Our Anniversary

     Reminiscing about the past week, I remember our anniversary dinner last Monday as we celebrated 63 years of marriage on Bastille Day. We stopped at a nearby restaurant, only to notice a sign on their door stating that the ovens were out of order and the only items on the menu were salads. We decided to try a new restaurant that had recently opened. As we waited to be served, a woman approached and introduced herself as a member of the LWML. When she said her name, I recognized her, but I think she had changed her hairstyle since I last saw her. I mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary.

    When we finished our meal, the waiter asked what dessert we would like, as an anonymous patron was ordering for us. We chose a fudge cake accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We wondered who would do such a thing, but I suspected it was Anne who had come to our table earlier. As it happened, we were leaving at the same time as her group, and I had the opportunity to ask and then thank her for the lovely surprise.

    This morning was the last service conducted by our interim pastor. In appreciation of his service, we had a potluck dinner. There was a vast array of salads and many main dish casseroles. Everyone was served a piece of cake for dessert.

I wasn't able to sample everything!

    Next Saturday, our new pastor is being ordained and installed. He graduated from the Seminary in May and has a wife and a young son, and is expecting a child in late fall. We have been without a regular pastor for nearly twenty-four months.

    As he is arriving, a remodeling of the church kitchen and Fellowship Hall is beginning. I think this speaks to the fact that our church is thriving. Plans for a renovation and fundraising were successful even without a full-time pastor.

    The WNBA held its All-Star Game this past weekend in Indianapolis. The local news broadcasts kept us informed on what was happening in the downtown area. It was a successful event, according to what I've heard.

    I'm happy to report that the flowers on my driveway have revived after I neglected them for too long. They aren't 100% but I hope they will have flowers again. We've had several small showers that have helped revive them. We are expecting some of the hottest temperatures and humidity of the summer this week. 

The Hot Streak Continues

    We've had several days of 90+ and no rain, and I forgot to check the planters next to our driveway.  I watered them yesterday, hoping that it wasn't too late to save them. They looked dead or nearly so. This morning, they have revived some, and I'm hoping they'll bloom again. However, the hydrangeas on the east side of the house are blooming and looking good.

The coreopsis in the front is one of my favorite flowers!

    On Wednesday, we drove to Franklin for the Wednesday concert featuring The Happy Enchiladas. This was the least favorite group so far of the summer series. We couldn't understand the lyrics by the female singer. The group also had a bass fiddle, two guitars, and an excellent mandolin player.

    This afternoon, we enjoyed watching a play at Lutheran High School, put on by the school's alumni. The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so there is a diversity of alumni playing the roles. The play we saw was "Little Shop of Horrors," and I would say they did an excellent job! Good singing! Great set! Amazing animation!

This was the view of the stage as we entered the auditorium.

    When I began downloading these photos, I realized I had some fireworks shots that I didn't share last week. As I mentioned, we watched the Macy's fireworks show from New York City. I took several photos of our TV, which may give you an idea of the show's magnitude.

At the Halfway Point of 2025

     A week ago, we picked up Bart from the airport. He had been at a conference on Star Island and flew to Indy from Boston. Christy & Persephone came later in the day. Before they arrived, we toured the area where Bart had attended Middle School. The school was razed several years ago, except for its north gym, which opened as a renovated FieldHouse. The other area where the school existed is now occupied by apartments and townhouses. 

    We were privileged to watch the premiere of a documentary produced by a YouTuber about ROX, the program that Bart and his friend Joe began in the 80s.

Waiting for the show to begin

      In the evening, Joe, Kylie, Jayden, and Dustin came for cornhole and hamburgers. The temperature had moderated somewhat from a long string of 90s, and by late afternoon, we had shade on our patio. 

Ray beat Bart -- using the embroidered cornhole bags.
It was a birthday gift for Ray's 90th!

Jayden thought he could beat his Great Grandpa, but he didn't

Ray, Jayden, Kylie, Dustin, Joe, Persephone, Christy, Bart
(I was there, too, behind the camera)

    

    We enjoyed watching the Macy's fireworks from New York on July 4. The displays were impressive! We heard fireworks popping off and on in our neighborhood. Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, we watched the movie Howards  End and the Fever's game at home against LA in the evening. It was a closely contested game that the Fever lost by two points. We've also been watching Cubs games. Did you know they are leading the National League Central Division?