Goodbye August

Let us show you to the door. Summer may not end with August but at least we can be done with another month of the hottest summer on record.


Three months of high temps and super high humidity. Yes, it's official! I heard it reported today.



While we were all complaining about the heat, it was indeed the hottest summer ever recorded in our area.


When it is too hot for a three year old to go out............. IT IS TOO HOT! Just stand in the porch under the fan and play with the hose.

Or stay cool with a little ice cream .

Even cool dudes have to hang out inside.......

or find an inside play ground when it is hot, hot, hot.

Some fun time at the bounce house.



And a few rides in the mustang.

And even some dips in the pond. Yes, You may be a redneck .............

......... if you have a swimming hole!

The First Day ...........

After a week at the beach, this surfer dude..................


............ with the brown legs ................

.................... arms, and tummy..................

..................... and sun bleached hair ,


was sure from the temperature that it was still summer .

But the calender ......................

said......................


that school was starting up again. He was so excited he could not stand still for THE picture.

By the evening of the second day he was tired and content to cuddle............


..... and watch a little video . On an iphone. I had the same first day. Great beginnings.

The Wonders of Life

I too often take so much of the wonder of life for granted. The frogs singing at night........... the train coming down the track late on Saturday night. ........the diamonds of light glittering on the ponds all through the day ..... the treasures hidden at Still Waters.


This week these little guys found treasures and wonders that I overlook daily.... The wonder of the clicker that have been around forever. The boys love to try and make the balls bounce back and forth to click.


The wonder of a new inside toy to share on a very hot day. The parking deck / race track ....................




with a track for each............

where cows , "Little Man Farmer", and Handy Manny are all welcome to slide down the ramp.


Over.... and over ............... and over.


A drowsy barely awake voice saying ," I want to ride the horse."


The wonder of "discovering" the forgotten horse that has become an unused piece of furniture in the guest room.



Always the wonder of the big bed...............



Playing in the pillows ..............................


hiding from the lions and tigers. ....................


The end of the bed becomes the Mustang ready to go.................



..................... or apparently a scary ride.

Then over and under the bar that becomes an entrance to a tree house.

For little yogurt ........................


............... faces .........................



................ a low window sill becomes a platform for ............................




viewing ...................... and discovering ....................


................... a backhoe! Could anything be better to these little guys? ......




Yes if the operator would only come today!!!




No need to explain .............


the wonder of Chick's!



Thanks to my boyfriends for helping me remember the wonder!

The Bachelorette Party

What do you serve at The Bachelorette party?

If the groom is from Cape Cod maybe you would serve crab dip.


If he's Latin why not serve spicy salsa?


Stuffed mushrooms? It's a long (and slightly weird) story.

Starbucks ice cream if the groom works for Starbucks?

Leslie, Jason, and Laurie are big "fans" of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. (They enjoy a good train wreck!)

They watch down the lane at the Manor House every Monday night. When the number of bachelors was down to four, the girls decided to have a theme dinner. Each dish represented one of the guys still in the running to win The Bachelorette's hand in marriage. The above dishes were our menu for that night. I joined the party for the last few episodes of this season.

Last night was the final or maybe the grand finale. I think the episode is called The Final Rose. We had hamburger sliders.

Buffalo chicken dip.........notice the healthy vegetables.


These wonderful Oreintal chicken tacos.

White sun dried tomato and basil pizza.

And for dessert ........ a fruit tray ......... with , of course, sweetened dip.

Ali found true love with Roberto and they will live happily ever after. And we return to our diets. Maybe!

The End.