google map house

Today I was convincing Anna that we should walk up to the game store, so we pulled up Google Maps to see how long it would take.  Then we pulled up the satellite version of our house....so fun!  If you look really close there is a flag in our potted plant, a scooter and a bug-net by the front steps!  The big tree has been gone for years and the playground in the backyard left last year....sigh .....memories!

3/17/21

I really want to learn how to "throw a pot".  I thought it would be a fun Spring Break activity, but alas, there were no available opportunities.  We decided to buy this little Kiddie pottery wheel and had a nice time!!  Throwing pots is VERY VERY hard....but fun!

(if you don't count Rita, Anna is an only child today....Joel is at Faith in Action until tomorrow and the college kids returned to Iowa City yesterday)

 

Matthew brought Carolyn home!!!

Matthew was going to stay in Iowa City this weekend, but when Carolyn wanted to come home he brought her home to save us the trip!!!

Here the girls made Beignets.  Carolyn had one in the dorms on Fat Tuesday.  Pretty hard to master, but they kept at it for a long time until they were just right.

Carolyn taught herself how to make paper cranes. 

We had a little Origami fest....with Rita helping of course!

 

3/11/2021 RITA

Such a good dog....I am forever spoiled to foster dogs who aren't this well behaved.  (She pulls a little when she goes on walks, but otherwise is exceptionally lovely....totally house trained, extremely loving, and doesn't eat random things around the house.)

She loves looking out the front door, but was busy so it was hard to get a photo when she first arrived.

Anna was sleeping on the couch so I could go on an early morning walk and Rita jumped right up with her!

She slept with Anna each night (on Anna's bed).  In the morning she would get up to go outside, then after awhile she would go and sit with Anna (who was sleeping) on her bed.  Ken and I (awake) were boring her I guess!

She has a tiny tail so her entire backside would shake when she was happy to see you....which was every time you returned home.  She will stay for almost a week.

 

3/11/2021 IGNITION!

The Ignition Video is finished. I could watch it on Google Classroom, but can't post it here.

This was a  "fun picture" from the very end.  Anna is on the first riser to the left, wearing the show choir shirt.

This is Anna (center)

  

So now you can find her in the group shots...first riser toward the left!  My only option was to take screen shots off the video!  I am afraid that they didn't take any still photos from the performance....but I guess that is the least of the pandemic sacrifices.  (But of course you know I love photos and that I will need to make a Senior Show Choir Board for Anna's final performance!!)

Anna did such a great job dancing!  They had such limited practice, it was impressive!!  They weren't even allowed to sing and dance together for the video!  (they overlaid the singing onto the dancing video)  Way to roll with the punches Ignition!!

3/10/20

Treadmill in action.  (Track practice called on account of rain...but not for this guy!!!)

 

3/4/2021

Yesterday was so lovely that Anna and her best buddy went for a walk.  Almost all the snow is gone!

 Here I am on the treadmill that now can function without blowing a circuit!  The irony of the wonderful weather did not escape me.  I didn't walk much on the treadmill, just made sure it worked!  But it is for the future and so Ken can walk after work, when it is dark and when he can also watch the Hawkeyes play basketball etc.  It is hard to take a treadmill selfie!

My God-daughter Erin told me last weekend when we saw each other that Kullen, her hubby, wasn't too hip on bringing their dog on Spring Break to visit my niece Emily.  My brother's whole family is going, including Hugo, whom they want to sleep in the car!  It is a long drive to Knoxville TN!!  I offered to watch sweet Margarita for them.  The timing is perfect with the kids being home on Spring break. Plus she is a dog and not a puppy and house trained and just lovely.  (With true-foster dogs, these traits are not all there.)  Yesterday they took me up on my offer.  Rita will come to stay next Wednesday!!  Here she is, a mid-sized dog.  (she looks bigger in the photo)  I am sure we will take many photos with Rita next week!

3/3/21

Today my Dad is getting his 2nd vaccine!!!  Thanks to my sister who came from Kansas City to take him 2 hours away to get the jab and then stay with him in case he doesn't feel well.

and I am getting a functioning treadmill (thanks to some new electrical equipment in the house) and new smoke & carbon monoxide detectors and a new circuit breaker for our microwave.

It is 56 degrees and sunny.  It feels like the middle of the spring...so lovely!

 it is the simple things!!!  

3/2/20

 Dolly Parton is joining the crowd of the vaccinated!  (She also helped fund one million dollars of vaccine research)  She has done so many great things for our country through her philanthropy.  I love when famous people shout to the world "this vaccine is safe and I am doing it!"  It might help some of the skeptics.

She changed her song "Jolene" to "Vaccine"...so cute!