We usually try to go in August so we can go to the Farm Show, but because my sister, Katie, was going out to Utah in August, we decided to go out in July so we could spend time with her and Josie!...
Our drive back to Butler (6 hours) was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that I had been on day 3 of a colon cleansing pill to jump start my diet, and the "urge" suddenly hit when we were about 2 hours into our drive...
I was thrilled to see a rest stop but all enthusiasm halted when I ran up to the women's bathroom only to see this "closed for cleaning" sign sitting there! Even more unfortunate was the fact that the family assisted was occupied...
After going throught the scenario in my mind of what would happen if I had a huge accident right there at exit 29, the occupant came out and all was well...
After arriving in Butler, we went with Josie and Katie over to King Cone...
So much for my diet!
I was in the mood for a vanilla with chocolate dip top (unoriginal, I know!) but after seeing what Katie chose (yellow cake ice cream) I had buyers remorse in a big way! Words cannot describe the utter delectableness of that flavor! (she taunted me by letting me have a taste)...The memory of it haunts me to this day!
The next day, my mom and I went over to The Orchard (an assisted living facility) to have lunch with my grandmother...
She's suffering from Alzheimers, but seemed to know who I was except for the time she asked me where I got my brown eyes from...(She also made a comment about how she thought my mother was having an affair with her father in law--who is also living at that same place)--what the?! That just made for some hearty laughs on the way home...ahhh....good times...
That evening, we celebrated Ellie's 5th birthday, (as previously documented) and she spent the rest of the night examining every cat in the neighborhood...Here she is sitting with my brother, Seth...
I loved spending time in my mom's front garden...
A few years ago, she dug half of her front yard up and added raised beds, pea gravel, a little pond, and fence...
It is such a peaceful, lovely place to be...
A secret garden, indeed!
She keeps this miniature tea set out for impromptu tea parties...
The girls enjoyed this little set up....
I couldn't resist taking a picture of the area outside her secret garden...These hybrid lilies were just gorgeous!
On Thursday, we decided to make my grandmother's famous (and blue ribbon winning thanks to last year's grange fair entry) bread and butter pickles...
Under salted pickles, anyone?
Last year, we organized a lemonade/bake sale and had all the proceeds go to Aark wildlife rehabilitation center...We earned $64!
So here they are...standing in front of their cute little lemonade stand...(notice the original artwork for sale over to the left?) Yep--that was another one of my mom's ideas...
I loved Reilly's signs for the baked goods...
When we got home from our trip, we took our earnings over to Aark...We earned $62.50 this year! The kids were so proud to give it to Mary Jane, the director...
She keeps this miniature tea set out for impromptu tea parties...The girls enjoyed this little set up....
I couldn't resist taking a picture of the area outside her secret garden...These hybrid lilies were just gorgeous!
On Wednesday, we went over to Terry Heasley's house, who is a friend of ours...
We always enjoy visiting her...She knows a ton about plants and animals and always has some nifty project up her sleeve...
The past few years, she's been shaping her bushes into animal faces...She's like a real life Edward Scissorhand!
This owl was my favorite!
On Thursday, we decided to make my grandmother's famous (and blue ribbon winning thanks to last year's grange fair entry) bread and butter pickles...
We got enough cucumbers to make three and a half batches...
Unfortunately, my mom and I were talking while she was measuring the salt and she over salted times 3! Yikes! We rinsed them but it only resulted in making them taste under salted...
They still made the house smell great, but they weren't blue ribbon quality this year, I'm afraid...
Under salted pickles, anyone?
Last year, we organized a lemonade/bake sale and had all the proceeds go to Aark wildlife rehabilitation center...We earned $64!
This year, while at my mom's, we decided to do another bake sale/lemonade stand to raise money for the same place...
I wanted to keep it simple (yes! for once, I wanted something to be simple) but my mom had bigger plans and before I knew it, she was driving into the Butler Eagle to place an add for a lemonade/bake sale/YARD SALE!!!
Can I just say how much I HATE having a yard sale!?! I always feel so violated when I see people rummaging through my stuff, trying to talk me down in price on an already ridiculously underpriced item...
What's worse is when they come to your sale and leave without even buying anything...
I don't like going to yard sales, either...too much pressure to make someone feel good about their junk! I always try and ooo and ahh over something so they don't feel like such a loser...
The only time I go to yard sales is when I'm with my mom and she forces me...(FYI: I love going to flea markets and thrift stores, however...totally different story!)
So here they are...standing in front of their cute little lemonade stand...(notice the original artwork for sale over to the left?) Yep--that was another one of my mom's ideas...
I was so worried that no one would buy any of Jake and Reilly's pictures...but fortunately, the women who work in my stepfather's office, stopped by and bought them all...
I loved Reilly's signs for the baked goods...
I was disappointed with how many people just walked right by the lemonade stand and didn't even bother to make a donation...I seriously don't know what's wrong with people...
I always make a point to help support kids that are doing little stands like this...
When we got home from our trip, we took our earnings over to Aark...We earned $62.50 this year! The kids were so proud to give it to Mary Jane, the director...We had a great week...the kids got to enjoy time spent with cousin, Josie, play in the office and sleep in Grannie's cozy beds...
Our trips back home have definitely become a lot easier now that the kids are getting a bit older...
***Have you ever tried yellow cake flavored ice cream?
***Do you make pickles?
***Do yard sales embarrass you?
***Would you have stopped by our lemonade stand?
I have tried cake batter ice cream. Cold Stone sells it and it's delicious!
ReplyDeleteI have never made pickles or even know anyone who has.
Yard sales don't embarrass me, but I don't love them either.
that garden is beautiful!
ReplyDeletei remember one summer my mom made homemade pickles... i hated the smell of vinegar so much that i couldn't stand to go into our house for about a week! {oddly enough, i like to eat pickles.. just hate the smell of vinegar}
:)
ah... the good old days!- even though they were just a few weeks ago- we sure had fun and the yard sale wasn't so bad- i sure got rid of lots of stuff. those summer visits are always ones to remember.
ReplyDeleteCount me in as a lemonade supporter...especially if it means you actually might be sighted there...tee hee.
ReplyDeleteI've genereally had great luck with yard sales,although often call them my "tag sales" and have them inside somewhere! My best haul was $10,000.00!!! Yes! (To be honest, we were moving and I had a lot of stuff!!)
My mother makes the most awesome bread and butter pickles and if I were around her, would certainly make it a yearly project! We all love them.
Glad to have you back!
Yumm.......yellow cake ice!! I have never had it but it sounds yummy!!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a fun trip.
My Mom use to put up dill pickles when I was a kid and they were so good. I need to get it together and do it one year. Right now I have TONS and TONS of tomatoes ready to be canned!
hah, I love the pictures, especially the one where you and katie are eating icecream and Jake has a cheesey grin on his face, and the one where Dr. Ellie is examining Jack in the backyard.
ReplyDeleteall my kids are asleep... but I was laughing out loud when I saw the ice cream cone after the colon cleansing comments- oh you are so funny :)
ReplyDeleteCold Stone has some yellow cake batter ice cream- do you have a cold stone? You NEED to get some, it is so good!
i love that your kids went to all that work for AARK! you guys are amazing- YA, what is with people? they couldn't even make a donation? idiots-
I make dill pickles- love them- but only my husband likes the sweet kind- YOurs are so beautiful all jarred up- I love to see canned produce.
I am so happy to wake up to see you have posted! When does school start there? ours is Two WEeks from today- I have mixed emotions... since jack is leaving & my inlaws come that day... otherwise- bring on the school!
I HATE yard sales. I feel uncomfortable going to them, and I never have one. I'd rather donate my goods to charity and take the deduction. Easier and less stressful.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your grandmother. Mine is getting Alzheimers, too. It is very frustrating when after a long phone conversation she says, "Who is this?" I miss the grandma she used to be.
I try to buy stuff from lemonade stands when I have money on me. Unfortunately, I rarely have cash money in my wallet. It always seems to disappear.
Great to hear from you on here....
i stop at every kid-owned lemonade stand in the neighborhood... (the good section. you never know what they make the drinks out of down the street...) Josie likes it too.
ReplyDeleteyou people are a scene of Sunnybrook Farm. Really you are all so charming, right down to the bake sale on a country road, that you donate to charity. you are what the american dream is made out of. and i see where you got your green thumb. what a lovely lovely scene.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you're back posting and commenting again!
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud about the colon cleansing emergency. Can you imagine how awful that would have been if you hadn't been able to make it to the bathroom?! Good grief.
I would have had ice cream remorse as well, and made sure to stop at King Cone again to remedy the situation.
I love it that Ellie examined every cat she came in contact with, she's too cute!
Your mom's garden is wonderful! I yearn to have gardens like the 2 of you. What a gift of green thumbs you both have!
I love the signs Reilly made for the treats at the yard sale. How could anyone resist those?
I love the way they spelled brownies. And I think it is great that someone bought all their pictures!
ReplyDeleteI've never tried yellow cake flavored ice-cream (although it would be a fun hobby to try different ice-cream flavors). I've never made pickles. But it sounds yummy!
I've never really been to a yard sale. Although, you must be a really nice person because it would never even occur to me that someone would feel bad if I didn't buy their things. If someone doesn't buy something I always assume it is because there is nothing there that they need to buy. I would be more likely to buy a brownie or lemonade or make a donation, unless there was something I saw that I needed.
The gardens looked so peaceful and lovely. The little tea set would have enchanted my own daughters!
And your ice-cream looked really good!
Ah, the garden! Someday, somehow, I want to have a garden like that.
ReplyDeleteI don't love yard sales.