Happy Campers

 We finally found a free weekend to try out the "vacation home" we purchased this spring. We took it twelve miles to a beautiful pond owned by a friend.  The drive is gated so use is limited and the fishing is great.  There is a cabin on the premises, but our 80's-era pop-up camper is in much better shape.  There are no water or electrical hookups so this was a 24-hour stay - the maximum I can handle without at least a few luxuries - like a shower and a coffee pot.  

We got rained on a little, but found out the camper is water-tight; read; cooked over a campfire and then relaxed and watched the embers and the sunset.  We were up at 5:30 because when one person in a pop-up camper needs to use the facilities, everyone in the camper is awake - human and canine.  But the fishing is great at that hour and we caught more than fifty fish by 10:00.  

Here is our weekend in pictures:

The first trick was to back the pickup under that camper - definitely not a job for me.

Dave and our friend, Larry, attached everything . . .

Then we all held our breath that it would fit under the garage door.

We arrived and set up camp.

View from the water back up to camp

While it rained, we sat on the cabin porch and read.  
Dave prepared our fishing tackle.

The dogs were anxious to explore the water but neither is a strong swimmer.   Molly (small) liked retrieving the ball from the water, as long as she didn't get in over her head.  Gabby (large) wanted in the boat while we fished, but due to her propensity to chase fishing lures, she remained on shore.  After one desperate dog-paddling attempt to haul her 90 lbs. out to the boat, she remained tied up on shore.

Breakfast of bacon and eggs over the campfire is good.  Boiling water to make instant coffee - not so much.  I'm in the market for a campfire percolator - or an electrical hookup for a drip machine.

Gabby finally got her boat ride - and her own life jacket.

A successful first trip and we're excited to try out several other local camping spots. 

But this is hard to beat.

Needlework Tuesday/UFO Update

When last we met for Needlework Tuesday, I was doing the happy dance over a fabric swap package I had received that included some authentic (not reproduction) vintage kitchen-print fabric.  My kitchen has authentic vintage cabinets, counter-top and flooring - so I have been dreaming of decorating in 50's era red and aqua.  This fabric fit perfectly and added just the right touch.

Look quick  - the counters may never bee this clean again.

I wanted the window on the left covered because it looks out onto a "mud room" full of coats, hats, dog food, etc.  I intentionally left the bottom half of the window on the right uncovered so that I could see out, but now I'm reconsidering.  Although the lower curtains would most likely always be pushed open, I think the extra splash of color there would be nice.  I have enough vintage fabric left to trim two more panels, so the plan is to make them similar to the other window, but with the trim running vertically along the inside edges where it will show more when open.  But so far I'm loving the vintage feel.  Thanks again, Connie!

Sponsored by Tonya at
The Crafty Mummy

Project #2 for this week was to make progress on my June UFO challenge.  I accepted the challenge to complete a UFO each month for the rest of the year and, for June, chose to work on a throw-size quilt I'm making for the camper.  


I have two rows completed - and there are only four rows - but time is ticking so I plan to make major progress on this later today.  

And speaking of quilting, last weekend I attended a family reunion and among the pictures spread on a table, I found this shot of my Great-Grandmother.

Grandma Hattie quilted - totally by hand - for many years, and I am blessed to have two of her finished quilts. One of them was made especially for my mother with scraps from Mom's (clothing) sewing projects.  Great-Grandma finished it on her 80th birthday.  My mom is now nearing 80 and I see a lot of resemblance to her grandma.  I snitched this photo and it now sits next to my sewing machine for inspiration.

And one totally random thought:  Does anyone but me love the name Hattie?  Technically, it's short for Harriet, but the abbreviated form just sounds so feminine and old-fashioned and lovely.  I often regret that we didn't name our daughter Hattie.  Daughter doesn't regret it at all! 

Sometimes You Wanna Go . . .

Can you finish the line?  If so, you were either watching NBC in the 80's or you're a fan of late-night reruns.  

...where everybody knows your name.And they're always glad you came.You wanna go where people know, people are all the same.You wanna go where everybody knows your name.

Cheers was one of our favorite shows and our conversation is still full of Cheers references, although the show ended twenty years ago.  George Wendt - better known as Norm Peterson - wrote a book aptly titled "Drinking With George" which Dave read as soon as it came out in 2010.

Recently, Dave and Amanda attended the Omaha Beer Fest where Mr. Wendt was signing his book.  Of course, Dave took along his copy to have it autographed and snapped a couple pictures.

Wonder if he ever gets tired of people yelling, "Noooorm!!" 

Dog Days

Sackett and the kids - Christmas 1992

We love dogs at our house.  In the past 30 years, we have owned four: 

Sackett - an orange/white Springer Spaniel mix who lived to be 16.  She was my gift to Dave on our first anniversary. I got her free from the owner of a pure-bred Springer Spaniel after a "traveling salesman" jumped the fence.  And yes, she was named for the Sackett family in the Louis L'Amour series.

Josie - a Husky mix who was also given to us free when my sister's dog went wandering and came home with a surprise.  Named for Eskimo Joe's restaurant in Stillwater, OK (Husky - Eskimo - get it?) - but femanized.  Josie only made it to age 10.

Molly - a Springer Spaniel who is nine and going strong.  We fell in love with her when she was up for sale at a charity auction.

Molly

• Gabby - a Mastiff mix, age 3, that we got from a rescue shelter in Iowa that had saved her from being put down at the pound in Kansas City.  

They have all been loyal, loving friends and each time we lost one, I swore there would be no more - but a house without a dog just doesn't feel right.
Debby at Just Breathe shared this cute post a couple days ago and I loved it.  So, with her permission, I am passing it along.  

A Dog's Purpose

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.  The Dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and were hoping for a miracle.  

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.  I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia rocedure in their home.  Rone and Lisa thought it would be good for six-year-old shane to observe the procedure.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him.  Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.  Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.  The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.  We sat together for awhile after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."  Startled, we all turned to him.  What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.  It has changed the way I try and live.  He said, "People are born so that they can learn how t live a good life -- like loving everybody and being nice, right?"  The boy continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Josie and Grandson #1 - You can read Josie's story here

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Or at least wake them in the morning.

• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.

• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree

Gabby

• When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you're not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. 
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

• Enjoy every moment of every day!

The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb

Grace Alban has spent more than twenty years avoiding her childhood home, the stately Alban House on the shores of Lake Superior, for reasons she would rather forget. But when her mother’s unexpected death brings Grace and her teenage daughter back, she finds more is haunting the halls and passageways of Alban House than her own personal demons.

Long-buried family secrets, a packet of old love letters, and a lost manuscript plunge Grace into a decades-old mystery about a scandalous party at Alban House, when a world-famous author took his own life and Grace’s aunt disappeared without a trace. The night has been shrouded in secrecy by the powerful Alban family for all of these years. Her mother intended to tell the truth about that night to a reporter on the very day she died—could it have been murder? Or was she a victim of the supposed Alban curse? Grace soon realizes her family secrets tangle and twist as darkly as the mansion’s secret passages.

The blurb by Phillip Margolin on the front cover says "A perfect read for a dark and stormy night."  I read a large portion of this on a sunny porch swing in late afternoon, but it was still a near-perfect read.  I'm a sucker for a catchy title and cool cover art - and a gothic mystery never hurts - so I ordered this book from Doubleday Book Club without knowing anything about it.  I was not disappointed.  The mystery is revealed in small increments, without a lot of pointless restating of facts (a technique that regular readers know drives me bonky), and even though I suspicioned one factor of the story far in advance, the plot then took a twist I certainly hadn't predicted for a very satisfying, if unnerving, ending.

I may help that I have not read Ms. Webb's first book, The Tale of Halcyon Crane, as several reviewers felt her second book fell short in comparison.  If they are correct that this story seems lackluster in comparison to the first, I'm definitely picking up The Tale of Halcyon Crane on my next library run.  The Fate of Mercy Alban will most likely make my Best Reads list for 2013.

Just-a-Jumble

Life has taken a turn toward "slow" lately and I just don't have any inspiration for posting. 

•  Our son and his fiance took a 12-day whirlwind tour of England, France and Italy, and we got to deliver to/retrieve from the airport.  They stayed a couple days each time and we spent hours looking at pictures and hearing amazing stories.  
• The garden is coming up and doing well - except the melons, which we replanted yesterday.
• We went fishing and all I caught were Guiness-worthy clumps of moss.  Dave might have gotten four nice-sized bass - I forget.
• The mower threw a rock and broke out a window in a pickup parked nearby (not ours).
• We had a nest of robins in the tool shed, but they grew up and flew away.
• And speaking of chicks leaving the nest, our baby turned 21. 

When she was that little blonde imp with the mischievous grin, I didn't believe moms who told me how fast it would go.  But I look at the beautiful woman with the charming smile (who is occasionally still mischievous), and I can't help but wonder where those 21 years went.  I start hearing country songs:  "You're Gonna Miss This", "There Goes My Life", "Don't Blink" . . .   *sob*

Summer Vacation

Usually, when I visit Sowing Stitches, I am inspired by the quilting works of art.  But this post inspired me to have a little fun this summer with DAY-cations.  Day-cations are mini-breaks that happen right where you are - a time each day that's there just to be enjoyed.  Examples might be sitting on a porch swing with a cool glass of lemonade and a good book, lunch with a friend, running through the sprinkler with your kids/grandkids, or a cup of tea and a sunset - whatever makes you laugh or relax or sigh with contentment.

Our daughter, Amanda, will have a three-bedroom apartment to herself this summer as the only roommate who isn't going home or graduating and moving on, and we had discussed getting together more frequently to help her fill some time/space (we are about two hours apart).  Combine that vague notion with the day-cation concept and you have a plan - a series of mother/daughter day-cations throughout the summer.  I've been net-surfing and brainstorming ideas for inexpensive, fun things we can do in a day, or even an afternoon.  Here's what we have so far:

Photo from www.k-state.edu

Hiking on the Konza Tallgrass Prairie - The Konza is a preserve of native tallgrass prairie just south of Manhattan, KS.  It includes 2, 4 and 6 mile hiking trails.  Beautiful place for a hike, picnic lunch or just some peace and quiet.

Art Day - Visit the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art on the campus of Kansas State University, the Manhattan Arts Center and the art displays at the Student Union - with a leisurely lunch between stops.  You can't have Art Day without - 

Craft Day - Each of us provides materials and instruction for a craft project that can be made in less than a day - meet at one house or the other - craft - repeat.

A matinee movie 

A Day at Brownville - Brownville, Nebraska is a town of 150 people that hosts a concert series of Broadway-caliber musicians and has a summer repertory theater.  Dave and I have season tickets for the concert series and hope to see all five theater productions, but we've never been there for the daytime options:  museums, galleries, shops, restored home tours and a tasting at a local winery.

And speaking of wine tastings, there are several other wineries in the area that may warrent a visit:  Wyldewood Cellars at Paxico,Kansas; the Oz Winery in Wamego, Kansas;  and Schillingbridge in Pawnee City, Nebraska.

In addition to these 1-day outings, every summer needs a few "stay-cations" - low-budget trips within a few hours of home.  Our son is four hours away and, since we can stay at his place for free, trips there only cost gas and food.  I can't see him getting excited to spend the day touring art galleries with Mom, but I did find some interesting things to do in his neck of the woods that might entice Dad and Son also:  

• The Wild West Festival on 4th of July weekend
• Historic Fort Hays (haven't been there since the kids were toddlers)
• Larks - semi-pro baseball
• "9 to 5: The Musical" performed by Heartland Community Theater
• Herzogfest - celebration of the area's German heritage
• One of our favorite spots - indoor, simulated golf.  It's a hoot!
• Outdoor golf
• Plus galleries, concerts . . .

What's on your vacation agenda for the summer?