Thursday, July 31, 2014

...a Vitamix blender...WOW!...

...WOW!...I now have a Vitamix blender...

...we needed a new blender...our workhorse of a blender was about 21 years old...purchased the same year we built our house in Balsam Grove...

...I loved that blender...it had taken to making an ear-bursting screeching noise intermittently during blending sessions...but then would straighten itself up and blend normally for several sessions...and then it would screech again...and emit a yucky smelling sort of electrical burning smell...

...so we were thinking about getting a new blender...but you know how attached I get to things...I kept putting it off...

...I guess it's a good thing that the Man and I are quite different in this respect...as left up to me...we'd still be using the screecher...
...and he knows me well enough to know that I'd be thrilled to receive a Vitamix blender for a birthday present...and I know that's not the case for everyone...

...but THRILLED I was...
...I pulled it out of the box and immediately set about giving it a first bath...that is, by the way, the way you normally clean it...just a few drops of soap and a spin...easie peasie...
...and then immediately set about making a first smoothie...
...the smoothest homemade smoothie I've ever had...not a single speck of spinach was visible...

...so Happy Birthday to me!...I have a Vitamix Blender...

~Have a lovely day!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

...another day older...

...but hopefully not 'deeper in debt'...do y'all know that song...
...we got home just in time to have a sweet, and quiet family birthday celebration...and my sweet sissie sent the box above...and my Mom sent a BB&B gift card I can't wait to use...something nice for the bathroom in progress...for sure...
...inside the box...I'll have to get some clothes on that girl...soon...
...and since we've just about filled up all the available space on the Lucy card that we've been sending back and forth FOR YEARS...she found another similar one...on the inside it says...'now you say it back to me'...so cute!...
...I told the Man that the wrapped package felt like yarn...
...and guess what...I was right!...isn't it absolutely gorgeous!...I'll have to think long and hard about what to make with it...
...and then we had dinner at my favorite restaurant...SO MUCH FUN!

~Have a lovely day!

...ps...I'll show you my BIG pressie tomorrow...

North Dakota...2014...Images...

...just a few more images I don't want to forget...
...the grass waving in the wind...
...the road to our friend's house...
...a wild prairie rose...
...boys tramping through fields...

...vacations are so funny...timewise...for me anyway...the week starts out...and you think you have so much time...just bags of it...and then you forget what day it is...and then suddenly the week is almost over...

~Have a lovely day!

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

North Dakota...2014...things to always remember...

...sitting on this deck...
...on this cabin...by the lake...
...windy days on the lake...
...oh...that North Dakota wind...
...the point...
...walks on the beach...
...swimming...
...canoeing with friends...
...into the sunset...
...oh my...those North Dakota sunsets...
...windmills...
...and the black earth...
...and waves of grain (not amber yet...haha)...
...and just how much fun it all was...see another photo of me...
...and the wind...did I mention that wind...

~Have a lovely day!

Monday, July 28, 2014

North Dakota...2014...Day 8...The Trip Home...

...alternate title...
...stuck in Chicago...
...Scouts dinner choice...the Man and I had sushi...it was good...I should have taken a photo...
...so we wound up staying at a hotel right across from the airport...it was curved...
...maybe this photo shows the curve better...

...y'all know that I love traveling...I'm even ok with delays like this one...it was a fun and restful little break...a lot of people were really angry that our flight was cancelled...but I'm a better safe than sorry kinda gal...

...so we got a good night's sleep...and now we're home...it's always good to be home...Jack sure thinks so...

~Have a lovely day!

Sunday, July 27, 2014

North Dakota...7...visiting...2014...

...on Sunday we were back at Peace...so fun to sit in the pew next to the Man...that hardly ever happens any more...
...of course there was fellowship after...it was so much fun seeing everyone and visiting...

~Have a lovely day!

Saturday, July 26, 2014

North Dakota...6...Scout's 'Birthday'...2014...

...in addition to waiting to celebrate the 4th...our friends also waited to celebrate Scout's birthday with him...
...it's just so much nicer to do these things in person...
...the green paper wrapping has been back and forth many many times now...with new drawings added each and every year...a bit of time has to be spent to find the new drawings...much like my sister and I swapping the same card each year...(there's a brief story about 'the card' at the bottom of this post)...
...Scout unwrapped his present to find a modern day version of the old Atari console...he had been asking about the one that the Man had when we were in high school...we certainly spent many hours playing Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Night Driver...it used little cartridges but had a console that looked a lot like this new one...in fact...it's quite likely that it's still in the basement of the Man's childhood home...we should ask...
...so they got that all set up and had some retro gaming fun...
...and then back outside with some of the leftover fireworks...
...Scout with Lola...
...and then a fun game of Annie Oakley...
Definition from Yahoo...

Annie Oakley. This is a last man standing game. Everyone starts off in a big straight line. If the thrower is in a bunker line up behind the bunker, if he is throwing by hand or with a pull thrower, put the thrower in the middle of the line. The First man in line is the first to shoot. The thrower throws one clay pigeon and the first man has one shot to hit it if he misses then the next in line has the chance to hit it and get the person who missed out. This continues down the line until everyone is out. If the first person hits the pigeon then it is the next person in lines turn and so on. If the person shooting misses and the next person misses and the third hits the target then both people who missed are out. If the first misses and the second hits it then the first is out and it is the persons turn who hit it to call for the pigeon. If no one hits the pigeon then all are safe and no one is out then it is the next persons turn. If the first shots and misses and then the second shoots and hits the target and the third shots after the target is hit then the first and third shooters are out. Remember even though someone might miss and the next person shoots and hits the target it will still be his turn to call for the pigeon the next turn. Even if everyone in line shoots and misses it is still the next persons turn in line. Everyone will have a chance to be the first shooter.
...and a quick video of one round of the game...(Scout won this round)...

~Have a lovely day!

Friday, July 25, 2014

North Dakota...5...fireworks...2014...

...y'all may remember that we always had a big picnic/party at the parsonage to celebrate Independence Day...with lots of fireworks...

Previous years in ND:

2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
...well...our dear friends waited until we got there to have their big 4th of July celebration...we stopped in Grand Forks and got a truckload of fireworks...so the Man was really happy...
...a bunch of Scouts friends came out to the point...
...trying to get a nice silhouette photo...
...and a goofy one...
...right at dusk...the Man begins passing on his pyromaniac prowess to the next generation...
...and the 2014 fireworks begin...
...lots and lots of fireworks...
...and fire of another kind...
...and we stayed out at the point until the wee hours of the morning...again...

...crossing my fingers that the video upload worked properly this time...so...please let me know if you don't see a video above...

~Have a lovely day!