Since the Sixth

Since August 6th, I've been away from my computer. The reason being that Lon and I have been enjoying guests from Ohio since Saturday. My cousin, Lynnette, and Alice spend a few days with us every year at about this time. We're guaranteed fun from the minute they pull in the driveway until they back out. I can't imagine two easier guests.

Lynnette's always quick to smile. She's reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson.

Alice's sense of humor never fails to keep us all rocking and rolling. Her book is Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

In between our jaunts here and there, we stuck our noses in our novels. We're all book lovers; what can I say?

Our company arrived on Saturday afternoon. We anticipated that after their long drive they'd appreciate dining in rather than going out, thus, we grilled the meat and ate on the screen porch under our ceiling fan and safe from mosquitoes.

Our new kitchen countertops aren't getting much time to set as I had originally planned; I had to utilize them on Friday for preparing Saturday's dinner.

I made potato salad solely with my own two hands.

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Betty Crocker stepped in to help me with dessert. My part involved a little mixing, slipping the pan into the oven, pulling it out to cool on the counter and smearing frosting all over the top.
Voila, chocolate brownies. Darn, I forgot to take a picture.

A well-balanced meal should have a source of protein. There she be.

A summer feast isn't complete without ears of sweet corn. The poor naked things are shivering in the refrigerator awaiting their time.

Sunday afternoon, we drove to Madison to Roughing It in Style, a log home furnishings store. We sauntered among the abundance of unique pieces of furniture and unusual accessories. Amazingly, our hands were empty when we left, but our heads were full and spinning with ideas. I'm sure Lon and I will return soon.

Check it out at www.roughingitinstyle.com.

Our next stop was at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, also in Madison. We slipped in on the last day of the Blooming Butterflies exhibition. Unfortunately, in the excitement of having company, I hadn't charged my camera's battery. My meager collection of photos this trip will motivate us to come back here again too. See www.olbrich.org.



The elderly folks on the bench are Lon and me.

I captured a familiar monarch butterfly here. Several other species flew over our heads, fluttered around us and then paused for refreshment on the natural or man-made "flowers."

Can you see the yellow butterfly on the left side of the yellow flower?

From the gardens we drove back to Beloit. The Rock restaurant on the Rock River was our choice for dinner on Sunday. In spite of the heat and humidity, we found a perfect outside table where we were comfortable beside the water. The river was quiet due to high water restrictions.

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On Monday morning, I showed Lynnette and Alice through NorthPointe, the health and wellness facility where I hang out in hopes of staying fit and healthy. As we left, Alice said, "I want one."

After visiting Aunt Marcie in the afternoon, we went to Lake Geneva to do a bit of shopping and for dinner at Houlihan's.

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My son, Jared (on the far left), joined us for dinner that evening.

Tuesday morning required that we go our separate ways. Lynnette and Alice headed to Ohio while Lon, Jared and I went back to work.

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That's the scoop on Shaddy since the sixth.