My Favorite Photos - September 2018

During September, I had quite a few favorite photos. These aren't ones that are artistically skilled in terms of photography. Rather, they represent activities and events I was involved with; and/or memories of things that we did as a family.

On September 1st, a group of volunteers that I coordinated from the Lions, Leos, and community planted bushes and perennials at two corners of an intersection in town. It turned out well, and we received a lot of positive feedback from the community.

On Labor Day, we saw Crazy Rich Asians. What a great movie! 

Afterwards, we went to Dairy Queen. We go there every year on Labor Day. It marks the end of summer for us and the transition to the new homeschool year.

The first week of September, Sophia applied to one college. Within a few weeks she heard she was accepted and received generous merit-based scholarships.  During the third week of September, she applied to another college (also one of her top choices) and heard within two days that she was accepted!

The first weekend in September, there was a big community event. I was responsible for the coordination of the vendors. There were 47 vendors this year (up from 19 in the previous year). One of organizations that was there was the Wildlife Science Center. They brought this beautiful owl.

The day after the community festival and parade, we went to another community parade. There were a lot of floats, marching bands, and people throwing candy.
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On Friday, September 14th, the farrier was here to trim the horses' hooves. In the process, while Sophia was holding the lead line, her middle finger got stuck in a metal loop as Bailey jerked her head up. There is a clean, diagonal break. It was buddy-taped in Urgent Care that day; and then examined closer and re-taped a week later by an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hands. 

Because she plays the harp and piano, the surgeon did not want to do surgery on her finger and put pins in it to set the bone. There would be a loss of feeling and sensation in that finger which would not be good. 

So, although the experience was not a "favorite" one, what I (and Sophia) found interesting was the x-ray and how the bones look within her hands.

September marked the first day of 12th grade and PSEO courses for Sophia; and 10th grade for Olivia. How quickly the time has passed.

With senior photos coming up, Sophia needed some shoes to go with her dress. Olivia had fun trying on high-heeled shoes while we were at DSW at Mall of America.

On the 16th, Sophia and I co-led a session at a local church for people who wanted to volunteer to make shoes for children in Uganda through Sole Hope. Sole Hope takes the pieces that are cut from blue jeans and sends them to Africa. Tailors and cobblers there make shoes that are given at no cost to children who have jiggers (microscopic insects that burrow in one's feet and lay eggs).

By receiving medical treatment and a pair of shoes, children go from not being able to walk, run, play, and go to school to being able to do all of these things!

Volunteers make 22 pairs of shoes and assembled 17 Care Kits that are shown below. The Care Kits are given to children and adults to continue at-home care for jiggers (to make sure they don't return). Simple things like Bandaids, cotton balls, safety pins, alcohol wipes, and Neosporin ointment are life savers for people in Uganda.

Later in the week I attended the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum in Columbus, Ohio. While I was there, I visited Pilot Dogs and had the opportunity to go on a walk with Rudy, the guide dog. Rudy led me safely through an obstacle course while I was blindfolded.

Not being able to see and having to totally rely on a dog to guide me through the obstacle course was quite a memorable experience!

One night in Columbus, the Lions Club president and I went out to lunch in the German Village. It was a nice meal. Both she and I had the buffet and got to sample a variety of German dishes.

On the way back to the free bus that runs throughout downtown Columbus, I noticed these flowers.

While in Columbus, I ate at North Market several times. There was a donut shop with delicious donuts, a bakery, cheese/meat vendor, Vietnamese food, and more. There were all these mini-restaurants (without seating) that you could buy food from.

Towards the end of the month, on the 26th, Sophia got her senior photos taken. It was quite the process for doing her make-up and hair (part of the senior photo package which was nice).

One of my favorite photos that I took as she was getting ready was of her wearing her Chinese headdress. 

After the shots with Sophia in her Chinese headdress and dress, she changed and the make-up artists/hairstylist took her hair down for another look. 

This photo is one that Sophia took of herself on my phone as we were driving between the photographer's studio and a park.

The park had some beautiful flowers - including the ones shown below.

There were many different places that the photographer had Sophia sit, stand, and pose for her photos.

Sophia wanted one of herself laying on the grass in the flowy dress with white roses in her hair. She said she felt like Sleeping Beauty wearing the dress and with the flowers in her hair.

By the end of the month - the 29th - the entry to our cellar was completed. The cement area around it provides easier access to the basement and helps direct rain from pooling near the home and eroding the area by the other concrete slab. Aspen is checking out the step while Danny has already explored the new concrete steps and walkway. He'll like that in the winter since he doesn't like his paws to be in the snow.

The flowers that a friend gave me are blooming well. I don't know what type they are since they are not ones typically seen in the area. They are about 3 or 3 1/2 feet tall; and are perennials.

On September 28th, we helped oversee the first three hours of the blood drive that our Lions Club hosted. Sophia is sitting with Tom, the husband of the club's president. They welcomed people when they checked in to donate blood.

While Olivia was at gymnastics on the 29th, Sophia and I went to a Booya and Bake Sale at a local church. I used to take the girls to this event when they were younger, and would purchase containers of the soup/stew to take home and enjoy during the Fall.

For $9.50, we got two big bowls of soup, coleslaw, a roll, crackers, two cups of hot apple cider, and apple crisp. It was a very filling meal.

Afterwards, we stopped at Eichtens which sells cheese, meat, and other delicious items. They had tables set up with samples of products that we enjoyed tasting. Outside the door to the store, there were containers of these pretty red flowers.

We drove around a bit looking at the first signs of the changing leaves; and then stopped at an apple orchard. We bought some apples to eat plain and then make into applesauce and apple pie. We went down by some of trees and took some photos.

I like the one below because it shows the girls smiling naturally.

By the last day of September, the milkweed pods are getting ready to dry, crack open, and release the seeds. This one I opened to see the progress of the seeds.  They are so orderly as they wait to be caught by the wind and float to a spot to start a new milkweed plant.

So those are some of my favorite photos from September. It was a great month; and one that I can look back on and know that we enjoyed living and experiencing it to the fullest.

My Favorite Photos of the Month - July 2018

The photos that I've included as my favorite ones aren't ones that are artistically beautiful or show advanced photography skills. Rather, they represent memories that are special or significant to me which makes them my favorite ones.

On July 1st, the month began with a lot of rain and significant thunderstorms. The excavated area that leads to the basement (for the new walls and steps due to flooding and a mud slide), flooded with water and had to be pumped out. Olivia went into the excavated area to rescue a frog that had fallen into the hole and was struggling to get out.

She managed to get the frog and out of the clay (which held tight to her boot), and release the frog on drier land.

On July 2nd, Sophia headed to Arizona to participate in a leadership camp. Forty teens from all over the United States and Canada attended the camp. Below, she is saying "goodbye" to Danny and Olivia. 

On July 3rd, the tigerlilies were in full bloom along the ditches in front of the house as well as in the backyard (pictured below).

We had a quiet 4th of July with Sophia gone to Take Action Camp in Arizona and it raining off and on throughout the day. I made barbecued ribs on the pellet grill - smoking them for two hours followed by one hour of baking. They tasted great. In the evening, we went to Dairy Queen.

On Monday, July 9th, the girls - along with a friend Sophia attended camp with for two years - went to the Science Museum of Minnesota after a stop at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to drop off four baby squirrels that fell out of their nest in our backyard. (They were there for quite a while and the mother was not getting them and bringing them back to the nest, so we brought them in.)

There was a special exhibit at the Science Museum about engineering and tall structures throughout the world. The models of the buildings were constructed from thousands of LEGO bricks.

After going through the exhibit, we watched a movie in the Omni Theater. Again, the theme was engineering. There was one section that we all felt was quite moving about the impact that engineering and bridges can have on people and a community. 

There was a woman who helped impoverished communities build bridges. In one place, a mother had drown trying to cross a river. Her children had to cross at that same dangerous spot each day to go to school. 

After the team of engineers from the U.S. and local construction workers created the bridge, the children no longer had to walk through the river where their mother died to get to school....they could now safely cross the river on the bridge.

The girls had fun on the musical steps at the Science Museum.

There was a little play area at the Science Museum. The girls and I remember it being there when they were young. They were good sports and had a lot of fun encouraging Emily to pick up one of the stuffed animals for a picture. 

I love this photo because it captures pure joy...complete happiness. Olivia laughing and not being able to stop...and Sophia with her head back laughing hysterically. I hope when they get older they look back upon memories like these and smile yet again.

On July 10th, we headed to the Mall of America for some shopping. The girls also went on a couple of rides - including the log ride which is their favorite one.

They also went on a roller coaster and clearly had a fun time!

On Wednesday, July 11th, we had a play system delivered and installed. The fire back in May burned down the playhouse and our swings no longer were functional. So, we invested in a play system with two swings, a little rock wall, ladder, playhouse/fort, and slide. 

Although the girls are teens, they still like to swing - especially Olivia. The slide is a fast-moving, bumpy one. Olivia took Scooby (who is about 11 years old) on his first ride down the slide; and Sophia took Danny (who is about 6 years old) on his first ride. 

 

That afternoon, we hosted a blood drive and mini-One Stop Donation Drop at the local community center and farmers market.

The girls made no-sew, fleece tied hats for children who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy. 

Sophia donated blood again. She's been donating blood and platelets since she turned 16 years old (the youngest you can donate blood).

She is happy knowing that for each unit of blood she donates, she is saving up to three lives!

While there was a short lull in blood donors, I decided to see if I could donate blood. With rolling and small veins, it always has been a challenge to get blood or do IVs when I've needed them for surgeries. 

After passing the screening test, I went over to one of the beds. The phlebotomist did a fantastic job and I was able to donate my first unit of blood!!

On July 12th, we went back to the airport to send Emily back to her parents out East, and to pick up Paige who was out of town on business. We were able to see another therapy dog at the airport. This one was all decked out in with a tie.

On Saturday, July 14th, my sister and I went on a farm tour sponsored by the local co-op. We visited several organic farms; and enjoyed eating at a new restaurant that focuses on using only locally-raised and made organic food. It was delicious!

On July 15th, more work was being done on the excavated area in our backyard. Rocks were brought in and the drain tiling was completed in the entry way to the basement (there is no access to the basement through the interior of the home).

On July 17th, we celebrated Olivia's half birthday a day early by going to the Chinese buffet. We all like this restaurant, and it is the place Olivia always requests to go on special days.

Wednesday, July 18th was a busy day for us. First, the girls were doing judging with their 4-H projects at the county fair. Olivia entered four photographs and received a reserve champion on one of them. She will be taking that one to the Minnesota State Fair in late-August.

Sophia won a grand champion award for her beaded necklace. She will be taking that one to the State Fair also in late-August.

To celebrate how well the girls did on their 20+ projects, we went to dinner at Dairy Queen (Olivia's request since it was her 15 1/2 year old birthday). Normally, we don't get out of judging so early, but with not having to show club projects this year, we were happy to be done around dinner time.

On our way home, we saw two spotted fawns by the side of the road.

We came home to a newly-graded backyard and one that didn't have the high ragweed and itch weed growing in the firepit.

The doors for the barn were completed and installed.

We celebrated Olivia's half birthday that evening by opening some presents. She had a great day.

On Thursday, July 19th, we enjoyed having our friend, Ed, visit us from California. Ed and Paige are business partners; and Ed is the son-in-law of Don Rickles (who passed away last year). We went to Don's funeral last year, so it was nice to see Ed under happier circumstances. 

We had bratwurst, fresh vegetables from the CSA, potato salad, tossed salad, berry/rhubarb pie, and homemade ice cream. 

On Sunday, July 29th, we went to the Polk County Fair. We enjoyed seeing the huge rabbits, projects, and entries from youth and adults.

Sophia was a good sport and had her photo taken by one of the cut-out-face displays. She was wearing a hat and didn't want to take it off, so that's why her face isn't closer to the hole.

On the final day of July, the 31st, the concrete guys came to put in the floor of the garage. It's been a long month trying to get a variance with the permit (due to the garage being 61' instead of 75' feet from the wetland...even though it is the same distance as the shed was that burned down) and then doing all the prep work for the garage.

There were 14 loads of fill that were brought in just to support where the garage will be placed; another 3 loads of fill that were used to grade the backyard, and cement trucks for the excavation project and garage. So, lots of construction vehicles during July.

With the 15 trees that were burned in the fire now taken down and chipped, the view to the west is quite open. Of course, this will blocked by the garage once it goes up, but - for the time being - we can enjoy this open and beautiful view.

One of the construction guys did recommend planting some trees along the fence line so that the garage wouldn't be so hot - that there would be shade during the summer. 

We do want to plant trees at some point...though a wider variety than the boxelders that had taken over that area. It would be nice to invest in all at least a half dozen different trees to benefit the wildlife; and to have different leaf colors and shapes. Something to think about during the summer and hopefully plant in the Fall or next Spring.