Life....

Do you have any plans for something fun or memorable?

Summer is almost over!

We have something "up our sleeve".

(It's on my summer bucket list.)

I hope I can share something soon!

♥

JoAnn

What a weekend!

Ahh, the lazy days of summer....

See how peaceful little Brooklyn is as she was swinging in the shade?

It's a good thing she got a short nap because the rest of the weekend was pretty much a go, go, go time.

We crammed a lot of fun in a short amount of time!

In just ONE day we hit the zoo, planetarium, aquarium, a dinosaur museum, and had lunch at the Lion House and only spent $24.00 a piece!  Salt Lake has a great deal called Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass that encourages you to stay here and vacation right at home.  We do have a lot of fun things available here.

We also had a family baby blessing for little Joshua and a luncheon afterward with a lot of family and friends.

Since all my photos are in a zip drive that accidentally went home to Idaho Falls, I'm just going to be lazy and link to Liz's blog. (Besides, she did such a good job on her post!)

I'll probably re-post the pictures when I get them, but for now enjoy them through Liz's blog.

Hope you are enjoying this last little bit of summer!

♥

JoAnn

Back to school jitters.....

It's started already.

I'm back at school.

  

No, not the real school-just the weird and crazy dream land about the real school.

(If any of you are teachers you probably know what I mean.)

 (photo by Google.com)

You find yourself in a classroom full of students.

You can't find any of your plans.

The students are unruly.

The principal is watching you.

Sometimes you even can't find your students.

(I've lost more students over the years than you can imagine!)

It is always such a relief to wake up!

I still have a few more weeks of summer vacation left, but if I keep dreaming about school all night I might as well be back.  Maybe that is nature's way of easing us back in to the routine.

I do, however, have sacks full of school supplies stacked in my bedroom.

You have to love those good sales!

♥

JoAnn

P.S.  I just saw this great clip on The Lettered Cottage.


It is pretty cool!
Wouldn't it be great if we all "believed" in each other?

Staying in touch.....

It's been hard having two of my grandchildren move away 

(and their parents).

Yes, I know that a four hour drive isn't the end of the earth, but it does take more effort to be together now.

We have found several ways to stay in touch.

1.  Phone calls.  (I love free long distance!)

2.  Talking on Skype.  (Thank you Andrew and Irene.)

3.  Writing letters (e-mail and the stamped kind).

Maddie gets to treat her family to Slurpies.

She even got letters from both grandmas on the same day.

(We all miss them!)

THANK GOODNESS FOR MODERN TECHNOLOGY!

Have a great day.

♥

JoAnn

Dear Camera.....

I'm sure it must be the camera- 

not the photographer- 

right?

♥

JoAnn 

PS.  Maybe if I only try for the backsides......

I'm linking to Mosaic Monday at The Little Red House.  Go over and check out some of the mosaics!

The good earth.....

This morning I went with my walking partner/friend Sheila to pick up her "Bountiful Basket".

I had never heard of it before, but it is called Bountiful Basket Food Co-op (BBFC).

It is a group of mostly volunteers who work together to share the bounties of the harvest.

 On their web page it says they encourage you to help out occasionally by arriving an hour early, but it isn't required.  

For $15.00 total you get one basket of fruit and one basket of fresh vegetables.  You bring your own baskets to transfer your produce.

You don't know what you will get each time, but they put in 6 different vegetables and 6 different fruits (around 40 pounds).

Today's basket included fresh pineapple, nectarines, grapes, corn on the cob, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, Romaine lettuce, and plantains.
(How do you cook plantains?)

Not a bad price for delicious, fresh food!

(And don't we all need to eat more fruits and vegies?)

Since I was a little jealous as we loaded her baskets in the car, I decided to join in and do it next week.

(It is only once a week and first come-first served.  You order on-line.)

****

I also thought I'd share some pictures of our walk.  We enjoy the wildlife we have seen (birds, geese, deer, baby raccoon, and baby skunk) and the natural habitat of the Jordan River Parkway.  The ponds are just getting filled up with water, but already have some residents.

It is a nice escape from city living!

*****

We have also been watching this community garden being created.

  (Yes, it is a little late in the season to get started!)

I think it is for some of the refugees that have relocated here from countries like Sudan.

What a great idea.  I hope they can harvest something before winter, but next year it should be all ready to go.  I hope they will be able to fill up their baskets with delicious produce, too!

"The poetry of the earth is never dead."

-John Keats

Have a great weekend!

♥

JoAnn

A lazy day....

Yesterday was NOT a productive day for me.

The day started off fine with my morning walk and some yard work, but as the heat started moving in and the humidity from the little rain storm started rising, my energy and motivation all melted away.

I don't think I accomplished anything worthwhile the rest of the day!

MY SUMMER IS GOING SO QUICKLY THAT I HATE WASTING A WHOLE AFTERNOON!

 ***

A while ago my sister and I saw this quote on the wall of The Rock Loft.

(The lamp covered the "ful" part of the word.)

Chocolate?  I agree.

Heat?  No way!

Does anyone have a solution for rejuvenating yourself when summer's heat dries you up?

♥

JoAnn

PS  I saw this great little video on The Lettered Cottage today.  Check it out. 
It's all about kindness.  Good food for thought.