Not a Morning Hodgepodge

It's Wednesday, and I'm glad to have a chance to join with my friends over at Joyce's place for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. She faithfully poses the questions, and we do our best to share our answers. Thanks, Joyce!
After you finish reading here, be sure to click the Hodgepodge button to visit Joyce and the others.

1. What's your favorite time of day? Why?

I'm not a morning person. While I appreciate all the raves I hear about the quiet of the morning and a good cup of coffee, I don't do either.
I prefer sunset. Most any sunset is fine, but I particularly enjoy them over the water. Ocean, gulf, sea are all spectacular, but I also love the sun over the water at day's end on 'our' little lake. Meat on the grill, wine in my glass, and light sparkling like fireflies dancing on the surface. Priceless.

Speaking of sunsets, I caught this one over the grain bins earlier this week. No water in sight, but beautiful just the same.

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender...which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?

We don't have a waffle iron at our house, although a friend recently gifted one to us at the lakehouse, so I guess I'll say waffle iron.  

3. It's National Grouch Day (October 15)...what's something that makes you feel grouchy?

Mornings. See #1.

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?

My parents took us to Montreal in the summer of 1967 for the World's Fair, Expo '67. So while I have been to Canada, it has been a looonnngg time! The trip was an add-on to our summer trip to northern Vermont to my grandparents' lake cottage. We also made a stop at Niagara Falls.
There I am with my dad and brothers, looking quite fetching in our stripes and plaid. :)

Our son visited Vancouver recently, for his job, and I looked up some attractions for him to see while he was there. He didn't, but I think it sounds like a beautiful place to visit.

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

I have written about my Mamaw's banana salad, which she made once a year for the family reunion. It was definitely one of my favorites. Besides that, my favorite was ice cream. Still is.

6. Do you cry easily?

My brothers used to say I cried watching Little House on the Prairie, which I did. I also cry reading books. In church. In Haiti. So there are times, yes, when I cry easily.

7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

Nope. Although I did order a stocking for our soon-to-be daughter-in-law to add to the growing group we hang by the chimney with care. No backing out now, Court!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I recently finished the book The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown, which my book club will be reading in a few weeks. It was so good! It is the story of the 1936 American Olympic rowing team who competed for gold in Berlin. 

I am a sports fan, and I am always interested in the story behind the story. (Yes, I watch those pre-game pieces before the Super Bowl, Derby, and Olympics.) While this is a sports story, it is so much more than that. I learned about rowing, but I also learned about the young men from the University of Washington who came together through hardship and found their 'swing' as a team. Read more about the writing of the book (with a movie in the works) here. But don't wait for the movie, go ahead and read the book!

Matthew and the Terrific, Happy, Not Bad, Very Nice Day

Matthew and I decided to spend a fall break Friday in Columbus, and our first stop was kidscommons. It's a community children's museum with lots of interactive learning and fun. He went straight to the big toilet, which is actually a slide, complete with a flushing sound as you go down. I'm pretty sure I remember him being scared to go down the first time he visited the museum, but he's all about it now. Flushed with excitement, you might say. :)

The model 'house' at the museum, has lots of nooks and crannies from attic to basement, and he surprised me by coming out this 'secret' passageway behind the books.

Next stop was the bubble room, where he stood inside and made a big bubble surrounding him.

And again. It's good clean fun. And it smells good, too.

He shot some baskets...

and lifted some weights in the fitness area.

Then he worked on planning a city.

Back to the house, where he climbed all the way to the attic.

He had me stand on ground level near the screens while he went from room to room so I could see him on camera. There are also speakers above the screens so you can speak to one another. I see you, Matthew!

Here he is again, this time in infrared. Or green.

Down the toilet slide.

Back to the bubble room.

Those are some big bubbles!

As we were leaving, we stopped beside the Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

They didn't seem to be hissing. Fortunately.

We had a good time, and he can still exit through the kid-sized door.

We walked just down the block to Zaharako's Ice Cream Parlor and Museum. One of our favorites. It's an old time place for lunch and music. But mostly for the ice cream.

We sat at the counter, where we watched the woman at the soda fountain make a real fountain soft drink. She even made a cinnamon coke.

We attempted a selfie in the soda fountain mirror.

Matthew thought maybe we should order the Big Z sundae, which is FIVE scoops of ice cream, with three toppings. We decided that might be a bit too ambitious, so we settled for the brownie sundae with mint chip ice cream. To share. :)

Two women who walked in just as it was served to him were so impressed that they took his picture with the sundae. And so did I. :)
It was hard work, but between the two of us, we managed to come pretty close to finishing it.

Of course, that meant we didn't need to buy popcorn at the theater, where we went next to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. A cute movie, and nothing like the day we shared. Which was the complete opposite. (See post title.)  :)

American Girls

I made a quick trip to Chicago earlier this week, and while I didn't do so well taking pictures, I did make some happy memories. I drove to Lafayette after church on Sunday to meet Becky at her house. From there, we loaded up her sweet grandson Benjamin and headed to Chicago to take him back to his parents. Rich and Becky had enjoyed a couple days of 'Ben time' with him. He was a little uncomfortable, due to those pesky molars coming in, so I was the designated 'baby whisperer' for the ride up. I did my best. (While checking my phone for updates on my team, who managed to win in overtime. Who Dat!)

We had a lovely evening visiting with Erin, Larry, and Benjamin in their beautiful home, and David, Katie, and baby Patrick joined us as well.

On Monday, Becky and I headed into the city to meet up with Darci, Leslie, Haleigh, and Ella at the American Girl Store in Water Tower Place. After we parked, we walked around the block and saw the original Water Tower.

We found the girls, and they were thrilled to be able to look at all the beautiful dolls and accessories in the American Girl collection. The first three dolls made their debut in 1986, and the beautiful catalogs found their way to our door for many years. The company has grown since then, and the Chicago store is quite the marketing achievement.

I particularly liked a new-to-me doll, Caroline. (Named for niece Caroline, no doubt.)

The doll of the year for 2014, is Isabelle, a dancer. Haleigh posed beside an Isabelle look-alike.

As did Ella.

Two little dancers.

After doing a little 'shopping', it was time for lunch at the American Girl Cafe. There are little chairs for the dolls that attach to the table during the meal. The girls were fortunate to have some 'vintage' dolls along to join them for lunch. Darci's 'Samantha' doll is on the left, Jennifer's 'Samantha' doll is in the center, and Grandma Stewart's 'Molly' is on the right. Grandma Stewart had Molly at her house for the granddaughters and friends to play with when they visited.

Haleigh smiles between Samantha and Molly. The napkin rings are hair ties with pink petals that the girls can keep and wear.

Darci and the girls.

Ella, with Darci's Samantha.

Haleigh, with Jennifer's Samantha. The dolls enjoyed their tea from little cups which were theirs to keep. We had several comments from the store staff about how much fun it is for them to see the original dolls and outfits. So glad we kept them! (Shocking, I know.)  :)

After a delicious lunch, we were served a tasty and pretty dessert of a cupcake and chocolate mousse.

Granny and the girls. Haleigh eyes. And Ella eyes. :)

Before lunch, Becky and I took 'our' Kirsten dolls to the hair salon for a new 'do'. The dolls actually belong to our daughters, Katie and Jennifer, and were both in need of a little hair attention. There is an entire book of styles from which to choose, but we both wanted Kirsten's original looped braids. Although I didn't take a real 'before' photo, this is Jennifer's doll in the chair, waiting for the stylist to begin. Jennifer had taken her braids out a long time ago. At least she didn't cut her hair, like someone else we know. :)

After lunch, both dolls were braided and bow-ed, and ready to go.

Braids are back! I was so pleased with her new (old) look! I will have to dig around for the original hair bows, which were not shiny satin like the ones they use now, but more of a homespun look.

The girls posed with the newly coiffed dolls.

We took a little walk over to the Lego store, and Ella liked this Lego girl. It's nice that there are Legos that appeal to girls now.

She also liked this Lego guy outside the store.

They each got an American Girl Mini Doll, and they both selected 'Julie.' Cousin Clara has the regular size Julie doll, and they both think she is beautiful. As is Cousin Clara. :)

Becky and I said our goodbyes, and headed out of town. Past Soldier Field...

 across the bridge (my obligatory bridge photo)...

and past the windmills, back home. In Indiana.

Soccer Saturdays #TBTStories

I'm sharing a Throwback Thursday Stories photo from one of those sunny soccer Saturdays in 1995. This is a picture of our 4 youngest and our niece, Caroline. (She spent a lot of time with us back then.) I'm not sure why David isn't in the picture. It might be because he was playing on a travel team at that point, and wasn't in the same location, or it could also be that he was officiating a game nearby. Both David and Jim were referees for our youth soccer league. This eliminated Jim's yelling pointing out from his chair beside me that a player was offside, since, as a ref, he could just blow the whistle and be done with it.

Those were busy mornings, getting everyone up, packing snacks, locating socks, shoes, and shinguards, and trying to arrive at the fields in time for warmups. It was nice when two of the kids were on the same team, as that meant one less game to sit through watch on Saturday morning. It was a few years after this that we opted to spend our Saturdays watching football (at Purdue) instead of playing futbol. David, Andrew, and Jennifer did continue with soccer in high school. Andrew switched to football his junior year, and remained injury free, while David and Jennifer each suffered a broken arm on the soccer field when they were seniors. Go figure.

Jonathan 8, Andrew 11,

Caroline 8, Adam almost 5, Jennifer almost 10

Here's to the memory of crisp fall days, cheering parents, smiling kids, and sweet soccer Saturdays. #TBTStories