July 2022

 

July is always a great month, time with friends, enjoying the beautiful weather, and a lighter schedule.

Thomas and Brennan are in classes and working this summer so they are busy but we had a chance to see them a few times.  

Here are some highlights!

Karen and Bob had us over for dinner - a fun night with friends (Laura, Karen, Cindy and spouses not in the photo).  Bob is an amazing chef and Karen decorates for every occasion.  It was a beautiful evening at their home.

Cindy and Eric had us over for their annual fireworks evening.  QMIX puts on a great fireworks show each year and Cindy's and Eric's front yard is great for viewing the show.  This year they had a local ice cream truck come.  So fun!

(David and Greg enjoyed a cone)

My attempt at a healthy option below

Bailey and Remy enjoyed the pre-show and then we took Remy home.  The crowds and fireworks are not his speed.

But Bailey has always loved a good fireworks show!

The boys both came for the holiday weekend.  One of the things we started doing during the pandemic was all cooking a big meal together.  It's a ton of fun.  We made a big 4th of July feast.

Thomas got fancy filling the deviled eggs. 

For Laura's birthday we went to the Brown County Music Center (what a GREAT venue) to see a Queen cover band.  They were actually incredible!  We had a big group go for Mexican and then the concert.  A lovely night in Nashville, IN.

Gene and David with their pints

David and I joined part of David's team for a United Way bowling event.  We clearly need to bowl more - maybe this winter!!
 

Bailey was sleeping on the fireplace tile so I took my phone out to take a photo and he jumped up to pose.  He LOVES having his photo taken and always poses for me.

Thomas came home one evening and I made a big meal.  I also made my mom's walnut pie.  Instead of a typical pie, I made the pie in individual ramekins topped with ice cream instead of whipped cream.  It was so good and was a great memory of my mom.

David and I went to see our community theater put on "The Twelfth Night" (that's Brennan's 1st grade teacher in the lead role!).  We knew several people in the show.  Mill Race Players did a great job and this was the first time I had seen the play.  I had also never read it.  But I did remember that David gave me his senior portrait years and years ago and on the back he wrote a quote that he liked.  I remember looking up that quote and it was from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night so it was great to see this finally! I also found the photo :)

Seeing Willie Nelson in concert has been on my bucket list for years.  It finally happened on Saturday after two cancelled concerts due to COVID.  We went with friends to Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati (which we loved) to see the Outlaw Concert which is Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, and usually 3 or 4 other bands.  We had an incredible time and Willie was so so good.  I put several video clips of him singing on social media.  At 89 years old, it is incredible just how great he played and how he sounds.  Two of his sons sing and tour with him.  Micah was at this concert and sounds so much like him.  It was a great way to end the month.

Thanks Cindy for the bandana loan!

Me with Ginger and Laura

ZZ Top (they've been a band since the late 1960s!  They were huge when I was in high school).

Willie - looking 89 but sounding like 29!

Hugs to all of you!

June 2022

 

I have to start this blog post with a reflection of some sad news last month.  My sweet mother-in-law Carolyn passed away. She has been my second mom for over 30 years and I am just hoping that she and my father-in-law Don and my mom are all together in Heaven.  It's been a year of loss for our family.  Here are a few photos of Carolyn and me over the years.

We also got to celebrate some birthdays and Father's Day in June as well!

Our friend Cindy (far right) celebrated a milestone birthday and we made it a spa day.  So fun!

Father's Day was also fun.  I hate that we could not celebrate with my Dad although we did see him the week earlier.  

We met the boys at a central location and celebrated David with seafood and gifts.  What could be better?

And Thomas turned 22!  Another chance to meet up in Indy for lunch and presents.  I brought a cake which I didn't want to take in to the restaurant so we enjoyed it in the car :)  Then Thomas and I spent the afternoon clothes shopping!  It was a lot of fun.

Our book club met this month and I took this photo of a charcuterie board - they're always so pretty!  We read "The Pilot's Daughter" - I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Our podcast RomCom Love continues!  Diane came over to record our "The Sound of Music" discussion.  She brought Julie Andrews's favorite things - wine, Swiss chocolate, and raspberries!

Brittany made me a water bottle that includes reference to our favorite character in "Sense and Sensibility"!  PS I'm also still married so probably could use a check mark there :)

The dogs are doing well!

Sound asleep on Daddy.

The pups and I went on a short girls trip to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia.  It was an easy drive, although somewhat long, but it was nice to meet up with a friend.  I will get our group photos from her!!  Our first day we spent at Hawks Nest State Park which is right next door to the National Park.  Except for the hotel where we had some issues, it was a GREAT trip!  

Hawks Nest State Park.  Various short hikes to beautiful overlooks.

New River Gorge has a beautiful drive where we saw waterfalls and mining town ruins.  And the underside of the New River Gorge bridge.  A little bit of rain didn't stop us and then the skies cleared.

We did two different hikes down to see the bridge and all the kayakers and white water rafters in the river.  Just gorgeous and there was NO ONE there on a Sunday or Monday.

I really loved exploring the old mining and rail town ruins.  We met up with a group of about 40 backpackers who took Amtrek to this ruins area and were spending 3 nights in the national park.  They were on a 6 month trip via rail, hiking and camping, visiting 48 states.  West Virginia was 33 for them!  They took several photos with the dogs!

June has come and gone and we are celebrating Independence Day for about a week!  

Happy 4th of July to you!