Back to Back to Back
This Christmas was difficult without Mom so I was extremely grateful for the distraction of the NDSU Bison Football. The team had a great season and they headed into the FCS playoffs as the undefeated, favorite, returning back to back champions, and I was able to watch most of their games on TV, even here in VA.
I shouldn't admit I was trying to skip Christmas, but truth is, I was. Without Mom, it felt empty as hers was the gift each year that caused me the most anxiety and excitement. But, she would have wanted us to celebrate the birth of Christ and exchange gifts, so we did. The scale was smaller, but the love was big.
As the shopping and cleaning pressed on, so did the Bison. The team literally sprinted through the post season defeating each team in a very commanding fashion. No one got close and the road to the National Championship game in Frisco, TX was being paved with delirious Bison fans and an amazing team as January 4th, Championship Saturday approached. I was about to join Bison Nation.
My cousin Allen from North Dakota wondered if I was planning to attend the game, and texted me to find out. At that time, I didn't have plans to go, but he and Lisa did and they would be taking their Ginormous Motor Home. They offered me a spot in it for sleeping and tailgating and I decided to explore the possibilities. The tickets to the game were expensive, the tickets to the Pep Fest were selling out and airline tickets were mostly unreasonable, except if I were to fly out of BWI (Baltimore Washington International) in Towson U's back yard. Towson was the competition for the national championship game, and that idea offered its own unique appeal.
When Tom came looking for me that Sunday afternoon I was holed up in our bedroom re-watching the Towson and Eastern Washington game on DVR TV like a crack addict. I asked him if I should abandon my fantasy to attend the National Championship Game in Frisco, TX. He said, "NO, don't abandon the fantasy, GO! This is a once in a life time opportunity!" At that point I was giddy with excitement and started looking for tickets for real.
A couple hours later I had tickets for the game, the pep rally and flights out of BWI and an Amtrak ticket to get me to BWI and back from Fredericksburg, VA. The stage was set!
Suddenly the Bison Migration included me and the motto, "We Roam Like it's Home" was my motto too! The Bison were favored by 13 points so the 3-peat was very possible, in fact, barring some unexpected event, it was quite likely. Things were going as planned.
The morning I was to depart the ground in VA was covered with fresh icy snow. The roads had been cleared but they were icy. Zach and I made it to the train station at 6:45 AM without any problems and my train to BWI Station was on time. While I waited for my flight to board I talked with the Schuster family from Maryland who's son was a senior on the Towson team. There was a spirit of cooperation and happiness on both sides as we were all sure our teams would win. My flight arrived in Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) on time and my cousin Allen, his wife Lisa and Allen's college roommate Don picked me up and we headed for the Pep Fest. There were 10,000+ Bison Fans in attendance on Friday night just to scream, yell, sing the school song and more. The Gold Star Marching Band, the Governor, one Senator, the Mayor of Frisco, hundreds of returning NDSU football players, special videos, a Fargo country rock band called 32 Below, and a complete fireworks display made the night fabulous. But the most excellent part was the crowd of best friends from NDSU. I saw home town friends, college friends, people who knew my family, and people I didn't know at all, but we were really united in our hopes for a Bison Victory. Everyone there was a brother, sister, friend or neighbor of someone I knew.
After the pep rally we went out to restaurants and bars that were completely taken over by NDSU. The restaurant and pub owners completely catered to us as we came in such a Thundering Herd and apparently have a reputation of spending money on food and drink from our two previous years in Frisco at this championship game. The barmaids, bar tenders, and waitresses were wearing Bison T-shirts! The restaurants were decorated with Bison logos! The specials were all about us and we really showed up. What a night!
Then came Saturday morning and the tailgating party. Bison faithful fans packed huge parking lots with buses, vans, pickups, motor homes, and more. The number of Charter Buses was astounding, the number of NDSU BISON buses all painted in green and yellow was beyond my wildest dreams. The NDSU Fan Base was all there in crazy Bison clothes, shirts, jackets, wind breakers, overalls, t-shirts, sweatshirts and goofy hats. The place was electric. The Gold Star Marching Band marched through the tailgating area, the Governor and Senator were posing for pictures with fans, the Alumni Association was there in full force and the whole event was fabulous.
Then came the game. As we worked our way to the stadium from the parking lot it was obvious that NDSU fans outnumbered Towson fans by a large margin. In fact, of the 19,802 fans in attendance, 17,000+ were from NDSU. It was rumored that Towson's pep rally was attended by 350 fans, so it safe to say that they might have had 1000 fans at the game. The other 1000 fans were FCS and conference devotees who were there to see the underdog win or to witness history. It was history they got to witness.
NDSU started out slow and eventually scored the first touchdown in the first quarter. Towson answered with 7 points of their own and we were tied for a while. Towson looked to be holding their own for as we headed into the second quarter, but that's when the Bison opened it all the way up. By half time we were up 21 to 7 and it finished with a Bison 3-peat National Championship victory of 35 to 7. Powerful! Commanding! Awesome! Our Bison did it again and had an undefeated season with a National Championship. Being in that stadium during that victory was the best. It was as if we were at home in the Fargo Dome. We owned it from the first whistle and even won all the little silly games at halftime. We are BisoNation and we have earned our spot in history. I love my school.
Go Bison! I'll never forget this experience as long as I live.
One year later....
The likelihood of winning a fourth National Championship (back to back to back to back) is small. Even the best teams try and can't repeat that many times, but it can be done. The Bison lost only one game in the 2014 football season and weren't rated #1 most of the year, but winning is a tradition at NDSU and they wanted to give themselves the shot.
With tremendous competition in the playoffs including a last minute victory over SDSU in the dome, the Bison earned their way to the FCS National Championship game again. The rival this time was Illinois State University and they had a quarterback and running back who had each made significant statements coming into the big game. Their only loss came to the same Northern Iowa team who defeated the Bison in season, so their records were the same. The Bison had to really bring it if they were going to repeat...again.
Game dame came, and I was there with my generous cousins Lisa and Allen. We had FUN with the thousands of NDSU fans at the pep rally, restaurants, clubs, tailgating and more. The stadium filled up with about 17,000 NDSU fans and about 3,000 determined fans from Illinois State U. We witnessed a game for the ages as NDSU battled to remain the champions of the FCS and win the Missouri Valley Conference. The game came down to the final minutes and through major heroics from the Bison Offense, we won! We stormed the field, collected our trophy, took pictures and cautiously peaked ahead to what would be slight (enormous!) pressure to field another championship team in the fall of 2015.
Back to Back to Back to Back! We did it! We are the BISON from North Dakota State University!
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
The Tie That Binds - Blessed Be!
The Tie That Binds
The dust motes floated in the sunlight that shone through the south dining room window as the winter afternoon wore on. I couldn't wait for the older kids to come home from school that day and frankly Mom couldn't either. I was irritating her with questions, looking for things to do, and just biding time until my three older siblings would arrive home, courtesy of our Uncle Duane Green. I was 5 years old and at that time, kindergarten was a short summer program taught by the first grade teacher prior to first grade. So I spent my 5 year old kindergarten year at home with my Mom as my teacher. She was a really good one. We enjoyed that pre-school year together but I'm not sure who enjoyed it more.
Back to School
When fall arrived the older siblings went off to school while Dad, Grandpa Green, Uncle Ralph and the farm helpers finished the harvest and field work. Mom and I hung out together on the farm. Naturally, I was disappointed that I couldn't go to school too, but Mom promised me we'd have fun. I remember our laundry days, our grocery shopping outings, and the house cleaning that kept us busy. But there were a few days that stood out and we really did have fun that year.
Our Harvest Adventure
Mom was a really amazing truck driver who loved to help with harvest and I got to ride along in her potato and sugar beet trucks for many many loads. She followed directions, could match the speed of the harvester perfectly, could keep the moving truck in the exact right spot to get a perfect load, and back the truck into the long dark potato bin each and every time. She was charming, fun, looked cute in her jeans and wore pretty lipstick. She was really determined to contribute to a safe, efficient and effective harvest. She was driven, smart, and had a sense of purpose. She was a bit competitive and would try to gain on the other truck drivers by being accurate and consistent, while staying safe. I loved riding in her truck.
Stan's Cafe
I remember a day when we had to go shopping in Grafton, ND about 15 miles away. I don't recall what we were shopping for, but I remember when we finished it was near lunchtime and we were still in Grafton. Mom suggested we should go to lunch. I was amazed and delighted with the prospect because eating out at a restaurant, alone with my Mom, with none of the big kids in attendance was unheard of. She said it would be our secret and I couldn't believe my luck. I was practically holding my breath with excitement as we walked into Stan's Cafe. The smells were amazing and it was full of people, many who knew Mom and made comments about her little lunch date. Mom was very pretty and even then I could see the way people looked at her. She charmed them without trying because she was very attractive and I imagined us to be quite a team of cuties. To those who asked, she smiled and explained we were just girlfriends having lunch together. I was beaming. We sat down in our booth and I didn't have a clue what to order. Previously when Mom and Dad would take us all out to restaurants, I'd ask my Dad what I could order. Dad would always say, "Anything you want, honey." I wondered if those rules applied to "a lunch date with girlfriends." I asked my Mom what I should order and she suggested the hot roast beef sandwich. She knew I loved mashed potatoes with gravy, and roast beef was familiar and delicious. I had never had a "hot roast beef sandwich" but I took her advice. It was delicious! It was fabulous! My first ever girlfriend lunch with my mom (or anyone!) was incredible. I felt like a princess.
Riding Flicka
Another shopping trip brought us back to Grafton's main street and I really wanted to ride the little horse carousel at Earl's Shoe Store. The mini carousel was a kid ride of four horses that went in a tight circle and it was quite a thrill. We didn't need to buy shoes that day, but I wanted to ride the horses anyway. I asked and Mom clearly stated that the horse ride was for paying customers. I didn't understand because I saw other kids enjoying the ride. Mom explained that Earl, of Earl's Shoe Store, had the horses there for his customers and when we were customers we could ride. At that point I could hardly wait until we would need Easter shoes, but Mom taught me we needed to wait. My favorite horse in the little carousel was named Flicka, and Flicka would just have to wait.
Singing at the Top of our Lungs
When Christmas time rolled around, I was Mom's shopping girlfriend and sidekick. She had a lot of Christmas shopping to do so we made many trips to Grafton. I believe I was properly distracted by wise sales clerks when certain items would get checked out and bagged. Other times I was sworn to secrecy. I remember one cold winter day riding home around the Auburn curve singing "City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style...in the air there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing....."at the top of our lungs. Mom knew all the words and we sounded SO good in the car. We laughed and sang along with the radio to the next songs too. We were girlfriends on a shopping trip and my Mom was the best "girlfriend" ever!
Robin's Four Eggs
One spring morning she explained to me that a robin was a bird with a red tummy also known as a red breast. She explained that robins were one of the first birds we'd see in the spring on the farm as they migrated back to build their nests and raise their families. Mom said that I should look for one. She even said if I saw the first robin of the spring, I'd get a Snickers mini candy bar! That got me thoroughly engaged in the lesson. She went on to say robin's eggs were a beautiful blue and the lucky momma birds often laid four eggs in the nest, although some moms only got three. Being the fourth child in our family of four kids, this was very exciting news for me and I considered my mother one of the lucky ones who got four babies as I smugly enjoyed that part of the lesson. She observed my satisfied grin and added a hug at that point in this excellent science lesson. Eventually I got so focused on finding this spring robin that I parked myself at the back porch window on a stool and waited and stared. It was still cool outside and Mom was finishing housework. I waited, I watched, and finally I spotted a bright red breasted robin! I screamed with joy and Mom came running, just in time to see it by the tree, hopping along in search of food in the back yard. She gave me a big warm hug and a smile of enormous approval. She congratulated me on my persistence and went to retrieve the Snickers candy bar. Victory is so sweet.
Renae's Bike
My Mom loved her family and especially her sister Lorraine in Drayton. If the work was done or when we were finished at the laundromat, we would get to go have "coffee" with Lorraine. Lorraine would make coffee, whip up a delicious cake, sweet bread, or cookies to go along with the coffee and visit with Mom and me. Lorraine's youngest daughter Becky would play with me a little, but I was 5 and she was 2, so sometimes she'd need a nap while we visited. If that was the case, I'd get to try to ride my older cousin Renae's little blue bicycle on the driveway while Mom and Lorraine visited some more. I remember wondering if it was ok for me to be out there on the driveway by myself, but they were listening and watching me as they visited. I think they knew when I fell into Aunt Lorraine's pretty bee filled gladiolas, and honestly it happened more than once. I persisted and it was on Renae's little bike, while she was at school, with the bees in the hollyhocks, that I learned to ride a bike. I'm sure Mom, Aunt Lorraine and little Becky were impressed.
Blessed Be the Tie that Binds
And then came the day that I was particularly impatient waiting for Laurie, Rob, and Pam to come home from school. The sun shone in on the dust motes and I waited impatiently for the big kids. Mom had done all that she could to keep me entertained. Finally, in what I remember as slight frustration on her part, she took me to the piano for a lesson. She told me about one of Grandma Sophie Mattson's favorite hymns and proceeded to teach me to play "Blessed Be the Tie that Binds." I learned to play it with one finger and played it for the rest of the afternoon. She taught me the words too, because they were important to Grandma Sophie. We sang it at the top of our lungs and it was our song and is to this day.
Lessons Learned
Maybe she got more done when I was eagerly waiting to spot the robin. Maybe she had more time with her sister while I was learning to ride my cousin's bike. Maybe she found a moment of peace while I was practicing our song on the piano. But I know I learned patience, respect, and love of my Lord by and through her example.
Blessings
Last night at Bible Study Fellowship we sang Blessed Be the Tie That Binds. Naturally I thought of Mom, Grandma Sophie, Aunt Lorraine, Cousins Becky and Renae, Laurie, Robert, Pam, Dad, Uncle Ralph, Grandpa and Grandma Green, all the other cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who share my faith. I shed a tear while singing along and then a smile of pure joy. Thanks Mom, you were a great teacher, wonderful girlfriend, and super Mom.
The dust motes floated in the sunlight that shone through the south dining room window as the winter afternoon wore on. I couldn't wait for the older kids to come home from school that day and frankly Mom couldn't either. I was irritating her with questions, looking for things to do, and just biding time until my three older siblings would arrive home, courtesy of our Uncle Duane Green. I was 5 years old and at that time, kindergarten was a short summer program taught by the first grade teacher prior to first grade. So I spent my 5 year old kindergarten year at home with my Mom as my teacher. She was a really good one. We enjoyed that pre-school year together but I'm not sure who enjoyed it more.
Back to School
When fall arrived the older siblings went off to school while Dad, Grandpa Green, Uncle Ralph and the farm helpers finished the harvest and field work. Mom and I hung out together on the farm. Naturally, I was disappointed that I couldn't go to school too, but Mom promised me we'd have fun. I remember our laundry days, our grocery shopping outings, and the house cleaning that kept us busy. But there were a few days that stood out and we really did have fun that year.
Our Harvest Adventure
Mom was a really amazing truck driver who loved to help with harvest and I got to ride along in her potato and sugar beet trucks for many many loads. She followed directions, could match the speed of the harvester perfectly, could keep the moving truck in the exact right spot to get a perfect load, and back the truck into the long dark potato bin each and every time. She was charming, fun, looked cute in her jeans and wore pretty lipstick. She was really determined to contribute to a safe, efficient and effective harvest. She was driven, smart, and had a sense of purpose. She was a bit competitive and would try to gain on the other truck drivers by being accurate and consistent, while staying safe. I loved riding in her truck.
Stan's Cafe
I remember a day when we had to go shopping in Grafton, ND about 15 miles away. I don't recall what we were shopping for, but I remember when we finished it was near lunchtime and we were still in Grafton. Mom suggested we should go to lunch. I was amazed and delighted with the prospect because eating out at a restaurant, alone with my Mom, with none of the big kids in attendance was unheard of. She said it would be our secret and I couldn't believe my luck. I was practically holding my breath with excitement as we walked into Stan's Cafe. The smells were amazing and it was full of people, many who knew Mom and made comments about her little lunch date. Mom was very pretty and even then I could see the way people looked at her. She charmed them without trying because she was very attractive and I imagined us to be quite a team of cuties. To those who asked, she smiled and explained we were just girlfriends having lunch together. I was beaming. We sat down in our booth and I didn't have a clue what to order. Previously when Mom and Dad would take us all out to restaurants, I'd ask my Dad what I could order. Dad would always say, "Anything you want, honey." I wondered if those rules applied to "a lunch date with girlfriends." I asked my Mom what I should order and she suggested the hot roast beef sandwich. She knew I loved mashed potatoes with gravy, and roast beef was familiar and delicious. I had never had a "hot roast beef sandwich" but I took her advice. It was delicious! It was fabulous! My first ever girlfriend lunch with my mom (or anyone!) was incredible. I felt like a princess.
Riding Flicka
Another shopping trip brought us back to Grafton's main street and I really wanted to ride the little horse carousel at Earl's Shoe Store. The mini carousel was a kid ride of four horses that went in a tight circle and it was quite a thrill. We didn't need to buy shoes that day, but I wanted to ride the horses anyway. I asked and Mom clearly stated that the horse ride was for paying customers. I didn't understand because I saw other kids enjoying the ride. Mom explained that Earl, of Earl's Shoe Store, had the horses there for his customers and when we were customers we could ride. At that point I could hardly wait until we would need Easter shoes, but Mom taught me we needed to wait. My favorite horse in the little carousel was named Flicka, and Flicka would just have to wait.
Singing at the Top of our Lungs
When Christmas time rolled around, I was Mom's shopping girlfriend and sidekick. She had a lot of Christmas shopping to do so we made many trips to Grafton. I believe I was properly distracted by wise sales clerks when certain items would get checked out and bagged. Other times I was sworn to secrecy. I remember one cold winter day riding home around the Auburn curve singing "City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style...in the air there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing, people passing....."at the top of our lungs. Mom knew all the words and we sounded SO good in the car. We laughed and sang along with the radio to the next songs too. We were girlfriends on a shopping trip and my Mom was the best "girlfriend" ever!
Robin's Four Eggs
One spring morning she explained to me that a robin was a bird with a red tummy also known as a red breast. She explained that robins were one of the first birds we'd see in the spring on the farm as they migrated back to build their nests and raise their families. Mom said that I should look for one. She even said if I saw the first robin of the spring, I'd get a Snickers mini candy bar! That got me thoroughly engaged in the lesson. She went on to say robin's eggs were a beautiful blue and the lucky momma birds often laid four eggs in the nest, although some moms only got three. Being the fourth child in our family of four kids, this was very exciting news for me and I considered my mother one of the lucky ones who got four babies as I smugly enjoyed that part of the lesson. She observed my satisfied grin and added a hug at that point in this excellent science lesson. Eventually I got so focused on finding this spring robin that I parked myself at the back porch window on a stool and waited and stared. It was still cool outside and Mom was finishing housework. I waited, I watched, and finally I spotted a bright red breasted robin! I screamed with joy and Mom came running, just in time to see it by the tree, hopping along in search of food in the back yard. She gave me a big warm hug and a smile of enormous approval. She congratulated me on my persistence and went to retrieve the Snickers candy bar. Victory is so sweet.
Renae's Bike
My Mom loved her family and especially her sister Lorraine in Drayton. If the work was done or when we were finished at the laundromat, we would get to go have "coffee" with Lorraine. Lorraine would make coffee, whip up a delicious cake, sweet bread, or cookies to go along with the coffee and visit with Mom and me. Lorraine's youngest daughter Becky would play with me a little, but I was 5 and she was 2, so sometimes she'd need a nap while we visited. If that was the case, I'd get to try to ride my older cousin Renae's little blue bicycle on the driveway while Mom and Lorraine visited some more. I remember wondering if it was ok for me to be out there on the driveway by myself, but they were listening and watching me as they visited. I think they knew when I fell into Aunt Lorraine's pretty bee filled gladiolas, and honestly it happened more than once. I persisted and it was on Renae's little bike, while she was at school, with the bees in the hollyhocks, that I learned to ride a bike. I'm sure Mom, Aunt Lorraine and little Becky were impressed.
Blessed Be the Tie that Binds
And then came the day that I was particularly impatient waiting for Laurie, Rob, and Pam to come home from school. The sun shone in on the dust motes and I waited impatiently for the big kids. Mom had done all that she could to keep me entertained. Finally, in what I remember as slight frustration on her part, she took me to the piano for a lesson. She told me about one of Grandma Sophie Mattson's favorite hymns and proceeded to teach me to play "Blessed Be the Tie that Binds." I learned to play it with one finger and played it for the rest of the afternoon. She taught me the words too, because they were important to Grandma Sophie. We sang it at the top of our lungs and it was our song and is to this day.
Lessons Learned
Maybe she got more done when I was eagerly waiting to spot the robin. Maybe she had more time with her sister while I was learning to ride my cousin's bike. Maybe she found a moment of peace while I was practicing our song on the piano. But I know I learned patience, respect, and love of my Lord by and through her example.
Blessings
Last night at Bible Study Fellowship we sang Blessed Be the Tie That Binds. Naturally I thought of Mom, Grandma Sophie, Aunt Lorraine, Cousins Becky and Renae, Laurie, Robert, Pam, Dad, Uncle Ralph, Grandpa and Grandma Green, all the other cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who share my faith. I shed a tear while singing along and then a smile of pure joy. Thanks Mom, you were a great teacher, wonderful girlfriend, and super Mom.
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