summer highlights

Teachers started school last Monday where I work, and the students begin tomorrow. A few things that I will remember about this summer...

• Scrabble. I played over thirty games with my dad, and I win more than I used to.  Dad is a strategic player so watching what he did helped me improve my own game.
• Family. This year was the 19^th Camp Clair. There are less campers than there used to be because people keep getting older. I helped celebrate a high school graduation and my great niece’s baptism. August included a trip to the Richmond, Virginia area to see my nephew and his wife. My niece was there part of the time, too.
• Gardening. Sometimes it was my garden, other times I did things at the farm garden.
• Travel. I ended up going to some state parks that I do not get to very often. I also went to Bogotá, Colombia with the youth from church on a mission trip.

Two weeks ago, I visited Richmond for the weekend.  Five things I recommend are the state capitol,

the Maggie Walker House, 

the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Maymont, and the fast-food chain Cookout.

• Reading. This summer I read three novels, seven non-fiction books, the Psalms and countless picture books.  The novel I liked best was The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Not sure how to choose a favorite from the non-fiction books. Six of them are worth reading a second time.

garden

The zinnias in my garden have been blooming for a while already. So have the sunflowers and nasturtiums. I noticed the cosmos finally joined them. In the morning and afternoon I often spot butterflies and bees enjoying them.

 

It is also zucchini season. I have been eating it in a variety of ways. Today I made a spice cake and zucchini bread. One plant is enough and I usually check it every day, but I still had a few monster ones that ended up in the compost pile.

A couple of weeks ago, I made two one-gallon jars of refrigerated dill pickles. 

And most days there is a bowl of fresh tomatoes to eat and share. I want to make and can some salsa-I think with as many tomato plants that are in my garden, it should be possible.

I have also been using basil, kale, onions, and peppers, too. One row of green beans has been pulled out already, the string beans should be ready soon.  I am grateful that I do not have to grow and preserve all my own food, but it sure is nice to have fresh garden produce.

east coast

I was in New England last week and here are a few of the things that I had the opportunity to see.I toured Mark Twain's house in Hartford, Connecticut.

I stopped in Springfield, Massachusetts to see these statues and a few more of Dr. Seuss characters.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts was interesting and worth stopping to visit.  If I lived closer, I would go back from time to time.  The exhibits change (one about Peter Sis opens this week) and there is a place where you can make your own art. 

The green mountains of Vermont are beautiful.

A covered bridge in New Hampshire.

One of the many old buildings on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

The view from the Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island.

My favorite parts were the Mark Twain House, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the ocean in Rhode Island.

northern Minnesota

Northern Minnesota seems a lot different than central Minnesota.  There is so much more water.  There are lots of trees and BIG rocks as well.   Here is a view of Kabetogama Lake.  Most of the lake is in Voyageurs National Park. 

Below is the High Falls on Baptism River in Tettegouche State Park. 

No pictures of Lake Superior yet, but a few views.  I have only been up to this part of Minnesota a few times, but it is a good place to visit from time to time.  Maybe next time I will have to come in the  winter, to have a mosquito free experience and enjoy some outdoor winter activities.

enjoying summer in Minnesota

Summer is a great time to be back in Minnesota.  It sure is nice to be somewhere with lots of outdoor space. I can go on a walk or a bike ride and hardly see anything except fields, trees, farms, and (in the evenings), deer crossing the field and road to hide in the woods.







I have also been tending the garden...the black beans that I planted look good.

So do the beets, though my brother is not sure why I planted them.  I told them that he does not have to eat them.


I have also been reading, cooking, cleaning, and spending time with family and friends.  The other day when I was at my brother's house, my niece and I just spent time watching the kittens play.  It has been a long time since I spent summer time doing that, and I had forgotten how entertaining it can be. 

After working so hard at learning Spanish, I have also been spending ten hours every week trying to maintain my language skills.  I read, write, review my Spanish notes, and use the Duolingo app to keep up.  Hopefully soon I will find a few people to practice my conversational skills.  What have you been doing this summer?

vacation

I went on a two week vacation with my dad.  We drove a lot of miles (over 5500) and saw more than I expected.  Some places we saw include Mount Rushmore, eight different national parks, a couple of quilt/sewing shops, the ocean, Bakersfield, and lots of cattle and farms.  We visited some family and a couple of my friends, too.

Here are pictures of a few highlights...

Rocky Mountain National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Grand Canyon

beach at Morro Bay

mission in San Luis Obispo

Zion National Park

Rainbow Bridge at Bryce Canyon National Park

Morro Bay, California is where we stayed for two days.  My aunt and uncle were there so we spent our time with them.  It was good to see them, and I got to give them quilts (see pictures here and here.  It was also nice to stay in the same place for a bit to catch up/slow down.  I also loved being near the ocean and walking on the beach.  When we left on vacation, I had no idea we would see so many national parks.  Some day I hope to return to both Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.  Both were impressive and worth visiting again.

sightseeing in Seattle

 Here are a few pictures from my trip to Seattle.  I was there for less than a week, but walked a ton and saw quite a bit.  This first picture is at Lake Union.  On Sundays, the Center for Wooden Boats has limited free boat rides of about an hour each.  I got a ride on a steam powered boat called the Puffin.  We got quite close to some of the houseboats there and the tour guide pointed out the boat from Sleepless in Seattle. 

That same day I took the bus to the Ballard neighborhood and walked around the farmer's market there, then went to see the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.  There was also a fish ladder where I saw some salmon swimming upstream.  If I had had more time, I would have looked around the garden.

The next morning I went to Olympic Sculpture Park.  It was near the waterfront and had many unique, large sculptures.

This is the Waterfall Garden which is tucked in the area of Seattle called Pioneer Square.  A small but peaceful spot that is worth a stop.

At Washington Park Arboretum I walked around for several hours...you could get lost.  Lots of flowers, trees and paths, including a trail to a couple of islands on Lake Washington.

 

My friend came after I had been there for a few days.  We went to the downtown area and saw where Starbucks began.  We walked around Pike Public Market.  So much to see, and a place that I would visit again.  We did get to see the employees throwing fish at the Pike Place Fish Market. 

 After eating supper, we went to see the Space Needle.  It was getting close to dark when we went up to the observation deck.  We could see out over the whole city.  It was cool to see the lights on all the buildings as it was getting dark.  This is a picture I took of the Needle after we got down. 

The Museum of History and Industry is a must see if you are interested in Seattle's history.  It was the museum's free day (first Thursday of the month) and rather crowded.  I didn't see the whole thing well because of the crowds and the time it would have taken to see it.

Other things I saw while there were the waterfront, Seattle Central Library (it is ten floors), the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, St. James Cathedral, parts of Chinatown, Kobe Terrace, Wing Luke Museum, and lots of different people. When I first got there, I wondered how I would fill five days in Seattle, but there was so much to see that I ran out of time.  

Two things surprised me about Seattle...I was there for five days and it never once rained, though it was often overcast in the mornings.  The second surprise was the number of homeless people in the downtown area asking for money or sleeping in a park.

summer suggestions from a teacher

As a teacher, here are some suggestions you can do to help your children continue learning over the summer, regardless of their age. 

1. Reading to your children.  Once children learn to read, they can still enjoy listening to stories.  Children almost always enjoy listening to stories even if they do not like reading themselves.  Parents can broaden a child's horizons by reading high quality literature aloud to them.  For younger children, I would start with some classics like Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.  Books I would recommend for children age seven and older are Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.  Children may already be familiar with these stories because of school or movies, but they are worth reading aloud.  For other ideas, I would check this list, look at past posts on my blog, or ask your librarian.
2. Learning activities.  This covers so many things.  I would start by thinking about your child's age and what they will need to know to be a responsible adult.  That means teaching them how to do certain chores appropriate to their age.  Five year old children can learn to wash dishes.  As children get older, they can learn to cook, mow the lawn, wash the car, and do laundry.  Others things to do to help children learn are going to museums, touring local businesses or factories, growing a garden, doing things for others, and going to state parks.  Most of the time, parents and children are learning together and making memories at the same time.  You could also go to free community concerts or check out library books about different types of crafts.
3. Playing with your children.  If children only spend time with other children or sitting in front of a screen, they are not going to learn social skills that are necessary for life.  Interacting with children while playing builds communication skills and allows children to ask questions.  Playing board games helps children learn how to get along with others, follow rules, and develop problem solving skills.  If you and your child are not fans of board games, play outside.  It could be a structured game like baseball or soccer, or something less structured like biking, Frisbee, or hiking.  Going to the park, the beach, fishing, or boating are also some enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors.    You could also play school, store, restaurant, mail, or house.  Playing is actually a form of learning and can develop a child's cognitive skills.

A balance of reading, learning, and playing with your children will make some good memories for you both while helping them develop their minds.

strawberries

One of the only good reasons I can think of to get up early in the summer is to pick strawberries. This is just a portion of the ones I picked this morning. Yum!

(thanks to my brother for the picture, thanks to my friend Cathy for inviting me to go with her)

places I went this summer

This summer I was able to go to a half dozen places that I have never been before. They are...
1. Amana Colonies in Iowa
2. Herbert Hoover birthplace in West Branch, Iowa
3. Laura Ingalls Wilder place in Burr Oak, Iowa
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Niagara Falls
6. Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio to watch a Indians-Twins game

My favorite was Niagara Falls...we took a ride on the Maid of the Mist and got quite close to the waterfall, which was amazing. The waterfall doesn't seem that impressive until you get really close. But all the places were fun to visit and I would probably go back to all of them, except maybe the Laura Ingalls Wilder place in Iowa. It was smaller and less developed than some of the other Ingalls places I have been to.
Where did you go this summer?

Camp Clair 2010

Camp Clair is over for the year...my house is going to seem quiet without four pairs of feet running around from the living room to the porch back to the living room and then outside. No one asking "Clair, can I ...?" or one child yelling another child's name. It is lots of fun, but I can tell when it is time for them to go home because one or more find something to do alone instead of joining in the chaos or someone tells one of their cousin's to quit being so bossy. When I asked them what they liked about Camp Clair there were lots of answers-making books, going to Grandpa's, going to the museum, making pictures. I think some of them would want to stay forever if they didn't miss their parents.

On another note, I am not much for pictures of me, but my sister Amanda took this picture of us on our birthday earlier this week. We celebrate together most years...don't think it is the same any other way. This year we went out for lunch at Baja Sol. For supper we had grilled hamburgers, but that is almost a given for the fourth of July. We had ice cream a couple times too.

busiest place in town?

What a busy day. A somewhat rainy Friday afternoon and the library is full of people.

baby bibs

I am on summer vacation, but I seem to have plenty to do. Part of it is self-inflicted because I want to feel like I am doing something with all my time. And really, when I am not working it is a good chance to get some projects done. So one of my goals is to complete 10 baby bibs. Then when I need a baby gift I have something to pull out of my box to add to a children's book or two. These are two baby bibs I made this spring...so when I get done with my ten (I have five finished already) I will have a dozen. The bibs aren't hard to make if you have sewing experience. The thing that takes the longest is the binding. If you like to sew you can look at this link on my sister's blog and get the directions to make them yourself.

Do you have any summer projects?

What I made this summer

This is a little girl dress I made. It is from Simplicity pattern 9602 and this is the newborn size, though from experience I think it would fit a nine month old. I love the seersucker fabric.

This is a dress for a two year old. It is Simplicity pattern 5118. I made another one like this for my friend's two year old daughter and it was bright blue and white checked.
My new purse. It didn't take long to sew and the fabric is leftover from my heart quilt I made this spring.
A simple pillowcase.

A zipper pouch that I made with the help of my sister.

This is the quilt that I made in June. It is a small twin size that I am keeping for myself.

I also made several tote bags (two for my own groceries and one for my aunt), some napkins, and a simple backpack for my niece Mariah's birthday.

what I read this summer

Here are the books that I read this summer.

• Skid by Rene Gutteridge
• Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner
• Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin
• Sisterchicks Go Brit! by Robin Jones Gunn
• The Five Love Languages for Singles by Gary Chapman
• Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury
• A Mile in My Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson
• Coming Unglued by Rebecca Seitz
• A Minute Before Friday by Jo Kadlecek
• Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck
• Revelations of a Single Woman by Connally Gilliam
• The Shack by William P. Young
• Where the River Ends by Charles Martin
• Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston
• A Delirious Summer by Ray Blackston
• Lost in Rooville by Ray Blackston

My overall favorites were A Minute Before Friday, and Revelations of a Single Woman and the Ray Blackston books.

Has anyone read any of these books? What did you read this summer?

rain, rhubarb, and rice

Rain
It is the first week of my summer vacation and it is supposed to rain off and on at least through Friday. It is not all bad, since we haven't gotten a ton of rain this spring. But I can't go on a long bike ride without wondering if I will get wet. I just got a new bike yesterday-it's blue and the first brand new bike I have ever owned.
Rhubarb
I was at dad's yesterday and got a bunch of rhubarb. I am going to make rhubarb jam using a recipe that came from home-don't know the origin. It is my kind of recipe (only four ingredients and short instructions).
Rhubarb Jam
5 cups cut up rhubarb
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 3-ounce strawberry jello
Cook rhubarb, sugar and water til rhubarb is done. Add jello and stir well.
I am going to make a double batch of this later today.
Rice
I found a fun website (compliments of Susan Meissner's blog) that lets you test your word knowledge and donate rice to the UN World Food Program at the same time. You can find it at www.freerice.com.

summer is over

Summer is over for me. Not weather wise, but I went back to work today. Not a bad day-it was a lot of sitting, but it was also good to see some of my coworkers.
So I had 10 goals for this summer...I accomplished 6 of them.
The ones that I met are...

• Make 2 or more sets of cards for the card exchange I am part of-I got three sets done.
• Finish the blue and yellow quilt. I have been working on it for a long time.
• Go somewhere new. I have been lots of places I have not been, including Jamaica, and a bunch of towns in northern Minnesota.
• Memorize a chapter from the Bible. I memorized Psalm 121. If you see me in the near future, ask me to say it for you...it will help me keep it in my head.
• Clean out all 7 of my closets. I still have to find my other pair of scissors and my handheld solitaire game.
• Read less than 20 books. Here is a list of the 17 books that I did read.
  
  1. Tristan's Gap by Nancy Rue
  2. The Recital by Robert Elmer
  3. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
  4. The Sound of My Voice by Jo Kadlecek
  5. Tisha by Robert Specht
  6. Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce
  7. Adelaide Piper by Beth Webb Hart
  8. These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson
  9. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
  10. tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
  11. The Preacher's Daughter by Beverly Lewis
  12. The Englisher by Beverly Lewis
  13. The Brethren by Beverly Lewis
  14. The Penny by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford
  15. fair game by Elizabeth White
  16. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
  17. The Last Juror by John Grisham

All the books were good-some were sad-Tristan's Gap, Adelaide Piper, Feeling for Bones, tuesdays with Morrie, The Poisonwood Bible, and The Recital. The funniest one was fair game. And the most suspenseful was The Last Juror.
Has anyone read/liked any of the above books?

The goals I didn't make were three craft related projects and learning more Spanish.

summer

My summer has been busy...I have only read 5 books since school got out, and I don't know when I will get a chance to finish another. This summer so far I have...

1. gone camping with my brother
2. had my niece and nephew (Mariah and Mark) overnight
3. attended two grad parties (for my cousins Greg and Christy)
4. gone to Michigan and drove back to Wisconsin with my sister, Zach, Parker, and Abby
5. made a lap size quilt for my friend in CA that got married
6. celebrated my birthday with the Jamaica group, my family at the farm, and then at the Mexican Village in St. Cloud, and lunch on Friday with Emili at Griff's
7. went to Patrick and Tricia's wedding reception
8. went to 11 Jamaica meetings (I think)
9. made chalk drawings on the Nybergs' cement in Michigan
10. packed a van very full of my sister's (and her family's) stuff

This is not in order, but this gives you an idea of what I have been doing. I am leaving for Jamaica on July 7 and will be back on July 18 if all goes well.

If you look at my sister's blog, you can see the quilt I made her two years ago when she turned 30. Her blog is at http://www.crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/