Alligator, it tastes like turtle...and my visit to Bass Pro Shop

I spent the evening of the 27th at Bass Pro Shop.  It was all about geocaching for me.  Ted had multiple purposes for his visit.  When we arrived at the Portage, Indiana store we headed directly to the Marine section to look at the GPSs.  It was time to finally replace my ancient Magellan eXplorist 200.  Yes, I've been caching with VERY old technology.  It gets the job done, usually, but it was time to upgrade.  We are not retiring my little yellow friend, just not using it so much.
Before our shopping trip I read reviews on units and narrowed my search based on the amount of money I wanted to spend and what features I had to have. Once we started looking at the display all of that went out the window because Ted decided he wanted more, more, MORE! He wanted the Oregon 450 because of the screen size and the DeLorme PN-60 because of the accuracy and the marine maps(he fancies himself a fisherman). What reigned him in was the prices. The Dakota 20 at Bass Pro Shop was cheaper than the Dakota 10 at Dick's and the Dakota 20 was my choice. So, we decided to walk away and make the GPS decision.
Off to Islamorada Fish Company for dinner. We opted for an appetizer which is rare for us. I let Ted choose and he knew what I wanted, alligator. It's something I've always wanted to try. My husband is so wonderful. He would never have picked that for himself. The alligator was served deep-fried in a spicy breading (I'm guessing it was cornmeal) on a bed of field greens surrounded by a neon-green sauce (a very, very mild wasabi wannabe). With my first bite I felt that this alligator tasted like turtle. Some of the pieces were rubbery and not pleasant to chew. Someone needs help with their prep skills. Ted said, with the completion of that course, we were officially swamp people. Yay! From that point forward my meal was just okay. I wanted something light and their menu was not really light. Their salads are full of bleu cheese (Yuck!) and I wasn't seeing anything else I was drawn too. I ended up with less than exciting (dry) grilled lemon-pepper tilapia. Ted chose the popular Islamorada Portofino, blackened tilapia topped with grilled shrimp in a rich, creamy lobster sauce. He liked it until he ate his last shrimp and it had the vein. Our waitress was attentive and nice, she brought drinks and warm bread (a bread with sugar on top) right away. But, we'll probably never eat there again and I wouldn't recommend the restaurant. It's just not great. Our meal totaled $40 and change.  Surrounding the Portage store are a few other restaurant choices including Quaker Steak and Lube, Deli in Your Belly/Egg on Your Face, and Starbucks. 
As we ate we hashed out the GPS issue.  We quickly eliminated the DeLorme PN-60.  The screen was smaller than my eXplorist and Ted wanted something bigger.  The accuracy and marine card wasn't enough to keep him  interested.  The price was also the highest of the three we were looking at also.  So we were left with two choices,  the Garmin Oregon 450 and Dakota 20.  Both devices featured triaxial compasses, micro SD card slots, paperless geocaching capabilities, touch screens, and the availability of free maps (among their many features).  The Oregon had a bigger screen and cost $100 more.  We really had to decide if the bigger screen was worth paying $100 more.  I didn't think so.  I could see Ted wavering and I pointed out to him that he was already used to the smaller screen of the eXplorist.  We decided that we would purchase the Dakota 20.
With that, Ted headed out on his next mission...metal detectors.  I went to look for new hiking shoes.  I want Keens but they didn't have what I wanted so I went to find Ted.  I was lucky to find a bench on which to rest because I knew I could be there awhile.  Unfortunately, I felt like I was in fishing jail.

So, I waited and waited and waited a bit more. In the end we left without a metal detector. He will have to continue to use the one he has for now. I don't believe he'll suffer...too much.
We also saw some great fish at Bass Pro Shop. Unfortunately, I did not get great photos.

This fish really creeped my out.  There were several of his kind in the tank.  Those lips were really something to see.  Before we went to pay for our new toy Ted had one last item on his agenda.  He needed to visit the shooting gallery.  Now, I'm thinking that a place that must make as much money as Bass Pro Shop could have a free game for "kids."  But no, Ted needed 50 cents (several times).  Too bad I didn't have much change and they didn't have a change machine, boo hoo.

We had a great visit to Bass Pro Shop.  Hmmm, what do we need from Cabella's?

Laura Days in Burr Oak, Iowa

We were in Burr Oak on June 25 for Laura Ingalls Wilder Days. The weather was beautiful (although a little sun would have been nice). It made for a great day spent outside. The morning was spent shopping and spending a lot of money in the visitors center. Burr Oak's visitor center is located in an old bank. Not only will you see information about Laura, but also a display about the robbery the bank. I'll be honest. I didn't look at the display. There were too many people and it is a small area. The robbery was in 1931 and was the first bank robbery in the county. The bank robbers locked the employees and patrons in the bank vault before they left.
Next we attended a presentation on one-room school houses by Sarah Uthoff, a fellow member of The Laura Ingalls Literary Society. Sarah has a wealth of knowledge to share on this subject and did a great job making her presentation interesting to adults and children. Listen to Sarah on her radio show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/trundlebedtales or follow her on Twitter @Trundlebedtales.
After chatting a bit with Sarah, Ted and I had a quick bite to eat at the food tent. For less then $5 we each had a hot dog and a drink and I had a brownie. It tasted great, too. While eating we listened to The Bread and Butter String Band. They played classic fiddle music. Pa Ingalls would have been proud. It was great to listen to some of the older people enjoying the music. When a new song began there was always a happy murmur throughout the crowd and someone always said, "I love this song."
As soon as lunch was over we moved on to tour the Master's Hotel. This is the first home the Ingalls family lived in upon their arrival to Burr Oak. The entire family also worked in the hotel. Our tour guide was a 15 year-old girl from the area. She had a great personality and made the tour enjoyable. Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum
The tour ended in time for us to see the end of the pie auction and then the highlight for many, the announcement of the Little Laura and Little Almanzo winners. It was great to hear the kids read their essays and see all of the girls and boys in their costumes.
Throughout the day I was struck by the "small town feel" of Burr Oak. I loved being back home in Iowa. I truly believe people are more welcoming there. Or, is it there that I am more receptive of the kindness of others?
This was actually our second visit to Burr Oak but Ted didn't remember being there before which made it entertaining for me. He kept looking at me and saying, "Are you sure we've been here before?" No amount of reassurance helped. Nothing I said triggered memories of our first trip through with our nephew Brad, maybe, seven years ago.
Hopefully, before the summer is over we will return to Iowa. I'd like to slip in a trip to West Branch and the Herbert Hoover Library and maybe the Amana Colonies.

Ted loves the Irish

Sarah reminisced to me about a time when Ted celebrated a Notre Dame touchdown during a car trip. She is 23 now and must have been no more than 14 when this happened. It made quite an impression upon her.

Ted was listening to the game on the radio as we drove down the highway. Notre Dame scored and Ted quickly pulled over onto the shoulder, exited the car, and fist-pumped on the side of the road and probably cheered and screamed.

When I told Ted about Sarah's memory he immediately chimed in with more details. He told me that it was the USC game, we were on our way to Michigan City, and that when we arrived at Lighthouse Place, USC scored and Notre Dame lost. To quote Ted, "that celebration was for nothing."

Ah, the memories. I had blocked ALL of this out of my mind. Sarah on the other hand said this was the moment when she realized how much Notre Dame football meant to Uncle Ted. Poor Girl.

I blocked all of this out of my mind. I try to block all things related to Notre Dame football out of my mind, although, I do have a few funny stories from going to games. Maybe someday I'll write them down.

It's a GIANT

I have a Giant bicycle. Not a GIANT, like Clifford the Big Red Dog, but Giant the brand. I love my bicycle (it's hanging from the ceiling in a dark garage in this picture by the way). It's a silver and purple comfort bike. The saddle is a custom addition for added comfort, wide and padded. I take care of my lovely bike and it takes care of me. In fact, it's time for a tune-up. I take my Giant to my favorite shop, Family Bicycle Center. They are the best. The tune-up costs about half as much for my bike as it does for my car (I might be exaggerating). Of course, I don't tune my bike up as often as Ted does his bike. He has some fierce Giant off-road mountain bike (note his handle bar in the photo above). We've had our bikes for almost 10 years and they have never given us a bit of trouble, unlike our cars. If I lived closer to work I would ride my bike to school.

June?

What happened to June? I blinked and it was gone. Ted was busy with a class and I was busy reading and relaxing 8-)
The highlight of the month was our trip to Wisconsin. We had our visit with the allergist. I spent an extra hour at the clinic participating in chemical testing. The results showed a few more chemicals to which I'm allergic. But, in addition to the 6 peanuts I'm allowed to eat each day, I may also indulge in 2T. of peanut butter. Yum!!! Dr. agreed with my neurologist that I should totally eliminate wheat from my diet for 4 months. He said that if my migraines don't improve in that period of time that it is not the wheat allergy [causing my daily migraines] and I should go back to having one serving of wheat per day. But, he was kind enough to remind me that I have a severe wheat allergy, "Thanks."
The best part of the trip to Wisconsin was visiting with my family. I don't see them enough, so these weekends are bittersweet. We spent the early afternoon with one side of the family at a picnic. Great fun. That evening with some of the other side. I was very glad Amy and the kids came home on Saturday from Portland so that we could visit. Bob and Nick were in town too. We also met Nick's girlfriend Missy. We stayed up late talking and enjoying our time together.
July is half over! After church today I learned that my cousin is now engaged to her boyfriend. I'm so happy for her. Congratulations Linda and Tim!
In one month it will be back to work. Relearning Kdg. and first grade curriculum, meeting my new students and their families and figuring out where I put everything when I moved my classroom.
Summer Reading is fab! I'm on book 29, The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club . Last year I read 36 books. I'm on my way to meat or beat last years record, woo hoo!

School Year Memories

While my school year was pleasantly uneventful, there were some special moments that were very meaningful and I will have in my heart always. They revolve around the blessings that the Lord has placed in my life no matter how long or how brief.

One student has been in my life for three years. She is sweet, sensitive and for the first two years of our life together, very well behaved. This year life threw her some curve balls and she experimented with naughtiness. I don’t think either of us knew how to handle that venture.

Last year she discovered a song on my iTunes that she decided was “her song.” Written and performed by the son of a dear friend of mine and a former teacher of my student, the song is called, “He Knows Your Name.” When she would finish her work each day she wanted to listen to “her song.”

One day she looked at me with eyes of pure innocence. I wish I could capture that look in a photograph to be sure I’d never forget. She quietly asked me, “Does God really know my name?”

I couldn’t help but smile widely as I gladly told her yes, he most assuredly does. Her eyes welled with tears when I told her that God knew her before she was born and he truly does know every hair on her head and he loves her more than anyone could or would ever be able to love her. Through those teary eyes she smiled brightly and hit repeat on “her song” so that she could her Denver tell her one more time that He knows her name.

Less than a month ago she came to me with an equally important question. She sat down next to me quietly and looked into my eyes, “Does God love us no matter what, even when we’re bad?”

“More than anything,” I told her, “He might be disappointed in the choices we make, but he never stops loving us.” She smiled her beautiful smile and went back to her work. Whatever weight that was on her heart had been lifted.

I had three years of smiles and laughter with her, but those two brief moments meant so much to me. They remind me that this is where God wants me for now. This is my place, these children are my purpose. I love them each in a different way. This one is going on to a new school. I will miss her madly, but, I will cherish the time I had with her.

Stand For Christ (repost)

19 people per hour die for Christ.
456 per day
3,192 per week
165,984 per year

These numbers are staggering, but what do they mean for you? To me it means, these people have put themselves all out for our Savior. They go to dangerous places to spread the gospel. They worship Him illegally because they love Him so much. They carry one page of scripture because that's all they have and they do that knowing if they are caught they will be punished. They stand for Jesus...what do we do to stand for Him? Do you live each day with Him by your side? Do you soak in His word and show others His love through your actions?