Wednesday, June 29, 2011

CSA 2011 Week 6

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

CSA 2011 Week 5

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Camp Invention Crazy Hair Day


Cool dudes!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

CSA 2011 Week 4

2 types of kale
garlic scapes
spinach
lettuce
brocolli

Friday, June 10, 2011

Day 8: Packing Up

Our last day at the lake came all too quickly. Mom took the boys to town for lunch. Tim and I went out fishing in the canoe while they were gone. We caught absolutely nothing, but it was peaceful and beautiful. We swam a bit, and the boys went back out in the paddle boat one more time. Jeremy fell asleep very early (on his bedroom floor), so we didn't even get to play one last game of Penny in the Pot.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day 7: Gone to the Dogs


Thursday was our first day with no strep or doctor's visits! We spent the early morning being lazy (reading, working on the puzzle, and blogging), and later we put up the screenhouse. Tim and Mom finished the puzzle while I was outside reading! The boys went in the paddle boat for the first time this year. With some encouragement, Goober hopped on with them. Next thing you know, Tim and I, in the canoe, were making a mid-lake transfer of one goofy, grey dog. Bound for disaster, we kept paddling. Goobs just couldn't help himself, he climbed right onto the bow of the canoe (all four paws) and fell in the lake. Not only that, but instead of swimming for shore, he swam for us. Tim grabbed his collar, and we paddled to shore, dog in tow. (At one point, Tim told me to slow down, and I suddenly envisioned the scene from Vacation: "He kept up for the first mile or so...."). Once he was ashore, Goobs was pretty sure he didn't want to get back in. He looked pretty determined to try to walk home. We eventually got the dog back in the canoe, only to hear a fight erupt between Z and J in the paddle boat ahead. It seems Zachary wanted to stop at "Picnic Island" or "Bug Island" or "Goober Island" - whatever we're calling it these days. Jeremy was protesting adamantly, and yelling back to us that Zachary wanted to do something bad. We finally caught up enough to tell them it was OK and help them out a little. Jeremy's reasoning for not wanting to stop on the island was actually pretty good. He was afraid Zachary wouldn't be able to tie up the boat and it would float away, thus leaving them stuck on Bug/Picnic/Goober Island forever. So cute!

After dinner, we even fished a bit, but we didn't try to catch anything big - the boys much prefer sunfish!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Day 6: Lazy Day


We really didn't do much of anything on Wednesday. I slept in. Mom fixed goetta and eggs for breakfast. Tim got out an extremely frustrating puzzle. I read The Hunger Games. I tried to catch up on blogging. The boys were blah and watched videos much of the day. I made an appointment to take them in to Ely Clinic. Our appointments were at 4:20 and 4:40. Despite having only runny noses, they tested positive for strep, too. They could choose whether they wanted a shot or syrup. They chose the syrup, but I think they later regretted it because of the taste. By then it was too late!

The boys and I ran into the IGA for bread and a few other things. We weren't back at the cabin until nearly 7. Dinner was steaks, mashed potato casserole, garlic bread, and green beans. Delish!

Tim read Harry Potter to the boys before bed.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Day 5: Accomplishments

Tim was again feeling stinky today, so we called the Ely Clinic. Despite many phone problems (including people being connected to someone else's house when the dialed our number, having no dial tone, and getting calls, but just not hearing the ring), we eventually got the message that the doctor had phoned in a penicillin prescription for Tim. He was able to go pick it up just before the pharmacy closed at 5:30.

For the rest of us (and even with some help from Tim), the day was spent installing the faux-copper backsplash behind the kitchen sink. The skies were overcast and a bit rainy in the morning when we were getting started. We spent the day thinking, measuring, marking, cutting, and gluing. The result was this:

Tim worked on a puzzle for part of the day, too. I even managed to get in the lake for a (very) few minutes. Zachary had lost a lure when fishing off the dock. It was in shallow water, so I really wanted to get it so it didn't wind up in someone's foot. I looked and looked, and all I found was one of his bright yellow artificial minnows. Eventually, I was so cold, I have to give up the search.

For dinner, we made our own flatbread pizzas. They turned out spectacularly, if I do say so myself. I even made my own garlic-scape pesto to top them with. Yum!

Like many evenings while we were at the lake, we played penny in the pot before bed. Then, I read to the kids from a My America book about the Jamestown Colony.





Monday, June 6, 2011

Day 4: Relief

Monday morning, I called the clinic in Ely. They could get me in at 11 AM. I was so fearful that I WOULDN'T have strep and that there would be nothing they could do. Mom and I drove to town (me feeling grouchy and sullen and awful the whole way). We made a quick trip to the liquor store and to Pamida for flowers for the yard. Then, Mom dropped me off at the clinic and went to Zups. I was thrilled that my strep test came back positive. Then, they told me I could get a shot in the bottom or pills. You might think the pills would be a no-brainer, but if I chose that option my recovery would be slower. The shot would have me feeling better by evening. SO, shot in the bottom it was. And I was HAPPY to get it! Since Mom had started feeling kind of yuckky the night before, she went in and talked to the nurse practitioner and got a prescription for oral penicillin.

When I got home I ate some lunch and took a nap. Meanwhile, Tim cleaned gutters. The boys were supposed to help, but I don't think Tim was too pleased with their efforts. Zachary did climb partway up the ladder to bring Tim a bucket. Mom fished off the dock and caught a pretty good sized smallmouth bass, which encouraged the boys to do the same. Jeremy caught a slightly smaller smallmouth, but he was happy. The boys even swam a little. Zachary lasted longer than Jeremy and loves to put his lifejacket on and swim out really far. As I was waking up (after a 2 hour nap), I heard yelling outside. Zachary had been walking to the other dock with his fishing pole, and Goober got Zachary's lure stuck in his ear. Thankfully, it was just one barb and Tim was able to get it out. Goobs bled for a while, but he seemed to be OK.

Monday evening, Tim started feeling really awful. He fell asleep before dinner, and then he slept right through it. Mom had made a yummy beer can chicken and applesauce. After dinner, I took the boys outside to play, and Tim woke up and came out for a few minutes with a small plate of food. He then went right back to bed. Before the kids bedtime, I read the Jamestown My America book to them. I think they kind of got into it. Then, I went out to the kitchen and was really starting to feel good. I wound up cleaning out a kitchen cabinet then watching some Leno with Mom. I even read after I went to bed. I was clearly feeling much better.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Day 3: The sickness

Sunday morning, I was really feeling miserable. My throat hurt horribly. I was trying everything under the sun to get better - Zinc, Emergen-C, a neti pot, gargling with salt water, ibuprophen, Cloriseptic spray, and cough drops. Nothing was helping me get better or giving me much relief. Tim and Jeremy went to town to get some groceries and get the boys new fishing poles. We had decided that they've graduated from Snoopy and Spongebob poles to something a little more grown-up. They were gone until after lunchtime. Meanwhile, I worked on washing some dishes and a few other little things. Finally, I was exhausted and fell asleep before they were even back.
When they got back, they played outside, Tim mowed, and l finally woke up. Mom and the boys were playing games, but they were excited to show me their new poles. Jeremy picked out a lure, and Zachary had asked for artificial minnows. We went down to the lake in the late afternoon, and I helped Tim (a little - I wasn't worth much) put out slips. We got out the paddle boat and Uncle Don's boat. Since we don't have a hitch on the car, we weren't able to get Mike's big fishing boat into the water. We left the waverunner in the boat house.

Mom had made Skyline for dinner. I have to admit it tasted good, even though it hurt to eat. We took the boys out fishing after dinner. I just read, Tim operated the boat, and only the boys fished. They didn't catch anything.

I was pretty done in and fell asleep early Sunday night.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Day 2: Getting There is Half the Fun

I slept horribly at the hotel! It was clear I was coming down with something. In singles or pairs, we took turns going to the breakfast bar, where the boys discovered "waffle chips" (waffle overflow that cooks up nice and crispy in the middle of a 4 mini-waffle iron). We didn't leave the hotel until 10 AM local time. I was feeling awful. Mom drove most of the way on day 2. I did drive a couple of hours from just before Superior to Eveleth. We stopped for Subway and ate it at the Laurentian Divide overlook. Even though my throat was really hurting, it tasted delicious, and I think the hot peppers helped numb my throat for a while.

Things looked good when we got to the cabin sometime around 3 or 4 PM, yet there was a surprising amount of work to do. I rallied, and worked most of the afternoon and early evening. We had to collect the d-con (to deter mice from chewing up our mattresses over the winter), vacuum, take down the support beams that keep the roof from collapsing under the snow, wash some necessary dishes, uncover the beds then get out clean sheets and make the beds, get the grill out of the cabin (!), unpack the car, unload the suitcases, wipe everything down, turn on water heater and refrigerator, and more and more. Mom heated some ham for dinner and served it with macaroni and homemade cheese sauce. I was ZONKED when all was said and done. The kids actually helped with unloading, then they spend some time outside throwing rocks in the lake. Zachary and Mom played some Funglish after dinner. Zachary and I went down to the lake where we had a rock tossing contest. The bugs were INSANE.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Day 1: Moving Right Along

We left Loveland at 6:15 AM this morning. The boys spent about the first 4 hours with Mom and I in our car, but switched over to the van and finished out the day there. We did the switch at McDonald's in LeRoy, IL. It was a super smooth day (especially the portion we travelled without kids!). We pulled into the AmericInn hotel at Chippewa Falls at around 4:00 PM local time. Tim, the boys, and the dogs were just under an hour behind us. It was so relaxing to have a few minutes to myself in the room before the chaos invaded.

Tim was pretty zonked from driving all day, so he stayed in the room with the dogs while Mom, the boys, and I went to dinner. We found a place very close to the hotel called Ralph's Red Apple Grill and Bar. They had fried cheese curds, about 6 varieties of Leinie's on tap, and broasted chicken. I knew then that I was in the north country! I brought a salad and some of Zachary's leftover pizza back to Tim. After dinner, I took the boys to swim. The hotel is the same one we stayed at with the Loughners last year. Not only do they have pool and large hot tub; they also have a relatively large water slide that empties into its own 3 foot pool. There was also a zero-depth entry pool for the really little kids. We lucked out, because the life guard who was supposed to be on duty manning the slide had quit the night before, but the morning life guard stayed late, and the boys went down the water slide until 8 PM. Zachary even made a friend. He tossed balls and jumped in the pool over and over with a 10 year old girl. I let him stay late just because he was being so social. Mom offered to let a boy sleep in her room, but they both chose to stay with us.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

CSA Pickup: Week 2

This week we got

garlic scapes (GLORY HALLELUJIAH!)
lettuce
spinach
basil

Things are looking a little light this year, because of the terrible, rainy weather this year. (A little hail even hit the garden at one point.)