Forty Second Anniversary

While we were in Sandusky, Jim and Phyllis celebrated their forty second anniversary.  We went to dinner Damon's, a nice restaurant on the marina.  I love this picture of Jim and Phyllis looking like American Gothic.  When we got back to their house, the girls, Michelle and Kathy had brought flowers, a gift basket and a sign made by the grand kids as a celebrate the day.  Here to many more anniversaries.

Five Miles

The title actually says it all.  I ran five miles today.  The last mile was hard, but adding distance has always been hard.  I don't know why, but being able to go further always happens on Monday.  Maybe the day break helps.  I am happy with my accomplishment and just need to keep on working.

Cedar Point

We went to Cedar Point to see the sights.  I have always been clear that I had no intentions of riding any of the eleven roller coasters.  Fortunately, neither Ray or the Lipps had any such thoughts either.  Jim and Phyll go out to Cedar Point to watch the people and eat during the summer.  The amusement park has been in business since the 1880's and is part of the very identity of the Lake Erie area.  We had a great time.  I took my favorite picture of the trip here, the Ferris Wheel all lit up.  It took a little work to get the right setting, but once I did, it was perfect.  The last picture is of the show when the park closes.  There are six gas torches that fire up during various points in the program.  Not only do they light up the night, but they heat up the night as well.  During the program you can see the show on the screen, but when the torches fire, it goes blank. 
It is amusing because there were a couple of things that Jim suggested that we were lukewarm about and after we went there we were very happy to have gone.

Light Houses on Lake Erie

One of the things we enjoyed seeing on this trip was the light houses.  The Marblehead light house is near Jim and Phyllis's home.  The other one was located on South Bass Island before we got to Put-In Bay.  The Marblehead light house is still being used, while the South Bass one is retired and used by a university now.  We have visited three light houses now, and probably we will try to find more.

My Seagull

Every one needs a seagull for their yard.

This cement seabird is currently sitting in my front garden.  We found him on Marblehead on our first full day in Sandusky.  There is actually a piling that goes with him so he will be looking comfortable when he is permanently located in the back yard.

I actually have a back story as to why I have a cement seagull.  He is not my first gull.  Years ago, my mom and dad bought one while they were on vacation, I think in Galveston.  He was smaller and my dad had to make a wood piling to perch him on.  He lived in my parents yard for years.  Then when my dad and stepmother moved, he went with them until the last move when I said I wanted him and he came to live with us. More years have passed and the little cement gull started to seriously deteriorate.  I think he was more than thirty years old.  Finally this spring, we had to admit that he was beyond salvation and he was gone.

I did miss him a lot.  So, last week when we were driving around the lake, I mentioned that Sandusky would be a good place to buy a new gull.  That started the four of us on a search.  I finally remembered that I had seen a yard art place on our way in.  We went back and sure enough, there this guy was.  I liked the look in his eye.  The man at the shop asked me that and told me that he cast them all and painted them by hand.  The bird looks real, he does a good job. 

However, folks up along Lake Erie were sort of baffled by why I wanted a seagull.  They are viewed as nuisances.  But they were a lot more tolerant when I told them we were from Kansas, and we were replacing an old bird.  I think we will enjoy him for a lot of years in the future.

We interrupt these vacation pictures for....

Wyatt's first day of school!

Today was Wyatt's first day of Pre Kindergarten.  All of us, except for his Dad were able to troop up the the school to watch him get started.  Wyatt was so excited that he was having a hard time concentrating on anything but getting to school.  Unlike Ray and me, he is attending the same grade school his mother and uncle went too.  I don't believe any of the same teachers are still there though.  I think little sister Andrea is looking forward to a couple of hours each day as an only child.

The Christmas Story House

Visiting the house used in the movie "The Christmas Story" was fun.  The house has been restored to look as it did when it was used in the movie, including the leg lamp in the window.  You can tell how fond people are of the movie because everyone was saying quotes from the movie.  Phyllis and I toyed with the idea of buying a leg lamp.  I settled for a leg night light, and a bunny suit ornament.

It is interesting though, that the rest of the neighborhood seems to be improving itself since the house has been restored and people are visiting it from all over.  That made me happy.

Hang On Sloopy!

Just a part of the trip

We just got back from a week vacation to visit friends in Sandusky Ohio.  We have known Jim and Phyll for almost forty years.  We met when we were stationed in Turkey.  We have been to Sandusky before but always in the winter or to go to a wedding.  This had limited our seeing the sights that we now know abound along Lake Erie. We had more fun than we had ever imagined we would have seeing things. We had thought that it would mostly be visiting and hanging out, but it was so much more.

These pictures of the light house at Marblehead, Nettie's Chili dogs and the Confederate Cemetery on Johnson Island were from our first day out.   The whole area is so pretty and green.  The Marblehead light house is the oldest lighthouse still operating on Lake Erie.  The Confederate cemetery is located on Johnson Island in Sandusky Bay.  There are three hundred graves of Confederate Soldiers who died here.  We also visited an art gallery of an artist who specializes in Lake Erie painting, an art glass gallery and we bought a concrete sea gull and piling for the yard.  That is a whole other story and I need to take a picture of the gull. 

The chili dogs and milk shakes at Nettie's were great too.  All in all a great first day.

Andrew's Surgery

These gruesome pictures are actually out of sequence, but I wanted to post them here for posterity.  we are all praying that this will be the last surgery Andrew has to have on his leg.  The rod in his upper leg was taken out above his knee and the plate and screws were put on the bone on the side.  I am a squeamish person and just writing that made me feel ookie.  I can only say that Andrew came through the surgery and seemed to be feeling better faster than he did after the doctors worked on his lower leg in February.

It has been a year and a half since Andrew was able to walk on his own.  He gets grouchy and angry. I get irritated at him for doing that, but looking at these pictures, I think I may get more of an understanding of what he has been dealing with.  I know that the pain has been a constant, and I pray that it will be gone soon and he will be walking again.

Domestic Goddess Recipe Book

I led this class last week at Scrapbook Garden for the second time.  I didn't post it here, but it was so cute that I thought I should.  The kit was a joint project with Pinecone Press and Graphic 45.  Pinecone Press prints a small booklet with several projects and different paper companies provide the materials.  The Graphic 45 paper is Domestic Goddess and it is a wonderfully vintage design.  As a matter of fact, I am going to get more of the paper to make another one for a gift.

Basic Gray Capella Cards

Here are five of the twelve cards from the set of Basic Gray Capella paper kit. I think these cards my be my most favorite set I have made from Basic Gray.  It may be that the colors are so simple and understated, but the designs of these cards are very attractive as well.  The class will be at Scrapbook Garden on September 11th.

Two Days

Only two days until I head back to Kansas.  For all that I came down here to take care of Andrew after his surgery, I have enjoyed myself.  It wasn't all house cleaning and cooking.  I got to scrap, did my running and visited friends.  All in all, a good amount of me time.  Even though I am retired and in theory I have lots of that I don't 

Already it sounds like things will be hectic for a bit when I get home anyway.  I am looking forward to that too. 

Andrew's Back Yard

I am sure I have mentioned it before, but I do love Andrew's back yard.  His yard backs up on a small lake. This is the sort of thing I find wonderfully neat. The view is pretty too.  I had another picture I took a while back of the mist rising off the water, but it was lost when the laptop crashed.  Obviously, nothing else would do but to take another picture.  The water is so calm, there is always a mirror reflection.  What the pond does not have fortunately, is alligators.  That surprises me since they seem to be everywhere else.  But I consider that good.  The grass at the edge of the pond is floating on the water.  Every now and then some of it breaks off and floats down the lake like a tiny island.  I have never seen that at home, so I find that fascinating as well.

I have three days left in Georgia.  I guess I better find some things to take pictures of so the trip won't be a total photographic loss.  I have managed to start running so that is a plus and for the most part eating like I should too.  When I think of it that way, photos are just gravy.