what could be better than egg day?!

WooHoo! We went to the Winlock Egg Day Festival today! Winlock is a small town about 25 miles north of here, and they have this event every summer. I've been meaning to go for the past 20-some years, and we finally made it! (Obviously it wasn't the very highest priority in my life or we would have been there sooner...)

Anyway, the weather was beautiful, and we had fun watching the parade, shopping, eating, and posing with chickens.





This was the view on the way home:

views from the text message road

A cool thing about text messaging is the virtual and/or vicarious travel feature. Tonight I was pedaling my bike on the dike road and I got a text 'out of the blue' from Karen K. saying they were in North Dakota. (She knows I grew up there.) She said she was taking back all previous nasty comments about the state, and that it was "fantasticly green" and "lovely". She sent a picture of their close encounter with a bison:



Pretty cool! (Although I admit to a bit of jealousy.) :)

keepin' grandma in the dark

Oh that Louise...






Eagle River, Wisconsin
Aug. 16, 1938

Dear Cousin,
Don't know whether or not you have heard that I am vacationing in northern Wis. so will drop you a line. Came a week ago Sunday with Stiles from Dav(enport). Last week we were near a lake about 18 mi so. of Superior. Sunday we bathed in Lake Sup. This week we are near a lake about 24 mi. north of Rhinelander. We plan to start home early Sun. a.m. It has been quite cool up here. Have been sleeping under blankets and have had fire every a.m. and evening. How is Iowa weather? If Grandma doesn't know I'm up here, better not tell her until I get home. With love, Louise. The scenery is beautiful. Especially the moonlight on the water.

"bonding" at the beach

Went to Cannon Beach today...

Friday Five: Work Out Edition

Mompriest gives us this week's Friday Five! She writes:
For this Friday Five let's ponder the various ways we work out (or not), physically, spiritually, and/or psychologically.

1. Do you work out physically, spiritually, or psychologically? (I'll let you define what that might mean to you)
I don't think any of my activities would be strenuous enough to use the term "work out". :)

2. Are you more inclined to join a gym, or a book club?
I would be more inclined to join a book group -- actually I would love to find a good book group to join! I'm less inclined to join a gym because I prefer getting my exercise in the great outdoors.


(That's me in Colorado with Christina & David.)

3. Are you more inclined to read self-help books like Gail Sheehy's "Passages" or spiritual books like Richard Rohr or Theresa of Avila? And if so, what is your favorite?
Hmm... I don't really read self-help books (maybe I should!) -- I'd be more likely to read spiritual books. (Actually I read Black Elk Speaks some time ago and that was cool...)

4. Are you a loyal fan of a sports team? Or do you join the bandwagon when the local team is winning? And, if so, which one?
I enjoy baseball, and I root for both the Minnesota Twins (team of my childhood) and Seattle Mariners. When they play each other I don't care who wins!

5. Or do you lean more toward having a favorite theologian/Spiritual writer or self help author and if so, who? And, why.
In terms of theologian-type writers I like Marcus Borg and Kathleen Norris (although I haven't read anything lately by either of them).

Bonus: What was the last play-off series you watched and did your team win?
The only thing I can think of is Dancing with the Stars! And obviously that doesn't count, so no bonus points for me!

ya just gotta laugh...

...but in an existentialist/absurdist sort of way: