Happy Birthday!

Looky, Looky who turned "1" last Friday. She's survived (or should I say "we've" survived) her first year and has hardly even had to have one of her calming pills lately! As the vet said "well now she's into her "teen years" ya know", I just about choked... Puppyhood was bad enough, and now we have a teenage dog? What I need is a menopausal dog who just wants to eat and feel exhausted all the time like me! Even though I've threatened to give her away, I never could now as it'd break Richie's heart.... here she is each morning as her best buddy leaves her to go to work for the day. She's even gotten to go out on the route a couple of mornings with him...might as well get her trained in to help throw the morning news!

Why Is It?

that at 9:30 in the morning Mom's bring their children into a doctor's office each child carrying a can of sugar -filled soda pop in one hand and a fistful of sugared candy in the other hand and then she wonders why they can't sit still and they start to badger, kick and scratch at each other all while the Mom threatens them with no results and then retreats to bribing them into good behavior with another quarter for the M&M machine out front? It's called SUGAR OVERDOSE people ! It gets old.... and I see it daily. I just gotta wonder why they don't get it.

Road Trip - Take 2

Last weekends' road trip adventure was with this man... my husband Richie.

It was his turn to plan the trip...doing the one thing he's done every summer for like the last 100 years... something I don't understand why any person would want to do...but being the good wife I go along...the big Dakota County Demolition Derby.

The folks down there have this derby 4 nights running!! and the place sells out every night. Ya gotta get in line for tickets by 5:00, the gates open at 6:00 and then you sit there on those dang uncomfortable aluminum bleachers until the races start at 7:30... pretty soon the ugliest, messed up cars come out and start smashing into each other... some have cutsey things painted to adorn the doors, and fenders... others have fake heads with wigs glued to the roof of the cars... must be a "man thing". Anyway, I never see Richie any happier all year long than when he's sitting at one of these demo derbys. This year they added something new... the "MINI-VAN" competition... all these little mini-vans come scootin' out on this dirt course with their wooden side panels and their wheels all painted and decorated and pretty soon, you realize you really don't want to ever ride in the back of one of those things again by the way you see they cave in so easily when broadsided. Of course my willingness to go along on the trip comes with what I call "TERMS".... this year my terms were to stop in Buffalo at the flea market going on downtown, and then to make a pit-stop at the Mall of America to see the Lennon Sisters perform!!

Much to my surprise, Richie was more than agreeable to both. So we left Fargo at 8AM... did our things for the day... and left the demo derby by 10PM due to a thunderstorm, getting drenched on the mile long walk back to try to find our car, (which by the way we had great diffculty doing). We arrived back home at 2AM and Richie changed clothes and went right back out to do his Sunday Forum deliveries. As I was driving on the way home while he slept, I realized how many ways he is like my Dad was. He loves to drive and take these little day road trips... so did Dad. He likes to sleep only in his own bed...so we most always have to come back home. I remember my Dad saying the same thing. He keeps his new car in the garage, and what does he drive around town and down to the cabin? His old, red paper route car that he bought for $800 bucks. Reminds me of my Dad in his old red and white pick-up, while the white caddy sat in the garage. He likes to talk to strangers about the weather... or just about anything. When getting a hotdog at the flea market, he was telling the seller all about the fish he caught and the fact it was raining on the way down from Fargo that morning... Who cares???? lol.... and he's always looking for a way to make money. So was my Dad. He can drive by a storage rental building for sale in Buffalo and say "hey, that's for sale, I bet that'd be a money maker". His current new business venture is to open up a roasted almond stand...talks about all the places he'll go and peddle his almonds... all while I respond "SUre honey, I"ll be at the lake floating on my air mattress, you go and have a great time!". Actually, he's told me several times he thinks that owning a resort would be great fun.... Hello DAD?????? Lord knows if I told him there was such a thing as a "gray uniform" and that my Dad used to wear one every single day, Richie would order himself a bunch and that'd be all I'd ever see him in... same as my Dad. I did find one thing he's very different about though... as we walked by Mom's red caddy at the lake the other night he said to me "does your Mom's car ever have a speck of dirt on it?".... I had to chuckle and say "Nope, Dad never let a dirty car leave the driveway"... anyone who has ever seen one of Richie's cars knows they never get washed. His proudest moment when we buried his old white paper route Kia with over 300,000 miles on it was "and she never once had a bath"....Now that would make my Dad shake his head and go "Sandra Louise! What were you thinking !"

Great Job Katelyn!

Ever have one of those times when you're going to be in your most favorite antique town in the entire state, but you're a bit short of extra spending cash cuz you are really there to be in a wedding as the priority? and... your sweet husband realizes it's going to pain you greatly to just have to "look" and "wish" so he reaches deep into his pocket and comes up with a $20 bill and hands it to you saying "now get yourself a treat and don't spend a dime more!".... and you go like "WHAT???? WHAT could I possibly find for a mere twenty bucks! Whatever...." but thank him anyway, kiss him goodbye and tuck the money into your pocket saying to yourself "well, that'll buy me and Kate a snack on the way down".... (wink-wink... we did stop for watermelon :-) Well, I did go to just "look" at a store and lo and behold guess what was waiting there just for me !!! This adorable, antique, metal, red phone... just perfect for our cabin. And the asking price? A mere $19.99 ! ! It was MINE!

Then overnight as I planned where I'd put my new toy in the cabin I realized it needed and rightly deserved it's own display shelf. So before we headed for home, Kate and I headed into another antique store with one mission... find a display shelf... that hardly cost a thing! and Guess What? ANOTHER perfect find... this time by Katelyn... .She came running with this shelf saying "Grandma... this will work and it's only five bucks!!".... so Kate, here's our phone now on display at the cabin on your very first antique find with Grammy! It's my new "Favorite Find".

ROAD TRIP!!!

Miss Katelyn, Miss Emme and I went on a little road trip last weekend....

We went to celebrate a belated birthday for this beauty.....

And to finally marry off this beauty...... !

The wedding had a bit of everything.....

a brand new deck in their newly designed back yard built just for the wedding....

Doc and her 95 year old Grandma whom I came to love during my tenure there....

( i hope all my grandkids get married before I'm that old and have to stand in the heat for a pic!)

a clap of thunder as they said their I do's and a light rainstorm during the ceremony.....

(that's her sis holding an umbrella over her head)

an arrival of the 911 Rescue Squad for the lady that collapsed from heart issues due to the heat & humidity during the outdoor pig roast reception.......

and her former "team" gathering for a quick pic during the dance while the tornado sirens were going off .....

This is us.... after a long day/night of celebrating in the high heat and humidity and rain

Congrats to Doc and Matt.....

And thanks to Ryan and Ann for taking us in... and waiting up with Emme until I got back after midnight :-)

you're about to enter......

my little slice of paradise....

people ask me what i've been up to all summer

this is it.... it's been a project and 1/2.... but I'm almost done.....

my favorite find of the summer ? these vintage red polka dot curtains for my kitchen!

come visit anytime!