Summer’s End

Jeepers. Summer is almost over. The Minnesota State Fair is starting up and that’s a sure sign of the approach of fall for sure. I don’t know where this year has gone. I know that the first part of it was taken up with school. Especially spring when I took those two classes and I didn’t see the light of day for 12 weeks!! But now that’s all behind me and in 17 days I leave for Ireland.

For the Ireland trip I got my neck pillow and my foot stool (thanks for the idea Martha), and my Trunk from Trunk club will be here soon. I got a new pair of jeans and sweater for Ireland from Stitch Fix. I really don’t want to spend a lot on clothes but I do want to have easy clothes to wear. After this, I am sad to say, my clothing clubs will likely be put on hold until after Christmas. I don’t need any more clothes and I think I’ll shop locally for a while if I do.

I do love my selections from Trunk Club this time though. Check out these boots—water proof and way cuter and more versatile than the ones I have now. If they are really nice and super comfy I will get them in black. But they are a bit spendy and I don’t want to be spending all my vacay money on clothes. So we’ll see.

I went to the Walker Art Museum two weekends ago.

It made me text Martha and send an Instagram to Katie. Not sure why………….

We got there kind of late because I ran the Chatfield Western Days Trail Race in the AM. Dave didn’t go so I didn’t get a picture. I should have taken a selfie but I fell at the end of the trail and was too humiliated to further humiliate myself with a selfie at the finish. Needless to say we got there a little later in the day so we had lunch at the restaurant (quite tasty) and toured the sculpture park. Next time we will go early and tour the museum.

That sculpture part is pretty cool though--

This one didn’t turn out so great because the wind chime tree in the background sort of interrupts the sculpture

Wind Chime Tree close up

Some of those I needed a little help with  but these are self explanatory

Basilica in the background.

And this one everybody knows--

In addition to sculptures we checked out the mini golf--

My favorite hole.

And what trip to Minneapolis is complete without a stop here--

Um, delicious Doe Eyes is back.

The wall of insight swag.

It’s the place I love.

Other than that-I finished my first Mother Bear

And I’m starting a ReTrax Tee Shirt Quilt

When all else fails, try to hold two 15+ pound cats on your lap.

It’s harder than you think…..

Veseleyville, North Dakota

It’s a real place, even though there’s not much about it on the internet. I had found information on it on my phone but now can’t reproduce it on my computer. Not sure why that is but we’ll get back to Veseleyville later.

Before I discovered Veseleyville Debbie came to visit and brought me a cat basket. I was unsure how this would go over but three out of four cats have done a test drive--

Yep—Note the different fits. Jack sort of pours himself in..

But as you can see Puddy and Chat have lotsa room-

Happy has not deigned to try it. Not sure he would fit at all. Nor would he even want to try.

Dave and I went to Cedar Rapids IA to see Jim Gaffigan. If you haven’t ever netflixed him in Beyond the Pale—truly, go right now and do so. It has my most favorite Jim Gaffigan bit about cake and it.is.hilarious.

The drive was beauteous-

Clouds and green fields.

Old farm houses

Stayed at the Hilton—this was the view from there--

It was HOT in Cedar Rapids, holy cow. The humidity was very high when we were walking around looking for places to eat. We did eat at a place called Cobble Hill. It was good and we got the last two seats in the place. I had some salmon which was ever so delish.

Dark Bar seating looking out the front…

We were sitting kinda high up to take good pics of Jim Gaffigan. But—we were able to get some bad selfies. This is the best of the three which goes to show how bad they were.

The show started late, like 20 or so minutes and the warm up guy was ok.

Long view of the warm up guy.

and blurry pick of Jim Gaffigan himself. I wish I could get a good picture of a performer. I thought my camera had a setting for that.

Anyway, he was funny. His bits about colonoscopy and his wife’s brain tumor (is that funny? Yep, and that’s what I love about Jim Gaffigan) were hilarious. He talked about so many things I can’t even remember them all. I hope he does a special during this tour, called the Noble Ape Tour.

After the show, we went out and had a couple of drinks at the Grin and Goose. I ordered a Mexican Mule and it was actually about 5 shots of Tequila with a little mule thrown in.

I then thought it would be a good idea to have a local sour. But maybe not.

Jeepers. The next day we went to the Breakfast Cafe cause it got rave Cedar Rapids Reviews. May I say I think it was rigged? I was a little ill after eating there. We were kind of sad about that. (No, it was not the Mexican Mule I had the night before, in case you might have been thinking that….)

After we got back we finally had our retirement dinner with Mary. Well, Laura and I aren’t retired but Mary is. I really really want to be retired. I want to say on my review that my goal is to retire but they don’t appreciate that. Not sure why.

Take One

Take Two

Now, today, I just got back from visiting Blane and Melanie in Veselyville North Dakota. It bugs me I can’t find the history I found before. But the place has been around since the early to mid 1800’s. We took a stroll around the Catholic graveyard (no, not weird) and there were many graves from the 1800’s. Lots of children who died. ND is a demanding and harsh mother.

It was a pretty cool place really.

Blane and Melanie’s house isn’t in the graveyard, it’s down the street--

Back yard

There were endless photo ops since it’s out in the country—farm country.

Moon over the fields.

Sunrise Shadows over fields

Sunset

Clouds

Panorama but not sure it’s as good as the real thing……

We brought our dogs along so there were the four of us and seven dogs. That was a bit much.

We just got home today and after every time I visit I am so sad to leave. I wish we lived closer. But then they wouldn’t live out in the wide open spaces.

So, that’s as much as I know right now. I have another day off to finish the last part of my last paper in my last class. I’m not terribly motivated because I am suffering incredible school burnout but I think I can do it.

Oh, and did I mention—as of tomorrow ONE MONTH until Ireland. Not that I’m counting.

Us going there……