AN INVITATION TO ALL

 Dear bloggy friends,

You are all invited to campsite number 20 at the Minnesota state park where we are living again for the next few weeks.  We are hosting a sauna, right here at our campsite.  A sauna is a small room or hut, heated and used for bathing or mental and physical relaxation.  The sauna is Finnish, but has close relatives in other cultures: the Russian banya, the Native American sweat lodge or inipi, the Turkish hamam, even the Japanese onsen.   (My info for the proper names of these steam baths came from  http://cankar.org/sauna/)

 We just decided that temps in the 90's and humidity in the 80's should be good for something, and we decided a sauna would be the ideal activity.  However,  everyone is to be clothed.  No nudity allowed! BYOBST.  ( Bring your own beverage, soap and towel!)  The sauna will be right in the great outdoors of site 20, no hut needed,  or fires to attend......just sit and sweat.

And, if you get too warm, we just had the air conditioning fixed in the trailer, so we can come on inside to cool off and relax.

Hope to see you soon.

Marge

WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

I

Oh my!  I didn't realize this picture was so blurry!  Sorry about that, but I can't redo it as all the stuff is unpacked and put away.
I went to the Farmers Market today and we are going to eat like kings and queens this next week!  I was so excited to find these treasures:

I have: Green beans and Romaine, green and yellow zuchs, new red potatoes, beets, and a loaf of  honey whole wheat and a loaf of sunny oatmeal bread.  Whoo Hoo!  Fresh veggies!  My favorite meal is a bunch of fresh veggies grilled in my holy bowl (bowl with holes in it) with a bit of olive oil and dill sprinkled on it.  Nummy!  Guess what's for supper?  You got it!  A pork chop and grilled fresh veggies.  And maybe a little slice of honey whole wheat on the side!

We have had plans change a couple of times because of weather and other things, but now the plan is to leave tomorrow morning to go back to the campground for the rest of the month.  They are expecting severe storms up there tonight so we saw no need to hurry back for that!  It may be stormy tomorrow too, but we'll wait until it passes through the area where we need to travel.  I am really looking forward to going back for a few more weeks.  It's a nice little park, quiet, peaceful, and certainly a pleasant place to be.  So the next update will be from the campground through my cell phone connection.  See you then!

OUR WEEK AT HOME

 

We've been busy this week we were home from the campground, and now our time here is coming to an end and we're ready to head back to camp.  Ernie and a young mechanic are installing the new air conditioner as we speak.  Yes, new.  The old one was not reparable so we had to spring for a new one.  Didn't really plan on spending that kind of money, but what ya gonna do?  Can't take 90 degrees and high humidity in a small trailer so we really had no choice.  I'm sure we'll appreciate it the next time the temps soar.

On Thursday we ran out to a nearby lake where Ernie's brother and sister-in-law have a small cabin.  Neil took us for a boat ride on the quiet lake, and then he had to take a few casts before we went out to dinner 

 at a nearby restaurant.  We enjoyed our visit and hope to get out there again this summer.

On Friday morning my sister picked me up, we then picked up another sister, and we headed off for our weekend in Brookings at the art festival.  We met the other sister and her husband, and our brother and his wife there, and we had a very nice weekend.  See all those white tents in the background?  There were over two hundred vendors in those tents, selling jewelry, paintings, photography, pottery, wooden items, metal items, and other art objects.

This was the food area.  We had tacos in a bag, egg and sausage wraps, kettle popcorn, mocha smoothies, strawberry smoothies, lemonade, donuts, etc.

These two little sweeties were walking in front of us when we left yesterday morning,  I got a kick out of their hats!

We stopped at a beautiful flower garden on Saturday night.  The skies were turning pretty dark as there was a hefty thunderstorm on the way, so the lighting was bad, but I had to snap these gorgeous lilies.  Aren't they lovely?

This teeny tiny cottage was just as cute as it could be.  I could see it sitting in a huge yard of flowers, and being used as a fun little hideout furnished with a couple of comfy chairs and bookshelves and a coffee pot and some lovely china cups!  Or it could be my quilting room!  It would not be appropriate as a hunting shack or an ice fishing house which I'm guessing my hubby would have suggested had he been with us!

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

Monday evening we headed out to attend a major league great sporting event.  You know, the famous 10 year old going into fifth grade baseball league was having a game!  An out of town game at that!  So we braved the coming storm, and

drove the few miles to the stadium ball diamond to watch grandson Nicolas play.  First of all, he really looks cute in his baseball uniform!  And secondly, he did a great job!  Here he is, getting a nice hit,

and here he is, scoring a few minutes later.  After about four innings the skies opened up and the rain dumped on us, and they called the game.

Nicolas has another game tonight.  Storms are expected.  We'll see if we can make this one, too. 

HOME IS WHERE THE LAUNDRY IS

We are home.  Oh, we're going back to the park, we're just home for a week to get the air conditioner on the trailer fixed.  Saturday afternoon when the temperature hit 94, with the humidity almost as high, we were told we should just leave then to get the air conditioner fixed.  We were going to come home today anyhow, so we just pulled out a little early.  Ernie has been on the computer, researching replacement parts for the ailing cooling device which he hopes to have fixed before we head back up to the park next Monday.

And I am sitting in my chair, reading blogs and totally ignoring Mt. Washmore piled in the corner!  What a luxury to have a washer and dryer in my own home!  I've spent the last month having to transport each week's worth of dirty clothes to a laundromat where each load cost me a half a month's Social Security check to wash.  Today I can cook as I do laundry, I can clean the house as I do laundry, or I can actually leave as I'm doing laundry!  And my clothes will actually get clean, and the hot commercial dryer won't ruin them!  Or, I can sit here and continue to ignore the mountain of sweaty stinky clothes......no, on second thought, that's not an option.  Best I put this laptop down and start scaling the heights of that eyesore in front of the laundry closet.  I am home, but so is my laundry.

TWO MEALS AND A PRAYER

We had a garbage can dinner last week when my sisters and brother-in-law came to camp to visit us.  This meal is Ike's signature meal, and everyone overeats every time he fixes it!  What you see here is only half of the meal.  He puts corn on the bottom, and then whole potatoes and onions.  He adds carrots and often green beans, then tops it off with ring sausage.  Cook over the fire for an hour or so and serve to the ohs and ahs of all the dinner guests.  Oh, and serve the left overs cut up and fried in a big cast iron skillet in the morning for breakfast!  Ummmm, good!

So then the next night we fixed this meal.  Pork tenderloin chops, asparagus, potato slices, and carrots in the foil package.  Another ummmm good!

Now the light has gone away

Father, listen while I pray,

Asking Thee to watch and keep

And to send me quiet sleep.

Jesus, Savior, wash away

All that has been wrong today.

Help me ev'ry day to be

Good and gentle, more like Thee.

Let my near and dear ones be

Always near and dear to Thee.

O bring me and all I love

To Thy happy home above.

ELH 570 1-3

I'M STILL HERE

I have been trying for the last fifteen minutes to post a couple of pictures of our recent campfire feasts, but the connection is too weak to do so.  I'll just have to put them up next week when we're home for a few days.

We had three days of absolutely wonderful weather, sunny cloudless skies, a slight breeze and temperatures in the 70's.  Now that's what I call a beautiful summer day!  Yesterday was nice, but a bit on the warm side, and today is hot and humid again.  And guess what!  We're going to get storms again!  Sounds like tomorrow and the Fourth will be a bit soggy, possibly clearing late in the afternoon of the Fourth.

We had company this week for the gorgeous weather.  My middle sister Ruth and her husband Ike and my youngest sister Lois were here for four days.   Seems all we did was eat.  Or plan what we were going to eat next.  We did a little sightseeing in the area, but for the most part we sat and visited around the fire, or hiked the trails here in the park.  We had a good time, and I'm so glad they came up!

Monday we will pack up and head home for the week.  Ernie has to get the air conditioner fixed.  Yes, we could have used it today!  Then next weekend I am going to Brookings, South Dakota with my siblings and a couple of spouses to an Art Festival.  Ernie isn't into art and culture too much.  He gets his culture from Ice Road Truckers or The Deadliest Catch!  I'm looking forward to the trip and to spending the weekend with my siblings.  Then the next Monday we will head back up here for the rest of the month of July.  We've grown to love this little park and are looking forward to the second half of our summer job!

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS STORMY

I have tried three times to post pictures of our storm last night, but Blogger doesn't want them!  Same camera, same computer, same me, but they won't load.  So I will just tell you about it.

We spent quite some time in the shelter late yesterday afternoon.  Us and everyone else from the campground.  I shared a small room with thick stone walls (thanks CCC!) with a mom and eight little kids.  I don't know if they were all her kids, but there were eight.  Ernie was in the big room with several other people, and two vans and a pickup truck were parked right alongside the shelter, the occupants ready to jump out and hide with us in the shelter.  The rest of the people were in the two restrooms.  By looking at the mud which I cleaned up later, most of them were in the showers and stalls of the sturdy stone building.

The hail pounded the roof and bounced off to the ground, covering the green grass with white jawbreaker sized ice balls.  Some of the hail was approaching golf ball size.  I have never seen such large hail!  The rain came down in sheets, quickly creating lakes in every little depression or low spot in the park.  It didn't last too long, thank goodness, and we had no damage.  There were a few small branches and lots of sticks and twigs and leaves scattered all over, and many new lakes,  but there was nothing serious.  Thank God. 

One young couple had been out in the canoe, and they paddled for shore when they saw the storm approaching.  Just as they hit the shore, the hail started.  They pulled the canoe up on shore, and a good Samaritan who was nearby gave them a ride up to the shelter.  They looked like drowned ducks, but they were safe.

Soon the storm was over, moving on southeast towards The Cities where they received torrential rains, and a lot of wind.  Southern Minnesota was under a tornado watch for hours, and there was quite a bit of damage, just one week and one day after tornadoes had devastated the same area.  My sister said her little town looked like a war zone and there was damage in the town where we live.  We here in our little park were so lucky.  Again.

And guess what?  It's raining!  There are severe T-storm warnings for the whole southern half of the state.  Again.  However, there is relief in sight.  The weather folks are saying that the next week should be dry, sunny, and beautiful!  Thank God!  All we have to do is get through tonight!

TUESDAY AND FRIDAY

Tuesday night was all about the pink and blue sunset, or as my grandpa used to say "sky blue pink."  Funny how the clouds and atmosphere make the difference from gold, to silver, to pink and blue.  I love sunsets, in case  you didn't notice!

Now today the skies are gray.  And dripping.  Actually, this first band is only thunder showers, nothing severe.  However, tonight we are under warnings for possible storms again.  I get nervous when we have these alerts because a trailer is not the place you want to be during severe weather.

Looks like we'll be full at the campground again this weekend, then on Monday two of my sisters and a brother-in-law will be coming for three days or so. And my brother and his wife plan to come over too.   Looking forward to having company.  Actually I'm probably looking forward to the garbage can supper  that brother-in-law Ike will be making for us!

The rain and thunder continue so I will sign off for now. 

WEEKEND PHOTOS NUMBER TWO

What's with the pictures on that last post?  They are all distorted!  They've been narrowed or something strange.  Let's try again.  The following are sunsets on two different evenings.  On Saturday night we went for a walk out to the point to watch the sunset.  The lake was like glass, a pair of loons were calling, and the girls were having fun in the trees and grass.  We don't know these people, but see how quiet the lake was, and how silently they dipped their paddles and skimmed along the water?

Miss Madison was posing for me.  I thought this one was pretty cute, don't you think?

And this is what we walked out to this point to see! 

Then last night, after the kids had gone back home, I went for a walk down to the dock.  The sky was very different from the night before, but still pretty.

I guess those two are pretty similar.......sorry about that.  I could remove it but I'll just leave it as is.

I think that little spot of gold in the middle is a little teaser of how beautiful heaven will be!

And thus the weekend came to a peaceful end.  At least it was peaceful until I got back to the trailer and someone was snoring like you wouldn't believe!  The campground was full this weekend again, and next weekend is looking the same.  Ernie has been working pretty hard, so I guess he has earned the right to snore.   Besides, I wear ear plugs at night!  Snore away honey!

Ear plugs didn't keep me from waking during the night as a big thunder and lightning storm rumbled on through.  The lightning was so continuous that I thought there was a car in our driveway with his lights pointing right in the trailer window.  And today is cloudy and drizzly.  Just what we wanted.  More rain.

WEEKEND PHOTOS NUMBER ONE

Okay all my dear peeps.  I made a special trip, of over 20 miles, to the closest large town where I knew I would find a nice strong signal at a coffee shop.  And here I am!  Planning to bore you with lots of photos!  So we might as well get started!

This is the teeny tiniest frog or toad that I have ever seen!  The girls found him and put him in a water bottle cap to show you how small he is! 

This is sweet Madison, the butterfly, snacking on some watermelon before sitting down to a dinner of meat, her favorite food in the world.  Meat.  Hot dogs, chicken, summer sausage, bacon, whatever......she loves meat!

 Jaden looking at the little rocks and shells along the lake shore................

 and a few feet away, unaware of her sister's pose, is Madison!

 Sweet Jaden, the snake whisperer.

 Heading out into the lake.................

swimming back to shore, and Madison's glasses are still on!

A GRAND WEEKEND

First of all, thanks for the thoughts and prayers on Thursday, the day a record number of tornadoes hit Minnesota, the count somewhere in the thirties, I believe.  We are all fine.  Three of our citizens lost their lives, and many are injured.  A couple of small towns were completely destroyed, and many scores of farm buildings and homes are completely missing.  We were so fortunate here at the park where we received a few drops of rain and a little wind from the cloudy skies.

We had a grand weekend, as in grandkids came to visit!  Lance and Tya came on Friday, with their two girls, Jaden and Madison.  Jaden is an almost teenager.....really a cutie that her dad should consider locking up shortly......she's going to be a heartbreaker!  And then there is Madison.  The only thing I can compare her to is a hummingbird.  Colorful, fast moving, darting here and there, always busy......oh my!  If she was to live with me for one week I would probably drop the forty pounds I'd like to take off!  She is in constant motion!

I'm going to try to post some pictures.  Let's see if it works.

Well, here is one picture and that's all you're getting today!  It took about 12 minutes to load to Blogger!  Tomorrow I will try to run into a coffee shop or some such place with a stronger signal  because I really want to show you some pictures!  This one is just a teaser......the girls are holding snakes!

MINNESOTA WEATHER

What a day for Minnesota weather!  There were severe weather warnings issued in 41 counties, from the far northwest corner of the state down to the southeast corner.  Numerous tornadoes have been recorded.  And sadly, there are two deaths reported in the west central part of the state.  We had nothing here at the campground, thank goodness.  Just a few drops of rain and some wind.  Down in the south central part of the state there are still tornadoes on ground and they say lots of damage.  My sister lives in that area.  And there are still warnings out in our home area where four of our  kids and another sister live.  And now they are saying Grand Forks had a tornado.  Another son lives there.  I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

THIRTEEN OUT OF SIXTEEN

Today is Wednesday, June 16.  Sixteen days into June already.  And of those sixteen days, thirteen have been rainy days!  Yes, you heard me.  Thirteen out of the last sixteen days have been rainy days.  Today was lovely.  blue sky, fluffy white clouds, warm temps, soft breeze.....a perfect early summer day to me.  So guess what's coming tomorrow?  Rain.  Again.  So it will be fourteen out of seventeen.....and then fifteen out of eighteen........ and then sixteen out of nineteen and on and on and on. Enough already!

CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Oh, my dear people, I do have a confession to make.  I have been unable to stay out of the fabric stores in this area, and I am almost to the point of being in serious trouble.  It all started with the big store, the Fabric Warehouse, two weeks ago.  I have been wanting to make a quilt with Civil War reproduction fabrics, and I've been carrying around a pattern called Simple Star, which was made just for the Civil War inspired fabrics.  Well, two weeks ago I bought the eight fabrics for the quilt.  They are kind of muted tans, reds, and blue prints.

Then last week we took half a day off and went to Alexandria, where I knew there were two quilt shops.  At the first one I was very good.  I bought a book of Schnibble quilt patterns that I've been looking for.  And some cutesy fabric for a pillowcase for a grandson, not too bad.  Then we went to the other quilt shop where I spied the exact fabric I needed to go with the charm packs of Frolic by Sandy Gervais, so I had to get that, and two more charm packs so I would be sure to have enough.

Well, then today I really did it up good.  I went back to the Fabric Warehouse and got the backing and binding for the triangle pieces quilt, Dessert Time Quilt, that is ready to be backed and quilted.  AND, I decided as long as I was there I might as well get the fabric for the backing, border, and binding of the Civil War quilt.

And this is how I justify my spending.  I figure that I'm way out here in the state park. miles from a coffee shop.  So, I've not had a good cup of coffee for two and a half weeks.  And I've not met any of my friends for lunch.  And I've saved all that money in gas that I usually spend running into town at least every other day.  Aw, shucks.  I guess those savings don't even put a dent in the amount I've spent on fabric.  I guess it's time to admit it.  I'm an addict.  A fabric addict.  I may have to go to meetings for  my addiction.

Hello, my name is Marge and I'm a fabric addict. 

BRENDA'S PURSE

You didn't think I'd leave home for a month without my Big Brother, did you?

Remember my last contest?  Brenda won a purse and she mentioned she liked browns.  I hope she also likes a bit of green and white mixed in with the browns.  This is for you Brenda.  Hope you like it!

Today we took the day off from our park sitting job.  We went to a town about 15 miles from here, and I did the laundry and bought groceries.  Now we are settling in for a weekend of rain.  Maybe heavy rain.  Our daughter Kari and her husband Mike  and the kiddos were planning to come for the weekend, but because of the all weekend long rain that is forecast, they decided not to come.  Bummer!  I haven't seen any grandkids for 2 weeks!  Wish someone would come visit!

INTRODUCING TILLIE

Please meet another of our new friends, Tillie.  Now Tillie is very shy and she didn't want to stick her head out too far.  Besides she was pretty busy.  After she had dug a deep hole, she was laboring to drop her eggs into the hole.  She then covered the eggs up with the dirt and left, trusting that in a few weeks her babies would hatch and find their way down to the lake where she lives.

However, this won't be happening.  Tillie won't be meeting her babies.  You see, where her eggs used to be, all buried beneath the dirt, there is nothing but a hole with some scraps of white rubbery shells.  Either a raccoon or a skunk found the nest and had a tasty snack.  We actually know of at least seven spots where turtles laid their eggs this past weekend, and we have found that five of them are now dug up and empty.  Isn't that sad?  Those aren't very good odds of survival, are they?
                                    
But I guess that is nature and how it works.  I haven't heard of a shortage of snapping turtles, so I don't think this is unusual, but it does seem sad.  Poor Tillie!

GRRRRRRRR

When we first arrived at our spot in the park, the cell connection was pretty good and I had no trouble talking to folks back home.  When I connected my computer, it was slow, but at least it worked.  Now things aren't going as well.  I've had to cut a couple of conversations short because of a bad connection, and I was dropped all together from two calls.  And now today Blogger isn't working right for me.  I've heard many have had a problem with Blogger today so I can't blame that problem on the phone connection!  I was able to read some blogs but couldn't comment or write my own post.  And the last few times I've tried to load photos, they sit there for at least ten minutes and won't load.  Of course I don't even know if this will even post.  Not happy!

However, we did have a wonderful weekend.  My sister Betsy and her husband Ross, and one of their sons came to visit for the weekend.  We had a very nice time, lots of good food and good conversations.  On Saturday Betsy and I went to a fun antique store and each came away with a treasure or two.

Now this next weekend, Kari and Mike and kids  are coming.  So that will be another good weekend.  My other two sisters are coming the last week of the month, right before we go off duty.  And with my brother being the park manager in this little park and a nearby large park, we will have seen all my siblings during our month here.  Isn't that neat?

I do have photos I want to share, so I will keep trying.  Maybe things will improve in the next few days.  If not, I will be heading to a coffee shop on our day off!

OUR NEW FRIENDS

We have some new friends that have started to visit us, many times a day.  They dive bomb in towards the feeder, sometimes stopping to sit on the perch, sometime just eating while still in flight, their teeny tiny wings beating thousands of times a minute, making a roar much louder than you would expect from a thumb sized bird.

Two at a time is becoming common, with a third one joining them a couple of times this afternoon.

My best spot was standing on top of the picnic table, camera pointed at the red feeder, and waiting for the precious little guys to appear.  It really didn't take too long before this little fellow appeared.  Don't you love hummingbirds?

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT

Aren't Jack-in-the-pulpits just the coolest flowers?  Or is it even considered a flower?  Maybe it's only called a plant.  Anyhow, I think they are so neat.  I did have to attempt this shot several times due to the overgrowth of poison ivy surrounding the plant.