Home Food

Must confess I do not know a lot about economics.  Except that the law of supply and demand effects my food choices.  Things my body demanded this week (that I was happy to supply): 
Galliker's Diet Iced Tea 
Lebanon bologna
Potato rolls
Mid's chocolates
Grilled stickies
Smiley cookies
Each of these things has a story and a place and time attached to it. None of them are readily available in Dodge City. 
Leaving home again today.  Headed home.  Have two smiley cookies in my carry-on to ease the transition.

Fit For Ducks

One full day at the lakehouse.  

One day of pouring rain.

This day called for more chocolate.

.

Pickin'

The plan to go on the World's Longest Yardsale with my three delightful sisters fell through.  But today the four of us did do some antique picking.  We were limited by the inability to transport, the amount of money in our wallets, and the thought of explaining our purchases to our husbands.  Nonetheless, we returned to the cabin with 2 rubber jar rings, 5 porcelain door knobs (with matching escutcheons!), 4 church pew hat clips, 3 cake plates, a bass drum, and a six foot board (possibly from a pear tree). 

total spent             $55.25

estimated value   $525.25

time with my sisters   PRICELESS



All These Trees and Other Reasons To Smile

 Welcome to Pennsylvania.

Park Pics

Our oldest child, the Slovakian Princess, was our favorite from the start. 

Our youngest, the Goob, is our current favorite still at home. 

They might have been hatched from the same eggs.

Shark Week

Celebrated Shark Week with a day wave hopping and boogie boarding in the Atlantic.  Ended up looking like lobsters. Obviously not enough slathering or reapplying going on. 

Back In Time

The first time we visited Colonial Williamsburg was kind of like having your teeth extracted without anesthetic (after waiting in long lines in 120 degree weather without any airconditioning, ice, or shade trees).

Yesterday we went back.  And we all agreed it wasn't nearly as bad as our memories.  There was still some horse hockey.  (Claire Marie said, "Those horses should have holded it."),

but there was also dancing in the streets. (and shade trees)

And the wigmakers shop was OPEN!

Of course, there was  a tech based scavenger hunt. (and the threat of tar and feathers over our heads)

And the promise of the water park.

But maybe we have all matured a little bit over the past ten years.

So we have taken Colonial Williamsburg off our list of 'places we wouldn't visit again even if they are the last place on earth'.

Who Knows When...

We haven't posed for a group picture each place we have been, but the vests were just such a nice touch that this one was irresistable.  Not sure if this will be the Christmas pic or not.  After all, we have 3 more days together.

The Days Are Just Packed

Started the day by 'running' the family vaca 5K. As I fully expected, I owned the 'women over thirty' category. Hopefully my legs will still work tomorrow.
Bought two tomatoes, an onion, a pepper, 2 dozen ears of corn, and a watermelon at a farmer's market in Yorktown.
Ate lunch at Chick-fil-a.
Went grocery shopping with my 4 children. I don't think I ever took the four of them to the grocery store together. Now I know why.
Made tortilla soup and salad for supper.
Went to Busch Gardens, pushed my favorite grandson in the stroller and watched my favorite granddaughter ride Oscar's Worms in Sesame Street Forest.
Held the STP's hand and watched fireworks.
And I'm on vacation again tomorrow.
Life is good.

Miss Pennsylvania

Things I've missed:
Galliker's diet iced tea
My Mom's porch
All these trees

Things I have not missed:
Humidity
Traffic cones
Traffic.

This Makes Me Laugh Inside My Head

Jokes about female bodily functions are not funny.  Period.

Glowing Orbs in Dodge City

What? You thought the concept of Cowboys and Aliens was far-fetched? 
Remember I moved here from Mars.

And what is that out in my East Side Garden?

Let's venture closer.

If you dare.

I love it when a plan comes together.

(Total cost of project:  $4.00)

Thanks to The Slovakian Princess for the inspiration.  You know my heart and I can't wait to wrap my arms around you.  In like five days!!

The End of One Glowing Orb

I pretty much keep the gazing ball people in business all by myself.  Its not always my fault although one time I broke two gazing balls within one week.  Note:  Gazing balls are clearly not designed to be whacked with a shovel handle or to drop 8 feet onto a paved driveway.

These are pictures of my last two gazing balls.  This one was a gift from my loving daughters.  I've had it over two years.

Right up until the big wind storm in Dodge City last week.  Here are the pieces I picked up from the yard.

The coolest thing about this one was that it glowed in the dark, but I never got a good picture of that.  So I stopped by the garage on my way to the dumpster.  Sad day in Dodge City.

What Are These Doing on the Tour?

 Remember the crispy little yellow and green things in the front pots?

They did just fine for over a month.

And then the inevitable happened.

I left them 2 days in a heat wave and the care of the STP and the Goob.  And they're a whole new level of crispy.

Tour the Grounds--High Points

The portulaca is growing along the sidewalks.  They came back from the ones I planted last year.  These make me happy in a Grandma Weinzierl sort of way.

These are the Abi's lilies from her fourth grade fundraiser.  They have moved three times.  They remind me of the garage in South Fork and the girls on the roof.  (Go in your house and leave me alone.)

I grew these white coneflowers from seeds.  Growing things from seeds is like a miracle thing.  It just makes me happy.  I have them in purple, too.

These red holly hocks are along the east side of the house.  I stole the seeds for these on one of my first walks through town.  I planted them where I thought the fence would be.  Hollyhocks grow like weeds here in Dodge City.  That fact does not make me any less happy to have them growing along my fence. 

These next two are in the front flower boxes on the front porch.  

They are stunning from the street.

And absolutely beautiful from the porch swing.

Solitary Shakespeare

Tonight was Shakespeare in the Park in Dodge City.  I decided yesterday I would go.  The STP decided he needed to work this evening.  The Goob decided he needed to be anywhere but in the park this evening.  The SLD is not allowed in the park.  This has been a park rule since before we moved here.  Evidently some people's dogs can not behave themselves in the park.  Once I get elected to the Dodge City Council I will have this rule changed.  Or at least an exemption granted for the SLD.  Clearly this rule should not apply to her.  The park would be a delightful place for her to run.  And to chase squirrels.  And to keep me company for the Merchant of Venice.  As it was, I had to cleverly place my lawn chair at the end of a row of strangers and pretend I was with them. Happily, I chose some good looking younger couples to pretend to be friends with.  And it was a lovely evening for Shakespeare in the park. 
And a lovely evening on the patio.  There is a little breeze, so the killer mosquitos are held at bay.  The STP is still working.  The Goob is still avoiding me.  The SLD, who does not hold a grudge, has joined me outside.  She is contentedly chewing a bone in the grass circle.  Kind of like her own private park.  I don't think I could have spent a better evening by myself.  But I still missed you.
Tomorrow I am going to tour the grounds in the am.  And buy cherries with stems.  I don't know how you can stay away.

5K

Jogged 5K this am.
Just saying.

Run, Silly Little Dog, Run

Thoughts on running with the dog:
The SLD is eternally hopeful that I will run.
The SLD recognizes my running clothes and my running shoes.
When I am wearing the combination of my running clothes and running shoes, the SLD leaps for joy.
When I mention the words 'go' and 'leash' in the same sentence, the SLD leaps higher.
While I jog at my top speed the SLD walks right beside me.  One her eight-inch long legs.  (The STP says she has four legs to my two, but I'm not sure that explains this.)((I added the hypen in eight-inch after I previewed this post because without it it may have appeared that the SLD had eight inch-long legs--more caterpillar than dog.  Silly indeed.))
While I jog continuously, the SLD stops to sniff things and to pee.
The SLD never makes fun of how slow I run. 
The SLD never complains about how far I do or do not run.
When we get home the SLD waits for me to take my shoes off.
The SLD likes my smelly socks.
Like me, the SLD likes to follow a morning run with an afternoon nap. 

I am running because of a plan I made for vacation.  I planned to run a 5k with my kids.  I would have called them all this weekend and said I had changed my mind except for this.  Ah, Princess Amidala, how you motivate me.  I will be competing in the women over 30 category.  (The key is to limit the field.)  I expect to be a contender.  I can not, however, muster as much excitment about this running thing as the SLD.  She's in a class by herself.

Slather and Reapply

And try not to miss a spot.

Rocketman

 The Goob (and the STP) built a model rocket.

Today was the launch date.  (Randomly chosen based on the fact that it was time to get it off the table in the big room.)

The first attempt was less than impressive.  3-2-1 nothing.  (Maybe it was because we used rhubarb leaves for the wadding.)

A few adjustments to the detonator launch controller.

3-2-1 again.

And we have liftoff!

It went so high it was out of sight.  (I would share the next picture in the series but you know pictures of the sky are not really my thing.)

What I'm really good at is capturing the moment.

And today had a lot of good moments.