100 Miles in 100 Days -- Again!

Well the 100 miles in 100 days wellness challenge has begun again. And I'm off with 7 miles under my belt. I missed the registration date, but I can still be an unofficial walker (and dancer since square dancing qualifies as an aerobic activity). I hope to log at least 150 miles this year and drop a little weight since the beginning miles coincide with Lenten fasting. Want to join me?

Birthday Fondue or is it Fundue?

What a birthday celebration. Last weekend three of our kids and their families were here for a dinner made by Dad and then Jamie and Jonathan came over to make me a birthday dinner yesterday.  Meanwhile Larry and I went off for an afternoon of square dancing with Marianna.  She was worn out after playing with the caller's daughter, Georgia, for an hour (plus doing the chicken dance and hokey pokey) and fell asleep on my lap. So we left a little early and came home to exciting preparations. Jonathan was in charge of the fondues: a cheddar cheese concoction followed by chicken, beef, and veggies cooked in either red wine broth or hot oil. We had tempura for the veggies and several sauces for the beef and chicken. Yum!

Jamie asked me what kind of cake I wanted and I suggested a lava cake. I figured she'd get a mix at the store, but we had Paula Deen's recipe instead. Mmmmmmmmmmmm......  I will be dreaming about that lava cake until the end of Lent after which I will try it myself.

So what do you think I got for my birthday gift after that yummy dinner? A fondue pot and a Melting Pot cookbook. So lots of FUNDUE is in our future. A special high five to Jonathan who did most of the prep. And congrats to baker Jamie for a dessert to die for.

The Hungry Hordes

It's 7:15 a.m. and I just watched a herd of about a dozen deer race through the yard their white tails flashing. No wonder we never successfully garden! Last year our neighbor had an electric fence and the deer just leaped over it to much on all his goodies. This year he's built a taller fence. We'll see if he's successful. I do love to see them, though, especially the moms with their little fawns.

Beautiful Video taken at the Atlanta Aquarium

This was too fun not to post. I love aquariums. We went to a small one on the North Carolina coast south of Kure Beach which we really enjoyed. And there's a nice one in Houston that has rides outside, a kids' paradise. If we ever get to Atlanta we'll definitely go to the aquarium!


the world's largest aquarium // ATL.GA from stillmotion on Vimeo.

Turkey Trot Time

Living in the country is NEVER boring. Yesterday morning while we were getting dressed we heard the gobbling of turkeys outside our window. And who should be walking blithely across the lawn but two wild turkeys. It's a bumper acorn season this year and you could see it. They were definitely well fed.

As we watched the two, a third came out of the woods and ran to catch up with his buddies gobbling all the way. "Wait for meeeeeeeee!" Is that what they mean when they say, "The turkey trot?"

What a great way to start the day!

The Advantages of Smaller

What a fun week! We don't usually pack so much into seven days -- but the fun started with Larry saying, "Let's go on a date." My reply was, "Gosh, when was the last time we did than?"

So last Saturday Larry and I went off to pick up our wine at Rappahannock Cellars. We joined their wine club to support the large home schooling family who owns it after attending a fundraiser last year for pro-life champion, VA state delegate Bob Marshall. One of the advantages of being a club member is using the members' only tasting room. We always take along some cheese and crackers and often another couple and just sit and enjoy a leisurely wine tasting before we pick up our wine. One reason we joined was because it "forces" us to have an occasional date. Although we hadn't picked up our wine since March so "rare date" is a more appropriate description. And the last time was during Lent and we'd both given up wine so we didn't taste that day. We walked out with a case of twelve bottles and pages of recipes to go with them. Yum.

We had dinner reservations at The Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill, but had time to spare so we followed the signs to Narmada Vineyards to try their wines as well. The location is lovely and the tasting room is large and attractive with a wall of windows and a beautiful deck overlooking fields of corn and the grapevines. The owners are from India. Narmada is the owner's mother. They offer an array of Indian food to tempt visitors. We couldn't resist buying two glasses with the tasting. They feature a little golden peacock (national bird of India) along with the name of the vineyard.

Then we were off to the Griffin where we sat on the front porch overlooking the gardens and had a delightful dinner. (No wine after a glass at Rappahannock and the tasting at Narmada.) Larry had an Asian style duck in a sweet soy-based sauce and I had salmon topped with shrimp and crab. Both were delicious!

During the week we went to the Shenandoah County Fair which is proof that small is wonderful. I used to attend the Fairfax County Fair because I worked at the pro-life booth. I hated that fair! Planned Parenthood and Whitman Walker Clinic (homosexual) both had fishbowls filled with condoms which they handed out indiscriminately to young kids. There were hundreds of exhibitors but it was like being sucked into the TV on the shoppers channel. The midway was larger than Shenandoah's fair, but how many rides and games do you need? The fair was so large that I often missed the wheat for wandering amid the chaff.

The Shenandoah County Fair is small, but charming. The livestock buildings have all types of farm animals and there is always a corner stall reserved for a sow with piglets. The judging ring includes explanations of what makes a prize-winning cow, goat, sheep, etc. The horseback riding and surry racing are always a treat and I love wandering among all the big tractors. We've never gone to the tractor pull or the demolition derby, but I always think about it when I look at the program. And I have interesting conversations with folks, many of whom left northern Virginia and agree that the pace of life and the charm of the people has improved their quality of life over Beltway madness.

.,On Friday night we had tickets for Wayside Theatre's Striking 12, an off Broadway show that's a combination of cabaret and storytelling based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Match Girl. We weren't quite sure we'd like it, but the music was entertaining and the lyrics were clever and witty. Since it was a short show, the theatre interns sponsored an after-play entertainment with music and a trivia contest in the cafe attached to the theatre. We were two answers shy of the winners. How would you answer this question? Before the hairdryer, what common household appliance did women use to dry their hair? a) fan, b) iron, c) vacuum cleaner. If anyone wants to know ask in the comments section and I'll give you the correct answer.

Before the show we ate at the Irish Pub next door which is in a historic old building and very charming. Larry had fish and chips and I had the crabcake dinner and both were good.

We had time before the play and wandered down to the Wayside Inn. We'd never been inside before and were amazed at how large it is. The owner showed us around. It was built in the mid 1700s and is impeccably well kept. There are seven dining rooms in various parts of the house and lots of historical artifacts. I wish we'd thought to check Wayside out for our Shenandoah weddings because it is absolutely amazing! Well, maybe for our 50th wedding anniversary! 

When people say we moved out to the middle of nowhere I laugh. The Shenandoah valley offers museums (Civil War especially), vineyards, plays (Shenandoah University has a summer musical program that offers very professional productions. We took two of our grandchildren to see Oklahoma in July), restaurants (a lot fewer than northern Virginia but some quite good. The Taste of Thai in Harrisonburg is fabulous!). Then we have hiking trails, the Skyline Drive, river tubing and whitewater rafting, nice golf courses (I should take up the "sport"), auctions, antique shops galore, pick-your-own farms. I could go on and on. 

The city offers its own appeal for those who like it, but give me country living anytime. And everything here isn't small after all. I saw a 94 pound watermelon at the fair!

Quiet Time at Camp Kreitzer

Things have been pretty busy at Camp Kreitzer since the Spring with the swinging door swinging mostly in. Our daughter recovering from knee surgery will still be coming a few times a week with two-year-old Marianna, but after a seven week visit our Houston family hit the trail yesterday. Five wild women danced off into the sunset. (Actually six if you include their mom who can still dance with the best of them. (Okay, so they didn't actually dance; but drove off in a grey van.)

Camp K is quiet -- too quiet? While they were here we celebrated birthdays, a First Communion, had lots of fabulous fun time. There were outings to the caverns, lakes, and rivers in the area, and lots of pool, trampoline, and swing time. I baked cookies with several little ones and played Labyrinth and other games galore. The puzzles, cars, and blocks got lots of use, but not as much as the dress ups with all those little girls.

Larry and I will enjoy the peace for a few days, but then we'll sigh and wonder how come the refrigerator stays so full of food and the family room is so neat and there are no wet bathing suits in the bathrooms.

When Marianna comes tomorrow, I know she'll ask.... "Where Ella? Where Sophie? Where my cousins?"

My answer will be, "They've gone home again, home again jiggity jig. But they'll be back." We're all praying for a quick sale of their house in Houston so that the "be back" day comes soon.

Meanwhile, Camp Kreitzer has plenty of room for extended family and friends. Y'all come.