This and That

I wish I could say that Jeff, Rachel and I have been doing something exciting this summer, but life is pretty predictable. Rachel is taking a CNA class at the campus. These last two weeks the class STARTS at 5:45am, I guess that is a change and challenge for a family who likes to sleep late. She is doing her clinical at All About Life nursing home here in FDL.

I have been doing a little sewing. My library knitting group ( we are up to 7 members now) have knit 158 toys and are still knitting away. A FDL group of doctors, nurses and dentists that will be going to Nicaragua in February, give the toys to comfort the children when they come to the free clinic. We sent knitted toys last year also and the Nicaraguan mom's asked for more toys to take home to children who didn't come to the clinic. So we are trying! I wish I knew what we could do for the mom's. Thinking. The knitting group member who put us in contact with this group is Marge Stuber's sister-in-law, Kathy. I have been in FDL for 26 years now but I am always still amazed when I know someone.    My book club is reading 1984. I didn't like it when I had to read it in high school and I don't like it any better now.

Jeff and I both are trying to deal with the drought. I feel so bad for farmers, landscapers and orchards. We took advantage of the wet spring to transplant quite a few perennials. Now we are just trying to keep them and everything else alive by hauling a 150 feet hose around watering. Actually I have 2 hoses, the long one and one 50 foot.   Trees that were planted 5 years ago are showing stress. We don't water the lawn-well, that is not really true, we don't water about 95% of the lawn.  I have one area in the shade I water a bit just to keep the dandelions and clover going as I have two baby rabbits in the yard and they like to eat the greens. The rest of the lawn is dead. The bunnies are controversial, so far they have been kind to our gardens but I have noticed one of them is taking a liking to my parsley plant!

Since Bryan shared a "helmet post" I thought I would share a couple photos of my brother. For his 70th birthday my niece and nephews got him a "ride along" at the race track. I already forgot the name of the track but I believe it was in Northern Illinois. All I know for sure is he got to go VERY FAST. 

Harold rode in this yellow car.

Harold getting his helmet adjusted.

Below, left to right -  Harold, Beth and Mark