Naturally Optimistic

Well, I didn't really take any pics of Steve opening his gifts ( Hullo Pillow , Brewhouse t-shirt, wood burning tool) and I am only now making his bday dessert (pumpkin bars) AND we didn't even MAKE IT out for dinner last night....so we're headed to the Brewhouse tonight. Launching the boats. We stopped at "our creek beach" and launched some boats. It was quite hilarious to hear the kids scream in terror as if the boats would be lost forever (the creek is very slow going this time of year...all were rescued). My handsome husband. We did take a lovely hike. Well, mostly lovely. Dahlia crabbed & screamed & whined most of the way until I bribed her with snacks & then she had fun. Oy vey. Heartbreaking when she says she "doesn't like hiking" any  more. She's going to be in for a rude awakening when that's what we're going to keep doing! Me & my little cutie (photo by Dahlia). We stopped in the middle of the c...

 What a beautiful fall day to be walking to work. *sigh*

I slept in. I could end the post there. But I won't. Steve & I went for a hike. The two of us. At a brisk pace. Neither one of us whined, cried or threw a fit. It was quite wonderful. We glittered up leaves that we collected & pressed the week before. I love doing such messy crafts with the kiddos outside. Our garbage can is full of lots of sparkles this week!  And we took in the view from Hawk Ridge (see new banner pic). The sun was starting it's dip into evening so the colors under the canopy were not as bright as they would've been earlier in the day, but that's okay. It was still lovely.

Glensheen Mansion from the lake side So we made it to Glensheen today. No bike ride or picnic. Instead a nice hearty breakfast at Perkins. That worked. Looking down the main hallway from the living room. The tour was great, as usual. I think I have been there at least 6 times. The first was shortly after it opened (1979/80....?!) It is a beautiful home and I love all of the rich fixtures, decor and history. I wish I had longer to spend there. I wish I knew more about really how the family spent their 'every' day days there. My favorite room - the breakfast room The grounds are amazing - the vegetable garden makes me so envious! But holy hannah - they need to get in there and pick some produce! There are flowers upon flowers upon flowers. The formal garden screams to be photographed, the trails in the woods beckon you to explore. The kids really enjoyed the grounds, as did Steve & I. I am thinking a picnic on the grounds (grounds only passes are available for...

I had a great idea for today. We have a gift certificate that my folks gave me (early) for our anniversary for a "Rose Garden Picnic Basket lunch" from Valentini's (located, right by the Rose Garden)....AND we have passes to area attractions which expire tomorrow. I asked Steve if he'd like to go to Glensheen with me & the kids & do the picnic thing and he said - yeah, sure! So, the plan was go park at the Rose Garden, bike with our picnic lunch to Glensheen, tour the mansion & gardens and then head back for our picnic along the Lakewalk somewhere. I called the restaurant this morning to see if we could get a basket, what comes in it, etc. They're not open on Sundays. WHAT? I checked their website...they're not open on Sundays at all in the Summer (hi! They're RIGHT on the LakeWalk....) or in the Winter (makes more sense). I would've never thought a restaurant would be closed on one of the busiest Sundays in Duluth! Ah well...on t...

Steve & I decided it was a day for family fun. We knew that Saturday would be cooler & Sunday more lovely - so we picked Sunday (also, I still had that stupid garage sale going on on Saturday)...initially we wanted to drive up the North Shore to drink in the beautiful colors. But we ended up opting for a shorter drive. Out 'west' to the Munger Trail & the Ely's Peak area of Duluth. It was so lovely. However, it wasn't that *fun* of a day. We are cursed with trying to get out of the house these days. It seems to take for EVER. There's the cleaning up after breakfast, the dressing of the monkey-children. There's packing lunches, snacks, milk, water. There's the OH MY GOD YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG SOCKS tantrums to deal with. There's hooking up the bike rack and loading on the bikes & trailer. It takes all dang morning. But finally we left. Late. I wanted to leave at 10, we left at 1. So be it. So while driving out to the Munger Trail, bot...

Michelle & I enjoyed a beautiful day last Saturday & took the kids to Bayfront Park/The Lakewalk for multiple festivities. It was such a fun (free!) day. We got a free kite for Dahlia courtesy of the Kiwanis, we got our passports stamped at various tables along the lakewalk & turned them in for free ice cream (Dahlia's having the fireman sign her book below). I bought a pound and a half of red potatoes & a green pepper for $1.90. We danced the Maypole. We got sun-tinted pink, walked thousands of steps. Dahlia painted Lake Superior rocks & "went fishing." (we were too tired to check out the zoo animals at Fitgers, go for a hayride or get our photo taken -next year!). What a great family friendly (cheap!) day. Can't wait til next year.