Showing posts with label Fifth Avenue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fifth Avenue. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Road Trip Medley


NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY – Friday Before Memorial Day

 The road trip we took with our son and grandson, from Wisconsin to Sierra Vista in December of 2017 is the only fun road trip I can remember.

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National Road Trip Day - Friday Before Memorial Day

NATIONAL ROAD TRIP DAY

The Friday before Memorial Day is declared National Road Trip Day and serves as the official kickoff of the summer road trip season. With two-thirds of leisure travelers (64 percent)* planning to take vacations this summer, it’s clear that the open road calls when long weekends and Fridays roll around. We pack up, fuel up, stock up and then crank up the tunes. In fact, 63 percent** of road trippers say that having good music, audiobooks and/or podcasts to listen to are the most important parts of a successful road trip. Additionally, three in five road trippers (59 percent) say that having good snacks and drinks for the road, finding great places to eat on the way and finding clean bathrooms to use while traveling are their most important parts of a successful road trip.
How do you travel? There are two kinds of people who take road trips. If you’re going together, you might want to discuss a compromise before hitting the road! The tourist takes their time getting there and doesn’t mind taking backroads to see long-forgotten ghost towns. On the other hand, the pilot enjoys seeing the country from the car, sets a course and frowns upon unscheduled stops or side trips.

Well, that explains it. I would be the 'tourist' traveler, wanting to take backroads and stop for interesting photo ops. You-know-who likes to stick to the freeway and get to the destination asap. Ugh! How boring!
I decided to skip ahead to Friday for today's Medley.  It IS a holiday weekend for us in the USA and lots of folks do take road trips on long weekends.  Let's see where we can go with this one!!
1.  Have you ever done a spur-of-the-moment road trip?  Where did it take you?

Yes! And it took us to the land of never-ending snow. It was the unexpected road trip in April of 2018 when we had flown to Arizona and had intended to make that a round-trip flight, when suddenly the airline notified us that there was a BLIZZARD in Minnesota and our flight was canceled. I think MSP got a good foot of snow and because that flight was canceled and other flights had to stay on schedule as much as possible, they couldn't fit us in anywhere. So Mr. C. spent hours (literally) on the phone, trying to talk to Customer Service and get something arranged. No luck. So we rented a car and drove back to Minnesota and Wisconsin, driving straight through (I didn't do the driving; I did the whining) And this was April 19). It was definitely a must-get-there-as-fast-as-possible trip.

 Somewhere in Yorkshire
2.  If time and money wasn't an issue, what roads would you choose to travel and how long would you be gone?

Taking time and money out of the picture, I would choose to travel all the little roads in England. I would be gone for a few years, but all of my family would have accompanied me, so maybe even five years! I mean, this is a fantasy, right? That would be mine. And every day at 5 PM I would make sure that I'm at one of the great cathedrals for Evensong service.


Deer, on our walk. They came out of the woods long enough to cross the road and get a drink of water.

3.  When you go on a long road trip, what snacks and beverages do you take?  Do you pack a picnic? Does the back seat turn into a nest?

We used to travel between Wisconsin and Lancaster County Pennsylvania a lot. I don't remember the beverages, but I took along a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and lots of ziploc bags full of carrots, peppers, olives, cheese. These days I would also take sparkling water. Although I didn't pack it as a picnic, we actually did eat it as a picnic in a few places - like on Highway 30 just outside the laundromat in Lancaster, PA., as well as in the van.
4.  Please tell us about something interesting or strange you have seen on the side of the road.

 This little rascal climbed out of the pen (under the bottom barbed wire) and was exploring the ditch when we returned from our walk last night. As you know, that barn is just across the road from our place.

 SHE did not approve!

 Even his pal wanted him back inside

Since our neighbor and his wife, who own these cattle, are in Mexico at the moment, Mr. C. decided that we could put this little guy back in the pen. "Just stand there and wave your arms." Oh good grief, I was immediately transported back to childhood where I was in a similar situation, calves or heifers getting out, and I was supposed to "just stand there and wave your arms." Sometimes I could do it and sometimes, if they came running at me, I'd beat it out of there! I told Mr. C., "I'm not very good at this."  But he coaxed him and I did manage to stay ahead of him until he came to the spot where he had crawled out. Then Mr. C. found some wire and rigged up a fifth strand of barbed wire. When our neighbor returns from Mexico, he will be surprised to see that fifth strand. And yes, there is another neighbor who checks on them daily. Right now they're on lovely pasture that has a creek running through it.


5.  Who does the driving when you head out in the car?  Do you stop in the rest areas along our Interstate highways when you have to use the facilities, or do you choose a fast-food restaurant or gas station instead?  Not TMI... inquiring minds want to know!

Mr. C. does the driving. Both of us are more relaxed that way. Wisconsin has pretty nice and clean rest stops, but we usually stop at Kwik Trip stations because it's just part of the upper Midwest life. LOL. Kwik Trip has almost anything anyone could want, onions, eggs, and coffee being three of the most important.
6.  Please share something with us about your week so far.

 This was actually last weekend. While Mr. C. and our son worked on carpenter-type stuff around the house, this grandson and I played SEVEN games. He's a smart little cookie, and so sweet. But I'll tell you, it's not easy to play seven games in a row with a four year old. This one is 'Busy Town.' And evidently it's perfect for a four year old, because he totally got into the excitement of the game. That was so much fun to see.


Spot it
Tic Tac Toe
Pass the Pig
Camper
Memory matching game
Counting Campers
Busy Town

I knew I should have bought 'Guess Who?'  That's a cute one too. 

Got any other ideas for cute games for kids that age? I've seen some really incredibly disgusting games, but the ones I listed are all good ones. I'd love to hear other suggestions.

c. 1927 F.A. Whitney baby carriage

 And after I brought it back indoors...

These two!

One of the things I'm eager to get done in prepping our house for the market is to rip out the horrid old carpet in the rooms upstairs and replace it with carpet or hardwood. But I'm not wanting to do either until Tommy and Smokey are in their new home. It would be so disruptive to these poor kitties, and it will be disruptive enough when the time comes for them to go to a new home. Elizabeth, three hours away from us, is interested in them and is scheduled to visit here the second weekend of June. Please pray about this. I know there are lots of big things to be praying about, but since there are no big or little things to God, I feel okay about asking. And we are called to be good stewards of His good creation.

THANK YOU for the Medley, Terri!

I will be closing both of my shops on June 1. They will remain closed for most of the summer, or perhaps longer. We've got so much to do around here to get our place ready to sell.


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Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
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Judy

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Hodgepodging Neverland



Photos from our walk along Fifth Avenue
on Monday evening


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From this Side of the Pond 

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1. What color is prominent in your home?  Light brown or dark brown, depending upon how much gets dragged in on everyone's shoes. Are you glad about that or wishing you could cover it up or remove it? I can remove it, but it's a neverending job.


2. What's something you'll NEVER do again?



I will never again wallpaper a wall, unless I can't get this miserable wallpaper off. Then it will be my only option. Why is it that when you carefully follow instructions before applying wallpaper SO THAT it can be removed later, a mere 28 years on, it just won't come off!






3. Tell us a couple of ways you fit the stereotypes associated with your gender, and a couple of ways you don't.



a. I just can't believe the disrespect shown by the younger generation (I kinda think every generation thinks that, don't they.) b. I think that all the years and life experience ought to count for something besides getting one step closer to the nursing home.


a. I take responsibility for my own health and don't want to run to the doctor to give me a pill to fix whatever - well, except for putting in a hip implant, although I might just as well have done the first one myself. Thank goodness for the cream of the crop specialists at Mayo Clinic in Rochester who can fix almost anything.  b. I try to keep up with technology in communication, but I don't tweet and I don't do Facebook. Hmmm. Maybe I need to reconsider my answer.





4. May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. Have you ever owned a motorcycle? I think I might have, years ago. Ever ridden a motorcycle? Yes, in the Bolivian jungles. If the opportunity presented itself would you hop on a motorcycle and go for a ride? Maybe, wearing full armor and driving on a road with no traffic, except perhaps for an Amish horse and buggy. I've often thought it would be fun to take scooters through the Driftless Area of Wisconsin (SW). It's gorgeous there - I'd want to drive something slow and quiet - but I'd only do this in the summertime, not on those scary, icy, winding roads in the winter!



5. If someone wanted to understand you, what should they read, watch, and listen to?



Read N.T. Wright, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton (and as far as I know, they're not lone gunmen assassins*, but I can't prove it). Watch British mysteries, documentaries, and historical dramas. Listen to classical music, Michael Medved, and Laura Ingraham.


Why is it so hard to remember a name like bellflower?
Bell - Flower. How hard is that??
And I think this is creeping bellflower - along Fifth Avenue.



6.  Insert your own random thought here.

From IMDB.com*  (Remember Conspiracy Theory? One of my all-time favorite movies)



Jerry: David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, Richard Speck...

Alice: What about them?
Jerry: Serial killers. Serial killers only have two names. You ever notice that? But lone gunmen assassins, they always have three names. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, Mark David Chapman...
Alice: John Hinckley. He shot Reagan. He only has two names.
Jerry: Yeah, but he only just shot Reagan. Reagan didn't die. If Reagan had died, I'm pretty sure we probably would all know what John Hinckley's middle name was.


We missed this little guy when the family got together last weekend.
His daddy sent me the photo. But we'll get to see him next Sunday.

***




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Judy

Monday, April 24, 2017

Happy Birthday, Mr. C.


 Oliver, trying to adjust his sunglasses

Sixty-six years ago today, Mr. C. became the sixth person in his extended family to be born on April 24. That little factoid even made The New York Times at the time. 

So we celebrated Mr. C's birthday on the weekend with family here, a hayride (minus the hay), a nice walk along 5th Avenue, some food and cake, and a walk through the woods.


That little wagon would actually hold me, but I couldn't get Oliver to give it up and besides, I doubt that I could persuade his dad to pull me in the wagon.

 Conquering an obstacle on the way to that stump.
(See collage above)


These photos were taken in Chippewa County last week.  It was a terrible day to try to get any decent photos, but I liked the subject matter, so I put these photos into a collage anyway.

 Old Albertville Church
Albertville, WI

I am having no success in finding out anything about the history of that church. I'd really like to know more than the fact that it is still standing in a tiny village in Chippewa County.

 Granary on the neighbor's property
I mostly took this picture for the clouds.


 More scenes in the neighborhood, along 5th Avenue



This photo is best viewed through the wrong end of a telescope.

Happy Birthday to my way-better half.

He'll be so annoyed when he sees this. LOL





***


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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Child Labor and a Stroll Down Fifth Avenue

Pals (usually)


 Earning a blister,
while Grandpa, Glenn, and I were planting the vegetable garden.
(No, he didn't mow the alfalfa field, just the grass around the garden)


He was too big to use as a chimney sweep, 
so we put him to work in the garden. ;-)
Glenn loved digging with the trowel and carrying dandelions to the huge pile of weeds.
(I hate cellphone pics!)


 Her biggest task while here was riding herd on the little brothers at bedtime.
What a job! When you're done reading a chapter of 'The Last Battle' (Narnia)
and they're tucked in for the night, how do you keep them in bed???



Last Saturday we took a walk along Fifth Avenue with the grandkids and the grandpuppy. We started out with the little one in the stroller, but you know how that works. And as long as there's virtually no traffic on that road, it was good for him to be running along with us.











Fascinated by a struggling bumble bee

Grandma doesn't like to see animals suffering. Upon reflection, however, it might have been a good idea to wait until the boys were further down the road before I stepped on the bumble bee to put it out of its misery. I was very unpopular for a few minutes.


Another corn field

We get another set of grandkids this weekend, who will be spending next week with us! One will be attending VBS at our church, while his older sister helps me in the craft department. It should prove to be a fun week. I sure hope it doesn't rain, like it did most of the week their siblings were here.

The other grandchild (our daughter's family) is heading to Gettysburg with his parents today. We had hoped to go to Gettysburg with them this summer, but the contracting business is always intense in the summer when our son-in-law is on summer break from teaching. We're going to have to give up on the summer vacation idea with them and go for a 'spring break' vacation instead.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting photos from them (at Gettysburg*) and you know they'll be coming to a blog post soon!

* Or as Henry says, 'Gettyburg, to see Sipil War.' (he's two.) :-)



***
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This post may be linked to some of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and Amaze Me Monday and Le Chateau des Fleurs and    Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and Crafty Texas Girls and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes  and Overflowing With Creativity and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Frugal Friday and  Freedom Fridays and  Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and  A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

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