Triathlon 2011

Today,  the Door County Triathlon in Egg Harbor’s Murphy’s Park.

Another good year.

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Campsite #49

As we were driving up to Baileys Woods campground on Saturday morning, Cammie was busy cooking breakfast for us. Cammie did all cooking this weekend....paybacks are NICE.

Cammie and Justin arrived one day early and called us to bring the sleeping bags up on Saturday.

It was warm during the day, but got chilly at night. Made sleeping wonderful!

Justin's job was cutting wood for our evening bonfire and unfolding and setting up chairs around the fire ring.

Meanwhile, Erik arrived and was quick at getting his tent set up.

After breakfast we went into Fish Creek and

• registered for the 5K Hairpin Race that would take place on Monday, the 4th,
• sat in the rockers on the Main Street Square and people watched
• walked down to the marina park and ate hot dogs,
• hit some more stores

and after a good day, we headed back to the campground.

Justin and Cammie made diced potatoes/onions foil packets and chili lime chicken kabobs over the fire for supper.

It was a good evening around the fire. Erik entertained us with stories of his friends.

We toasted marshmellows and put them between fudge striped cookies. Ummmm!

Sunday morning, Don and I drove to the Viking Grill to meet Sue and Mike Christianson for breakfast. As always, I ordered "The Golfer". It was so good to see them and spend the morning catching up on news.

We hit the beach on the east side of the peninsula. Came back showered and headed to Pat and Gail Mullaney's house on Rowley's Bay for supper.

Fish Creek celebrates Independence Day right by hosting the 5K Hairpin Run to benefit Gibraltar Area School.
We started at 8:30 am in Fish Creek and run uphill out of Fish Creek (a killer, but just keep running, Forest Gump!) This was my 9th year and my best time!

Next on our race roster is the Door County Triathlon which takes place July 16-17 in Egg Harbor’s Murphy’s Park
The motto “Can’t  bluff the Bluff". Our (relay) team name is Tri and Tri again.  Don is our newest member, the swimmer. Susan, the biker, and I (runner) have done this before.

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Fyr Bal Festival No. 9

Cammie, Kayla, Jenna, Robert, Mary Ann, Don, Justin together for the 9th year to celebrate
Fyr Bal. A tradition of early Norwegians celebrating Midsummer's Eve.

Must stop at the Confectionary and fill purses with candy!!!!!!

The bonfire teepees on the shore have been built to be lit this evening. The evening bonfires represent the burning of the Winter and ushering in the long days of summer.

Everyone is starting to gather at Bob and Nan Evanson's cottage.

Host and Hostess, complete with helmets and Gnorman, the Gnome. Pictured in the book is Gnorman's match from "Match.com". A female gnome. Could she be the next Gnorma?

Frogmore Stew  is on the burner.

Outdoor feast = 25 guests

Dusk has fallen, the bonfires have been lit. Seated on the beach awaiting the fireworks.

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Fyr Ball Eve 2011

It's here.......Fyr Ball 2011

FRIDAY NIGHT:
Don, Mary Ann and Kayla (Cammie's college roommate)
leave Green Bay
arrive at Eagle Harbor
unload
head to JJs in Sister Bay
rondevous with Cammie and Justin
nachos, salsa and guacamole
Midnight!
Back to Eagle Harbor for a deep sleep, no alarms!

SATURDAY MORNING:
I was surpised how fast we rolled out of bed.
Miel Lattes at Base Camp.
Shopping at Ecology Sports.

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Saturday rain, Snow on Sunday?

Don and I are both fighting colds, so we stayed in bed late on Saturday morning.  Julie's Cafe was already closed for the season,  so sad, no kamikaze cakes for me.

We went to White Gull Inn and had Eggs Benedict. They were good, but not as good as Jim Weidner's, and I texted him in New York City and let him know. Got a response from Jim and Ellen, "we had pizza, almost as good as eggs".

This is the Cliff House (one of the cottages at White Gull), it was our view out of the restaurant window.  You can tell by looking at the paving stones that it is wet outside. There is a light drizzle and it is chilly.

Don asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. Ecology Sports, of course. I love that store. They carry my favorite line of clothing for this time of year, Pantagonia.  One skirt, three shirts, a blazer and some smartwool socks later, we're out the door.

More driving, up to the ferry landing going over to Washington Island and then back, to find ourselves at JJ's LaPuerta for a late lunch of Chicken Nachos!  Ummmm, ummm. Had to text Cammie and tell her what she was missing. Her text read,
"You're evil" .  Yup, she's right. :)

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Hands On Hazel, Friday night fun

Don and I took to the road at 5:00 last night. We left town heading up to Fish Creek, Door County, Wisconsin  for the weekend.
I had our picnic basket for Adult Art Night complements of Linda and Meghan at Kavarna.

Baguette slices with fig jam and feta cheese, italian summer sausage and buffalo mozzarella with pickled onion and artichokes, and little sandwiches.

When we arrived, Cy and Karan only had one couple there who, Stan, their employee, was helping. Quiet in the studio and quite chilly, we decided to take our picnic over to the house and meet Cy and Karan's new pig, Hazel.

Hazel, is a sweetie. She is a noisy little thing. She chases the cats and they chase her. Her hide is coarse hair and lots of pink skin. She is 13 weeks old and will plop down onto her side if you start to scratch her belly.

We looked over the plans for Cy's new house being built on the back of the property. When it is finished, the front house will be available for vacationers to rent with many artistic touches that will inspire them to create and take back to their own homes.

We stayed and visited until late, hugged Cy and Karan goodbye and then headed down the road (1.5 mile) to the condo and tucked ourselves into bed. Great weekend so far!!!

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Focus on Fun

I'm done! I  finished reading. You, Being Beautiful by Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Happiness is really rooted in simplicity....remove extraneous stimuli...so that you can focus on the important task at hand."  (page 332)

Our brains can dramtically increase their energy consumption levels when we focus.  My yoga teacher, says" Balance creates focus and focus energizes your brain". 

Leo Babauta, the author of The Power of Less, just came out with a  new book, Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction.  I'll be heading to the library to check out his new book and to stick it in my backpack.

Meanwhile, after having a crazy week at work, I plan to focus on fun this weekend.  Don and I are heading up to the condo in Door County.  We will go to  Hands on Art, Friday evening to catch up with friends and to Julie's Cafe on Saturday morning for kamikaze cakes.

And lastly, Cammie, here is the Pumpkin Crumble recipe that you and I were going to create  for Justin.

I made it this past weekend and it passed the "Dad approved test".

1 can pumpkin (15 oz.)
1/2 c. egg beaters
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. molasses
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. rolled oats
4 TBSP cold butter

1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans

In bowl, combine and stir pumpkin, egg beaters and milk until smooth, stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.

In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, molasses and oats. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients (I used the dough hook on my mixer). Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Spread the pumpkin mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.

Drop dollops of the oats mixture (should be the consistency of biscuit dough) randomly on top.

Sprinkle the top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done. (When you insert a knife it comes out clean)

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Good Eating!

Ahhhh, Fyr Bal Fest at Ephraim in Door County this weekend. AND for the second year running, Don made Lowcountry Boil (Frogmore Stew).

Don cooked for 15 people this year and we ate to oblivion. It took

4lbs of large uncooked unpeeled shrimp,

8 full ears of corn (snapped each ear into 3)

6 lbs of red potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

2 big yellow onions (quartered)

24 mild italian sausages

Bubba Gump Seafood Boil seasoning to taste

When the water in the stock pot is boiling,

1) add the potatoes, onions and the Bubba Gump seafood boil, cook for 5 minutes, 2) add the sausage and cook another 5 min, 3) add the ears of corn and cook another 5 min, 4) add the shrimp and cook another 5 minutes

Remove from heat, drain and dump onto a platter.

It was good eating and of course, the company was outstanding. It was good to have Erik home from Iraq and with us this year. I enjoyed the entire evening and friends and family and friends that have become family.

At dusk the fireworks started and they were spectacular! We were taken by surpirse as the wind blew the fireworks towards us, we kept dodging the dropping ash.

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