Greetings from your friends at PNC! In my last article, I told you that Tanner Werven was the 2025 recipient of the Karen Nedry-Dearinger Award. This week, I would like to share with you a bit more about why he was chosen for this prestigious award. Tanner will also be featured on the ND Today Show in the segment “My Nice People of the Week” with Amanda Silverman. I think it will be aired on Monday Aug. 11, but at the time of this printing, I’m not completely sure, so keep your eyes open.

Attention students going into grades 1-6! from Aug. 11-15 from 9:00-2:00, pack a lunch and come join in the fun! Play practice for Pinocchio will be at the Walla Theater with a 3:00 performance on Friday Aug. 15!

There’s a case of Horse Fever going around my house… Amelia has been spending time with Hilary and Sassy at horse shows across the region, including several at the Sapa Arena. She even got to participate in the Deuce of August Horse Show. Lately, she’s been learning the ropes—literally and figuratively— thanks to “Aunt Hilary,” who has been giving her lessons and letting her tag along. At the Deuce, Amelia entered three leadline events: egg and spoon, barrels, and poles. She was thrilled to come in first in the egg and spoon and, if I remember right, placed third in poles. You should’ve seen the look on her face when she walked over with two prize envelopes totaling just over $12. Huge shout-out to Hilary for running like the wind next to her, now that’s commitment.

I have been hosting an annual garden tour for the past five years and I look forward to it every year! Garden tours are perfect for learning new techniques and methods to implement in your own garden. It’s a wonderful time to share advice with fellow gardeners and most of all, find inspiration for new plants to try!

Pushing around a mower helps get your steps in, but do we really need 10,000? I perused the garage looking for my heavy-duty clippers. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my situation, but I had no one to blame but myself.

Life is unpredictable and filled with uncertainties. Oftentimes, things work out fine, but as we all know, we can’t always avoid trouble.

August 13, 2025 – The Dakota Badlands played an important role in Theodore Roosevelt's life. He often said he never would have been President had it not been for his experiences in Dakota Territory. But what may be surprising is the immense role the Dakota Badlands also played in the lives of Roosevelt's children. None of Roosevelt's six children ever lived in Dakota, but their father's stories were enough to intrigue even the youngest mind. Ethel Roosevelt Derby, Theodore's fourth child and youngest daughter, was born on this date in 1891; several years after her father had given up active ranching in the Badlands. Growing up in Oyster Bay, New York, she and her siblings were often entertained with stories of Chimney Butte and the Elkhorn Ranch. In penning the foreword to a book on her father's work as a naturalist, Ethel wrote, 'We used to hear of the strange wild beauty of that country and of the pioneer virtues of the people who lived there. Men, women and children who were hardy, brave and self-reliant, who faced adventure and dangers of which we knew nothing.' They heard about the scarcity of wood, the long days and nights of the roundups, their father's favorite horse and the pleasure he found in a simple rocking chair in the cool of a summer evening. His stories inspired several exciting camping trips at Oyster Bay in an effort to recreate the Badlands experiences.

“I need you to stay out of the kitchen for a while. I am pressure canning green beans,” my mom would say.

I love zinnias. They are one of my favorite flowers. I interplant long rows of zinnias with my pumpkin and squash plants every year. Last year, as I was weeding the rows, I noticed a plant that had a striking difference from the rest. The plant was variegated. It had green leaves with strips of lightgreen and cream colors. Not missing the chance to experiment, I marked the plant, and last fall saved the seed separately. I started the seeds this spring.

Have you ever stood up too quickly and felt the room spin? Or rolled over in bed and suddenly felt like you were on a merry go round you didn’t ask to ride? Maybe you’ve started to notice you feel a little unsteady when walking or need to hold onto furniture “just in case.” If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. And more importantly, you are not without options.