Posted October 7, 2023: My immediate family is small, even when cousins are included—but many of my first and some of my second cousins and their children feel very immediate to me. I visit every year or two and they grow older, bigger, wiser, with new additions every now and then—Robert and I are the last Nesets in this U.S. branch so guess the name goes away here soon. Fortunately the Nesets in Norway are expanding so perhaps there’s still time for us to take over the world.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Sioux Falls is almost always the first stop on the family tour where I visit cousin Vivian the family elder. Vivian is Mom’s sister Mabel’s only daughter and last living child. She lives in a pleasant senior residence with her cat, TV, candy and ice cream aplenty, and quite a bit of company. She’s alternately happy, sad, cranky, funny, remembers everything that ever happened in her life, and does not let any of us forget it.

Since I no longer can hang out with Vivi in the little house on Van Eps and eat her dumpling soup, I fortunately have another kind cousin Marty to stay with out in Brandon, a Sioux Falls suburb. I love staying there, like a big girl’s pajama party. Lots of good snacks, ample time for political rants, and just good old girls’ talk (as in good-old, not good old-girl—well yeah, that too). Marty’s kids and grandkids drop by. Keith and Crystal with their mom on top.

And two of my favorite guys, Vivian’s youngest but not-young son, Ron, and his great kid, Jaron. Great guys, dad a little weird in a kind of wonderful way; son his grandma’s great companion almost every evening.

North Dakota and Minnesota: It always feels so good to cross the border into Minnesota. Where more cousins and friends and trees and dogs and Robert and Marsha live (sometimes).

First a stop with Linda, my cousin Audrey’s oldest daughter who lives and works in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Hadn’t seen Linda in a long time so a lunch stop and catch-up was perfect.

Then up to Roseau, Minnesota where Terri, Audrey’s other daughter lives with husband Brian, the country’s best walleye cook lives. And Audrey, the cousin I worshipped as a kid and still love hanging out with. Terri’s daughter Niki brings the kids over so I can mark their growth and wonderfulness…she really does have amazing kids. More about the Terri visit next post. It involved a foray across an international border which deserves its own story.

Meanwhile, here’s the Terri-family up there in the Red River Valley of Minnesota.

Audrey and I had such a lovely visit this year. Audrey has lots of stories to tell too…sometimes they’re a little abbreviated or not quite in order but her ‘Audrey’ personality is just fine. Happy to talk about the old days with some laughs, maybe a bit of sarcasm, but somewhat content with the here and now too.

I really love seeing Niki’s kids. I don’t know them that well but they’re always friendly and lively and smart and fun. (Landon, Clara, Noah, and last but certainly not least, Grace). Hey, thanks for coming over to make my visit special, guys.

Brian, the champion walleye cook (more about him next post), and Niki, who’s back at work as a coordinator/director of programs for young people in Roseau. And of course, the ever-photogenic Grace. And Reba, the pooch, Terri’s best friend and guardian

I kind of like to think of them as my girls, at least a little bit.