More Moments in Time From This Week...

Wednesday, October 28th, Claude spoke at the Interim Committee on Local Government in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Capitol as 1st Vice President of Kentucky League of Cities. Here are a few pictures of Claude, Roddy Harrison (President KLC) and John Steiner (Executive Director of KLC) as they testify and state the KLC 2016 Legislative agenda.

The last picture looks like someone said, "Everyone face right" and they did!!

While Claude did that, Papa and I went to the nursing home and I taught Institute. 

Thursday I finished the latest afghan. I taught two wonderful young people in Institute several years ago. It was so fun to watch their friendship blossom and become love. Claude and I attended their wedding. Now they are having their first baby and it will be a little girl. This blanket is for their bundle of joy due to arrive in November. 

Thursday Claude and I also went to the Rosenwald School to retrieve some historical information for me to study. Then we opened the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church which is the current restoration project and retrieved some historical artifacts from the inside to save as display items after the church is restored. Here are a few pictures of the interior. I posted exterior work done a few weeks ago. 

Being in that musty environment set my cold back a day or two. But we are happy we saved some items to be displayed later.

Friday I picked up Papa and we drove to Sunset Memorial Gardens to pay Mom a visit and put new flowers on her grave. We were going to do this last Monday but when I got to Papa's house he was suddenly very ill. Hurled, messed up stomach. It was a blessing my visit was right at the time it started. Helped him through the final hurling and nestled him in his chair and stayed till I was sure he was okay. He had a bad voice for a while but I really think that was the hurling. Friday was our second and successful try at getting to the cemetery.

Then we went for a drive through the countryside. This time we managed to find a field of cows with several camels in it. These camels had two humps. Not something one usually sees in Kentucky. But, they were there and quite a fun find on our journey. There was still color on the trees and some trees just now beginning to change. It was a lovely ride and we found roads we had never been on. That is always a plus.

My middlemost grandmonster, Aubrey Anne, posted on Facebook, "What are you dressing up for on Halloween?"  I posted that I was going as a Gramma.  Friday evening was Trunk or Treat at the Church. The Institute class was to help the little ones make ghosts out of Tootsie Roll Pops and Kleenex. I wore my Halloween sweater. Bought it many, many, many years ago and wear it every Halloween. Will wear it tonight when the trick-or-treaters come to the door. I posted this for Aubrey and told her I was 'in costume'!

So Saturday is a little cold and cloudy with a chance of a shower later today. I'm checking things off this massive to-do list and enjoying our home. I do love being home. 

A Japanese Treasure...

When we travel, we have developed the habit of looking for a few things for our home. One of these is something, typical of the country we are visiting, which we can hang on the wall in our basement. As I read about Japan, I kept hearing of 'wood block prints'. I told Claude that might be something we would find for a souvenir. 

While touring Kyoto, we visited the Kyoto Handicraft Center which is filled with items made in Japan by Japanese hands. There was an area of the store full of wood block prints. Claude and I perused them all and came up with one we both really liked. 

I took it to Michael's a couple of weeks ago and picked out the perfect frame. Yesterday I picked it up and we are both very happy with how it turned out. 

Now to find the perfect place to hang it in the basement...hmmmm....

Autumn Gives Pause...

Spent a couple of days in my home not feeling well. Looking out our window and the stand of trees behind our home. Loving the colors of the leaves, the sky, the bark on the trees, the brownness of the earth. Wanting to be right inside all the color.

Yesterday I had to go to Lexington for an errand. Gasoline was very inexpensive at the Walmart so I pulled in to fill my half empty gas tank. I looked around and again noticed all those beautiful leaves. I decided to pause and enjoy and fill the half empty tank of my heart.

This is my journey. Hopefully it will be pleasant to you as well.

Parked my car at the outer perimeter of this shopping area and walked across to this little park area I have driven past so many times in the last 11 years. Wanted to stop and see it close. Never did. Until yesterday. What a delight. 

These are actually three trees, different angles.

Don't you feel like you are right inside the color?

Watching it change from summer to autumn. 

The stream to fill the soul (of the trees and me).

Through the trees I found the cemetery.

I had learned several years back that this piece of ground was preserved when they built up Hamburg because there was a horse cemetery there. It is true. The man on the statue in the inside the gate is the one with the idea and the drive to create Hamburg Pavilion. Inside the gate is the cemetery. The names of the race horses buried here are the names of the streets in Hamburg.

 

When a horse is buried, they bury the head, heart and hoofs.

Nancy Hanks. 

Time to go back to my car just beyond the colorful trees. 

Look up!!

Look down!!

Look all around!!

I'm grateful I took time to 'pause' and enjoy Autumn. I am full again! 

Taste Treat from Afar...

While in Japan, Claude and I learned about a few taste treats we really wanted to try. One of these was 'melon ice cream'. We had this treat while in Tahara. First on Mt. Zao and then at the Japanese barbecue place for lunch.  The melon used there is a hybrid that is only grown on the Atsumi Peninsula. The outside is just like a cantaloupe but the inside is green like a honeydew. The taste is a cross between the two and delicious.

On our way home we tried to figure out how we could make this delicious dessert. We couldn't get the right melon but we could get a honeydew melon and come close. We own a little ice cream freezer we purchased just before we retired. It makes about 4 servings of ice cream and stays in the freezer ready to create whenever we have the need for an ice cream treat. 

I looked through the recipe book that came with the ice cream freezer and found a recipe for a fruit sherbet made with frozen fruits. I purchased a honeydew melon (they are much harder to come by this time of year). Claude got the half and half. 

Yesterday afternoon I put together this concoction and set it to churning on the kitchen counter.  

As soon as I thought it was finished churning, I took this quick picture and then put the ice cream (sherbet...whatever...) in the freezer in containers. 

Claude made a new soup recipe for dinner. So yummy on a rainy, cooler than usual, Saturday evening. We waited a bit after eating, then we had our 'Melon Sherbet'.  It was delicious. 

I find it very interesting that I taught a lesson about melons and ways to use them just before we went to Japan. Then we come across this unusual use of melons in ice cream while in Japan. I would never have thought about making ice cream out of honeydew melons unless we had tried this in Japan. Now we are hooked on this light flavor and will definitely have this again. Yet another example of how life circles around and fills in the gaps with wonderful experiences. 

Chili Cook-off Dos

Scott County Senior Center held it's annual Chili Cook-off Thursday. The contestants were Mayor Claude Christensen of Sadieville, Mayor Kayla Jones of Stamping Ground, Mayor Tom Prather of Georgetown and Scott County Judge Executive George Lusby. 

I just have to say the trash talking going on between Claude, Judge Lusby and Mayor Prather cracks me up. By the time we arrived the story going around was that Mayor Prather might be a little late as he had to be sure Wendy's was open and selling their chili. The understanding is that Barbara made Judge Lusby's chili. It is all in fun and adds to the energy of the moment. 

There was a fun band playing good old country music with a little gospel thrown in for good measure before the actual judging began. 

Everyone was happy and enjoying the moment.

The judges were from the sponsors of the event.

George Parker was helping. He was the manager of the Sadieville Branch of Whitaker Bank for years. It was great to see him again.

The winner was Mayor Kayla Jones of Stamping Ground. 

Our table was served Claude's chili after the judging. Everyone pronounced it GREAT!! And it was.

It was another good event to raise money for the Scott County Senior Center. Very worthwhile cause.