9-29-2011 Magnificent!

Hundreds of pelicans

riding the air currents

gathering to migrate south

made my day

while out kayaking!

Wish I had taken this on shore using a tripod

instead of from a hand-held camera in my bobbing kayak!

9-28-2011 Just Chillin'

My DH & I out kayaking.  :*)

9-27-2011 Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Sunset over corn

after several days of heavy rain

warms my face

as I sit on the front porch

to take it in!

9-26-2011 Fired Up!

 DH & I went to the local hot air balloon festival...

The balloons are so beautiful

when they are fired up!!!

It brings back fond memories

of my one and only hot air balloon ride at Vail, CO

in the mid 1990's

during our final 'family vacation.'

of

9-25-2011 Purple and Yellow

Everywhere I look this autumn

I see purples and yellows!

9-24-2011 Perfection

 Today's weather was perfection!!!

So, DH & I took a LONG stroll along the Mississippi River.

What a blessing!  I love the QC!!!

9-23-2011 What a Rack!!!

 Our dear SIL brought over and installed

some awesome racks and panniers

on our bicycles today!!!

Thanks so much!!! O X O X O X

9-22-2011 No Pressure... But...

...today I'm starting a 'Granny's Hope Chest' !!!

The first thing I'm knitting 

is a Chicago Bears BSJ

for the grandchildren 

born to my son and his wife

in Chicago!  :*)

_________________________

9-21-2011 Jalapeños

Today is 

the last day of summer/first day of autumn...

I harvested all my jalapeños

and threw them in my dehydrator.

After they are dry

I'll throw them in the blender 

and chop them to a fine powder

to sprinkle on food during the coming winter...

anything to add some heat

to the cold Iowa winters!!!

9-18-2011 Pooches

I was able to knit three dog sweaters

while at my son's house this weekend.

Here are two of the three:

9-17-2011 Knife Show

Today DH & I attended a KNIFE SHOW

at the Oak Lawn Pavillion. 

Knife maker Ron Rosenbaugh

www.rosenbaughknives.com

was kind enough to let me photograph his awesome display:

9-16-2011 Friday Night Entertainment

Walked past this Halloween store

on our way to a carnival in Chicago tonight...

DH was looking at the masks...

 and found one that resembles him...

 I don't see much difference, sweetheart! ha.

Then we went to the block carnival

and my son, DIL and her niece road the rides...

DH & I watched.

9-15-2011 FishBowl Martinis

... seemed apropos

for the movie "Coral Reef!"

on our 'date night.'

9-14-2011 The sky is falling...

...so drywaller Rick and his uncle came to the rescue!

9-12-2011 Baby Cocoon

Today I finished knitting this Baby Cocoon

for a friend who is having her first baby!

Now I'll start on a matching hat. :*)

Here are some other pix from the www

(the Ravelry site, I think...)

of babies in their cocoons:

9-11-2011 God Bless America

My new artwork...

purchased at the Beau Arts Fair downtown...

a photograph of the "Golden Jesus" mosaic

(being restored after Muslims plastered over it)

in the Eastern Orthodox Hagia Sofia Cathedral

in Istanbul/Constantinople, Turkey.

Thanks, BFF, for teaching me a bit about ICONS.

9-10-2011 d' Marie

DH & I tried a new restaurant for breakfast this morning.

9-9-2011 At Long Last

I have finally finished knitting the Brioche "Super Scarf"

http://www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/super-scarves/

that I began back on April 2, 2011...

(it took 5+ months to knit this!!!).

It was quite a challenge to teach myself 

this double knitting technique from a book

but somehow I managed, thanks to my stubbornness!!!

Today I mailed my two "Super Scarves" to Indianapolis for the 2012 SuperBowl.

here is a pix of the other scarf I knit:

9-8-2011 Let's fly away!!!

DH & I saw this display

outside of an antiques shop in LeClaire, IA...

I loved these suitcases...

wouldn't they be easy to pick out

on the luggage rack at the airport?!?!?

I left them there for someone else to purchase...

but I was tempted!

9-7-2011 A Smile for Lunch

turned upside down into a frown

at the Bier Stubbe in LeClaire, IA...

Their 'hot German potato salad' is no longer...

now it's warm, mushy and very bland.

And their fabulous 'authentic German sauerkraut' is no longer...

now it's regular kraut that has been colored orange.

Such a bummer... was REALLY disappointed!!!

DH & I see no reason to go back

now that they taken all the German flavor out

and 'Americanized' their food.

So sad.  :-(

9-6-2011 On the Needles

I always seem to have more than one knitting project going at a time.

Currently I have 4 different things on the needles:

2-At-A-Time-Toe Up Wool socks for myself

for cross country skiing this winter...

a prayer shawl for church group... 

~9 more inches to go to complete my second 

100" long scarf

for next year's SuperBowl

http://www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/super-scarves/

~a baby cocoon 

for a friend who is expecting

her first baby!

9-5-2011 GAHC-Praise of Pencils

Several days ago, 

DH & DD and I went to the

German American Heritage Center

for the first time

to check out the Pencil Exhibit:

Praise of Pencils

(since DD has a pencil collection!).

It was wonderful!!!!

http://gahc.org/PraiseOfPencils.htm

Here is a pix from the above link:

9-4-2011 Washed Clean

Yesterday's rain

washed clean

the sky and air and greenery.

The smell of drought and dust is gone.

The view is from my reading/knitting chair.

9-3-2011 Stormy Skies

ominous clouds

in stormy skies

dropped much needed rain onto

parched corn and bean fields

surrounding our neighborhood

9-2-2011 Chocolate Extravaganza!!!

 Inkeepers Jeff and Chef Monica Sudakov

of the Chestnut Street Inn

in Sheffield, IL

(  http://www.chestnut-inn.com/ )

hosted a Chocolate Extravaganza

four course meal tonight...

each course included chocolate.

 The seared shrimp with chipotle chocolate sauce

was our favorite course!!!

And the Mexican hot chocolate

at the end of the meal

was divine!!!

Thank you soooooo much, Jeff & Chef Monica

for all your hard work

and delicious meals!!!

You're the BEST!!!

9-1-2011 Last blast of Summer!

My car and the bank and the tv say 98*F!!!

I'm ready for the cooler days of autumn... sigh.