Where Did The Summer Go ???

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since my last post.. Way back in July Wow..  

It's been a busy Summer. Some things have changed as far as Summer routine. We have pretty much decided that Hubby, with his back, just can't till up or work out in the garden. I'm hoping that maybe next year we can get a raised bed garden put in. I really missed those fresh veggies, and as time consuming as it is. I really miss Canning. I loved making all kinds of yummy stuff to use during the winter. I hate having to buy canned veggies. I think we could manage a raised bed garden. It seems as though downsizing is just part of the aging process. 

We had a great time going to our local Farmer's Market this year. The new market opened in May. It will be open year round. I found some great veggies and fruit there. Lots of friendly faces too. I know I'll be heading there at least a few times a month for eggs, meat, and Bakery stuff. I like all the specialty coffee's the offer.. Hubby. Not so much.  He is a Maxwell house Man. He doesn't want any of that foo foo coffee. He wants a good stout cup of "made in the old coffee pot" coffee.. the closest thing he could find at the Market that resembled his brew from home was a Brazilian "Pour over".. He didn't like it, but at least it was hot and it got him home to get " just a plain old cup of coffee"..  

I had a great time with our Church's Summer Awana Program. The kids had fun with various activities including Vacation Bible School. The best time was the Summer wrap up in Aug. The kids made Pinewood derby cars and raced them. It was so much fun. We've just started back with our regular Awana program. A sure sign that Summer is over and School has started. 

The weather has been cool here the last couple of weeks. Thankfully it looks like we'll be warming back up into the 70's for the next week or so. I'm glad summer is still hanging on for a bit. 

I love all that summer stuff.. Warm nights, Fireworks, fishing, Water fun, watching gardens grow and fluffy clouds swimming by in the bright blue skies. Birds and bunnies, butterflies and squirrels visiting our yard. Picnics, festivals, fairs, Ice tea on the porch, and burgers on the BBQ grill. Watermelon, and Peach juice dripping down my chin. And the laughter of children playing. Ice cream on hot summer nights .  car rides with windows down. Singing with my favorite songs on the radio. Star gazing on a warm night with my husband holding my hand. 

I hope you made some great memories this summer, and that they help keep you warm through the long nights of Winter....   

Katch-up Monday....

I can't hardly believe it's the middle of June already. Where does the time go? I don't know about you but my days seem to rocket by. I really want the summer days to be long, lazy, and I want Summer to last at least 6 months. 

To Catch you up on life at our house. 

1. I ordered and received seeds for the Garden. 

2. We are planting a garden

3. We are NOT planting a garden

4. We Are planting a garden

5. We are NOT planting a garden.

6. I give up. I have no idea if we are or are not. The winter left our garden spot floating. The wet spring has let it floating and soggy and spongy wet. It finally dried up a bit and now is hard as concrete. So I'm guessing no garden this year. Hubby's back has gotten worse over the past couple of years. He just can't horse that tiller around anymore. I hate not having a garden. I love watching it grow and I love putting it up. So healthy for us and so much tastier then store processed stuff. 

7. A new Farmer's market opened in May about 3 miles from us. I've been there at least once a week. I'm hoping it will fill in for most of the garden stuff. We are already getting brown eggs from hormone free, free Range/wandering in the yard Chickens. Love it. 

8. Only two graduations, kids from Church, to celebrate this year. Loved helping with one open house last weekend. 

9. So far no weddings or babies on the way in the family. 

10. One baby on the way at Church.  wooo hoooo 

11. I've actually been to see 3 or 4 movies at a real theater as opposed to red box rentals in my living room, so far this year. :-)  

12. Still not sitting out in the yard yet. Vampire Mosquitoes, as our Pastor refers to them, would carry us away. I am hoping for a few evenings sitting out there with ice tea. Maybe even a bon-fire or 3. 

13. I'm secretly hoping for a trip south to Ky. this year sometime. I'm not telling anyone, so shhhh I don't want to jinx it. 

14. I'm craving fair food. you know.. sweet deep fried yummy-ness 

15. The Awana program at Church ended, but our Summer kids program has started. 

16. Looking forward to VBS in July. I'm the Snack lady. I love it. 

17. I have a new Soldier I'm packing boxes for at our group meetings. He's a cousin. One I haven't had a chance to meet yet. I'm really looking forward to meeting him when he gets home, and hugging his neck. 

18. I am hoping to take a few overnight trips this summer. 

19. I'd really love to go fishing. I miss it. 

20. We spent father's day with my hubby filling our faces with yummy food.. 

That's it for now. Hoping your summer slows down and let's you savor it .....  

My Favorite Summer flowers...

Our New found treasure... Naked Ladies: a relative of Amaryllis

Our Mimosa Tree...

Some of my Favorite Summer flowers ...

In truth, I love flowers, I love the ones that pop their little heads up out of the snow in the early spring, like the snow crocus.. I love the ones that are all bright and happy in the spring when the grass and the trees are still looking dead and blah.. my daffodils, and paper whites, the tulips, and phlox, also the forsythia, ya, I know they aren't flowers per say, but flowering bushes.. and who could leave out the red buds, and dog wood (trees) I love the flowering quince bushes too.. I love the ones that pop open when the weather has warmed up, like the wild rose bushes, peonies, and the heavy scents of the magnolia... The lilacs, petunias, sweet pea, phlox, bridals wreath, gladiolas, iris, oh and the Lilly's who could forget the Lilly's the wild orange ones that decorate my ditch banks, and the beautiful hybrid colors of pink, maroon, yellow, red, and well just let your imagination run wild..

the photo above is of my Mimosa tree.. I love the soft white/pink/yellow puffie-ness of those flowers.. the humming birds love them too.. :-)

You will also see the newest addition to our flower beds, Naked Ladies... I can't remember the official name.. oh yes, Belladonna Lillys, part of the Amaryllis family.. We had never seem them before. Husband planted them about 4 years ago at the urging of a friend. We just saw the big bulbs then and planted them. In the early spring, they are all green foliage. But we never knew if they ever bloomed. This spring, in my frantic 'chop it out cause it's taking over" daze, I ripped the stuff out by the handfuls. It never bloomed, just filled up the bed.. Well to my absolute horror, I discovered the pink Lilly looking plant you see in the first photo.. absolutely breathtaking.. I'm so glad they are bulbs and I was to lazy to walk to the barn and get my shovel. Apparently the greenery grows up and is all full.. then dies all the way down to the ground.. my flowers are in the flower beds so it's harder to see the flowers and what they do, but in town I saw these planted in the middle of the yard.. the green foliage dies away.. and up comes a single stalk.. on that stalk is the flower you see above.. seemingly to appear from nowhere. absolutely breath taking.. I have begged their forgiveness and plan on trying to set some out where they will do better.. they need full sun..

The other flowers I love are my Rose of Sharon, yes, they are bushes.. sorry, I have lots of flowering bushes.. there are lots of them.. white with pale purple innards, bright pinks that are double, yellow, lavender and the like.. I have about 15 bushes of them. The Ice storm this past January really wreeked havoc on them. The largest one.. about 20+ feet tall and at least 15 feet wide.. was bent with ice so severely that the branches never were able to straighten themselves. So the look was a huge gaping hole where the middle of the upright bush should have been and then the branches going out from each side.. The Crepe Myrtle also suffered from the ice along with the trees.. I did get a few photos of the Myrtles.. they were not a lovely as they have been in the past.. I did find an article on how to prune them properly, so will have husband do so this spring.. it will give them optimal blooming help.. We haven't pruned them for the last few years and it shows.. I love their flowers.. they are like big tufts of cotton candy..

Yep, I love to look at the summer flowers blooming.. they fill the air at night with a heavy scent of summer.. along with the night bug sounds.. it's perfect..

I'm looking forward to our fall flowers, I don't think I have many, maybe none.. it's been a while since I've been down to enjoy them.. I can't wait to see my new tree and it's fall color.. I'm hoping it will be vibrant.. Fall will be upon us before we know it.. cooler days, crisp air, the smell of apple cider, pumpkins and Indian corn along with gourds and pine cones adorning our porches and railings. There will be leaves to rake.. so we can jump in them.. and the smell of burning leaves. soon the bon-fires will warm us.. I'm already planning on pulling my chair a little closer to the fire.. I've found the hot cocoa and the marshmallows.. I think I'll need them soon.. I also saw the first gallons of apple cider in the grocery store..

yummm hot cider and cinnamon sticks..

"The Picnic".... An American Tradition..

PICNIC AT THE LAKE....

Isn't it funny how some things just seem universally American.. Well, to me they do.. I'm sure there are picnics at the lake, beach, park, etc all over the world, in many countries that we all could name.. maybe in some we couldn't.. but still to me, in my world.. I just see Picnics at the lake/beach as American.. Maybe because our favorite picnic is on the 4th of July with Family..

It's quite a ritual, our favorite picnic day.. Not necessarily for us... but the following is always done.. the names sometimes change from year to year.. but someone takes over these duties..

1. Someone must cowboy up and be at the lake, crack of dawn, to secure picnic tables and our traditional spot.. That someone is usually an early riser and happy to be out at the lake while it's still cool ... (NOT)

2. Someone has to call all the family members with the "chosen Meat" so appropriate side dishes can be volunteered or assigned to each family.. Some family members have a "dish" that is a must for them to bring.. I broke the tradition this year. Our resident Baked Bean maker was sick from an abscessed tooth... so I volunteered to take on the traditional picnic dish.. there was little complaint.. LOL unlike the year I decided to take on the potato salad .. that was a fiasco in the making.. I thought I would cut corners and save time.. I made the sacred dish with instant mashed potatoes.. very unacceptable as I was to find out.. Not because there were complaints.. we are way to sweet for that.. no one wants to hurt any one's feelings.. there were just a few, "who made the potato salad".. when I said " I did, and can you believe I used Instant potatoes"... there would be a sweet smile.. then an almost imperceptible "turning up" of the nose.. I was to soon learn that "cutting corners" on timeless, traditional favorites was NOT a good idea...

3. Someone usually tries to remember to bring all the stuff we forget we will probably need..

tablecloths aka: the best clean sheets we can find on short notice, serving spoons, ice, radio, tire pump for inflating beach toys, ice, grill, charcoal, ice, condiments, ice, band-aids, ice, assorted beach toys, ice, onions, extra beach towels in case someone forgets one, and ice...

4. Someone usually tries to make the kids a special, fun, beach type dessert.. usually depends on how hot it's going to be...

5. Someone usually the same person, makes sure all our favorite games (for the adults) are brought out and set up.. it use to involve a volleyball net, ball, horseshoes, and a Frisbee... now that we are all older, it involves a "hillbilly/ladder golf" set.. no one wants to see us running and jumping up in the air to spike the ball... we are afraid if we tried to jump in the air, our support hose would fall to our ankles, our fat would fly in weird directions.. and well, to be honest.. we are afraid something would break..

We all meet up eventually... kids are suited up and slathered up with sunscreen... adults are hosed down with bug spray.. allergy meds are taken and the blankets and jackets are at the ready for anyone who is a bit "chilly".. As soon as the brother's... my dear husband and his brother get set in their chairs.. the stories begin.. all of us listen.. the younger ones talk of jobs, their latest college classes, where they are heading on vacation, if the gardens are growing, and what new movie the kids want to see...

We all catch up on what's been happening since the last time we were with "the family" for some it's only been a few weeks.. for others it was Christmas, or the "Family Picnic" last year.

6. Several Someones usually make sure to get some really funny pictures.. there are threats of posting them on facebook or some other social networking site.. but they are idle threats.. We just pass them around at the next "family" function...

What a wonderful American Scene.. I see it repeated countless times over the summer..

all my "friends" pages are full of picnic poses, and adventures... I can't begin to imagine how many hot dogs, brats, and burgers, will be grilled out at "the lake" this summer.. or how many giggling kids will take their first steps into that "chilly water". or how many Dads and Mom's will spend time trying to blow up that" favorite" water toy.. or finish the last bit of the sandcastle..

who could ever count the many times the "ole fishing pole" will be baited up and sent out with a kid or three... bucket in one hand, worms in the other.. trying to catch a "big un"...

There will be countless games of volleyball, Frisbee, and gator golf... Buckets of sun screen will be applied... and many will still need to "put something on the sunburn"... Boats will be set in the water.. the Brave ones will attempt to water ski, some will ski like pros, some will think they just "drank" the entire lake.. some, will wish their suits were tied on better.. (big grin) you know who you are...

Yep, a totally great American tradition.. "The Picnic" at the lake, in the summer... with the family.. and friends...

I hope you get to experience one soon...

On any given night during the Summer.

This week I got to partake in one of the most American things I've seen in a while, T-Ball. I'm sure there are thousands, no, tens of thousands of kids in big cities and small towns donning helmets and gloves.. holding bats and balls for the first time. Really beginning to understand what baseball is all about. They are learning so many things that they will carry through life.. Mostly they are just kids having fun.. Kids as young as 3.. hitting a ball and running like the wind to a base.. most went to first base.. some just ran willy nilly, but were soon set back on course by the coaches and parents.. Everyone Cheered for each kid on each team.. shouts of encouragement were made.. the kids were all grins as they crossed "home plate". Everyone got a turn.. I'm sure someone kept score, but we never did know what it was. I don't think any of the kids even asked if they won.. they just knew they played, and it was fun. As you can tell from the picture above sometimes the kids ran after the ball, sometimes they just ran.. LOL

This is "Sissy", she is one of our "adopted grand kids".. this is her first year for T-ball. She told me after the game that her coach said she was a good runner. We were so proud as she got the first out. All the kids got to bat once each inning.. They had fun. heck, I had fun.. the bleachers were full of mom's, dad's, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors... there was free pop and popcorn for the players after the game .. provided by the "concession stand".. there were also shirts and hats.. provided by one of the local Churches so much fun..
I had to laugh when several of the kids, who had been drinking water like fish since they arrived, saw an opportunity and made a b-line for the potty room.. LOL the game had to stop for a few minutes until the outfield returned from the bathroom.
They had so much fun...

One of the things that touched me was the attention of the coaches from both teams for all the kids. I could see that this was not easy. trying to keep a swarm of energy filled younguns contained, and focused was no small feat.. In the end it all amounted to several lessons learned.. Teamwork, it's always more fun to work together, Water in large quantities is not good for small bladders, Mom's are always ready with snacks, tissues, drinks, hugs, and bandaids. Everyone should watch the ball, playing in the dirt may be fun, but you should not do it while you are playing T-ball, people who don't know you will yell your name and tell you what a good runner you are, and lastly high fives after the game should be gentle.
yep, what better way to spend a weeknight.. in a ball field in a small town, or large city, swatting mosquitoes and catching fireflies, watching kids play ball, and Having Fun...