6-16-2016 Raw Buffalo

 Buffalo Steak Tartare

 BBQ Chicken on Cheddar grits

Honey Lavender cake with berries and chocolate sauce

DH & I went to this "Beer Pairing" dinner

hosted by our local HyVee grocery store chef

to celebrate my birthday and Father's Day.

I couldn't eat the raw buffalo

but the rest of the meal was yummy!

6-15-2016 Happy Birthday

 GDs made me some

German Chocolate cupcakes

to celebrate my birthday today!

6-14-2016 Being Silly

Playing 'dress up' in her baby clothes...

6-13-2016 Always at my Feet

Kitty

enjoying some cool morning breezes

6-12-2016 Farmers Market

 Ventured out in the heat 

to the Farmers' Market yesterday...

bought some micro greens and disappointing coffee.

6-11-2016 Lavender

Apparently the lavender in my front yard

loves the heat (Quad Cities=99*F today!)...

(and the rain from 2 days ago)...

it's blooming up a storm!

Granddaughter J picked some lavender

and put it on the chicken in my crockpot

along with some basil and rosemary...

it was the best chicken I've ever had!!!

6-10-2016 Swinging

The GDs swinging together on their new swing!

6-9-2016 Much Needed Rain

...is heading our way today!

6-8-2016 Started My Day on the Water

Kayaking with DH

and the rest of the morning at the zoo 

with the GDs...

6-7-2016 198 Yards of Heaven

Starting another shawlette...

198 Yards of Heaven

to use up leftover yarns from last year's "Sky Scarf".

6-6-2016 Charity Knitting

My LYS (Local Yarn Shop)

has become a drop-off site for

Knitted Knockers

so thought I would make several to donate.

6-5-2016 Baby Robin

Today, a baby robin decided to come check out

the flower pot on my front porch.

It blessed me all morning...

nature never disappoints!

6-4-2016 Iowa City Art Show

DH & I 

took advantage of this beautiful spring day

to peruse the booths at the 

Iowa City Art Show

and got some amazing Caribbean Jerk Chicken

for lunch from

one of the food trucks in attendance.

6-3-2016 A Trip to the Salon

 

6-2-2016 Another Prayer Zentangle

6-1-2016 New AC

With Memorial Day weekend

being the unofficial start of summer,

our 10 year old AC decided to go out!

Temps are in the 90's outdoors

and upper 90's indoors (whew!!!)

so we are springing for a new AC and coils. 

5-31-2016 No More Sheets!

No...more...sheets!!! Woo hoo!!!

Past summers, I would hang sheets

over the patio chairs

and place them over the pool

so the girls could play in the shade

out of direct sunlight

under their 'tent'.

Now, with the new pergola,

they are free to stand up and run about!

4-30-2016 Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes...

the name of this morning's prayer zentangle.

For Memorial Day

I prayed for the families and friends of those

who have died serving our country in the military.

And we remembered our loved ones who have passed too.

- - - - - - - -

Both our son and daughter have this pergola

in their backyards

to provide some much needed shade.

We've spent time under both and love them

so decided to take the plunge

and get one for ourselves!

DH & I assembled it by ourselves last night.

4-29-2016 The Boys

Got to spend some much needed time with 

my family in Chicago this weekend!

What a blessing!

5-28-2016 Mani-Pedi

Haven't had one in many years...

but decided to splurge this morning

since summer is here and it is now sandal season!

I put my fave new OPI polish on my toes...

"I eat Mainely Lobster."

Also finished knitting another baby hat for charity.

And, a few more zentangles...

5-27-2016 Meatheads

Our S-I-L told us about this place "Meatheads"

and their wall of hot sauces!

So, to day DH & I went to check it out!

Came home with several bottles of hot sauces and some brats.

5-26-2016 Spider Web

One of our GDs fave things to do at the parks

is to climb the 'spider webs.'

5-25-2016 New Slip and Slide!

Woo-hoo!!!!!

5-24-2016 Iris In Bloom