Quiet days

The past several days have been uneventful. I did work outside on one of the last landscape beds and finished it yesterday afternoon. It was beautiful in the afternoon. This bed has mostly holly bushes and they've gotten quite large over the years. When weeding the outside of the bed I noticed several small trees that had sprouted in the midst of the bushes. It was difficult to get to these sprouts and even more difficult to dig them out. I'm hoping that I was able to dig enough roots so they won't come up again in the spring.

I was able to get in two long runs this week in preparation for the Nov. 5 half-marathon. Usually I begin my run about 8 a.m. and often it is cool. Yesterday the temperature was about 50 degrees but I didn't have gloves and didn't need them! The morning was nice and it quickly warmed up. However, today is a much different day: windy and breezy, overcast and temperatures that won't even get up to 60.

I'll be leaving in a few minutes for Camp Lakeview and our annual Women's Retreat. I'm picking up one of the leaders so we can get the room set up before the rest arrive. I'm in charge of setting up the visual aid -- a power point. We have borrowed the church's projector and laptop. I've also made sloppy joes for our evening meal. Should be brisk tomorrow morning when we have to get up and walk to the dining hall. Should be a good time with some great friends from church!

Drought is over

Yep, with over 7 inches of rain (unofficial) at our house in the past several days, we are calling the drought over. I did work about an hour outside this afternoon and the ground is totally saturated. We are expecting some more rain overnight. I hope it is over by morning, as I am hoping to do a long run.

The Colts almost beat Pittsburgh last evening, but a last second field goal by the Steelers thwarted them. Then today we heard that Peyton Manning may be out for the season. I think many of us suspected this. If he can make a comeback next season that would be good news. Only time will tell.

A Wet Sunday

We heard some raindrops overnight and it was damp on our drive to church services this morning. I was Scripture Reader today and thankfully there were no difficult words to pronounce. Pastor started his sermon with reference to his 6-month old grandson. He predicted that in a year or so young Jason would learn to say "No, No, No." We are also like a two-year-old and say "No" to God. Eventually when we hear the Gospel we can say "Yes." Our two natures are competing against each other throughout our entire life. Through prayer and faith we can overcome the "No" and learn to say "Yes."

We drove home in the rain and it's still raining now while I type this and watch some of the Colts-Steelers game. It's not looking good for the Colts, but we know that the Steelers are a strong team. It's nice to hear that the Detroit Lions are 3-0 and defeated the Vikings for the first time in 13 years. The Bills also surprised the Patriots.

The Colts just picked up a fumble and scored a touchdown and the game is tied!

Our satellite provider offered a free weekend of HBO and several channels of Cinemax so the DVR was busily recording movies all weekend. On last count, we now have 25 new movies that we'll be watching during the coming months -- probably this winter. I wasn't sure which movies to choose, so I looked up all the offerings on imdb.com and decided that if the rating was 7.0 or higher (out of 10) I would record that movie.

The Colts scored another field goal and are leading -- now if they could only get a touchdown when they are in the red zone, there is a possibility they could win this game.

I believe we are going to get a lot more rain before this front moves through. Guess we are making up for the dry months.

Busy Saturday

Let's see -- going back a few days...

I met my self-imposed deadline and finished another banner. When I first saw the pattern, I was concerned how it would come together. Actually, it turned out to be rather easy and I think it looks rather nice. Of course, the use of an overhead projector is a real help when enlarging patterns.

This was the logo for the LWML convention
held last June. We'll use the banner on
LWML Sunday, October 2, 2011

We had skipped our usual workout on Wednesday when we went to the Persimmon Festival, but got back in the routine on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I made several dishes to take to church Friday noon. We were meeting to plan the menu for our Precinct Meals project in November and I wanted the other women to have an opportunity to taste several things. We had a productive session and have nearly finalized the menu. In the next several weeks I need to get the information to the precinct leaders.

Friday evening found us driving to Plainfield's Rave Movie Theater where we watched Moneyball. Seems like there has been a lot of hype about the movie and one review gave it 3.5 stars. Actually, we both liked it, partly because it's a true story about the general manager (Billy Beane) of the Oakland Athletics and their season in 2002. After seeing the movie I read a short biography of Beane and it pretty well corroborates the facts of the movie. However, nothing in the bio mentions Peter Brand who Beane hires in the movie as his Assistant.

After getting to bed later than usual last evening we slept late this morning. I headed out to work on one neglected landscape bed about 11 a.m. and worked almost continually until 6 p.m. Of course, I had a break for lunch and another short break about four o'clock or so. My body is a bit sore right now but I feel good about the work I accomplished. It was a pleasure weeding after our 3 inch rain several days ago. We'll probably be getting a lot more rain in the next several days so I'm glad that I was able to finish. Ray mowed the yard. The lawn is very green right now; just like in spring. A nice change after the brown look of August.

When I was weeding the flower bed, I looked up at the nearby trees and realized that our Purple Ash Trees have turned purple as they do every September. The leaves will fall soon so we don't have the purple look very long. We also don't know how long we'll have these trees since the Emerald Ash Borer is getting closer every year. Just today I read that it is recommended to spray the trees twice a year but I don't know how effective this treatment is or how expensive it is.

Can you see the purple cast in the leaves?
Notice the bright green grass thanks to a recent rain.

I didn't intentionally include the flower bed in the photo, but this is the one that I labored over for quite a few hours today. It is an amazing improvement. I should have taken a "before" photo.

Close-up view of the leaves of the Purple Ash Tree.
During the summer months, the leaves are green.

We really like our Ash trees as they are nicely shaped and are a nice addition to our yard. It is a shame that they might not survive much longer.

Persimmon Festival

About mid-morning we met up with friends, Pat and Max Walker, for the drive to Mitchell, Indiana. This was the 65th year of the Persimmon Festival in this small town close to Spring Mill State Park. Mitchell is south of Bloomington and Bedford. Most days the Festival doesn't open until 4:30 but Wednesday is Senior Citizens Day. We had hoped to have lunch and then see the entertainment on the main stage. We purchased lunch and had some persimmon pudding but learned that the noon program had been moved indoors because of an early morning rain. I bet the streets of Mitchell are hoppin' about now. Missing the entertainment was a disappointment.


On our way home we stopped at Applacres, recommended by some ladies at the food tent, and I purchased a pint of frozen persimmon pulp. We made another stop at an Army Surplus Store where Max spent a few dollars.

Late in the afternoon I ventured outside to continue the weeding I had started yesterday afternoon. The 3 inches of rain (our measurement) that we had two days ago made the pulling easy. Already we can see that our lawn is greener than a week ago.

As I worked in the front yard, I couldn't help but think that some of the zinnias I had planted earlier this summer were finally looking good. Perhaps cooler temperatures have helped; the rain could be a factor too.

Border plants, these zinnias are only about 12 inches tall.

We're expecting cooler temperatures tomorrow and maybe some more rain in the next week. Fall officially begins on Friday and already we can see some color in the leaves. Some leaves are falling too.

Rain!!

After not having any appreciable rainfall since late June, we were glad to hear raindrops. We had some rainfall through the night -- maybe about an inch. During the day it rained off and on -- sometimes rather heavy -- for another inch. This should revive our lawn and spirits. Also, we can do some work in the garden and yard now that the soil is workable again.

Raindrops on the window

In order to capture the raindrops, the background is very blurry. This was taken looking out on the front yard and driveway.

Picnic

Because of the church picnic at noon, I was able to sleep a little later this morning. That was  fortunate since we stayed up late for the Oklahoma-Florida State game last night. It's kind of nice to go to the 10:30 service once in a while because I get to see people who don't come to the 8:00 service.

The sermon was based on Matthew 20, Laborers in the Vineyard. Some very good thoughts for consideration. We all get forgiveness and eternal life regardless of how long we've been in the church--whether a lifetime or for only an hour. We'll be spending eternity in heaven with repentant sinners including people we have met in the Bible such as David, Moses and Paul. And many others too numerous to mention. They also have received forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. None of us are better because of a lifetime of work in the church. We are all equal in the sight of God.

The picnic was moved indoors because we had had a light rain earlier in the day. We had plenty of food. Grilled burgers, hot dogs and brats plus many salads and other side dishes brought by everyone. Ray and I sat close to the dessert table. Probably not a good idea as we sampled quite a few so that we could vote in the annual contest to name the best dessert. I really liked two of them but voted for a caramel pie (can't recall the name). The pie was gone, but a few crumbs remained and I was able to get a good taste.

Games were planned but we left early so I could stop at a running store in the mall to redeem coupons we had won. We were home in time to see the second half of the Colts-Cleveland Browns game. It's hard to believe the days of Peyton's dominance might be over and the Colts won't be a first class team anymore. Would Curtis Painter be a better choice as quarterback than Kerry Collins?

Football

The Oklahoma vs Florida State game has just started. How did Oklahoma get rated as #1? I don't recall that last season's record was anything to brag about. Notre Dame finally played well and defeated Michigan State. Our other state teams also won. Indiana defeated South Carolina State 38-21 and Purdue shut out Southeast Missouri State.

Our day started early with breakfast provided by REMC, our electrical provider. The breakfast is served in the Mooresville High School cafeteria. Maybe you are wondering why REMC would serve breakfast to hundreds of people. Well, it's their annual meeting and they need a quorum. Breakfast is an incentive as well as the $20 bill they give to every homeowner attending. Then during the meeting they give away 25 $100 bills. Breakfast is pretty filling but probably not nutritious. Ray and I went in separate vehicles so that I could leave after breakfast. He planned to stay for the meeting, but I learned later that he changed his mind and left shortly after I did.

After breakfast I drove to church and was one of three women working on quilts for Lutheran World Relief. The quilts were already pieced so two of us knotted and the third brought her sewing machine and stitched the edging. We finished quite a few. I was there from about 9:30 to 12 noon. Our small group tries to meet monthly, but I haven't been able to participate since last May.

Tomorrow is our annual church picnic. There will be plenty of desserts so I decided to make a bean salad. We'll see if anyone likes it. It has couscous, black beans, corn and cherry tomatoes. I made a simple oil and lime juice dressing.

Wedding Photos

I spent quite a bit of time sorting through the 100+ photos I took last weekend on our trip to Wyoming and Idaho. I was able to whittle the group down to 90 and have posted them on Flickr. Just click here to see them. You can view as a slide show or individually.

Here's our first impression of Wyoming as we landed in the Jackson Hole airport.

Antlers Galore! Downtown Jackson has several
arches similar to this on the town square.

Enjoy the photos.

Home again!

It's been a few days since I wrote, but we are home again from the wedding in Idaho -- more on that later. Early yesterday morning we left Sandpoint, Idaho and arrived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming just as it was getting dark. We had a little snack to finish off the meal that we had eaten sometime earlier in West Yellowstone. Then it was time for bed. Up early this morning. Tom and Judy dropped us off at the Jackson Hole airport. I must say that the TSA team in Jackson was one of the friendliest I've ever encountered. We made our connection in Dallas without a problem. Had a pomegranate yogurt sprinkled with blueberries while we waited. Try it sometime. It's delicious.

We boarded the plane for Indianapolis and were ready to back away from the gate when the Captain alerted us to a mechanical problem. Something to do with the plane's windshield. The temperature in Dallas was 106 so the plane was very warm. About 20 minutes later the problem was fixed and we were on our way. Air conditioning kicked in on high once we were in the air and it was almost too cool.

As we approached Indianapolis I could see construction work below. After a few moments of contemplation I realized it had to be the new Interstate in southwest Indiana. Work on I-69 is proceeding north from Evansville and this first section is scheduled for completion in 2012. The construction site looked like a sandy trail creeping across the ground until it came to an abrupt stop. No concrete has been poured but I could make out bridges (overpasses) across existing highways.. 

The descent into Indianapolis took us past the airport and we approached the landing strip from the east. The sky was very clear and we picked out many sights on the ground: Butler University, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Museum of Art, several high school football fields and others I can't recall at the moment. Our friendly neighbor, Jan, came to pick us up and we were home by 6 o'clock.

I took quite a few photos over the weekend and need to sort them. I hope to post them tomorrow or by Thursday.

Traveling again!

We're on the road again and spending the night in Jackson Hole, Wyoming! Our flight from Indianapolis through Dallas-Fort Worth to Wyoming was uneventful. My sister Judy and her husband picked us up at the airport. We're spending the night at our other sister's place near the Teton Mountains. Tomorrow we'll drive to Sand Point, Idaho where our great niece is getting married on Saturday.

Even though we arrived without incident, I wish I could start the day over. I forgot to pack my cell phone and then I realized I didn't bring any cables for my camera. So I won't be able to post travel and wedding photos until I get home. Whipping myself with a wet noodle!

Downtown Jackson was very busy as we drove through from the airport. Parking was at a premium. Hardly one to be had with no parking meters. We finally located a spot and walked several blocks to a restaurant for some Thai food that we all enjoyed.

Labor Day 2011

What a difference a day or two can make. On Saturday we broke a record with 100 degrees. Today we had temps in the 70s. What a pleasure to open the windows and have natural air conditioning!

Since it was late last night, I didn't blog about Sunday so I'll just do it now. Our regular pastor was back in the pulpit after his three-month sabbatical. In his sermon, he referred to several experiences of his while he was away. His theme was "The Watchman." We know that temptation is all around us. We are warned "woe to the one by whom temptations come." Therefore, because we love them, we warn those in danger of falling by the wayside because of temptation.

Since I was feeling somewhat recovered from the half-marathon of the previous day, I talked Ray into driving to the Broad Ripple area of Indianapolis for a Sunday evening race. This race is held on Labor Day weekend and has become a tradition of ours the last several years. The race begins at 7 o'clock and usually it is very hot. But last night it was comfortable. I didn't wear my watch and don't have a record (though I could look it up) of my time for the four miles, but Ray and I finished together holding hands. The announcer jokingly wondered if we had met on the course -- I told him that we've been together for 49 years and he then proceeded to announce that also to the crowd. We both won our age divisions and later went for pizza with racing friends.

We didn't set an alarm because we agreed to skip yoga this morning and when we woke up it was almost 9 o'clock. That's what you call catching up on your sleep!

I take the title literally and labor on Labor Day. I spent most of the day cleaning the garage. What a pleasure to do that on a day when the weather is mild. Here's a quick shot of all the stuff we have in our garage sitting outside (except for the freezer, work bench and a few other heavy items).

Ray helped me move it back in the garage.

As I was working I thought I should have a plan to clean other parts of the house on a timetable like we do the garage. The only problem is that cleaning the bedroom, bath, kitchen or dining room only once a year isn't practical!

Victory!

Let's set the record straight. Some information I posted yesterday is incorrect. I misnamed the statue located in downtown Indianapolis as "Miss Liberty." Her correct name is "Victory" also known as Miss Indiana. (I just read that some sources call her Lady Victory.) Now that the record is straight, let me give you a little more information and then on to my personal victory.

Victory is 38 feet tall and sits 284 feet above the crowds that see her when she's perched atop the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The price tag for the renovation is $1.5 million. She's 118 years old. Want to read more? This is what one newspaper wrote yesterday.

Ray was kind enough to drive me downtown again this morning. We left the house at 6 a.m. for the inaugural Indianapolis Women's Half Marathon and 5K. It was dark as we departed the house. By the time the gun sounded at 7 a.m. there was enough light to see our way but thankfully the sun was still below the horizon. The temperature was about 75--higher than average so everyone knew it would be a very warm day. I stopped at all but the first water stop on the course. After a few miles I began taking two cups of water--one to drink and the other to cool off my body.

Ray captured this photo as I was crossing the finish line after 13.1 miles. You can see the time on the clock. My official time was 2:13.48 for a 10:13/mile pace. My finish place was 384 out of 1471. There were eight finishers in my age division.

It's always good to reach the finish line.

All the runners were treated to lots of goodies. We received a bag, a rose and refreshments.

A group of men handed out flags about
two or three blocks before the finish line.

The refreshments included beer, Bloody Marys and Mimosas, plus shrimp, wraps and chocolate covered strawberries in addition to the usual banana and orange slices. By the time I reached the chocolate fountain, all the strawberries were gone.

The Oaken Barrel dispensed beer from a built-in spigot near the end
of this bus. I'm wearing the white cap just to the left of the little boy in yellow.

Around 10:30 age division awards were announced and I learned I had won first place and received a $20 gift certificate from a running store. I never saw the woman who I've raced against many times--she came in second (about 10 minutes after me). I expected to see her on the course since she usually has a fast start but apparently not today.

The refreshment area and awards were held at City Market.

After all the festivities, we walked back to our car taking a short detour to the circle to see Victory one more time.

It seemed appropriate to have a photo taken with
Lady Victory in the background.

Early Tuesday morning Victory will return to the top of the monument with the help of a really large crane.

Once again Victory will overlook the City.

I believe I'll be heading to bed early tonight. After all, the alarm went off very early this morning.

Miss Liberty

Earlier this year, the statue from the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the circle in downtown Indianapolis was removed for repairs. Miss Liberty had been overlooking the city for the past 117 years. Repairs were completed and beginning today she would be on display for everyone to see before being raised to her high perch next week. Since I had to be downtown for another reason I thought, what great timing. I'll be able to get a photo.

It was really quite warm (hot to be exact) when we arrived downtown about 11 a.m. We walked to the circle and immediately noticed a large crowd and soon learned that Miss Liberty had not arrived even though she was expected about 8:30. While waiting for her arrival, I took two photos of flower planters on the sidewalks. There were many planters and the downtown seemed lively and beautiful. Lots of construction too.

Very beautiful!

Large planters with large plants.

Finally, Miss Liberty arrived lying on the bed of a trailer. She was enclosed in a large cage.

A fairly large crowd had gathered, many of them with cameras. Small children were also watching some brought by grandparents.

Notice the scaffolding at the top of the monument.
Miss Liberty will soon return to her perch.

 

Starting to lift the statue to an upright position.

Videographer from Channel 13 was documenting the occasion.

She appears to be as tall as a 6-story building.

Miss Liberty's resting place for the next few days.

DIY

The last several days I've noticed some perky looking sunflowers along a roadside fence. Today I remembered to bring my camera to capture the scene.

There's one sunflower planted at each fence post.

A view from the other side of the fence.

Close-up

Ray and I have always believed in "doing it yourself" (DIY) whenever possible. That brings to mind three projects that we've completed this week. First, one of our under-cabinet fluorescent lights was not working. Ray purchased a new ballast but that didn't correct the problem. Yesterday we stopped at the local home improvement store and found a replacement fixture. The wiring was easy but we had a few setbacks caused mostly by a bolt that was too long. The problem was solved and the fixture is now working. Score one!

The second project was replacing our water softener. Ray purchased a new one and we hauled it home in our car last Sunday. Hoping he could install it, Ray soon realized that he wouldn't have the necessary expertise. He recalled seeing the sign of a Mooresville plumber that we often drive by and called him. The plumber and his helper had the softener up and running in about 90 minutes. They also carted the old softener away. Here's our beautiful all-in-one softener:

The installation included new shut-off valves.

The final project was installing a ceiling fan in our bedroom. We've talked about it for years! I guess the end of the season is a good time to purchase a fan. The price was reduced by $10 as Ray was shopping and we also have mailed in a rebate for another $10. A week or so ago, I had clipped a newspaper ad offering to install a ceiling fan for $69 (even if you didn't purchase it from them). The electrician arrived right after lunch today and in a short while had the fan installed. Fortunately, the electrician that wired our house when it was built had planned for this eventuality. The fan is controlled by a wall switch.

It's very warm today so a good time to try our new fan!

Of the three projects, we only did one by ourselves. Scoring one out of three isn't too bad!

When we checked our mailbox today, we discovered a letter addressed to me from the Morgan County Jury Commissioner. The form is already filled out and ready to mail. I have no idea how long my name will be available or how many jury trials are held in this county. Will post when I know more.

Now to enjoy a cooling breeze in our bedroom!