Author Archives: minndixiemom
Self-Defense and Situational Awareness: Potentially lifesaving lessons from a former Navy Seal.
For years, I talked about enrolling our daughters, 10 and 12, in a self-defense class. One mass shooting after another (Sandy Hook, Aurora, Charleston, and Orlando, for instance) was shaking our nation. After each one, I, like so many others, … Continue reading
Thank you, Officer, for my speeding ticket
Reminders to slow down this Fourth of July and all year long It had been a fabulous weekend! Our daughters were in Atlanta helping a friend celebrate her 13th birthday. My sister, Heidi Hovland, made an impromptu trip to Huntsville, … Continue reading
Father’s Day 2016
Belated thanks and apologies to my late father, Gjert Andreas Hovland Dear Dad, This is my 14th Father’s Day without you. I remember when you first passed away on October 9, 2002. The hurt was not only emotional, but physical. … Continue reading
Hello. It’s me.
Hello from the other side. It’s been a long time since my last blog. Almost a year. A lot can happen in a year, including the release of Adele’s “25,” which surpassed 8 million sales by February. We are among the … Continue reading
Aladdin: Get Ready for a (magic carpet) Ride
When my oldest daughter started her journey with “Aladdin” earlier this summer, neither of us knew where it might lead. This theater business is hard work. Initially, she swore she would never do it again. Serina is a rising fifth grader at … Continue reading
A Mother’s Day Farewell
Mormor is headed back to Minnesota. They call ours the sandwich generation and we were a classic example. Only sometimes the bread crumbles and the sandwich falls apart. In July 2012, my mom, Sigrun Hovland, moved from Minneapolis to Huntsville, … Continue reading
Fun and Flurries: Snowmageddon 2015
This year, winter in Huntsville, Alabama has been rather uneventful. Then came Feb. 25 and 8.1″ of snow, the second snowiest in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service. While the roadways were deserted, Huntsville neighborhoods were buzzing … Continue reading
Eggland’s Best ‘Your Best Recipe’ contest winners announced
And the winner is… Congratulations to Lidia Haddadian! She takes the cake — and scored $11,000 — for the recipe she submitted in the Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe” contest. Haladdian’s culinary creation, Southwestern Chorizo Tostada Bites, helped her clinch $10,000 … Continue reading
Horse Crazy: The adventures of polocrosse
My oldest daughter is horse crazy. Serina, 9, rides at River Pine Farm every week, learning how to properly tack, untack, walk, canter and trot. But she’s also a horse “reader,” mentally consuming every horse-related book, fiction or nonfiction, she … Continue reading
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