Normally it takes me up to a week to unpack after a trip, but I was determined to get it done in much less time than that. I unpacked my clothes and did laundry on Friday, then finished with my electronics and toiletries on Saturday. (Yes, I pack too much of everything when I travel, especially by car). I was delighted when everything was where it belonged, including suitcases.
I’d not kept up with this blog while I was gone, so I made it a priority to do so. After all, it is almost to the end of the project. Seeing my table of days and dates become yellow (see photo above) is delightful.
We decided to eat all the food from the freezer before purchasing more food — except essentials and groceries to compliment whatever food was in the freezer, so we began doing that, although when it was his days to cook Dean didn’t seem to understand the concept since nothing he used for his meals was in the freezer. We’ve determined that I will cook for the foreseeable future. Seeing the contents of the freezer become fewer is delightful.
It’s good to be home. No — it’s delightful to be home.
Brandon’s posted on Facebook that he tapped birch trees and made birch syrup. I asked him to save a bottle so I could taste it. It’s delightfully different from maple syrup.
Brandon wanted to go to the Minocqua Farmers’ Market so we did. I bought some delightful jelly and jam (including thimble berry and gooseberry) and some vegetables for a salad I was planning on making. Rupert and Chum posed with a large cabbage.
Later that afternoon, while down a rabbit hole of websites about trees I wondered if we were near an old grown forest so searched for it. I found one about 90 minutes away (at first I thought it was less than an hour, but I didn’t have the right location). Dean had free time so we drove to Cathedral Pines/Woods, part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. This 40-acre grove has trees that are nearly 300 years old. It was highly delightful! Rupert and Chum were quite impressed!
On the way back from the old growth forest we stopped in Wabeno, a delightfully touristy town where we toured the Wabeno Logging Museum, visited a schoolhouse and walked along a small river.
That night we had fish-fry at the Hazlehurst Pub. The fish was delightful, but being at the pub, in my opinion, was asking to catch Covid. Brother had no interest in sitting outside.
I spent the day with Clare, some of which was delightful. Being with her is always delightful, but being with anyone while driving in Bethesda on a Saturday, then going to the mall (to go to an Apple store) on a Saturday is definitely not delightful. I know I was not a delightful companion for some of the day.
Dean, Clare and I had a mostly delightful dinner at Pines of Rome.
This is the longest I have gone without writing in this blog which makes me think it is good that I am only doing it for a year. The biggest delights were having Dean’s sister’s son and his family visit for a few days, hanging out with Alex and Andrew for Dean week, visiting a wedding venue, and preparing for the engagement party. It has been a very busy month, and the summer will be busy as well.
I’ll try to not let a month go by again without documenting my delights.
Delightful wall shadows
While we watch television in the family room this time of year the setting sun shines through the western windows, making patterns on the wall.
Cicada Love
A couple of cicadas doing what they were born to do.
Indoor Cicada
This fella or gal flew in the bedroom window while I was trying to take a nap.
Fairy Garden Flowers Blooming
The fairy garden flowers (from the seed packet Alex gave me) finally began blooming.
sweet alyssum
California poppy
Nick and Nora Manhattan
I bought a set of two Nick and Nora cocktail glasses and served manhattans one evening
Eggs for Dinner. Eggs for Breakfast.
One night we ate eggs and sausages (and beans, mushrooms and tomatoes) for dinner. I made egg in a hole one morning too.
Sparkly Rain
One morning as the sun came up I caught these rain droplets in the sun.
Visit from C&S and Fam
C&S and Fam were supposed to visit last summer, but we all know why that was not possible. They visited this month and it was delightful.
Great Falls
Since no museums were open during their stay, C&S and Fam and I went to Great Falls National Park.
National Zoo
We needed passes to get in, but we got them and went to the zoo. We even saw the baby panda!
There is a baby Panda there somewhere
Baking a Cake with G.
On the way back from Great Falls I asked the kids if anyone wanted to bake a cake with me. Everyone said yes, but only six-year-old G followed through. He wanted to do it all by himself (and he did most of it). He decorated it with flowers.
G’s Cake
Introducing G to Rupert and Chum
The morning the C family was getting ready to leave, G and I played with Rupert and Chum. At one point G decided that Rupert and Chum should bake a cake — Rupert (who G was in charge of) told Chum (my charge) the steps to make a cake that sounded a lot like our day before. It was very sweet.
Father’s Day
Dean wanted to go to Cunningham Falls for Father’s day (the official beginning of Dean week) so we did.
Our 36th Wedding Anniversary
We ate at a local French restaurant. The food was very good, but we felt out of place.
Finally a use for the star and moon light!
I bought this thinking it would be cool — and it is — but how many times can you use it for just a two person party. We’re going to use it for Andrew and Alex’s engagement party. I took a video to show them.
Dean’s Birthday
The official end of Dean Week, his birthday, was nice. We’d made plans to go to an Indian restaurant but the reservations were not correctly made (my fault) so we at at a Laotian restaurant near Andrew and Alex’s apartment. Great food! We had pie and other treats later at their appartment.
Insects and Arachnids
The cicadas may be gone, but I saw some cool critters about the house and yard
Bumble Bee — we may have a colony under our deck
Larval stage of Hercules Beetle
This spider hitched a ride from Virginia on some farm produce from our egg family
I learned that radish greens are edible. I was making stuffed shells but didn’t have any spinach but did have some radish greens so I chopped them up, added some pesto and added them to the cheese mixture that I stuffed the shells with. Very good! (I did check first to make sure it wouldn’t kill us).
I had not fed my sourdough starter in about a month — definitely had not made any sourdough bread — and worried I might have let it go unfed too long. I fed it last night and it bubbled up well overnight. Whew! (Relief can be delightful)
When I'm Sixty-four 