Plodding along...

That's how things have seemed to be the last couple days… just plodding along… I can't say I haven't accomplished anything, I've actually come up with 2 new recipes (yet to be posted on my food blog) & gotten some things done around the house… perhaps its just that things have been so "busy" & "exciting" the last couple weeks that things now seem a bit "blah"…

It seems I'm not the only one with "the blahs" the last couple days… Kitty has taken to napping under one of her favorite "snuggle" spots… she normally prefers to be on the blanket on top of this chair, especially if there's human company…

Can you guess what this is?  Want a closer look?

Figure it out yet?

This is evidence that the Gardener in me has been neglecting her duties, especially as pertains to the herbs on the back deck… I've been told not to let them bloom so that they'll produce more leaves, but here I went and let my Peppermint get several blooms… So today I trimmed off the blooming sections, but never one to waste good stuff  I pulled the big leaves to have with some Sorbet tonight (yum) & decided that these little blooms might look cute in this tiny little bud vase…  The blooms themselves don't smell like much, but the cuttings smell like peppermint :)

Sometimes we have to take our mistakes & make something useful of them…

Isn't it cute?  It makes me smile!!

More Summer Fun!

We've had a busy & fun Summer… this week the band Jeff plays in (Shoreview Northern Lights Variety Band) was visited by a band from their sister city of Einhausen, Germany… there have been get-togethers, a concert with both bands playing separately…..

Einhausen band...

Shoreview band...

Both bands combined...

….. as well as playing together.  Wow!!  What Fun!!  Tonight we have a Mississippi River Boat dinner with this group, I expect that will also be fun.

Despite having such a full week, we managed to take a short day-excursion yesterday to the city of Mound Minnesota (a small town to the west) to check out what looked to be an interesting mini-golf course…

On the way we spotted this creatively decorated vehicle… for some reason
it makes me think of a decorator crab...

Judge for yourself… we thought the mini-golf course was a whimsical place :)...

As usual we had a good time exploring together… it was a beautiful day, wonderful cool breezes, lots of pretty lakes & beautiful houses to look at along the way… and a fun & funky place to play mini-golf to boot!!  Thank You Lord Jesus for simple joys!!

Update on 7/30: I had mentioned the boat trip with the bands, I decided to add in the photos for the trip here for all to enjoy:

From the dock...

View of Cathedral from the boat...

The High Bridge

Jeff & I out on the deck (after dinner)...

An island...

Moon above condos on the bluff...

Water skier… he crashed moments later trying to show off :)

The two (music) conductors...

9 barges coming our way…

Heading back to St Paul (where we started)...

Two young men from the German band...

Portion of railroad bridge that swings out of the way for boats...

An old deserted factory of some sort...

Downtown St Paul...

Pretty clouds...

Condos on the waterfront...

Back to the dock...

It was a blast!!