8-22-2014 Another Wallaby

 I finished knitting this today...

GD posing in her new Wallaby sweater...

8-21-2014 Fave New Toy

This is my favorite new toy!!!

A cherry pitter!

Making popsicles

from fresh cherries

was easy peasy today!

8-20-2014 Stayin' cool in the Shade

With outdoor temps in the mid 90's

we spent our outdoor time in the shade today

(and playing in the water).

8-19-2014 Fun times in the Kitchen

Making a 'cake' from sand

(does that qualify as a mud pie?!?!)...

...while baby sister eats Cheerios.

8-18-2014 Tomatoes

Helping Papa in the garden...

picking, de-stemming and eating the tomatoes.

8-17-2014 Grandsons

Today, DH & I finished our drive

to see our family in Chicago.

Here is Opa and Grandson #1...

best buddies because Opa rough-houses with him!

Grandson #2 will be 2 months old tomorrow

and already needs a haircut!

Wow, he has got a ton of hair!!!

Opa and Oma love you boys!

8-16-2014 Top 5 In the USA!!!

This weekend

DH & I spent a night

in the Rosewood Room

at the Bed & Breakfast

( the Chestnut Street Inn )

of our favorite chef, Monika Sudakov

and favorite innkeeper, Jeff Sudakov!

It was published in the Chicago Tribune last week

that their B&B was ranked in the top 5 in the USA

for culinary fare.

(They have also been ranked

in the top 10 worldwide!)

Congratulations, Jeff & Monika!!!

This weekend, Chef Monika 

was celebrating the birthday of Julia Child

with French cuisine.

It was DIVINE!!!

This is the dining area on her patio

where we enjoyed our meal.

8-15-2014 Bindweed Saturnfly Progress

I can't decide if I want to re-knit the skirt...

this one is pink at the top and white at the bottom...

I wanted white at the top and pink at the bottom

to match the bindweed flower blossom...

8-14-2014 Lapghan

...for my M-I-L...

8-13-2014 OLPR K1-P2

Another beautiful lunch

by the sisters at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat

(from their home-grown organic fruits and vegetables!)

during today's Knit One, Pray Too Retreat.

I worked on finished a Lapghan for my M-I-L.

8-12-2014 Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes

Dear Daughter

gifted me with some new mascara

by younique

called Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes.

This product has a bit of a learning curve

so I'm hoping this old dog can learn new tricks! ha.

Thanks so much, DD!!!

I love trying new makeup things!

8-11-2014 Cappuccino Potato Chips?!?!?!

Saw these in the grocery store today

and was sooooo intrigued

I had to get some and try them.

For you coffee lovers out there

all I can say is "YUM!!!"

The other 3 flavors up for voting

(vote here)

1)Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese

2)Wavy Mango Salsa

3)Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger

8-10-2014 Super Moon

Tonight...

I plan to go outside and check it out

if the clouds would just go away!

No... no such luck.  :-(

Had to wait until the next morning

to get a shot...

8-9-2014 Stitches Midwest

DH & I attended "Stitches Midwest" today...

a convention center FULL of 200+ fiber vendors 

from all over the world!

Here are the goodies with which I came home:

I wish computers had "feel-o-vision"

so you could feel how soft and yummy these yarns are!!!

8-8-2014 LYS August 2014 KAL

The August KAL (Knit-a-Long) at my

LYS (Local Yarn Shop)

is a dishcloth exchange.

You make 3 dishcloths, bring them in,

have an exchange at the end of August,

and your name is put in a drawing for $25 gift certificate!

(I won the gift certificate for last month's KAL... woo hoo!!!)

Here are pix of the dishcloths I made for this month's KAL.

8-7-2014 Boats

Today DH & I took our morning 5k walk

along the Mississippi River.

We saw these boats moored in the marina

and thought back to our days in Missouri

when we used to have a boat.

The first year we boated on Lake of the Ozarks 

every other weekend.

The second year we took it out twice.

The third year we mowed around it and didn't use it once.

The fourth year we sold it.

Live and learn!

We also saw some graffiti along the trail...

And last but not least,

everywhere I go now I notice the bindweed!

(Bindweed is the inspiration for my latest knitted fairy.)

8-6-2014 Rocker Chick

Who says rocking chairs

are just for grannies?!?!?

I LOVE the new little rocking chair

that Papa made!

It's just the right size for me.

I'm blurry in the pictures

because I won't spot rocking!

  :*)

8-5-2014 Fairy Bindweed Saturnfly Progress

My Bindweed Saturnfly Fairy

now has yellow bloomers,

a pink an white skirt

and vintage lace sleeves.

True to her bindweed nature,

she's still a tangled mess...

:*)

8-4-2014 Smiles

GB#1-Mr. Potato Head Lips

GB#2-eating an apple...

makes me smile!

(Borrowed this from his mama's FB page!)

GB#3-learning to stand

GB#4-starting to smile

8-3-2014 Classical

Today DH & I went to a church service

that used all classical music...

I loved it!

8-2-2014 Mississippi Valley Fair

Since it was a beautiful summer's day today (90*F)

DH & I decided to go check out the

Mississippi Valley Fair today...

something we have NOT done since moving here 8 years ago!

They are celebrating their 95th anniversary this summer.

Typical midway...

Tigers... alligators... monkey jockeys riding dogs...

resting...

the smell of horse barns...

Son, here is the bouncy castle for your next party!

And of course,

DH & I HAD to try some fair fare,

so we split a funnel cake...

it seemed 'safer' than the corn dogs!

I think our last funnel cake was

at the Missouri State Fair

about 30 years ago.

And it will probably be another 30 years

before we have another! Ha.

This evening I managed to knit

some of the clothes for my Bindweed Fairy...

sleeves, bloomers and her skirt.

8-1-2014 Kinetic Sand

Kinetic Sand...

it's still worth an hour of entertainment!

Progress on Bindweed Saturnfly fairy...

body parts are finished!