10-30-2011 Confirmation

Today at church

(Reformation Sunday for Lutherans)

3 young women

confirmed their faith.

When I was growing up

we did this on Pentecost Sunday

(7 weeks after Easter).

Hmmm?!?!? Wonder when it changed?

10-29-2011 No Boil Lasagne

I tried making 'No Boil Lasagne' last night...

Super easy and

it turned out great!

10-28-2011 The Keep

Here is a photo showing my progress

on the socks I am knitting for DD

from a pattern called "The Keep"...

a pattern seen near the ceilings in Medieval castles and keeps.

10-27-2011 Car Eating Dragon!

Saw this big guy while out driving around...

fortunately I was able to pass...

un-eaten!  Whew!

10-26-2011 Farm Humor

10-25-2011 Gone Fishin'

...just my luck!

10-24-2011 Dove

spotted by my DH 

along the trail

during our morning stroll.

10-23-2011 Seeing Red!

10-22-2011 Stinky!

Today DH applied a truckload

of stinky compost

to our little garden.

I'm guessing we'll have some

awesome veggies next summer!

Thanks, sweetie!

10-21-2011 Happy Birthday

We've been celebrating our DD's birthday all week long...

here is the little 4" chocolate B-day cake 

we bought at the grocery store...

served with

ice cream

and 

corn candy mixed with salted peanuts.

Happy Birthday DD!

10-20-2011 Primero y Segundo Explore Italy

 Chef Boyardee...

I mean, Chef Primero

and sous chef Segundo
(a.k.a. Chef Monika & Cathy)

helped us explore the cooking

of northern vs. southern Italy

in cooking class tonight.

 Everything was delicioso!!!

10-19-2011 Do You know the Button Man?

DD & I had fun putting this puzzle together tonight!

10-18-2011 Ski Socks

Today I finished knitting some wool socks 

that I plan to use while cross country skiing this winter!

10-16-2011 2nd BSJ Finished

and the 3rd one is on the needles...

now to find some buttons!

10-15-2011 Bloomsbury Farm

We spent this beautiful autumn day at Bloomsbury Farm

with our DD and S-I-L

and his 'little brother'

(from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program).

DD & I got lost in a 10 acre corn maze...

we weren't given a map like the guys were.

We finally found one of the towers

and spotted the guys off in the distance

and they helped lead us out.  :*)  

Whew!!! We were worried there for a while!

10-14-2011 Hard to Breathe!

Can you see the distinct brow line of haze on the horizon

(click on the picture to enlarge it)

from all the corn/beans/dust/molds/mildews

being thrown into the air during harvesting?

Sure makes it hard to breathe

and makes my eyes ache!

10-13-2011 Birding

DH, DD and I went birding...

on the kitchen table.

10-12-2011 A long dry spell...

...has ended today!!!

Thank you Lord for much needed rain!

I'd forgotten how wonderful rain smells.

I went outside and sat on the front porch and knit

just to enjoy the rainfall up close and personal.

10-11-2011 Don't lose your marbles!

 It took artist Kelvin

and the Augustana art students

3 days to erect this installation piece

made of thousands of marbles!

10-10-2011 African Market

This is another of my favorite pieces 
in the Augustana Art exhibit...

inspired by a visit to an African outdoor market

exploding with color!

10-9-2011 CLASS PROJECT

Today DH & I went to see an art exhibit

at Augustana Lutheran College.

I loved this "Class Project"

where they divided a painting into 15 equal squares...

gave each student in class one square...

and had each student paint their individual square

in the style of a different artist.

10-8-2011 Coral Reef

over 4,000 pieces

crocheted by 819 individuals 

over 6 months...

on loan to our local museum

by the Smithsonian Museum.

www.crochetcoralreef.org

10-7-2011 BSJ Progress

I'm making slow but steady progress

knitting my Chicago Bears BSJ.

10-6-2011 Bobbing

Snapshots taken 

while bobbing in my kayak...

it's a beautiful autumn in Iowa!

10-5-2011 Blue Heron

DH & I went kayaking 

yesterday afternoon and this morning...

saw turtles, snakes and several blue heron.

10-4-2011 PRAM

This past weekend, Dear Daughter and Son-in-Law

gave me a new charm for my Pandora bracelet...

can you guess which one it is?!?!!? 

10-3-2011 Knit One Pray Too

 Today I attended a 'Knit One, Pray Too' knitting retreat
at the Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat Center,
nestled away in the hills and fields of Iowa.

Participants walked the outdoor labyrinth

while the sisters set up for lunch...

I knitted a little Chef's Hat

and presented it to the sisters who serve us such 

amazing, beautiful, delicious lunches!