What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Hans picked me up and dropped me off at the airport.

Sweet Annika and her pillow pet she named Nels.

William (I love his smile!)

Watching for Josiah's school bus

Annika loves coloring

Josiah has a nice smile, but it was hard for me to capture it!

Rachel made me feel at home.

Annika at her preschool

We shopped at the Target store. I liked its Southern look.

The temps were in the 90s everyday. The kids cooled off in the pool.

Josiah has been sharing his Thomas trains with Will. It's really cute.

Hans, Josiah, Annika and I went to Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D. It was fun!

Playing at a very nice park near the theater.

New Cape Henry Lighthouse - 1881. Hans said the Navy and Coast Guard still depend on this.

The Atlantic Ocean with ships out at sea

Josiah, trying to keep his clothes dry when stepping in the waves

Annika at the Atlantic Ocean

Annika, playing in the water spouts at the botanical gardens

I loved this "scare crow" woman!

Brotherly-sisterly love

Memorial Day picnic (oreos around his mouth and in his hand)

Annika helping frost cookies

Memorial Day

Will, enjoying his cookie!

You know the assignment - first week back at school after having the summer off: write a report on what you did over the summer vacation.

While I'm no longer a student, and summer is about to begin, I have just returned from my summer vacation to Virginia, to visit Hans, Rachel, Josiah, Annika and Will.

I thought about recapping everything we did in story form, but I just looked at my photos and they turned out so good, I'm going to give my report by sharing the pictures.

I had a wonderful time and enjoyed every day very much!

Tornado in north Minneapolis today

We've had unsettled weather this weekend with many tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings. Funnels were sighted yesterday and again today. The skies have opened up and it has poured buckets, followed by sun and more rain. This afternoon a tornado hit a northern suburb in north Minneapolis. So far there has been one death and at least 29 taken to the hospital for injuries. This is in a part of Minneapolis with lower income families. My heart goes out to them.

I happened to be at an event when it occurred. Coming out of the building, I looked at the sky and saw this beautiful rainbow.

Nels

Nels continues to be fun - most of the time! He sits on his cat tower and watches me at the dining room table - when he's not eating at his dish, chasing his cloth mouse or snake, staring at the squirrels and baby bunny across the yard, or running across the dining room table - which is a NO, NO!

He still has a taste for electrical chords - so at this time I have only one speaker to my living room sound system and no speakers to the system in my bedroom. Nels has chewed the chords apart. Therefore, he is not allowed in the cottage - unless I am holding him. If he wiggles to get down, he is immediately shown the screen door. He has stopped begging to come in.

It's fun to see his curiosity take action. This past week while I was eating lunch, he crawled into the upside down blue stool I've had on a dining room chair to keep him from climb up to onto things. He was so cute!

Happy 7th Birthday, Josiah!!

Wow! My first grandchild turns 7 today! I can't believe it.

He's such a delightful child - and smart! Last year I was lucky to be in Germany for his 6th birthday. At that time, on his own, he was sitting at the dining room table and drawing each of the 50 states, cutting them out, and putting them together in the shape of the United States of America - all from memory! He knew all of the capitals, and could recite them by state - alphabetically both forward and backwards! I remember he was in the back seat while Rachel was driving us to the flea market in downtown Stuttgart, and Josiah was reciting the capitals - by state - backwards. I listened and was totally amazed.

This year he is drawing the continents with the correct countries in them and then cutting them out to mount on the wall. He is learning all of the country capitals, too. Keep in mind, he is doing this on his own - it has never been a school assignment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSIAH!

I love dishes!

This set of dishes were given to me by my next door neighbors. They are from France. He said they bought them at a dime store.

My love for dishes started soon after I was married. My husband and I were given some money for our wedding, and like a lot of newly married couples in our day, we needed nearly everything.
La Crosse, where we were living for the summer, had a jewelry store across the street from the
JC Penney store where I was working. One day I went in there and found a set of stoneware that I really liked, so I bought them. It was a service for 8. I bought cobalt blue glasses to go with them, and that started it all.

This place setting is from Hans' former ship

Over the years, I have collected many more - some services for 12, some for 8, a few for 6 or 4, and a few are service for 2. I have two patterns that are for only 1. Hey, that works for me! One large set I gave to Heidi and Chad when they married. It is Noritake china and my brother gave it to me one year when he was stationed in Japan. They're beautiful, and Heidi always admired them.

About 3 years ago, I thought I would do a blog entry on them - you know, make a pretty scene of a place setting, complete with place mat, table cloth, napkin, silverware, goblet, etc. That was a big dream that never culminated. Thanks to Google, I have captured a photo of a piece from each set and am including them here.

Do I use them? Yes, all have been used except one pattern. I'm saving those for someday special.