Suburbia!

Duane and I TRIED to get somewhere for MEA (Minnesota Education Association) weekend, but, since EVERYONE had that Thursday and Friday off, flights were impossible to get on (we fly "standby"), so, we had a nice, mellow "staycation"...we went to the antique malls in Rogers, shopped at the outlet mall in Albertville, checked out the Hy-Vee in New Hope, had lunch at Cafe Latte, and visited the SUBURBIA exhibit at the Minnesota History Museum.

Suburbia was an exhibit that told the history of migration from the inner city to the surrounding areas following world war II.  It was very well done (not as cool as the toy exhibit last year), and very kitchy...of which Duane and I are big fans!!

 

 

Here's hoping YOU were able to explore something cool where you live recently too!!!

Labor Day In Tingley!!!!

We spent a LOVELY Labor Day in Tingley...hanging with the parents...looking for wild plums (although we didn't find any!)...helping mom and dad "do stuff" around the house.  Fun time!!!

"Emilie on a Stick" joining us on a trip to Mt. Ayr!!!

We LOVE Shopko!!!!!

We LOVE CGI!!!

Will this "upper Club" make me more energetic??!!

"Facetiming" Emilie at college!!!

 Moxie (Murphy?) doing what she does best!!!

 LOVE LOVE LOVE the Iowa Countryside!!!

 Chicory!!!

 

I LOVE Iowa (which I NEVER thought I'd say before leaving), and am always grateful to get to spend more time there! 

Here's hoping YOU were able to spend some time in a place you love recently too!!!

Grape Jelly at School!!

Every year, my school sells homemade grape jelly at our Fall Festival.  The grapes are picked from our courtyard trellises, and made into jelly by one of our retired teachers.

THIS YEAR, since I'm on the courtyard committee, I decided to help with the picking/jelly-ing.  My teacher friend (and fellow courtyard committee member) Betty, Sue (the retired teacher) and I reserved the "cooking lab" at the community center (attached to the school), and spent approximately two hours picking, and four hours "jelly-ing".

It was a BUMPER CROP this year, and we ended up with SEVENTY jars of jelly to sell at the fundraiser.  HARD work, but really fun when the other "conspirators" are such a HOOT!!!

Since I wasn't able to find any wild plums while foraging the ditches of Southwestern Iowa, this will be my ONLY jelly making this year.  It was a lot of work, so I guess I'm okay with that!

Here's hoping YOU were able to reap the benefits of an AWESOME harvest of something recently too!!!