Catching Up

It HAS been awhile since I blogged last.  Life has gotten busy.  There is only so much time in a day to get things done.  My little blog has suffered.  I can't possibly go back to when I blogged last and catch up on everything.  But I shall try....

In a nutshell:  We finished school at the end of May.  The kids did well this past year, and I'm very pleased with their work.  They are taking a break from violin for the summer but are still working on their piano lessons.  Our daughter is taking swimming lessons to get a little more confident in the water than she is.  We are still doing those lessons, and I certainly see improvement in just this short time.  They are also taking art lessons this summer. 

We went camping for two nights already.  It was fun to get away, and we hope to do some more in a few weeks.  No big vacation is planned this year--just short camping trips around the state.  We really would like to get up to Door County this summer.  I see the newest issue of Victoria magazine has a nice article on Door County.  They are well deserving of the publicity.  It really is pretty and relaxing up there in the "thumb" of Wisconsin.

There have been plenty of parties we've been going to:  graduation, birthday, etc.  My mother-in-law's 70th is on July 4th, and we are helping with a big celebration for her. 

I've been working on many projects.  Unfortunately sales have been a little low, but that is to be expected this time of year when there is so much going on and people are putting their money toward vacations and family get-togethers.  I've been working on some felt projects (I really do enjoy making felt things) and, of course, my vintage jewelry embellishment projects. 

 

Mom and I are thinking of trying a craft show this fall.  She has been in many; I haven't been in any.  We're waiting approval.  I'm not very good at "production", but if we are approved to be in it, I will need to work on that until November. 

Well, I'll try to be more faithful at writing in the days ahead.  Happy summer day to you.

The Nina, the Pinta, the...

...okay, well the Santa Maria wasn't there, but the other two were! 

We decided to take a homeschool field trip last Saturday to Kenosha, Wisconsin.  The kids had just had a week studying Christopher Columbus, and replicas of the Nina and the Pinta were in port at Kenosha until Sunday.  What a great way to visualize history!  Apparently these have sailed all over and had made their way down the St. Lawrence across Lake Michigan to Kenosha.  The Nina is an exact replica, and the Pinta was built slightly bigger.  I have a greater respect for those who traveled across the Atlantic in these little vessels!  They were small.  We heard a detailed account of Columbus's life and things that happened on that first trip.  It was an interesting history lesson.

They had examples of navigational equipment used, and we were shown how to use them.

Then, after the history lesson we were able to tour both ships.  It was a wonderful experience for the kids. 
After the ship tours we saw lighthouses.  We went through the Public Museum and saw a life-sized replica (the actual bones are safely tucked away in a controlled environment) of a wooly mammoth that was dug up in southeastern Wisconsin.  We went to the Civil War museum and browsed through a farmer's market.

We even rode this glamorous old street car on her entire circuit.  Isn't she a beauty?  It was a beautiful day that was fun and educational for our whole family. 

September in Wisconsin

I think if I were to recommend to anyone the month to visit Wisconsin it would be September.  The high heat is over.  The humidity goes down.  The days are sunny and bright.  There is warmness in the air yet a touch of crispness.  The evenings are cool and refreshing.  It's beautiful here in September.  Lately it has been quite foggy and moist in the very early mornings only to burn off by mid morning yielding a fabulous day. 

My pink geranium is still blooming beautifully.  I love plant pot "sticks", and this one is a green and white flying bug on a copper stick.

The hummingbirds are still here, though I know soon they will begin their long flights to warmer climates.  It has been so hard to get a picture of them!  Thankfully after a prayer that I'd be able to capture one on the camera, this pretty lady landed on our deck chair and posed for me.  I think they are one of the sweetest creatures God created.  I shall miss them when they all leave and have been taking the time to watch them and get my fill in before they do. 

Also, I couldn't resist a shot of this spider's web.  The dew on it turns it in a piece of lace studded with diamonds. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pepin, Wisconsin

My husband had a week off, so we decided to go camping for a few days "up north".  We had a pretty tight budget, so camping and low-cost entertainment were on the agenda.  We had a great time--fished (caught enough to eat), boated (row boat), camped (yes, in a tent, and, yes, at a place that had flush toilets and hot showers--the kids just loved being in that tent), popped Jiffy Pop popcorn over the campfire (even though the label says not to), ate marshmallows losing a few in the fire, swatted mosquitoes, gold panned (didn't find any gold, but did find a few teeny, tiny garnets), picnicked, saw lots of wild life, and just relaxed!  It was fun.  The weather was good--thankfully not this hot, humid, stifling weather we are having this week.  One thing we did was visit the little town of Pepin.  We have read all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and, well, being "Wilders" we thought it was appropriate to visit the reproduction of the home where Laura was born.  It was a lovely wayside in the hills outside Pepin (loved the blooming lilies against the weathered wood of the cabin).  It certainly didn't have any "big woods" around it.  It was on a hill surrounded by cow pastures, but the area and view were quite nice.  The drive into Pepin was scenic, and in town was an interesting little museum and gift shop.  It was all very nicely done, and we had a good time.