A few places I'd like to escape to.

I'm dreaming again. Must be the time of year?! Nothing like back-to-school and leaves falling from the trees to snap you into reality and out of summer bliss. So I started googling places I'd like to stay if I was going to escape (I do this often - this is not my first post on this). Here's a few of those listings. Let me know if you go (and take me with you)!

http://www.onelifeescapes.co.uk/index.php - because a seaside escape in England would be bliss.

http://www.equestrian-escapes.com/ - riding a horse through a forgein country - did you see '10'? Bo Derek had a great time in that movie...

http://www.golfaroundscotland.com/ - what better to do in Scotland than golf? Oh, and drink Scotch - http://www.iknow-scotland.co.uk/tourist_information/all_scotland/all_scotland/scotland_whisky_tours.htm

And if we're being honest with ourselves (which we're not) a vacation dream wouldn't be a vacation dream without Rio - http://www.responsibletravel.com/trip/Trip900926.htm

So where ever you are today (in your head or in reality) hope you're having fun! It's Friday. Phew, made it to another one. That's a relief in itself.

Introducing:

Putty. Silly Putty. Putt-Putt. Sir Putnam. Or just plain, "puppy". The newest addition to our family.

We met across a very crowded parking lot and fell in love after the dog we really wanted was already spoken for. That's pretty much how everything in our life happens and most times the second choice works out much better than the first one would have anyway. The 1st dog was a puppy, not house broken and a little crazy. Phew, looking back I'm soooo glad we didn't get the puppy! Putty is 3, house broken and very, very lazy. He's practically perfect for our family.

We've only had him since yesterday so he's not completely used to us yet and perhaps once he is life will change dramatically. Hopefully not 'cause we really like him just the way he is.

For the Love of Friday!

It's here. It actually has meaning again. It's FRIDAY! Have a good one.

Grade 2 or Second Grade - it really all depends....

Today was the first day of Grade 2 and S handled it well. Not only did he have a smile on his face in the morning (see pic.) but he had one when he walked out of school too. Can't beat that. As an aside, can you see the shoes the boys got on? Yah, those are his 2 year old crocs. We didn't notice he hadn't put on his new shoes until half way to school and by then there was no turning back. We are oh so classy.

Volunteers and Happy Additions.

Nice mug eh? Even better are the Black-Eyed Susans that finally took in the front yard! Hurray for positive thinking (and water and sunshine and all that good stuff...).
Hot peppers anyone? They are HOT and a little more than I can handle. I've got lots!
Gotta love birdseed and well, birds! I didn't plant the sunflowers in my yard - not a one - but I've got plenty and they make me quite happy. Everyone should plant at least one in their garden - yes, yes, it's soooo very basic but it's gorgeous for the same reason! Oh, and do you see the umbrella in the back? It also makes me happy!

Name that plant!

Plant Number One: The seed pods (?) start out green and then turn black. There are little yellow flowers though I've never seen them open. And yes, that's a piece of bamboo I used to hold it up. I think it can stand by itself but it started leaning and I wanted to be sure it stayed upright or else the kids would have trampled it by now.
A close up of No.1's seed pods - interesting no???
Plant Number Two: It might also be a grass. I think it might have been in with the bird seed I bought and just came to be. Funny thing is I saved this and pulled a bunch of stuff I shouldn't have... Darn it.
Here's a close-up of No. 2. Nothing miraculous really. I think I like the height of the plant and the branches. It takes up an awful lot of space in my herb garden.

That certain somewhere.

I'd like to think that we all have a place where we feel safe and relaxed. It could be your home, your car, your parents house or even an underground tunnel of some sort (in which case you really should talk to someone 'cause I don't think that's normal...). For me, that place is Camp. It's not my camp - it's my husbands or rather, his families. They've always had one but alas, I have not. It's not until I married Mr. A that I really started going up there and I have to say it seems like I always have.

Let me explain what Camp is. It's not your typical tent, lean-to or cottage. It's more like one of the cottages that your grandparents had. It's made out of logs. It has a wood stove and before the recently added 'New Camp' it was pretty darn rustic (no, thankfully you didn't have to pee outside - phew, I really dislike that and probably wouldn't go). Now, the 'New Camp' is a little less rustic but it still has the wood stove and it's still made of logs but it's updated with actual furniture and an Ecotoilet. It has a sauna and carpeting. It's practically a penthouse in Manhattan.... okay, not really...

Camp is a place where you wear plaid, flannel jackets when it gets cold (like in August). You have to cut wood and carry your garbage to the boat to take across and hopefully one of your friends has room in their town collection for it, if not you have to go stealth and put it into a city garbage can. Camp is a place where you eat bacon dipped in flour and drink the best ever camp coffee. Camp is a place where you go to bed smelling like sweat, bug spray and sunscreen. Camp is a place where you loose your highlights and your hair looks greasy all the time - because it is - so you have to just throw a hat on! Camp is a place where your kids don't run around like little crazy people because they're too busy going on adventures to see what they can see - and you don't have to go because it's camp and there's no one else around for miles!

You get dirty and you smell and you don't care. You sleep like you've never slept before and you have the best time just being. Lucky for me I had a few days at camp this summer. We've decided that next summer we're going for a couple of weeks. We physically work harder there than we do at home but we stress less and enjoy life more. I know summer here is almost over and I'm okay with that; I'll be anxiously awaiting next summer and a trip to the lake.