I must be getting old.

I am watching the Republican Convention...and finding it far too interesting.  I've never watched a political convention before.  I can only conclude that this is an indication I am getting old since I haven't bothered to find something less non-fiction to watch.  I'm tempted to shut it off just to keep from aging even farther.  Pretty sure the more I watch the older I am getting.  At the very least, it's not making me any younger.  ;-p

Chop! Chop!

I had a goal today of getting all this zucchini chopped, shredded, etc...and then I sliced my thumb.  So, rather than get a bit too much of myself into my food, this is all the farther I went.  Looking forward to using what I have done in different meals.  :-)

And that's only the two smaller ones sliced and diced!

It was torture!

Last Saturday my friends decided they needed to take me out for a surprise.  I had rather figured out where we were going, but it was still extraordinarily nice of them to treat me to such torture - my first pedicure ever!  The best part was the massage of both feet and lower half of the legs.  So now I must assault you with a picture of my feet.  :-p

I think I picked a nice color, Jon with the bright green toes!

Yea Garden!

The zucchinis and cucumbers have started producing.  I'm so excited!  I will need to start coming up with recipes for the zucchinis and fast.  :-)

Baby Zucchini

There be zucchinis here!

My First Cucumber

My Simple Pleasures

Life would be likely empty without simple pleasures.  I am, for whatever reason, inclined right now to list a few of mine (in no particular order).

1) Produce from my own garden
2) Woodchuck (the beverage, not the animal)
3) Hair clips and ponytail holders
4) Pictures of friends and family
5) Phone calls from friends and family
6) Rain
7) Being loved by my dog
8) My new "microwave safe egg pan"
9) Books
10) Napkins
11) Food
12) Being able to have doors and windows open so the breeze comes through the house
13) Having a house for the breeze to move through
14) Getting to leave work early
15) Flip flops
16) My teddy bear
17) Pajamas
18) Having a TV
19) Soap
20) Pretty things (like art and fancy dishes)
21) Blankets
22) Card tables
23) Finding fun new things on the computer like "Windows Journal" and "Sticky Notes"
24) A real mailbox
25) Did I mention books and Woodchuck?  Just kidding.  Laughter is another simple pleasure.

That's probably enough to list for now.  I encourage people to stop and think about what they have in their day-to-day lives that make them smile, that they are glad to have, that are just nice, and yet so often taken for granted, forgotten about, or ignored.  We all move too fast to see the simple pleasures in our lives.  Maybe the world would be a kinder place if people ever paused to think "Gosh that microwave egg thing is cool!"  And then giggle.  :-)

Fair Day

On August 4th, Justin, Trisha and the girls, Tasha and Shawn, Kim and Jaden, and I all went to the Lancaster County "Super" Fair.  I got super sunburned and there were a few super moments.

Ivy feeds the miniature horse in the petting zoo.

Nikki really enjoyed her deep-fried Ho-Ho.

Something I've never seen at a county fair before - a bear show.

Ivy and I love the merry-go-round!

Checking out the chicks.

Post-fair fun - air hockey at my house!

The Best Company

I was blessed with a whole lot of wonderful, wonderful company a few weeks ago.  I was just about exploding with joy at getting to see friends I had not seen in almost three years (and a little one I hadn't even met before).  Everyone all in one week?!  It was crazy, but I wouldn't have changed...except to get to spend a whole lot more time with everyone.  :-)

The Harris kids - all cuter than buttons and sweeter than sugar!   :-)

Me with my friend, Dawn

I miss them all - missed them before they even left!

Kim and Jaden at the Haack Farm

It is so fun taking a small child out to the farm.  It's been a few weeks, but I'm finally posting pictures of when I took my friend, Kim and her four-year-old daughter, Jaden out to the family farm.  It was really hot that day, but we had fun.

There's a chicken in there!

This is either a very tolerant or a very limp cat...or both.

It wouldn't be a farm experience without feeding the cows.



In the air conditioning now making No Bake cookies.



Sharing Play-Doh



I do believe every creative ounce I have in me came from my mother.



On a hot, hot day, nothing beats getting a drink from the hose.

 

...And then getting sprayed with it.


Yet another shining example of how there's nothing but fun at the Haack Farm.  :-)

When a frog's not available...

...kiss a toad?

Or two?

Or three?

No thanks.

(All three toads were found around the farm within only a couple minutes of each other if that.  Kinda' difficult to see that second one.  ...Hold the phone!  We may be facing a plague of Biblical proportions.  Next thing you know, cats and dogs will be living together!)

Difficulties or No Difficulties

I still have no personal computer to speak of, so I'm continuing to use my work laptop.  Found out we get a discount with Dell through work, so might end up going that route unless it would prove to be cheaper doing something else.

I am tired and sore and, it seems, getting sick.

But it's okay.  My life is blessed.  I was blessed today with the opportunity to sing in church all morning with no fear of persecution.  In some other countries, I would not have been able to utter a sound for risk of death.  I had a steak, sweet potato and steamed vegetables for lunch.  There are people in other parts of the world starving to death.  I came home to my dog and my house with all my "stuff" in it and there are people living under bridges and in the nooks and crannies of downtown with nowhere else to go.  While I can't say I still have my health, I have the tools to work through and deal with it and my health could be so, so, so much worse.

My life is blessed.