Where to start?!

We are back from the east coast - maritime New England or midatlantic.  It was great.  Thanks to Jacob and Kate for putting us up, putting up with us, and showing us a great time!

We decided to do NYC, as this is probably our last visit. Thursday it rained, (and it was raining hard when we first arrived) so a few adjustments were necessary. It was a good day but I have very few pictures due to the rain....We stopped at the Riverside branch of the NY public library for a minute after we parked the car.

This sign made me laugh - and we saw them everywhere!

Made our way to the subway station and headed for the harbor.  The rain let up long enough to enjoy the sight of the Statue of Liberty and a quick visit to Ellis Island.

 

On our return we ducked into a museum for some warmth and culture.  It was the Smithsonian's exhibit of American Indians and included a section on MesoAmerica which we had just studied in my WldCiv class! 

We dealt with some light rain as we walked around Times Square and the surrounding area.  Saw Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller and Lincoln Centers, ate a slice of pizza at a local joint, saw lots of suits and boots and umbrellas.

Friday we headed to Rhode Isalnd to satisfy our ocean cravings and ended up at Charleston Beach where we saw the ocean wild and tall and green and booming.  It was majestic and awesome.  There was a storm brewing in the Atlantic and this was the result.  Stopped at Mystic on the way back and browsed in a favorite shop.  (funny to think we've done this often enough to have a favorite shop)

We also visited Waterford beach which is a couple minutes from Jacob and Kate, right there in New London.  We walked and clambered over rocks, speculated about an amazing piece of driftwood, and picked up a few rocks and shells to add to my collection. 

We stopped there again on Saturday before we left and I found this:

I love flying.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy the sights through those tiny airplane windows.  (Tim graciously allowed me the window seat on all our flights.)  Providence is just a delight.  The colors, the wooded areas, the estates, the islands and bays, the boats, the backyard swimming pools in all the different neighborhoods - I love it! This time I saw snow east of Chicago, and it was my first time to fly at night.  The nighttime lights of Chicago were magical.  I wish I knew what route we actually took - I'd love to be able to identify the cities we passed over. Their lights were entrancing.

Caught napping

Today was pretty much a wasted day.  October has been spent in a seemingly unending cycle of current homework, homework that would be due while we were away, and homework that would be due on our return, and, of course, the new round of current assignments.  Plus work and daily household responsibilities.  (sidebar:  Tim has graciously done all and I do mean ALL the mowing this season.  You don't know how much I've appreciated that)

We are leaving again on Wednesday, so this week has been no exception.  Today - well - let's just say that today was less than productive. 

Jacob and Kate are expecting us for a few days out east.  We've requested a day in NYC and plan to take the train into the city.  I'm looking forward to the trip. 

I've finally downloaded the pictures from the quick getaway  Tim and I made a few weeks ago (which was wonderful).  The pictures from our trip with Naphtali and Aidan (always a treat).  And 2 of my three biology experiments. 

I hope you're ready for this because I am actually going to post something rarely seen on the North American continent:  That's Lake Odessa behind me, taken by Tim back when we made our trip.

I'll catch up again sometime soonish....

My break is flying by - one week left!
There has been progress on my list - the curtain is up, some of the weeds have been tackled. Closets and drawers have been cleaned.  I've managed to do some reading and a little online shopping.  I've taken, and passed, a CLEP in American Lit.

Here's a glimpse of the weekend in Fort Dodge.  It was sooo hot!  The drive there was uneventful.  Naphtali and Aidan were available for part of my visit and, as always, it was a treat to see them.  On Sunday,we went over to see my sister and Mike.  He's been busy siding the farm house and it looks great.  We looked in at the horses and new kittens, and played with the dogs a bit.  This kitten found a cool place to nap.  My mom and I sat in the shade and watched everyone else cavorting in the pool.

Naphtali and Aidan

Andrea grilled some chicken, fixed sweet corn and fed us a good summertime meal.  Although black tie was optional, Aidan came to the table in what looked like a smoking jacket over his swim trunks and COWBOY BOOTS!

Yes, let's put those two ideas in the same sentence, again.  Here is Aidan wearing COWBOY BOOTS!  We (Grandma Donna, Naphtali, Aidan and I) had looked for a pair at several places Saturday night, including the Goodwill, and though we didn't find COWBOY BOOTS, we did find a necessary piece of COWBOY gear - a guitar.  Why were we looking for cowboy gear?  His camp has a dress-up day each Monday, they've done clowns and rock stars, and the next was cowboy.  He found a mustache, jeans and plaid shirt, hat, and this wonderful guitar!

On our way to Andrea's, we made one last stop to look for the COWBOY BOOTS.  Aidan tried on several pair and he loved them!  Now, some might think that is a bit of an exaggeration, but let me point out that he told his mother that if he got the black pair he could wear the COWBOY BOOTS to school.  Sound logic and sartorial sense.  

I happen to think there are few things cuter than a lanky kid in shorts and COWBOY BOOTS.  Jacob wore them for years.  We had mentioned to Naphtali several years ago that the day would come for Aidan, and let's just say she was less than thrilled with the idea.  So permit me this small measure of glee - a boy should have COWBOY BOOTS - at least for a season - and Aidan is quite dapper in his. 

By the way, he opened car doors and made sweeping bows as we seated ourselves, in imitation of the doormen he had seen in NYC.  It was great.  James and Naphtali have such a delightful son.  I'm looking forward to the pictures of Aidan in full regalia.  (if you can refer to COWBOY duds as regalia)

They headed north from there and my mom and I returned to Fort Dodge.  We went to the apple orchard, played scrabble, caught up on recent events.  It was a good visit.

Change of plans

I had soooo much trouble with my laptop this morning.  The original plan was school work.  Couldn't get past the first page of anything.  OK.  Plan B was use Tim's computer.  It was no better.  Plan C - blog.  That wouldn't work either.  I hit the button once and logged out - I don't know what happened next.....

So, last Thursday Tim and I left for the Cities.  Naphtali and James have traditionally gone to the Boundary Waters over Memorial Day weekend.  I have gone up to stay with Aidan. This year they decided he was old enough to go along, and invited Tim and I to join them, as well.  Aidan was a delightful camping companion.  He worked hard, didn't complain, snored effectively enough to keep the bears at bay, fished, paddled, chatted, skipped rocks, used an ax, chased mudbugs all with a smile on his face. (a face which had recently lost 2 front teeth)  The major packing was done before bedtime Thursday night.  We had 3 large packs for sleeping bags, tents, cooking and rain gear - camp stuff. We also had smaller (typical) backpacks with food and personal stuff. 

This is some of the gear in the living room the night before we left on our adventure.

Yes, this is the last picture I took before we hit the road Friday morning. 

We drove about 4 hours north and stopped for breakfast.

I think we were in Ely.

We picked up life jackets, paddles, canoes, permits and licenses and set out.

The CRV (cute recreational vehicle) worked great.  Plenty of space to stash everything, 3 comfortably seated in back, easy on the gas.....

                                                                  1/2 way there.

  According to the map it was just short of 10 miles (or maybe a bit over 9 1/2) (depends, I 'spose, on how much zigzagging you did)  After roughly (did I say roughly?) 4 hours of paddling we arrived to enjoy the comfort of

Home sweet home.

I'll save the rest for another installment.  The fishing was wild.  Everything tasted sooo good.  The scenery, quiet and enforced restfulness of the place was a treat. 

A busy weekend

We had a great time with the Kahls. As you may well imagine, this little guy drove the bus for the weekend.



Aidan turned six. He kept Grandpa busy with stories and boy stuff. He and Charlie took several walks - some with Naphtali, one on his own, and he, James and Charlie delivered birthday cupcakes to friends in the neighborhood.



Grandpa worked on project for Naphtali while the rest of us did a MOA adventure. James had registered Aidan's birthday at the Nickelodeon Universe, giving him a free pass for rides. We tagged along and enjoyed a couple rides with Aidan. It was my first (and probably last) trip to MOA.





I was amazed (not by the mall) that on the trip there - it was a surprise - we'd been in the car for a while, everyone is talking, distracted, engaged, we're swooping along the road, under here, over there. At some point we make a slight veer to the right, joining a different flow of traffic, no signs, no buildings or landmarks, and Aidan says this is the way to MOA! He did that several times. He knows his way around, recognizing an area, or an off ramp as the way to thus and such! Amazing.




There was en easter egg hunt Sunday morning before church. James hid the eggs while Mom, Aidan and Charlie released a bit of energy. The morning was lovely. (the weather for the weekend was pretty much made to order) The songbirds in their neighborhood are a treat. Crocus were up and open. Tulips won't be far behind.



Aidan taught me how to make dumplings. Chinese dumplings. They were tasty, we were all starving so no one thought to get any pictures...Naphtali sliced the leftovers to saute with some bok choy the next day mmmmmm

And then we had to go home.

wrapping up

it's time, and past, for me to finish with the east coast.
with both jacob and kate at work tim and i occupied ourselves with a drive along the coast, stopping to watch a fishing boat unload, hit the beach and lunch at voodoo grill in mystic.

this is the lighthouse museum in stonington.



we were able to walk along a public area, watching a boat dock and unload while several local purveyors were on hand to take the fresh catch away to their kitchens. we've seen several memorial sites in our travels. family names are often, sadly, repeated on these plaques.

romance aside, we do enjoy taking long walks along the beach. we clambored atop a rock pile, dodging the tide, trying to keep our feet dry. we laughed, picked up rocks, relished the sounds. a good day.
i was surprised by all the outside work being done. no pictures...
in addition to the fishing, we saw men shingling, painting, doing general construction. yard work. lots of leaves being moved and i should have taken a picture of the equipment - a large (waist high and wider than the guy pushing it)fan on wheels, a small pickup fitted with a tall wooden box and a hose unit that came over the top to the front bumper - think vaccuum cleaner on steroids!!

our flight to newark the next day was low and slow giving us plenty of time to ogle the estates of the rich and famous because we were on a prop jet. we swung north in a slow arc before making our way back south to jersey. i was surprised by the mountainous (yes, mountainous) terrain studded by open grounds surrounding mansions, compounds really. turrets, winding drives, tennis courts, it was all there. the pools ranged from simple rectangles to the more popular amoeba.

taking off from providence, the above-ground pool preference seems to be round (rather than oval). on my first trip, helping kate drive out to join jacob, i flew out of providence and at that time was amazed by the number of backyard pools i saw during takeoff. it hasn't changed.

i also saw a woman washing her windows, an ambulance with lights flashing waiting in someone's driveway and maymanymany people raking leaves.

do other people enjoy takeoff and descents as much as i do??

can you tell i had a great time??

still vacationing

we had the pleasure of kate's company on monday as jacob was at work. we joined him for lunch in the charming village of deep river. the feast delivered just that! homemade breads and pastas, local veggies, eggs and poultry were served up with what food channel enthusiasts would recognize as respect for the ingredients. yummy doesn't do it justice.
we also had a chance to see where kate works as we wound through the back roads around westbrook and clinton. it is such a picturesque driving experience. i love to wind through these areas. the houses and stone fences capture what most of us perceive to be the essence of quaint new england. then you come across names like misquamicut, pequot, nehantic, uncas and pawcatuck scattered in amongst upper mills, saybrook and ingham hill reminding you that connecticut wasn't always the yuppy bastion it is today.
we then spent some time wandering around the grounds of the castle built by william gillette an eccentric actor credited with creating the iconic image of sherlock holmes with his pipe, cape and deerstalker hat. the extensive grounds included a train, several bridges and outbuildings and trails that have been added for the convenience of tourists.
the castle perched atop bluffs over looking the connecticut river. we agreed that it would be a delight to wake to that vista each morning.


tim found a spot by the pond for a quick nap. although overcast that day,the weather was perfect for walking. we finished the day with a quick run through the grocery store and a pot of mussels, a salad and warm bread with shrimp and pasta for supper. mmmmm

boston

tim, jacob and kate at the boston commons.
speaks for itself, wouldn't you say?
wandering around beacon hill.
we had a fine day to stroll through the streets of boston - a day where one could entertain the idea of global warming. we followed the freedom trail, enjoying the sense of locals going about their business enmeshed with names and places from our grade school lessons. a self-paced tour we were able to browse through an interesting bookstore, stop for a pretzel, dawdle as we pleased. we watched as services ended at king's chapel, established in 1689. paul revere recast its bell in 1816 and it is still rung every sunday to announce services.

where to start?!

they always say to begin at the begining....to be kind i should skip this first installment but it is just too good a story. we're on the plane - well into our flight - when tim goes to retrieve something from his computer bag. no computer. my mind flashes back to the announcement i heard as i sat down after exiting the security checkpoint. "would the passenger who left a laptop...." and my immediate reaction of "what kind of idiot walks off...." so we're laughing. he didn't hear them say they were removing the laptop.....
he made a couple phone calls when we landed and it should be waiting in the lost and found when we return to omaha.

the flights were unremarkable. i think, though, that the mysteries of flight are challenged by the delicacy with which the pilots manuever their crafts on the ground.

the descent, and subsequent take-off, at newark was wonderful. glimmering serpentine waterways. fields of velvet and corduroy. countless baseball diamonds - countless!! the empire state building, brooklyn bridge and statue of liberty!!
i saw central park. i saw an incredible array of shipping containers at the docks. i saw ferries and tugs and laden barges making their way through the sound.
i watched sky and water compete in mimicry as the wakes left by various vessels mirrored the skiff of clouds hanging on a low horizon. other clouds sat like whitecaps against the surface of the water that reflected blue in the morning sun.

my family can attest that i'm not one to crane my head and gawk so i am thankful to have had the window seat both times and took full advantage of the privilege.

jacob and kate are well. they've done an excellent job with plans and preparations. we ate a delicous saag paneer cooked by jacob that first night. delicious omelets to get us on our way for boston the next morning,and that will be the next post - with pictures.

vacation

naphtali, hubby james and grandson, aidan (the kahls) spent the last week with us. always a delight to see them, this year we changed our traditional september hike to accomodate aidan's upcoming school days!! hard to believe the little guy is starting kindergarten. hoping to find somewhere less crowded and touristy we decided on the snowy range of wyoming. it was beautiful and we had the place pretty much to ourselves. cars were coming in as we left friday morning but our hike to the indian bathtubs (there's a story!!)











fishing at mirror lake,
and the attempt to find hog park resevoir all took place in relative solitude. delightful.







we celebrated naphtali's birthday
with a party the likes of which she hasn't seen in years (complete with paper hats and noise makers) thanks to aidan's relentless party-planning drive.

james built a campfire every night and we sat and enjoyed the tranquility. we had deer in our backyard,
listened to various birds calling, saw humming birds flit and swoop, watched a storm build and roll through the valley.
we had the lodge at river ridge cabins and i will gladly put in a plug for them. look into river ridge before you travel out that way. nestled between the sierra madre and medicine bow mountains in southern wyoming we enjoyed our options for daily activities.
charlie was happy to see us return. thanks to marg for taking care of him. tim and i sat out back saturday night and saw our own hummingbird and a double rainbow in our very own backyard. neither of us was energetic enough to rush inside for the camera....
i'll post more pictures over the next few days......

more ct history

this was taken at the florence griswold museum in old lyme. what a fun stop!! we needed more time to do this justice.
florence was an impoverished gentlewoman trying to hold the family home so she opened a boarding house. a thriving art colony was established there by a man taken with the hospitality and atmosphere of the place. a friendly rivalry between tonalists and impressionists resulted in a unique creative setting. these people painted on door panels and the walls of the dining room. incredible work. i loved it. florence held exhibits using the main hallway as her gallery and sold paintings right off the wall.

catching up

this has been a long/short week. we had such a good time with jacob and kate in connecticut - thanks for everything guys.

we had lovely weather in connecticut needing only a sweater for the most part. working around kate's schedule we visited fort griswold in new london, the site of a revolutionary war battle lead by benedict arnold against his former command.
we enjoyed dawdling with jacob, kate and some friends at a downtown coffee shop before they had to leave so jacob's band could play their set at a local club on friday night.

we also visited galilee. a working port on the narragansett bay.


wandered along the beach (one of our favorite ways to spend time)at scarbourough point state park. we saw this old stone building and had fun speculating about it's origin and purpose.


we left from lincoln on thursday morning, planning to return monday. tim had a meeting in des moines on tuesday so we each drove and upon arrival back in lincoln i went west and he headed east to spend the night at his mom's and then on to des moines the next day. by this time i'm working on a cold and even though i have garden club at my house the next day i took it pretty easy monday night. tuesday morning i'm up early to get my dessert made and do the last minute floor/bathroom cleaning that i needed to do to have things ready for company at 2:00. and i find that my refrigerator has died. or it will shortly. things were still cool and mostly frozen though the ice cube trays were full of water.
you would wonder just how many things can be going on any given day in our little town but that day as i tried to track down the appliance person (there are actually 2 appliance stores in gothenburg)i found that they were both scheduled to their eyeballs!! i finally talked them into bring a refrigerator to my garage and dealing with the actual switch the next day. i wrote the check and went home to mix my cream cheese layer. i also took the time to vote then rather than make a another run after the meeting ended. i figured that time would be better spent napping. tim made his meeting and got home. wednesday the appliance lady came and made the switch. thursday she came back to try to quiet the dinging noise that was driving tim crazy. it took her over an hour to shim, secure and settle the fan but it's done.
i worked and napped those couple days because the cold had fully blossomed by that time and i hoped to avoid getting realllllly sick. tim went to omaha thursday night/friday. saturday was pretty lowkey for both of us. tim has talked to jacob, leslie and iva. i've heard form naphtali and my mom. tim cleaned up all the leaves from the yard. today we brought hoses and flowerpots in. covered the window wells. laundry is caught up. we've actually started some christmas shopping. the week ahead holds plenty to keep us both busy.