The Great State Fair

Jennifer had a day off on Tuesday, so we headed out to the good old Indiana State Fair. Her words were, "Indiana State Fair, oh, how I've missed you." We have some sweet memories of good times at the fair.

Of course, one of the best things about the fair is the food. Oh. My. Word.

Something for everyone.

So many choices...

so many calories.

From spicy

to spaghetti (ice cream, that is).

We found our favorite...

and enjoyed it in the Pepsi Coliseum

while we watched a bit of the draft horse show.

It was showmanship, and was very interesting, and different from the showmanship with which we are familiar.

Now that's a big horse, and a little girl. They are gentle giants.

Next stop, the sheep barn.

We noticed a draft horse getting a bath. I don't need a stool to give Pee Wee a bath.

We missed Purdue Day, but I liked the banner anyway.

We found the Livestock Hall of Fame photos, including Grandpa and Uncle Gilman.

We saw some corn growing outside the building. It's been a tough year for corn in Indiana.

As we passed the entrance to the midway, we remarked that rides were never part of our State Fair experience. Jennifer doesn't remember ever riding rides there. There were always so many other fun things to do.

In the Ag-Hort building, we saw an amazing pumpkin sculpture.

We also saw sculptures of another kind, made of cans. This is a tractor from the movie Cars. Remember the cow tipping scene?

Miss Dairy Queen.

And a train. The Boilermaker Special?

Jennifer posed by a great pumpkin.

Then it was time for dessert. We acknowledged the Year of the Dairy Cow with a milkshake from the Dairy Bar. Mmmmmm, another one of our favorites.

We crossed to the other side of the fairgrounds and happened on the SuperDogs show just as it was starting. It was neat to see the dogs and their handlers performing all sorts of tricks.

This cute dog went through the flags at a careful and methodical walk.

This one flew right through them!

This dog/handler team demonstrated that dogs from shelters can be smart, sweet, and loyal companions. That's sure true of my Gumbo.

The picture's not great, but the dog was amazing. He jumped over her back and caught the frisbee.

After the show, we made our way to the free stage area.

And we found Jennifer's friend and former roomie, Janelle! She was hard at work in the 4-H Exhibit Hall. We visited with her a bit, and then enjoyed looking at the many projects, before heading back to the free stage for the main attraction.

Sandi Patty! I have been a fan of hers for many, many years. Check out her shoes. Very sparkly, and very high!

The first time I saw her in concert, we took our four kids (Adam wasn't born yet) to Market Square Arena for the show. I'm pretty sure we had friends and cousins (and their parents) with us as well. Sandi's kids are close to the age of ours, and she brought all the kids in the audience up on stage to sing "Friendship Company."

Sandi had her oldest daughter, Anna, there with her.

Anna made a quick appearance up on stage to help her mom with a 'wardrobe malfunction.'

She got her all fixed up, and then took a little bow before leaving the stage. So cute.

Sing it girl! Or as the kids like to say, "Shut up!" (That's a compliment, you know.) Notice she has decided to lose the shoes by this time.

It was a great afternoon of praise and worship. And no one can sing like Sandi Patty.

She even sang a medley from her favorite Broadway musical, The Sound of Music. Can you believe it? That's my favorite too! We're BFFs, you know.

She sang lots of old favorites, invited us to sing along, and ended with God Bless America.

It was another great day at the Indiana State Fair.

80 Years Old at the Old Ball Game

My dad turned 80 yesterday. To celebrate the occasion, we checked off an item on his bucket list with a trip to Wrigley Field to see the Reds play the Cubs. A perfect matchup.
We drove through rain on the way, and even came upon a little mishap on the side of the road. Thankfully, it appeared that everyone was okay, and there were clear skies ahead.

The Skyway Bridge leading into Chicago.

Of course, I took a picture going over the bridge.

And one of the Chicago skyline.

We passed the home of the White Sox, but that was not our designated ballpark.

We drove along Lakeshore Drive, past Navy Pier.

Sailboats in the harbor.

The Windy City lived up to its name, and there were great big waves on Lake Michigan.

Following some excellent directions from our friend and die-hard Cubs fan, Jimmy, it was an easy drive to a great parking spot just a couple of blocks from the ballpark.
My brother Ted, Jim, and my dad.

And here we are! Blue skies and a stiff wind to greet us.

Ted and Dad.

Ted even remembered the tickets!

The view from our seats.

Looking across the outfield.

The Friendly Confines, which, in Jimmy's words, are usually very friendly to the visiting team. :)

The grounds crew watering the clay.

Chalking the batter's box.

They put down the frame, then tap all around it. When they lift it up, it's all done. Pretty cool.

A shot of the bleachers, and some of the rooftop seats.

Rooftop seats are available on the buildings surrounding Wrigley. Businesses around the stadium license with the Cubs to sell tickets to view games. Ted will be attending a game on Monday, and his seats are on one of the rooftops. We will have so see what he thinks of it. Looks like fun to me.

The starting pitcher for the Reds was Homer Bailey. Do you think his parents named him Homer hoping he would be a baseball player? Here he is warming up before the game.

According to the radio announcers after the game, it was one of the windiest games they remember in Wrigley. You can see how the flags were blowing.

The ones above the scoreboard, too. Unfortunatly, the W flag was not to fly for the Cubs today.

The visiting Cincinnati Reds pulled out the victory in what was an exciting game, with lots of hits, several pitching changes, one home run into the wind, and even a few errors.

Birds on a wire.

New pitcher for the Cubs.

"For it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game!" A Wrigley Field tradition during the seventh inning stretch. Unfortunately, from our seats, the PA announcer was not understandable, so we don't know who was leading the song. I also found myself looking around for the jumbotron to see replays. There is no jumbotron in the Friendly Confines.

New pitcher for the Reds.

Our little group in our seats.

Outside the ballpark on our way out. That's Ron Santo behind us.

Ted was staying in Chicago for business, so he left us at the parking lot and headed out to try to find a cab.

We thought he would surely attract some attention on the street with his suitcase and golf clubs. Everyone needs golf clubs for a business meeting, right?

Heading out of the city.

Stopping on the toll road.

Back home again...

with the sunset in the rear view.

It was a great day, and a perfect way to celebrate with my dad.

Happy 80th Birthday, Dad! I love you!



Hopelessly Devoted to the Hodgepodge

Another Wednesday, and the beginning of a new month. Hello August! According to Blogger, this is my 500th post! Where does the time go?

A big thanks to our gracious hostess, Joyce for hosting our little get-together called the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Be sure to click over to check out her answers, and visit the others who are here for the party.

1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

This question was written by our hostess, Joyce, and she's the one joining her daughter1 in the challenge. I have seen her daughter's list, and it is quite impressive. I, on the other hand, have a little trouble with lists. I am more of the 'do the task then put it on your list' kind of person. Terrible, I know. Maybe I will get some great ideas from the others participating in the Hodgepodge today. Then. I will. Make. A list. :)

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

Well, we have three TVs, so three I guess. Or do you count the garage door opener? Do I have to count the ones at our lake house? And I think we have one for the fan.... Oh bother! I am not too adept at using the remote control anyway, especially the one for the satellite dish. Often, I text my son when the game is about to start and say, "what channel?" He knows what I mean, and sends me the channel number. And how about searching for the remote when it has been 'misplaced' in the couch cushions, under the coffee table, or inadvertently carried to the bathroom or some such place? It sometimes seems easier to do it the old fashioned way. Trouble is, today's TVs don't even make the buttons clearly visible. I do remember when the kids were little and their 'remote' was a large walking stick that Andrew had found and carved his initials into. They could sit on the couch and press the buttons on the TV with the stick.
What do I wish could be operated by remote control? The air conditioning at the lake house. It would be great to have the place all cooled down by the time we open the door. I even heard there's an app for that!

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

This question made me remember the Raffi song (anybody else remember Raffi?) called All I Really Need.

When the kids were little, we had Raffi tapes, Raffi videos, and even went to a Raffi concert. I think for a while, Jonathan wanted to be Raffi. My guess is that they could all remember the words to many of his songs. Maybe even this one:

All I Really Need is a Song in my Heart
Food in my belly and love in my Family
All I Really Need is a Song in my Heart
And love in my family

And I need the rain to fall
And I need the sun to shine
To give life to the seeds we sow
To give the food we need to grow, grow

And I need some clean water for drinking (Drinking)
And I need some clean air for breathing (Breathing)
So that I can grow up strong and take my place where I belong

 All I Really Need is a Song in my Heart
Food in my belly and love in my Family
All I Really Need is a Song in my Heart
And love in my family

All I Really Need by dcelano

The song seems simple enough, and true. If I have my faith and my family, I do have it all. We have a sign in our house like this one:

True that.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

I considered several Disney films as my answer (who doesn't love a Disney soundtrack?), but then settled on the classic, Grease. I sang along with it through college, with kids I babysat for, and with my own kids. I think there was a time most young girls wanted to be Olivia Newton-John. I know I did. 

Hopelessly devoted to you...

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

The rooftop view that first came to mind when I read the question was the one from top of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. It was beautiful at night, with St. Louis Cathedral and the lights of the French Quarter glowing in the night sky.

 Looking the other direction, toward the bridge and the business district.

The rooftop pool is nice too. A beautiful view in a magical city. And I might as well throw in a 'Who Dat' while I'm at it. :)

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

The end of it. :(

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

Hot. Dry. Lake. Fireworks. Family. Entertaining. Anniversary. Friends. And hot.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

If you like to use Instagram on your phone, you need to know about StickyGram. It's a neat little printing service that makes magnets from Instagram images. They come in sheets of 9, and tear apart to make 9 individual magnets. So cute and so easy. They recently had a 'buy 2 get 1 free' deal, which I took advantage of as shown below. The magnets in my photo are not yet torn apart. They are a great way to enjoy your phone photos, and they're easy to slip into an envelope to share with others. And don't worry, the folks at Instagram and StickyGram have no idea who I am. I just wanted to share a fun idea with fellow phone photo friends. :)

I do find that I am beginning to rely on my camera phone more and more since it's so convenient. My big camera is just so hard to fit into my pocket! I can also make magnets from photos that have been sent to me via email or text. Such a fun world we live in these days! Say cheese!