The Wedding Weekend-Rehersal

The night before Cammie's wedding, the wedding party sat out in the garage and made 26 wedding cake floral tops. Cammie, funny girl, announced after they had finished, "we're not really going to use these, it was just a team building exercise!" jk

One of the cake tops had fern "antlers" (I made sure it was on the bridal reception table). What surprised me is that the boys did as good as a job as the girls. I didn't care what the final product was, it was unbelievable fun and stuff memories are made of.

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Door County Triathalon

A fine job on a hot hot hot day. In retrospect, I made the mistake of standing in the sun before running. I should have been keeping in the shade, keeping my core temperature down.
I was appreciate of the wet cloths handed out on the course, it was a lifesaver.
How do people run without an IPOD in their ear. I observed the rules and left mine in my bag, but it was a challenge to keep running without any stim. Next year, I'll break the rules!!!!

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Gardening Update

All the rain has the lavendar busting out all over.

It is running over onto the patio, into the pussywillows and the day lillies.
Dried lavendar bouquets will eventually be hanging in the basement.
















I had a large shrub die this past winter, today I planted Heavenly Blue Morning Glories (grown from seed in
the cold frame)at the base. The dead shrub will act as a trellis to hold the vines and blooms.








































The tomato plants are thriving. I used a pussy willow branch as the support. I am sure the pussy willow will take root in the pot as well and the steroids that the roots put out should promote growth for the tomatoes.



In the Spring, I cut the pussy willow bush down to about 12" from the ground, save the rods and keep them in a 5 gallon Menards bucket full of water on the back patio. They root incredibly fast and I replant or use in other ways. There is no need to remove them from the bucket until I think of something to use them for. They are happy waiting. Often I use the water the rods have been rooting in to pour on other plants doing poorly and then refill the bucket with fresh water for the rods.


The zucchini at the far end of the garden has lots of flowers on it. I placed it there so it was out of the way of the gravel walkway as it grows and starts spreading.

Summer's harvest of lettuce from the cold frame; zucchini and tomatoes sounds delicious.

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A voice in the middle of the night

I sat down to lunch at the hospital with a very good friend and peer on Friday for lunch. She recently broke a bone in her foot and it has made getting around very difficult. Many things she cannot do without assistance.

During our conversation, she told me the story of how she broke that bone. The day of the mishap she was in an extremely foul mood. She has never been a religious person, but (on that evening) during the middle of the night, just as real as I was sitting next to her, God spoke to her about her behavior and said, "You don't have cancer!"

Pause........We reflected on our current state (our daily work events, our health, our families and our friends). We have two very close friends who are currently battling terminal cancer and we see their struggles daily as they continue to work for as long as they have.

AND SO..

I end this entry.....For the great days, I will be estatic, and the okay days, I will find better, but most of all, daily I will find a way to enjoy and be thankful for all that I have.

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Fyr Fest Friends and Gnorman the Gnome

The best part of the Fyr Bal Fest weekend was friends and the time we spent together.

Of course, the newest person at Fyr Bal was Gnorman the Gnome, guarding Bob and Nan's porch in Ephraim.

He didn't say much.....

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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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