Glimpses of my Summer

I love this copper coleus.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  It is copper colored, not red or purple.  Coleus is an annual that has be be replanted outside each spring.  It will winter over in a flower pot in the house.  Come spring, I cut the original plant up and have six new plants.  Who wants one? 

Himself and I made 5 quarts of dill pickles last evening.  The cukes are coming on.  They are not very  big but nice and fresh and tasty.  Aren't these pretty?  That is a head of Dill on top of the jars.  Some of that fresh dill went in every jar. 

Kosher Dills

Creston, Iowa

I would caption this photo "Chorus Line".  It reminds me of tall slender women "on mark" doing the high kick.  These turbines were south of Clarion, on our way to Uncle Lefty's funeral -- these and about 180 others just like them.

Wright County

This eye catcher, literally caught our eye a half block away.  We drove around the block to find out what it was.  What is was (what it still is) is an alley but both ends have been welded up with scrap metal and painted silver.  Inside is a seating area, shaded and enticing.  We didn't stop, as again, we were on the way to Clarion.  We've got to go back!  Will you ride along?

Pella, Iowa

This little sign is involved with a mystery.  The sign was on the bench at Afton's walking trail where Mary, Himself and I were planting a tree and some flowers for Kate and Gary's 50th wedding anniversary.  Mary ordered another sign, "Plantings in Honor of 50th Wedding Anniversary".  When Mary went to put the second sign up, the first sign was gone.  It had been pulled off and the screws left intact, still in the bench.  Mary contacted everyone she could think of and no one knew a thing about the missing sign.  It is just plain gone.  I figure youthful vandalism -- maybe I should dig around in the weeds out there by the bench; don't suppose a kid would have carried that sign very far without giving it a fling?

Afton, IA

I think this might win a ribbon at the Fair.

I better run and get a print made!

What should the caption be?

Two Old Timers?

Man and Beast?

Two ol' cronies?

Any suggestions? 

Rural Union County

Then and Now

The "kids" were around this weekend and gave us a gift, a nice photo frame with places for two photos.  The top slot is marked "that was then" and the bottom, "this is now" and

Lanny and Nancy

40 Happy Years

July 17, 1970

This was then.

Weren't we young and innocent? 

This was our 2nd apartment.  We lived at Jackson Street efficiency apartments a mere couple of months -- just long enough to get Himself to National Guard Summer Camp and back, and long enough for me to find my temporary job of typing addresses on envelopes for Good Will donation requests.  (Now, there is a story for another day!)  We left the one-room efficiency apartment and moved up the street to Carroll Apartments where we actually had a bedroom, a small back porch and a bat or two.  It wasn't long and we were out looking at an upstairs apartment at 1503 Rebecca Street, liking the view and the two bedrooms, kitchen, livingroom and two big storage rooms.  We were sold!

We started our family and soon had two pretty girls, a matched set, I always said.

I think my eyes and Erica's soaked

T-shirt indicates she and I were spending a lot of night-time, quality time, teething together. 

Third babe was a boy.  Busy boy.

We celebrated holidays with Grandparents.

A 4th child, a petite little girl.

This is Easter with Gramma Sychra at Gramma and Grampa Hofs.

And cousins!  Always fun with cousins.

Times were changing. 

Children growing up. 

Milestones reached and rites of passages.

Junior Proms

Birthday dinners.

Family photos

with enthusiastic children!

Proms and more proms.

Our first in Creston was beautiful with blooming crab trees.

Himself and I rested while we could; conserving energy for future events!

Homecomings would become a distanct memory and there would be

a Wedding!

and a second

And more weddings.

Whew, added together,

from birth to wedding

that is a lot of hard work!

And a lot of fun.

A bunch of love.

Many an Adventure.

a disappointment or two.

Successes and set backs.

And always love. 

And this is now.

Happy 40th, Himself.

I love you true.

Hey you,
meet you right back in a minute,
a heart-beat, for our 50th.

See you all then!

New Territory

Himself and I despaired of our front entry as the giant Maple tree provided so much shade that grass wouldn't grow under it anymore.  Himself used to seed and fertilize and could manage to raise a crop of blue grass in the early years but lately, it just didn't do any good to seed it and baby it.  The grass just would not grow. 

The rebellion started up by the house and under the eave so Nana found brick and made a little fancy brickway to make it seem as tho we really didn't want grass there but that bare spot kept growing and getting bigger . . . and spread half way to the neighbor's!

The week before the 4th of July when the nursery's and garden shops start to cut plant prices and their losses, Himself and I threw our hands up, got the spades and went out and dug up that bit of lawn that wouldn't grow grass.  Himself cut out a bush that was full of dead wood and opened the side yard back up to the gate.  And Nana went shopping.  (Do you notice a theme in my two Blogs?  The tough gets going, Himself went to work -- and Nana went shopping. oh.  hmmm,  I may have to study on the significance of all that!) 

However, Nana struck gold at HyVee!  A lot of the perennial plants were marked down to a buck and others were $2.50 or $3.50.  I loaded up.  I even went back and got more because I couldn't believe they were giving me these plants for a dollar!  I had hit the jackpot!  I bought hostas and coral bells.  Astilbies and a half dozen other kinds, all plants that like partial or full shade. Then Himself and I went to work.  We planted.  And planted.  We watered and sweated and cursed . . .  then planted some more!

What do you think?  What? I should take down those Christmas lights?  No, quit.  Don't go there!  I meant, how do you like our newest garden?  I think I was trying to reproduce the old monied University neighborhoods in Urbana.  Give me about 5 years and I think it will be about that lush and green and shady!  And beautiful.  And I'm liking it.  Even if it isn't the "monied" neighborhood.

PS:  next spring I'll get some brick or stone to edge off the garden but that can wait while we hold our breath -- waiting for all those plants to come back next spring!