Jonathan J. O'Konek

Thank you so much Morton Mandan Public Library and Shawna Marion for inviting me to read “To the Tent: A Hide and Seek Story” today at the MMPL! It was great for my daughter, Reece, and I to be able to share our story to smiling faces, and it was fun to watch the amazing build your own tent event.

Join me, and many other great local authors, this Saturday (November 7th) from 10-11:30 for the Local Author Showcase at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library. I can promise you three things if you attend: 1) Great stories for all ages; 2) Plenty of (dad) jokes and humour (at least from me 😀) 3) And, did I mention that there will be humor? If you noticed that I spelled "humor" with an extra "u" that is because my children have been quoting Bluey and Peppa Pig lately, so I find myself using more Commonwealth English words like, lorry, lift, and my favorite word "cheeky." So, fill up your car with petrol, and join your mates at the Bismarck Library, where you can say cheers while drinking a hot beverage, reading a good book, and eating some delicious biscuits. Cheerio!

“Raise your hand if you like having the flu? Me neither, because flu symptoms -- especially that unique combination of fever, chills, and body aches -- are rather unpleasant. In fact, I vividly remember my family and I suffering through the flu in February 2025 and thinking to myself, “How is it possible to both sweat and shiver at the same time?” . . . So, please go out and get your shot to bid the flu adieu. Because if my kids can do it, so can you.” bismarcktribune.com/opinion/… #flushot #flu #influenza #fluprevention – at Bismarck, ND

A walk around the farm – at Bismarck, ND

When I was growing up, the Milwaukee Brewers never made the playoffs. And, year after year, my dad would say, “the Brewers will always break your heart . . .” The first time the Brewers made it to the playoffs was in 2008 (when I was in law school) when they won the Wild Card and, I was so excited, I wrote about this amazing event in the brim of my hat. When I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011, ny dad mailed me a commemorative Brewers camouflage hat because the Brew Crew had made the playoffs. Although they lost to the Cardinals in the NL Championship Series, I kept the hat my father sent me and have always seen it as a symbol of good luck (because it got me home safe and sound after all). My dad died nine years ago never getting the chance to see his favorite team from County Stadium win it all. So, yesterday, when the Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series, I said a little prayer for my dad (who I’m sure was watching from up above with baited breath) and told him, “look they finally did it, dad!” Because you see, yesterday’s win was not just about baseball. It was about memories with family, the bond between communities, and a time where families in the State of Wisconsin (and Wisconsin expats like me) felt joy, love, and hope. So, to the @Brewers, thank you and congratulations. You gave something to me (and so many others) that will never be forgotten. #milwaukeebrewers #Brewers #brewcrew #WorldSeries – at Bismarck, ND

I’m just gonna leave this right here . . . #Brewers #BrewCrew #milwaukeebrewers #WorldSeriesChampions

I’ll keep this post short and sweet. It’s Game 4. The Brewers are up 3 games to 0. One win away from winning their first World Series. So, let’s GO BREWERS! #brewers #BrewersBaseball #brewcrew #milwaukeebrewers – at Bismarck, ND

It may have been 20+ years since I lived in Wisconsin, but I will always be a Milwaukee Brewers fan. And it is so amazing to see my fellow Wisconsinites come together to enjoy this historic World Series featuring the one and only Brew Crew! If my dad (a diehard Brewers fan) was still here, I know he would be celebrating like it was 1982 (if you know, you know 🙂). As you can tell from the below picture, it has been a long time since I have been to a Brewers game, but you can take the boy out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of the boy. Go Brewers! P.S. For my non-Wisconsinite friends, the baseball mitt on the Brewers logo is also an "m" sitting atop a "b" standing for the Milwaukee Brewers, which I think is the coolest hidden logo in baseball. #Brewers #BrewersBaseball #Wisconsin #OnWisconsin

Great books, delicious cookies, and amazing pie! Oh and you have to try the knoephla soup at Ohm’s Cafe! #books #cookies #pie bismarcktribune.com/opinion/… @nothinghiddennd – at Bismarck, ND

*This post was originally from the Friends of the Morton Mandan Public Library’s Facebook page* How much does Jonathan J. O'Konek care about the Morton Mandan Public Library? This much 👇. When asked how best to promote tickets for the MMPL’s upcoming OctoberWest (a great Mandan event on October 28th from 4:30-7:30) during our past Friends of the MMPL monthly meeting, some of the attendees at our last meeting suggested that I wear Bavarian lederhosen. And although I initially said “nein”, after some additional reflection, I realized that if it helped promote the amazing MMPL and sold tickets for the library’s wonderful event, why not? So, since I love the MMPL, below are some photos of me in lederhosen for you to ask yourself, “maybe I should consider purchasing tickets for OktoberWest” and perhaps start following both the MMPL and the Friends of the MMPL. And, I may even show up in lederhosen at Thursday’s Friends of the MMPL bake sale to help sell tickets and support the great group of folks that make the MMPL great! (No promises 🙂) Mein Deutsch ist leider much nicht so gut, aber ich wünsche euch ein schönes wochenende! #wochenende #libraries #october – at Mandan, ND

“Each September, if you find yourself driving in Grant County, you will see a sign on North Dakota Highway 21 that reads “Wilkommen! New Leipzig Home of Oktoberfest.” And if you head into town, you are in for a treat because, for three days in September, the small town of New Leipzig -- with a population of around 200 people -- transforms into a quaint and friendly Oktoberfest. . . . So, to all my Mountain time neighbors, my family and I would like to say thank you for your hospitality. And I encourage everyone reading this to consider stopping by New Leipzig, “The Small Friendly German Town on the Dakota Prairie.” #newleipzig #oktoberfest #OktoberfestFun #NorthDakota bismarcktribune.com/opinion/… – at North Dakota, USA

I absolutely love New Leipzig’s Oktoberfest, and this year’s festival was awesome! The classic cars, the turtle races, and even the cool items in the Pioneer Museum, made the 2026 Oktoberfest so much fun. Alas, we could only attend on Saturday, but it was a great day to get together with everyone. The O’Konek family can’t wait to go back to New Leipzig next year. Thank you to the Oktoberfest committee for organizing this amazing event! And thanks again Paisley Prints for the cool Oktoberfest shirts! #oktoberfest #OktoberfestFun #OktoberfestSeason #newleipzig – at North Dakota, USA

The O’Konek family always loves meeting with our friends and colleagues at the Designer Genes of North Dakota! What a great event today and Kendra Vander Wal gave a great speech! Also, it is alway a treat to see Cristian McMerty and Matt McMerty. The Egyptian themed outfits were top notch! Help support Down Syndrome awareness by supporting Designer Genes of ND! #downsyndromeawareness #downsyndrome #northdakota – at Bismarck, ND

There is still time to head on down to the North Dakota State Capital in Bismarck to participate in the Designer Genes of North Dakota Walk for Down Syndrome! The walk starts at 1100 with tons of activities to do with your family. Thank you Cristian McMerty, Kendra Vander Wal, Sandy McMerty, Kris Kitko, and The Gifted Bean Coffee House for organizing and supporting this AMAZING EVENT! #downsyndromeawareness #downsyndrome #downsyndromelove #NorthDakota – at Bismarck, ND

It’s almost time for Oktoberfest in New Leipzig, North Dakota! How do I know? Well, because I just got this sweet Oktoberfest shirt in the mail courtesy of Paisley Prints! And, who’s looking forward to New Leipzig Oktoberfest? Ayyyy!!! (in my best Fonz voice/pose), this guy! A big thank you to Paisley Prints for the wonderful shirts and for shipping them (all my family’s shirts) to Bismarck! #oktoberfest #OktoberfestSeason #OktoberfestFun #newleipzig – at Bismarck, ND

Leaving a Legacy-- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library “Quick question, what is the meaning of life? OK, so maybe that’s not a “quick question.” But since life has a 100% mortality rate, it may be the most “consequential question” worth asking. I know you probably weren’t expecting such a weighty metaphysical question so early in the morning (or at whatever time you read this) but to borrow a Latin stoic phrase, memento mori -- remember you must die -- so it is paramount that we live each day with purpose, value and virtue. Yet, since it is up to each of us to find our own purpose, where should we start? Well, I’m partial to American writer Bessie Anderson Stanley’s interpretation. Although her poem "Success" is often incorrectly attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson, she surmised that a successful person is one “who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much” and who enjoyed “the love of little children.” And living a life lived well often means looking at the positive impact someone had on others after they have passed. About a month ago, on Aug. 25, 2026, Dolly Parton, an amazing musician, actress and all-around human being, passed away. And I’m here to tell you, regarding that whole “what’s the meaning of life” question, Dolly answered it right. She took Bessie Stanley’s above poem to heart and understood that life is about more than accumulating wealth, fame and prestige for oneself. Instead, she made life better for millions of people through her philanthropy in medical research, disaster aid, and most importantly for me and my family, children’s literacy.” bismarcktribune.com/opinion/… #dollyparton #dolly #meaningoflife #reading – at Bismarck, ND

It's September 21st, so you know what that means . . . it's time to celebrate the best "unofficial" holiday courtesy of Earth Wind and Fire 😀 #earthwindandfire #september #september21st