Baby Mozart

So, I shared Nikki's interest in the piano previously. She's quite the little Beethoven hammering out "masterpieces".
Ivy, though, tends to have a slightly lighter touch. So now we have a "Little Beethoven" and a "Baby Mozart"!! :)

Observation

I noticed something the other day while I was walking to and from the bank via the Walmart parking lot. Security is not so much a concern here as it was in Arizona. (I think I knew that from before I lived in "big city" but I must have forgotten.)
I was walking through the parking lot and saw a car with the windows down and no one around. I lock my car when I'm out at the farm! I cannot fathom the idea of leaving the windows down while I was in the store! It's one thing to leave it unlocked (which many do -- not that I've tested that, mind you) and take a chance something happens, but leave the windows down and invite strangers to reach into your car?!
It's quite similar with homes, too. Doors remain open and unlocked much of the time. I think the doors at the farm are only locked if the house is going to be empty for more than a day. They certainly aren't locked at night! I think Justin locks the door at night and I know they lock it when the house is empty (like when everyone's out at the store or on a walk). I was in the habit of locking all doors behind me. I forgot how trusting of one's neighbors it can be here in the Midwest. It just isn't like that in a metropolitan area of around 4-million people.
I think I'll keep my door-locking habit, though. Better safe than sorry!

Father's Day

Wow!! I can't believe I forgot this! Sandra and I took Mom and Dad out to eat for Father's Day on the Thursday before Father's Day because neither of us could be there on that Sunday. I have to share a couple of pictures (aren't we all surprised).

(I pick funny cards!)

Good lookin' bunch even if I do say so myself...which I do since this is my blog. :p

Sunday

It is Sunday. The weather is nice. I got to sing a duet with Sandra in church this morning. Justin is making his version of Dad's concoction. We are going to watch a movie, though I don't know which one. And, Ivy keeps crawling back here to visit me and she is all grins and giggles.
Nice Sunday. :)

Finally!

So, there you have it! I finally have my blog up to date! Nothing has really been going on since last weekend (the cherry business was on the 12th). So, I've just been working on job searching (still no luck), getting ready for my next class to start (Tuesday, the 21st) and practicing with Sandra to sing in church on Sunday.

Now, after all that work on my blog, I think I will stop and do something that requires neither typing nor staring at my computer! :)

A Bowl of Cherries

Life has its moments...and sometimes they are literal. Dad brought home a big box of bing cherries. I pulled out the stems and sorted out the bad ones while Mom put them in jars with the appropriate potion and got them canned. They looked so pretty! I don't have a picture of the finished product, but I conned Mom into taking a picture of me in my part of the process. :p

Formatting

Well, that was frustrating. When I put my post about the fair together, the formatting looked great. Then when it posted it got all screwy. Oh well. Pretend for me that it looks nice! :p

"Meet me at the Fair"

Golden cupie doll if you can tell me where that quote comes from! ;p

The Madison County Fair was last weekend. Mom and I went in the afternoon of the 11th and then Dad, Mom and I went again that evening when Dad got home from work. This year Mom entered cookies and a picture. I'm thinking I need to somehow become a county resident, because I know I could do that! And what's to lose. Not getting a ribbon? Not getting paid $1.50 for 2nd place? (That might not be the right amount, but you get my point.) Anyway, we had a good time, so, in my usual fashion, I'd like to share some of that good time with everyone.

First a couple to set the mood...

Two of Mom's cookies won ribbons. The Ultimate Chocolate cookie got 3rd place and the Oatmeal Cranberry Orange received a 2nd place ribbon.

There are folks demonstrating their skills/trade...like the woodcarver (note the hand-carved banjo in the back -- pretty cool)!

And there are always different performers. We didn't go to any of the rodeo or concerts, but Mom and I got to see a magician put his assistant in a box, do all sorts of things to the box and then help her back out again.

And, surely, no fair experience is complete without a walk through the livestock barn...

Of course, there are always some things you don't necessarily expect to see.

Like the critter with four horns...

The kids playing a video game inside a DeLorean...

The tiny little house completely wired for electricity, phone and internet...

The camper that is also a horse trailer...

Or the absolutely gigantic combine...

There were normal tractors and old ones, too...

You can't really see it in this picture, but this one has a jar on it (close up next). I decided it was for putting fireflies in so you can see what you're working on at night. I don't remember what dad said it was for...

...but a place to keep your toy tractor isn't what I would have guessed!

Of course, no trip to the fair would be complete without funnel cake!!

Dad and I had some, too, but I think Mom is addicted to the stuff now. :)

Finally, there was the several mile hike to the car...

I can't remember the last time I went to the county fair. It's probably been about 10 years! We had fun!

Junk Mail

Got junk mail? What you need is a junk mail mauler...

Musical Prodigy?

Move over Beethoven! :)

Summer fun...

Justin got one of those pop-up pools to beat the summer heat. These are from its debut (June 25th)...

Babie floaties can double as sombreros...genius! :p

Independence Day

I was doing homework every free minute of the 4th of July. What kind of instructor has a major bit of homework due on a national holiday!? Anyway, I did take a break when it was time to see fireworks. Sandra and her boyfriend, Brandon, set off a few. Otherwise, we enjoyed the massive neighborhood show! You'd think they'd have planned it. Sounded like we were in a popcorn popper! :)

My Birthday

Nothing else really happened for the rest of the month. My birthday went by pretty well un-noticed. We celebrated on the 4th of July by going to Fontenelle Forest. It was fun! We ate, we learned (Learning Center) and we explored (trails). Just to give you an idea of what it was like, here are some pictures...

Learning in the Learning Center...

Ivy meets a snail...

Time to eat...

Taking to the trails...

Interesting side note...

I fell down. I got dirty. Even stained my pants. That was annoying! :p

With my friends Samantha and Michelle...

Everyone seemed to have a good time and that's what's most important!