Trip to Kentucky and Luke and Kelsey's Wedding



Summer in Colfax

 

 

When we left for our trip to Kentucky, our part of Wisconsin was still mired in a soggy spring... but it's been full, delicious summer ever since we got back.

This past week has been all about mowing, weeding, and otherwise playing catch-up with our little hobby farm / lawn. And the weather has been glorious. Not too hot, but warm and pleasant. Fairly dry air with lots of sunshine.  Flowers everywhere.



Leila and Uncle Mark

We enjoyed our trip south. The first day took us only as far as southern Wisconsin, where we had a delicious dinner and overnight stay at my sister Laurie's house in Middleton (near Madison). Laurie's husband Mark had the night off, which was lucky for us because 1) we love Mark, and 2) he's an excellent chef who grilled us the most scrumptious possible dinner of pork tenderloin, pineapple salsa, roasted potatoes, and asparagus... all seasoned with fresh herbs they grew themselves. The meal was accompanied by a crusty bread, wine, and wickedly good cookies and ice cream. So basically, we were spoiled.

While Mark and Jon were outside grilling, Emma and Laurie entertained us with their Wii dance routine. Our brother Bob, who lives on the other side of Madison in the Sun Prairie area, came over with his girlfriend Nancy. It was an enjoyable evening spent out on the deck and around the dining room table, talking and laughing.

Emma following the Wii dance moves

 

 

I am always inspired when I step inside Laurie's craft / art room. It has such a cozy, creative vibe... I feel like getting out a needle and thread and going crazy with all those wonderful fabric swatches of hers. Here are some scenes from around her craft room, for your inspiration:

 

An artwork from the collaborative project we did earlier this year

 

When whimsy and practicality meet...

So much fabric. Note the fabric collage of a fox

I love this deer collage, also made from scraps of cloth

Embroidery floss (see how organized-!)

I was with her when she bought this "Do Si Do" plate (a nod to her square dancing days at Miller's Resort)

The next day we were packed and on the road by 8 am, armed with a bag-load of car ride snacks that Mark and Laurie provided. What a great way to start our trip!


We took a different path south this time, one that had us passing through Chicago. We decided, in the end, that it was probably a little faster than the way we usually take, but all the pricey toll stops we had to make (at least 6, maybe more) and the traffic congestion made this path... let's just say "not as enjoyable" and one we will likely avoid in the future. It was exciting to see all the tall buildings, though. Also interesting to drive alongside the trains that  run between lanes of car traffic.

Chicago

We were in Kentucky by the afternoon. It was good to pull up onto the cobblestone road in front of Susan and Jay's house in Russell and see them on the porch, waiting for us.

Jay and Susan

There was a street fair going on, with band and carnival games, just a block from their house that first night, so we walked over and enjoyed a little of the local flavor. Their neighborhood really is charming. I think every night we were there we walked the dogs along the river, and so many of the houses had really nice porches with plantings and decorations and comfortable furniture. The weather in the evening is pleasant, and people really use their porches. Also there are some fun little antique and curiosity shops just a few blocks away from Susan's house. So fun to walk around the neighborhood.

 

Street band a block from Susan's

Carnival games

Leila liked this moving, soft dinosaur

We caught Susan and Jay in the beginning stages of a major kitchen remodel. Their new stainless steel appliances were wrapped in plastic and awaiting installation, and their new cabinetry was unassembled and piled in boxes in their nearby dining room.

Jon and Jay's dad David helped Jay move their new (wide) refrigerator into the house... it was a pretty tight fit. I helped Susan take inventory of the room full of boxes that had been delivered to her (the inventory took several hours to do because we had to match box numbers up against three lists that were pages and pages long, but it was important to do because they had a small window of time to report any damage or missing pieces (and we did find examples of each).

Jon brought along his tools and came ready to help. He put together lots of Susan's cabinets but had to stop there because the demolition in the old kitchen wasn't complete. Susan and Jay decided it was best to wait before tearing down their old kitchen, as they would be feeding and housing a bunch of us for at least half a week.

The "old" kitchen, before renovation (though you can see Susan's new stainless steel oven waiting for installation). Jay's mother Sharon is pictured at the sink.

Moving the new refrigerator

Assembling cabinets

The other end of Susan's kitchen has this dining area. Susan crocheted the star-shaped place mats.

These pictures are somewhat out of sequence because we didn't see Jay's parents until later in our visit... I'll come back to them in a bit :).

The day after we arrived we travelled with Susan and Jay in a two-car convoy to West Virginia, where we picked up David and Logan. We didn't spent much time in West Virginia because we had to hurry back... Jay had to work that night in the recording studio. But I managed to snap a few pictures along the way.

Nothing like driving through rain and storms on a winding mountainous highway!

The coal plant in Ashland, very near Susan's town of Russell

It was so good to see David again-! We hadn't seen him since Christmas. And of course Emma latched onto Logan right away, playing video games with him but also some outdoor games. They befriended a neighbor boy down the street from Susan's and played basketball a few times (Michael and Leila even joined in).


Leila was very admiring of Logan on this visit. She even mentioned a resemblance between him and young musician-celebrity Justin Beiber. Leila had purchased a princess crown at the flea market we'd scoured earlier that day, and by evening had the crown on her head and was feeling pretty princess-y.  She let everyone know that she wanted to dance, and that Logan was her preferred dance partner. He was reluctant, though, because he's getting older and more self-conscious, but Susan and I begged him to give her one dance, for Leila's sweet little confidence and spirit, and he gallantly complied. I didn't dare take pictures of it because of the potential for embarrassment... it was a delicate moment and a camera might have spoiled everything. But anyway, someone found the appropriate "princess music" on their iPod, and Leila commenced to twirling and swaying, hand in hand with Logan. It was very sweet.


While in Kentucky, we did some fun things with the kids. We went to a beach, though I believe that was in nearby Ohio. We ate out a few times and had some wonderful home-cooked meals, courtesy of Jay... like Laurie, Susan has the good fortune of being married to an excellent cook.


I got to do a little shopping, and I was absolutely spoiled by Susan's coffee maker... I'm forgetting the name of the coffee maker (Gevalia!), but it's one of those fancy ones that makes individual cups of gourmet coffee-- it has all kinds of flavors, plus there was flavored cream to add.


Here's a collection of pictures from our stay there:

Susan's comfy living room

Did you know Susan collects elephants?

David at the beach

Our girls

Emma, Leila, and Logan walking together

Eating out

My little beach babe

Reptile or amphibian?

The great David-Michael wrestling match

Jon taking movies of the kids at beach

Sharon brought lawn games (and won!)



Leila taking Susan's blood pressure at her office
 

So it was a very good visit! The last night there we stayed up "late" playing Cranium, which is a pretty fun board game (except for the fact that the Mom / Emma team did not win). The winners were the David / Jay team, who were helped by the fact that they had lots of turns that involved acting things out-- and David's very good at that (remember his theatrical background). We kept wishing they'd get a spelling question, because Susan said they're both bad spellers, but they lucked out and victory was theirs.

That night there was a thunderstorm, and sometime during all the noise Hazel (one of Susan's two dogs) got outside. I'm sorry to speculate that one of us maybe hadn't latched the outside door completely, because it needs a good pull in order to latch... anyway, when we awoke in the morning, Hazel was nowhere to be found. We weren't worried, at first, because she's gotten away before and come back.

But this time was different.

After we left we heard from Susan that they'd found Hazel alongside the road... and that she'd been hit by a car. The vet thought her spine was probably broken, since her back legs were paralyzed. An x-ray confirmed that yes, her back is badly broken.

The vet recommended that they have her put down, but Susan and Jay took a wait and see approach. After a few days, Hazel's appetite and energy came back. She didn't seem to be in any pain and seemed happy. They talked to the vet about what their other options were. The vet recommended that they allow Hazel's broken back to heal for sixty days, then see about getting one of those little wheel attachments for her back legs, so she can have her mobility back. The cost would be about $300... affordable.

But meanwhile, it's a lot of babysitting for Hazel. She can't be left alone because she's getting restless and wants to do stuff but needs to be kept still, so her back doesn't twist. She's taken out to the bathroom at regular time intervals. It's hard for Susan and no one's yet sure if it will ultimately work out for Hazel. But we admire her devotion to her pet, and her compassion.

Anyway, on with this extremely lengthy blog! Hope you're hanging in there!

We arrived back in Wisconsin on Friday, the day before Luke and Kelsey's wedding in Holcombe.

The wedding itself was held outdoors by the lake... someone had built a beautiful arch, decorated with gauzy fabric and flowers, for the wedding couple. Kelsey and Luke had many attendants, because their brothers and sisters and several close friends had direct roles in the wedding.

Everything was beautiful-- there were so many thoughtful and well-chosen details to see and experience. I'll post a selection of pictures from that night, so you can see for yourself...

Luke and Kelsey

Ring bearers, dressed so cute!

That beautiful arch I was talking about

Luke's mother (my sister-in-law Sally) and two of the little flower girls. At right is Kelsey's sister, and at left is the maid of honor's daughter (she also happens to be Kelsey's cousin and best friend)

Sally and her mom ("Grandma Jane")

Jonathan and his date, Alicia (our first time meeting her :)

Nicole and Lauren

Pat and Marshall

The happy couple

Fun at the reception

Nick wearing a mullet wig (love it)

With that, I'll end this blog. Bye :).

 

Memorial Day Parade and Planting Our Garden

 

Fully developed leaves and fresh cut grass!

 

This picture of plantings in our front yard was taken a few days ago, during a rare moment of sunshine. These past few weeks have been cool and rainy-- storms here and there, but mostly just a perpetual drizzle. Still, things are growing and the snow is gone, so no complaints here.

Michael with high school band

Both Michael and Emma played drums with their marching bands during Colfax's Memorial Day parade. This was Michael's first time marching in uniform with the high school band. His usual instrument is the bassoon, but since it's awkward to play while marching, they let him play the drum instead.

Emma with middle school band

This was the first time Emma marched with her middle school band. Like Michael, she doesn't normally play the drums but gets to during parades (she plays French horn). She did a good job covering for an equipment malfunction she experienced while playing (I didn't even notice that it happened till she told me about it later). But apparently one of the supports holding up her drum broke, so she had to manually hold up her drum for most of the parade. She didn't miss a beat, though!

Michael in uniform

I wish I'd gotten some pictures of them, but I didn't so you'll just have to believe me :)... Macy and Nathan watched the parade with us. Afterwards they met us at our house (along with Jonathan and Jack) for lunch and a "play date" with the kids. It was fun. We mostly stayed inside because it was rainy. Nathan and Macy left relatively early because they had another family gathering later that day.

Helping Grandpa at the planting table

Jonathan and Jack stayed most of the afternoon and helped us plant our garden.

Jonathan helping with some heavy lifting

Jonathan helped his dad move some large beams to add beds to our garden. One bed is for something new we're trying-- asparagus. We both LOVE fresh spring asparagus, but this is something you have to be willing to wait a few years for, while the plants get established.

Strawberries and garlic

The other new bed is for herbs. So far I've planted parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme, mint, and oregano. I still want to add basil and dill.

Emma helping Jon with the tomatoes and peppers

Besides the asparagus and herbs, we planted a variety of tomatoes, peppers, and beans, as well as zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, and cucumbers. We also have peas, garlic, and strawberries. I'm growing lettuce at my neighbor's greenhouse up the hill, and Jon plans to plant a large crop of corn at Johnne's farm, as well. We're trying it there because it will be right next to her dog pen, and we're hoping barking dogs will discourage the raccoons somewhat. Last year we lost our entire crop of corn to raccoons.



I'll close with some other pictures from our planting day. In my next blog I'll probably be talking about our big trip to Kentucky and West Virginia. We leave this Friday! As you can imagine, we're very excited to hit the road.

 

Iggy gets some love

Jonathan kicking back

Jon's tractor "collection"

Fresh sand in the sandbox!

Behind my little willow tree

A slow ride around the yard

Her face is dirty but her spirit shines bright

Leila holding Jack??

Jon relaxing in the shade

I should point out that the picture above shows a new structure Jon built at the front of our house... a little covered trellis to provide support for our grape vine. We're hoping the vine will eventually cover the sides and top of the trellis. Jon intends to build a swinging bench inside the trellis.