Summer at OBU

A summer day at OBU. I took this picture when there were no camps and everything was very quiet. Although I love it serene like this, I must say, I am looking forward to the fall semester. It is good to enjoy the break, and also good to enjoy the hustle and bustle.

I went to Riley Library to return some books I had checked out for the boys at Camp Meme
We had a great time reading and I found some intriguing books. Trying to get good reading material is one of my biggest jobs. Reading just for fun seems to be a thing of the past. When I was a substitute in the elementary schools the curriculum instructs the teacher to pick apart the story in teaching the student what writing a story entails. If I was a student in elementary school, I would dread reading on my own, because of the impression I would have to pick apart the book and thereby kill the very thing I was to enjoy.

As a substitute I had to get the classes quiet and I always tried to read funny poetry. Poetry that makes a point about children's lives without pandering. It is the best 30 minutes of the day. And what shocked me are the kids that I was having the most problem with got the point of the poems. Their laughter at the right time showed me they got irony and puns and they identified with the subject. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. We should quit making them become robots and let them flourish.

Camp Meme Day 6, Work, Rabbit & Gardening

Today I had to go into work and help out a fellow employee. The fact that Kim needed my help has made my day. As a probie (see the TV show NCIS for definition) I am always behind the loop because I haven't been here a whole year and in this setting every month brings a new focus. I don't know what I don't know. So for a person as important as Kim to ask me for help, just gave me a wonderful lift.
The boys were wonderful and very good but I had to rescue the flags from being used as a military base setup.

They couldn't stand the smell in the section between the inside and the outside. Not enough people there to keep the air flowing. But I wanted a pic with the globe. They really are good to pose for me. It stank!

The rotunda was a fun place to show their metal.

Seeing Obi after lunch is always good.

The county library. Obi loves libraries and always takes them to get books and tapes. One of the great things about being a grandparent is you can show them the things you love without worrying about what they have to learn. That is for parents.

Wy reads to Mi and he can read very well.


Listen.

It is fun to be able to play with book characters.

Tonight we had rabbit bar-b-que. I told the boys that when the colonials lived they ate whatever they could find. When I found rabbit for sale in the store I bought it and we all loved it. It is really a great meat. Almost no fat and not nearly as many bones as a squirrel. Everyone loved it. With homemade slaw and fresh picked peaches, wow what a southern delight. Oh yea and sweet tea. Mi has learned he likes sweet tea with lemon like Meme. Smart boy.

We finally planted our garden.(You know one must follow the farmers almanac and wait for the right days to plant.) In all my research and when we went to see the restored homes in Old Washington and in downtown LR there were always a little gardens in individual yards. So I got some of our concrete blocks, some peat moss and some potting soil and built a little garden for the boys to start.

They didn't have any trouble with the idea and quickly got into it.

Wy was hoeing very aggressively. Mi loved to water and direct.

Along with the seeds, (which went everywhere-there is no telling what we will have growing in that space), I got some plants for them to plant so they could see a plant in the garden. No problem.

Mi watering their own cans of vegetables . They can take these home and see their veggies grow. But they looked kind of down at the mouth when I said this. Then one of them quietly with his head down told how plants die at their house. I will try to remind their mother to water the plants.

It is fun to have water to play in on a hot summer evening.

Joy and Jubilee in July!

Better watch out Meme I have the hose and you look hot!

Vacation day 11

Today was a work day of just work. Nothing fancy, no creativeness, just get things done. Do the dishes, clean up the kitchen and clean up my email. Some things you just have to do.
We have to save bottles for water. One of the many good things J4 does is he always makes sure we all have water when we go out in the car. So when we clean out the car we have to wash the bottles and fill them up and cool them down again.

J4 asked for some tuna fish salad and I made some for him. It is absolutely the best tuna fish ever. Better than my mom's and better than my mother in laws. OK! There, I said it. No you can't have the recipe. There is a very special secret ingredient. That ingredient makes even the celery taste great. The lowly celery is not the secret ingredient, but it wouldn't be great tuna fish without it.

Here are the loves of my life. I mean here are some of the things I love. My family is the love of my life starting with J4, but these are my vintage tablecloths. I love linens of all kinds. Vintage and new, table & bed, kitchen & dinning are all my kinds of collectibles. Eating on a real tablecloth gives your meal a new meaning. It isn't just to feed the body, but it feeds the soul.

I just can't pass by a sale of linens. You just can't believe how a vintage linen tablecloth feels. It just has a certain "real" feel. Unlike synthetics, linens feel hand-able. That is, when you rub synthetic fabric between your fingers it doesn't feel substantial. When you rub linen between your fingers it has weight and texture and just feels real. When I find vintage 100% cotton sheets I always buy them. I stock up on them. I horde them. If you were to lay down on a synthetic sheet it would feel good, but if you lay down on a 100% cotton sheet, after it has been ironed during a warm summer night and you just shaved your legs, Whoa dude.