin, a lieutenant in the Air Force, got orders for Vietnam and he was leaving around the 10th of August.

So, we moved it up, because the wedding really wasn't so much about us as it was about our family and friends and I needed my only sibling to be there. Then, we had this other problem which has always been a joke between us. Lyndon Johnson was in the White House and his daughter, Lucy, was getting married August 6 and we knew it would mess up our invitation list something terrible!

It was a candlelight wedding at 7 p.m. Good thing I planned that, because the Trout had all his college buddies down for the wedding and as was custom in those days, the bachelor party was the night before the wedding. I doubt any of the guys, including the groom, would have arrived at an earlier wedding.

Wedding cake and coffee at the church and then we went to my parents' home for a real "German" celebration with food and beer.

Another coincidence with Lucy, was that she and her new husband were honeymooning in Nassau. Well. we drove to Miami and then flew to Nassau also that week. I think they were staying in the higher priced living quarters!

I wish I had a wedding picture to show you because when you have been married that long, those pictures are such hoots! The pictures are all in Florida, so next year I will have to show you what we looked like then.

So, we are heading to Missoula for another dinner again tonight. We are meeting dear Montana friends and it will be an enjoyable evening.