Labor Day Weekend

Warren, Ann & Sarah were at the cabin Saturday and today.  We had a nice time visiting and relaxing with them.  The 4 of us (and that does not include Dan) enjoyed playing Racko and Dutch Blitz outside on the deck Sat afternoon. Dan enjoyed a good nap instead.  Ann and Sarah visited my classroom and the Bargain Bazaar earlier in the afternoon.  Sarah found a few goodies but her best deals came from the free table/shelves in the teacher's workroom.  She picked out some vintage scarves that somebody left and I took the free Racko game.  It was new to me but Warren says they used to play it "for hours!"  I think I'll leave it in the cabin for future fun.  

Yes, I am teaching the Smiths how to play Dutch Blitz.  Shari and Ellen got the Larson family started a few years ago and not it's time for the Smith family to join the fun.  Sarah and I took the jet ski out this afternoon even though most of the lake was VERY choppy.  We rode some of the waves out there and got very wet.   Our little corner of the lake on the cabin side has been in the quiet calm side most of the weekend so that has been nice.  It is really roaring up here now, the weather channel said gusts up to 40 mph and it sounds like it.  It's like our own little Gustav out there.  

Tomorrow morning I have to go into school and put in another 3-4 hours.  I have some more organizing and planning to do.  Hope not to be there past noon. 

 Happy Labor Day, don't work too hard.

It won't be long!

Isn't this a cute photo of both of them?  Royce took it with my camera.

I asked Lynn to pose.  This picture was taken on August 8th.  She is due mid September!

That was so cute I had to post another one!

You can tell how excited and proud she is of herself.  She's such a sweetie.  Sophie makes a cameo appearance at the end too.

Wow...look at her GO!!

Here's a cute little video of Gracie walking in early August.  She's probably a pro by now!

Nancy's flowers

View from the deck.  Taken August 24.

Terraced backyard

You can see that it's filled out quite a bit since early July.  The stepping stones aren't as noticeable as they once were.  It's looking good Nancy!!  Double click on the images to get a really close look.

You're hogging the cushion...no you are!

We're not fat, we're fluffy.

Chilly Morning Fog

I took these pictures a week ago last Sunday morning before we took off for the cities.  This is what happens when you mix a warm lake with very cold air temps.  It usually doesn't happen in August though.  It rolls in quickly and just as quickly disappears.

Open House

We had our last workshop day today and it was also Open House from 4-7.  I had 16/18 attend, so that is a pretty good show.  Overall, it looks like I will have a super group.  There are possibly 3 so far that I'd say will need a little more "training."  You can tell a lot from Open House behavior.  I have no idea about of the two who didn't attend so it could be more.

I will need to go back in on Monday for some planning and organizing for the week.  I haven't had any time to work on lesson plans.  I had a few former 4th grade students stop in to say hi and it was neat to see them and a little sad.  I will miss teaching 4th graders but I'm excited to be back in first as it seems new again.  

So, to all of you teacher blog readers, enjoy your long Labor Day weekend and have a great school year in 2008-09!!

Tomato Sandwich

I love tomato sandwiches, all you need is bread, Miracle Whip, salt&pepper and some garden fresh tomatoes.  I had one the other day...delicious!  What do you do with surplus tomatoes?

Thrifty things

Just some little goodies I've picked up in the last couple of weeks and the last bowl picture shows the large Pyrex bowl Shari gave me for my birthday to match the little one I got earlier this summer.  It's a chip and dip set.  It's a nice big bowl that could be used for lots of things.  The red floral tray caught my eye up in Hibbing and it will be a gift for a lover of red, sorry Nancy, it's not for you or you either Charice.  It is a short bed tray or tv tray.  

The plate is a pattern that I really like a lot and previously had just one bowl that I enjoyed using.  Well, I was excited when I saw 5 bowls, 5 medium plates and 2 dessert plates at the Bargain Bazaar.  Yeah, they're mine now and I already donated some other items to make room in the cupboard for them.  It's actually a necessity.

The little brown vanity suitcase or makeup case came from an antique store in Alex for 2.99. It will store a bunch of my craft items eventually.

The candy jar came from the BB for $1.  It can be used for candy or an apothecary jar, please don't ask me what that means but to me it means bath items.   Also little gifts from nature-a nest perhaps?

First day of workshops today.  Tomorrow we are going to Morris for shared classes and a speaker...Corwin Kronenberg...I am very excited to hear him!  Has anyone besides Shari??

Yes, it's true....

summer vacation is officially over.

Could you put a blanket up here?!?

My Classroom in Progress

I inherited this double sided bookshelf and I love it.  In the background you can see my desk with a new coat of blackboard paint on the front.  I've had this desk since I began teaching 23 years ago.  My how time flies!  The digital projector screen is mounted above Lily the mouse's head.  There's lots of space for all the kids to sit on the floor and preview websites or our new math program that is on-line!  I'm looking for a little rug to put in this space, maybe I'll find something cute at IKEA tomorrow.
This area in the back corner of the room is called our meeting area.  There is a curved bench just like the one we had in my old school in Cyrus.  We take turns here one day for the boys and the next for the girls, that way it doesn't get so crowded on the floor.
To the left of the door you can see my teacher and student computer.  I have 18 first graders this year.  I use my overhead and digital projecter quite a bit.
So, here's the big mess.  I have lots of storage in the back but have quite a few boxes to go through and second grade material that needs to be OUT of there.  After this picture, I did make some progress here.  Look at the little brown wooden chairs around the round table...aren't they precious!  Another wonderful thing I inherited.  So, now you've seen my new first grade classroom. It's the third room I've been at in Elbow.  It's a lot of working moving everything you have and I hope I don't have to do it again for at least a few more years!  I'll snap some more photo's when it's ready to go.

Another Teapot!

Mom and I stopped at the Goodwill in Fergus and I could not resist this very proper looking teapot for $3.99.  I though it might look nicer on my stove than my other one (that I would give to anyone who would enjoy having a 4 cup Corningware teapot from the 70's-great condition! ) and it really does. I tested it out the other evening and it works just fine.  Let me know if you are interested in my old teapot.  Shari and Ann, you can't have it as I know you already have one like it.  Sorry!!

Fishkin!

The guys fished on Ottertail today and had very good luck with the walleye.  Tim said they caught more in one day than all the other fishing outings combined.  Danette, make sure that Mike sees this and he will NOT believe that Dan caught the most of anyone.  Seriously, this just does not happen!  They miss Mike and hope next year he will be able to join them.
I popped down to the cabin to take a group shot in front of the gorgeous sunset but the guys were too absorbed in their walleye and steaks to pose anywhere but the table!  You can see a tiny bit of the sunset in the window.  Clockwise, you have Todd Treml, Tim Berkness, Dan, Jim Albers and Brian Resch.   I left right after the photo as they didn't need any women hanging around down there!  :)  They were gentlemen  and offered me a spot at the table but I had biscotti in the oven and had minutes to get back to the house.  They seem to be having a great time!

It's still summer, People!

You may just think that I am in a bit of denial but summer is not over until September 22! Yes, the kids are going back to school and vacation is over or soon over but the season is still with us. Please remind people of that and let's enjoy it until the last day.  

I snapped this photo of a cute couple fishing on Swan lake.  Paul said they are using cane poles and it's just kind of an old fashioned thing.  It looks like they're trying to get really big fish!

I am in the mood to do a little work in my room so even though it's a Saturday I am going to take advantage of that and head there soon for just a couple of hours.  I have some areas I want to paint with chalkboard paint and if I unload a couple of boxes that will be good too.  Hopefully, I will be one of the only ones there so I won't be distracted.  

Dan's team played in Urbank last night, they won, so they play at 1 in Union Hill on Sunday.  I won't be going to the game.  Dan is dropping me off at Nancy's.  His buddies came up last night so he had some juggling to do and wasn't a very good host for a few hours but they seemed to understand and manned the grill without him.  They're having breakfast at Ruby's in Ashby this morning and then heading to Ottertail to rent a pontoon to fish, then back to the cabin for grilling and whatever else guys do when they're alone.  There are some beautiful places on Ottertail but I didn't think Dan would want to snap pictures of them for my blog. :)  Maybe I will get to someday.

Have a great day!  There's still a month left of summer!!!!

Swan Lake Cabins/Homes

Isn't this one unique?  Shari and I would pick this one.  If we couldn't share we decided I could have the one pictured below which is right next door-very convenient.  The wrap-around porch is great and at an angle really takes advantage of the view.  We think there must be a sleeping porch upstairs-wouldn't that be neat.  These two houses are the kind I love to see on vintage cottage tours-alas, just the exteriors on this tour, so we will just imagine.
There must be two charming bedrooms upstairs and another great porch.  It looks like it would be very spacious.  The birch trees are lovely.

This is a little sauna!

This home is pretty new but very charming.

The colorful chairs caught our attention at this place.  The cabin looks very nice too.  

There were some new & BIG gorgeous homes on the lake too but I am showing you my favorite kind today.  Hope you enjoyed the tour!

This and That

Here are the Amish haystacks that Ellen and I stopped to see after Staples near Wrightstown, Mn.  Much easier to manage than round bales I bet!
Sneak Preview!!  Here is Ellen posed in the new Bargain Bazaar kitchen area.  This is from the upstairs apartment.  It used to be peach but looks much nicer in white, don't you think?  Lots of display space here.  The plan is to open the new store on October 1st.
This is from the new BB too and is on the opposite side that you see Ellen above.  You are looking into the living room and  the plan is to have pillows, bedding, home interior type stuff here and there's a little room off to the left of the windows that will be the Christmas room.  All the boxes you see in the LR basically have Christmas items in them, so we have lots of that.  I did the viney border around the doorway.  In the Christmas room, Ellen and I painted pine boughs and they turned out pretty nice I think!

I had Ellen to myself for a couple of days last week.  She was good about posing.  We watched the sunset from the cabin and you can see that it was a pretty one!

Isn't she Sweet?

Shadow is such a pretty cat.  If she wasn't constantly begging for food she'd be almost perfect.

Mom came up yesterday and spent the night at the cabin.  The winds have been pretty strong from the south but the cabin has been nice and sheltered.  We grilled last night and commented on the lack of mosquitos until the sun set, then we ate our words and slathered on the repellant.  We also finished off the last of the Dairy Queen ice cream cake.  Dan and Mom both protested that their piece was too big but managed to eat it anyway!  I knew they could, so did I!!  Today, Mom and I did a little thrift store and book shopping in Fergus.  We ate at the Don Pablo's downtown that is NOT a part of the chain.  Shari and the girls ate there with me last week and we loved it.  The book store I mentioned sells books by the pound, isn't that funny?  They also give you a credit of 99cents per book if you bring some in.  I had 3 and applied it towards the purchase of a Williams & Sonoma cookie/biscotti cookbook for 2.99.    Kris joined us for coffee this afternoon and it was nice to see her as it seems like it's been ages!  We have plans for apple pie baking and concrete bird baths at her house so that will be fun.  

This weekend is "Guys Weekend" at the cabin and Dan is very excited about that.  His friend Todd is going to look at the cabin for sale further down the point and it would be awesome to have them down there but we're not gettting our hopes up.

Andrew  is heading off to college at SCSU this Saturday.  Hard to believe, like Ann said in an email it seems like he was just born and now he's off to college.  He's excited to start on his new path in life and we wish him the best of luck.  Matthew is soon off to UMD and I'm sure Shelly has similar feelings!  Shari, did I tell you that Matthew plans to be in the band so that he can play for the hockey games?!  You will have to keep an eye out for him when you go to the games.  Maybe we will have to come up for one one of these winters.  Is it hard to get extra tickets?

Okay, that's enough rambling for now.  Have a good weekend everyone!  ~Laurie

Rummage in the Park

Now what should I do?!??

Carly had to be content with pretty shirts!

She really enjoyed this store despite the lack of dresses for her.

Ellen refuses to shop here with us.

Wouldn't this make a nice inaugural dress?

Shari didn't like this dress at all but put it at my request.  Notice the shoes that she did purchase, were they $5? Very cute and made in Italy.

Shari picked this one out for herself.  Fun colors!

Carly actually found this one!  I liked it too and after I tried it on I loved it.  Where could I wear this?!

A sporty pantsuit!

This dress was very pretty and we liked the gathered bodice.  Too bad the picture is rather blurry but you get the idea.  Rummage in the park is sooo much fun!  Shari got a pair of jeans in addition to her shoes.  I picked up a nice pair of black dress pants from Banana Republic for only $10, actually 8 since everything was 20 % off!  So we do get some good deals on items we can actually wear but the fun part is trying on the vintage clothing.  Women really knew how to dress up back in the 60's early 70's and the sizes have certainly changed.  A current size 6 is more like a 0 back then.  Do you remember that?  It's crazy but I wear a smaller size now than I did when I was in HS and I haven't gotten smaller.  

This year I did buy one of the vintage outfits pictured above.  Which one do you think I took home?!

Bales

This painting was created by Steven Henning from Evansville.  We've been lucky to have him as a artist in residence at our school a few times.  I found this painting on his website a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it.
Yesterday, on my way home from Elbow I had to stop and take some photo's of these bales just along the "shortcut road" to Barrett.  
The big one looks like it's about to roll down the hill.
I like it in black and white and the farm in the background is a nice addition don't you think?  I didn't even plan that.
I did a color boost on this picture and a little fading around the edges.  On the way up to Shari's, Ellen and I stopped to take photo's of an Amish hayfield.   They had little old fashioned stacks, and you don't see that everyday.  It would be neat to see how they do their corn.