Lots of This and Some of Dat

*1*

Road trip to Omaha and Baptism/Mikvah with a Messianic congregation. http://goldengrasses.blogspot.com/2010/08/shofar-blew.html. A wonderful experience, meaningful & rich

*2*

Visited our cities small zoo, cause we didn't make it to the big cities zoo on Monday. The notsolittles went through in record time and are eagerly anticipating the new rhino exhibit about to open. The other very cool thing about our zoo is a huge display area of stuffed animals (tropheys from a wealthy citizens safaris years ago) in what would have been realistic settings. They are amazing and I've been thinking all week how to incorporate that into school this year. Maybe focusing on a panarama a week and studying that animal group, then a trip to the zoo with art/nature journals to embellish? Any thoughts?

*3*

My talented and gorgeous oldest son is now 16. He is thoughtful and kind and Godly and strong (in a whole bunch of ways). Everyone says he's a clone of his Father, but that's until thye meet his Grandpa! He has a terrific and dry sense of humor, loves the deep thing of life as well as good food, good sleep, working out, reading, writing, games, hanging with friends, and walk-abouts.

*4*

Our small town is host to the longest continuing running fair in the Territories. It runs during the week, has no admission fee, is clean, wholesome and what a fair should be. We had a blast on Tuesday with our good friends, Lori and Cyndi and kids. Everybody got a wristband for rides and for $15 and not very long lines they went on ride after ride. I think the average was 14 rides for the afternoon. Lunch break included pork loin dinners with lean sandwhiches, corn on the cob, a bun and slaw for $5, homemade ice-cream, pizza and the requisite corndogs. Once the whistle blew indicating the end of wrist-band carnival-ride heaven they kids shared cotton candy and funnel cakes and spent another hour and a half walking through "Old MacDonalds Farm" and the animal stalls. The weather was a perfect 78 degrees and Lori had the foresight to pack lots of sunscreen and a water tub in the car. It was a blast. Cause good friends make even the best of times that much better.

*5*

Read the part in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" last night where Eustace is turned into a dragon. Flower's eyes were as big as saucers. But how did he become a dragon? Are dragons real, etc.and when he is in pain later on with the gold ring around his upper leg and trying to claw it off she said, so compassionately, "Aw, poor him." Cub had lots of good answers, including the correct one; Eustace acted so beastly that Aslan turned him into one."

*6*

Yummy side dish of the week: Saute fresh corn in a couple TBS of butter (with a nod to my mil); add finely diced zucchini and cook for just a minute, add simple seasoning: sea salt or Spike or maybe paprika. Healthy, simple and good.

*7*

Watched "Finding Jane" this week on our teeny tiny portable DVD player and loved it. Well written and acted. Now I'll have to go searching to see if there is any truth at all to it. Between "Jane" and "Narnia" and the accents one is bound to express as they read dialog, I felt quite British. I think I could be a closet Angliophile.

For more quick takes, please visit the lovely Jennifer at Conversion Diary (shamelessly copied from The Happy Geek: http://nomoredegrees.blogspot.com/2010/08/two-posts-in-week-its-summer-miracle.html) - I just love how she expressed that = )