July 29- Aug 4, 2018
Trip to "L" family, IN State Fair, Hikes, and New Dog: Henry
Hello Friends!
Sunday we went to church and I procrastinated packing my bag for our much anticipated trip to see our dear friends, the "L" family. It is always so hard for me to leave home! I knew the bugs were just settling in on my garden, not to mention the chickens need a lot of time and care that I knew my husband didn't have! He ended up having one of his longest weeks this year so the chickens really did get a reality check. It was hard driving away from all the things I care for; especially my husband who really does need me, but we managed to go anyway. Like last year, Dd and I drove down and spent the week with our friends doing our favorite activities together. Agnes, our calico cat, humorously got in Dd's suitcase as she packed; she is doing so well after her near death surgery.
Change of Plans:
We had planned on taking a family vacation this year--actually all of us going somewhere great, BUT between the emergency surgery on our cat, Agnes, and the truck being in the shop so much this summer we spent more on those two things that we would have on a week in Europe! The truck, which got out of the shop just a few weeks ago, has been leaking transmission fluid for the past 2-3 weeks and has to go back in as soon as Dh has time to call the shop. It is amazing how choosing one truck over another can cost so much and affect our home greatly. (Little did I know this at the time I first typed this up, but the truck had to go back in a week later for a whole other different repair and more thousands to be paid...oy...)We could have picked a different truck two years ago and perhaps had none of this endless trouble with repair after repair. Back to the repair shop it will go...(again, and again, and again!)
Audio's:
Step One for any good car trip is to order the audiobooks from your library. We had three choices--Animal Farm, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Outsiders. We started with The Outsiders and had not finished it when we arrived. It's nice to fit in "homeschooling" even while traveling. I wish our summer had been more able to fit more academic's, but for the first time, Dd is lacking motivation. I'm trying my best to strike a balance; leaning more on letting her grow independent.
Monday-
The drive took around five hours and it went well. I make a point to stop often and enjoy the ride. When we made it back to Brownsburg we headed straight to our old grocery store to pick up a few things. It was so weird being in there---they had moved so many things it didn't seem like the same store.
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| Heather works at a flower shop, so she brought home a bundle of old flowers for the kids to arrange into bouquets on Monday. |
When we arrived at the "L" house, Heather was at work, which was fine because I had two garbage bags full of greens to wash and de-bug! It took me almost 2 hours! Meanwhile, Dd was lured up to the video game machine with some of the kids. We don't own or do any video games in our home, so this was fun for her to try it out.
After dinner, we all watched Peter Rabbit, the newest version with Hugh Grant as the bad guy. All that I had heard was that people were banning this movie and I just didn't think it would be very good. Heather and I did a whole week on Beatrix Potter, combining our two families, and did a big study and read-aloud program. But, I have to say---I was wrong! I laughed and laughed and laughed! Such a funny movie. It didn't remind me of BP much, but it was enjoyable.
Tuesday-
Heather has one of those "Pay By The Pound" Goodwill stores near her, so we went there in the morning. I found an all wool blanket that is awesome! I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but it would have been perfect back when I went to camp!!!
Watercolor Lesson:
Heather was kind enough to treat Dd and I to one of her watercolor workshops. We had so much fun doing her color wheel and techniques. I haven't made time for me to do anything artistic in a few months. My favorite part was she taught how to do an awesome landscape.
Eagle Creek Park:
As if this day was already perfect, we went to our nearby park to hike around the lake. We saw masses of white Egrets and black Cormorants nested high in trees along the shore. It was a beautiful night and everyone but Heather's husband went with us; Heather has five kids.
Disco Night:
The kids have had "Disco Night" for years. I'm not sure the two eldest kids participated in this years fun, but at least the bottom two or three did. Disco Night---turn out all the lights, turn on a fun lit up disco ball that swirls colored lights around the room, music - loud and fast, and to top it off....a massive pillow fight!!!!
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| Their library had a Marvel display that was pretty awesome! |
Wednesday:
I believe Wednesday must be "Library Day" for the "L" family. Dd and I love library's and enjoyed seeing theirs again.
Indiana Museum of Art; now known as "Newfields":
Indiana Museum of Art: Heather and I both enjoy going to this art museum, especially for the beautiful park-like grounds filled with outdoor sculptures. This time there is a fun and colorful exhibit called Summer Wonderland which has various sculptures of primary colored, very large snails, mercats, crocodile's, bunny's, wolves, bears... all over the grounds that you can go on a walking tour to see them all. I've provided the link above if anyone is interested.
We had quite the gang with us--the college-bound, Rachel, met us there with the four little girls she is babysitting until college starts on top of all our gang! We walked the grounds going from garden to garden finding all the sculpture displays in wonderful arrays. We brought our food and had a lovely picnic. It was a beautiful day and we saw amazing flowers, trees, butterflies, and birds. I was especially blessed to come across two Wren bird houses (wooden man-made kind) that had babies in it and the parents came in and out feeding them. I just love Wrens and was so pleased to see them up so close to me--mere feet away from me!
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| Heather at Eagle Creek on Saturday |
International Grocery Store:
Heather took us to the grocery store where she buys her GF ingredients---Rice flour, various rice noodles, potato starch...it was very interesting! The store was right on the way to go downtown where James had a dentist appt. It was nice being back in downtown Indy.
When we use to live nearby, Heather would invite me over for a lovely tea. set with some of the most lovely treats--dried fruit, nuts, chocolates, scones...and of course, the tea! Some of my favorite memoires!
Zionsville:
After a wonderful dinner (Jasmine rice with black olives and a bag of spinach mixed in, and grilled chicken coated with a puree of oil and parsley...) Heather finally took me to her favorite little town that she has been telling me about for as long as I've known her, Zionsville. It is a historic town that has continued to maintain and improve the old buildings and houses and add in lots of little shops and restaurants. We stopped in to Dairy Queen for the kids to get an ice cream to eat while we walked the streets and got a personalized tour. Heather (and her kids) have often attended (and often won prizes) at the Zionsville "Paint Out" or something like that, where the town hosts an art contest. We really liked walking through the neighborhood admiring all the beautiful homes and gardens. We went home, played some board games and called it a day.
Thursday:
I decided to earn my keep and sweep and scrub the kitchen and dining room floor before most were up. I tried hard to do as many chores and dishes as I could to be a good guest. My goal was to be a help to Heather, not more work for her---she is already spread thin.
Gabbie-
forgot to take a pix!
Dd had scheduled a visit with her dear friend Gabbie and we were invited over to her house. Gabby's mom and I have been friends just as long and it was a treat for me to get to catch up with her!! For the first time since I've known them they bought a puppy. It is fun watching them love on their new pup! We visited for 2 1/2 hours and then headed back to have lunch with the "L" family.
Ticket to Ride and Spoons Afternoon:
We all needed a slow afternoon, so Dd and I played board games and spoons with David and Laura. James started high school on Wednesday after being homeschooled up to this point, and Thursday Andrew joined him. The "L" family only hs until high school. I was excited to play Ticket to Ride, as I've wanted to buy it for years, but it was too expensive. Although I enjoyed playing, I no longer want to buy it myself. It was okay, but not nearly as awesome as the reviews said. I think I had more fun just playing Spoons!
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| Our Saturday morning hike before we left, at Eagle Creek Park. |
Eagle Creek Lake:
Heather has a friend that lives on Eagle Creek lake and has paddle boards, kayaks, and canoe's. We were allowed to have access to the equipment. Heather, Laura and I were in the canoe, David in a single kayak, James and Dd in a double kayak, and Andrew did the Paddle Board. We had a really lovely time out on the water along with a few other boaters. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed our time in nature. Heather and I have been discussing "Forest Bathing" this week as we both are such nature lovers and feel refueled by anytime spent out in the woods.
Friday:
Like each day this week, I watched (and learned a thing or two) about food prep from Heather. This morning she made GF crepes. In their house, they squeeze fresh lemon on the crepes and then sprinkle a little bit of sugar, and eat the crepe----really, really good!!! David likes powdered sugar instead of grain on his. She made GF pancakes one morning, GF scones another morning! I just love sitting in her kitchen learning how she makes food, she has such a knack!!! I wrote down a few recipes and took lots of mental notes but I just do not have her special way of effortlessly putting together incredible meals.
Indiana State Fair Day!!!
My favorite part of the ISF is the Pioneer Village and that is the first place we went to! As we walked closer we could hear a bluegrass band playing. One woman was playing the fiddle, a man on the guitar, and lastly a man on a banjo and they all sang. The Pioneer Village is like a little farm, set-up as if it were perhaps in the 1950's---with some things much older than that, but just a little taste of old timey farm living. They have a little store with "penny candy," although it sells for .10 cents each now! They have a few older men wittling bowls out of walnut or cherry wood, some women on a loom, a group making a quilt, selling honey products, eating dinner in a 1950's dining room next to the kitchen with old equipment. It is just a lovely little area that is set back in time and some of the people working there are all dressed accordingly. One of my favorite things to check out each year is the Hoop Rug ladies--they made 'paintings' out of wool strips, using a hook to weave the pictures. Beside that display is the Indiana History books, that always has lots of wildlife books --Indiana weeds, flowers, birds... which I love to look at!
Circus:
This year, for the first time I've seen, there was set up a Big Top with a Circus!!! A 'real' circus, not a half-time thing, but a really awesome, highest standards kind of group! It was fantastic!!! We arrived thirty minutes early, to ensure a good seat, and had plenty of time to eat our picnic lunch in our seats. It helps to save some money by bringing your lunch so you can splurge on a treat (elephant ear!! if you don't know what an elephant ear is---raw dough is plied into a round flat pizza shape and then deep-fried, then covered in some oil, cinnamon, and sugar! so good!!).
Buildings:
Dd wanted to see the 4H Building---with all the arts and crafts, the DNR building (which she bought a super expensive Indiana Parks sweatshirt), and then, of course, we had to eat some fair food! I had my annual Elephant Ear which Dd also had one, and she had a Lemon Shake-Up (lemon-aid drink). The "L" family goes to the Dairy Barn each year to get a soft-serve ice cream as their family annual fun.
Fair Critters:
We walked and walked for something like seven hours, enjoying most of the fair, but not the heat! We ended by going through all the animal buildings. David really enjoyed the llama's. I was a little disappointed there were only around ten chickens. Obviously it was a bunny day and there were row after row of various cute bunnies! I do like looking at bunnies, so that was nice to see. All the sheep were sheared down so short they all looked kinda uncomfortable; I do prefer to see woolly sheep!
Paddington 2 movie:
After the fair we decided to have a slow evening at home watching a movie the kids recommended--Paddington 2. We had laughed more with Peter Rabbit, but thoroughly enjoyed it! I was pleased to have a chance to darn a little on the holes in Laura and David's stuffed animals. It was such a good day. Dh called during the movie to let me know the adoption parents had called and asked us to come Saturday to pick up the new dog b/c they had a family emergency they needed to attend to in another state. Dd and I had been so sad thinking of leaving our friends and the thought of finally getting to pick up the dog we wanted to adopt sure did give us something to look forward to!
Saturday:
We went back to Eagle Creek Park for one last hike before Dd and I had to get in our car and head home.
We got up early and packed the car so we could fit in the hike. Heather's youngest two were the only kids awake early enough to go with us.
We had such a nice time and were treated by seeing four Pileated Woodpeckers over and over again.
After the hike we headed home, excited at the thought of meeting our new dog.
Bo/Stanley/Henry:
We were so happy to see Dh! We unpacked the car and shared all our stories before heading out to pick up our new dog. We arrived at 6 pm and we all talked for two hours! Come to find out, the wife is a knitter and wanted to share her recent shawl work. We enjoyed getting to know her a bit and meet our dog. It took a while, but we have ended up calling him "Henry." He is an English Shepherd, 8 months old, and a real sweetie. He came home and laid on the rug in the living room and Agnes, our calico cat, came in and got in a little open box right beside Henry. I just couldn't believe how easily the cats accepted Henry. If I wasn't seeing it for myself I wouldn't have believed it!!
Circus:
This year, for the first time I've seen, there was set up a Big Top with a Circus!!! A 'real' circus, not a half-time thing, but a really awesome, highest standards kind of group! It was fantastic!!! We arrived thirty minutes early, to ensure a good seat, and had plenty of time to eat our picnic lunch in our seats. It helps to save some money by bringing your lunch so you can splurge on a treat (elephant ear!! if you don't know what an elephant ear is---raw dough is plied into a round flat pizza shape and then deep-fried, then covered in some oil, cinnamon, and sugar! so good!!).
Buildings:
Dd wanted to see the 4H Building---with all the arts and crafts, the DNR building (which she bought a super expensive Indiana Parks sweatshirt), and then, of course, we had to eat some fair food! I had my annual Elephant Ear which Dd also had one, and she had a Lemon Shake-Up (lemon-aid drink). The "L" family goes to the Dairy Barn each year to get a soft-serve ice cream as their family annual fun.
Fair Critters:
We walked and walked for something like seven hours, enjoying most of the fair, but not the heat! We ended by going through all the animal buildings. David really enjoyed the llama's. I was a little disappointed there were only around ten chickens. Obviously it was a bunny day and there were row after row of various cute bunnies! I do like looking at bunnies, so that was nice to see. All the sheep were sheared down so short they all looked kinda uncomfortable; I do prefer to see woolly sheep!
 |
| Our Saturday morning hike before we left, at Eagle Creek Park. |
Paddington 2 movie:
After the fair we decided to have a slow evening at home watching a movie the kids recommended--Paddington 2. We had laughed more with Peter Rabbit, but thoroughly enjoyed it! I was pleased to have a chance to darn a little on the holes in Laura and David's stuffed animals. It was such a good day. Dh called during the movie to let me know the adoption parents had called and asked us to come Saturday to pick up the new dog b/c they had a family emergency they needed to attend to in another state. Dd and I had been so sad thinking of leaving our friends and the thought of finally getting to pick up the dog we wanted to adopt sure did give us something to look forward to!
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| David in this big hollow tree, Laura was right behind him, but she didn't want to go inside where there might be buggies! It was a cute moment. She did conquer and go inside! |
Saturday:
We went back to Eagle Creek Park for one last hike before Dd and I had to get in our car and head home.
We got up early and packed the car so we could fit in the hike. Heather's youngest two were the only kids awake early enough to go with us.
 |
| Our Saturday morning hike before we left, at Eagle Creek Park. |
We had such a nice time and were treated by seeing four Pileated Woodpeckers over and over again.
 |
| See the big spider in the web beside the tree bark? |
After the hike we headed home, excited at the thought of meeting our new dog.
 |
| Our Saturday morning hike before we left, at Eagle Creek Park. |
Bo/Stanley/Henry:
We were so happy to see Dh! We unpacked the car and shared all our stories before heading out to pick up our new dog. We arrived at 6 pm and we all talked for two hours! Come to find out, the wife is a knitter and wanted to share her recent shawl work. We enjoyed getting to know her a bit and meet our dog. It took a while, but we have ended up calling him "Henry." He is an English Shepherd, 8 months old, and a real sweetie. He came home and laid on the rug in the living room and Agnes, our calico cat, came in and got in a little open box right beside Henry. I just couldn't believe how easily the cats accepted Henry. If I wasn't seeing it for myself I wouldn't have believed it!!
Audio:
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton : Completed
Animal Farm by Orson Wells : In Process
Next Week: It will be hard to get over our visit being through after looking forward to it for all year. We will do our best to unpack and not mope!
............
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