A New Take on Apples To Apples

What happens when you only have two people and you want to play Apples To Apples?? You draw a couple of friends to play the game with you. We worked it out so we chose cards from Summer and Laundry at random. Check out the random hand for "Hopeless"!! Boyfriends...Class Reunions... or Oral Surgery? Hmmm...If you were the judge, which one would you pick???

Mallory's Wedding Shower

Mallory couldn't resist trying the icing on her cake, but that's ok...she has a Kitchen Aid Mixer now so she is set to bake the night away! The wedding will be here sooner than we know it... August 23 on a Lake Michigan beach somewhere near Glen Arbor!

for your viewing pleasure...

Hello fam-damily! Just wanted to share a website with you that may brighten your workdays behind the computer. If you stare at that screen all day long, dress it up with some sweet wallpaper like you see here. The website is http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=wallpaper_download
Enjoy!

Windmills, the Mississippi, and Home!

I took the picture of these two windmills (yes, there are two of them) because it shows such a contrast between today's new windmills compared to the old ones. If you look closely, you can see the old one. It's about the size of the tree on the far left. It also shows the massive size of the new windmill. The Mississippi River has been full to overflowing again this year as we meandered across the backroads home.

Speaking of home... it was a grand sight to see...our little home on the corner.

Driving 55 MPH

I am a nerd. Julie and I have been driving 55 mph to see if we would get better fuel economy. Well, it works. WE have a 5 speed, 2003 Chevy Cavalier, and on our trip from the in-laws in Michigan to our home in Marion we average over 47 miles per gallon.

Out on the farm with Claude

Our next stop was out to the prairie to visit with Claude. Claude holds a very special place in Marlin's heart as he lived and worked for him one summer in his teens. Claude has always been a mentor and fine example of the way a Godly man lives, and we appreciate the legacy that he has passed on to other members of his family. When Marlin lived with Claude, he said he didn't go to town once the whole summer. He preferred to stay on the farm where he worked many acres of ground. He said he didn't get a haircut the entire summer he was there so you can imagine what his hair looked like by summers end. Please pray for Claude as he faces his battle with cancer. The pain is now in his back and is difficult for him, but he never complained the entire time we were there.

His daughters, Rita and Esta, and gradaughter, Lanae, were there when we arrived for our visit. We were so glad to see them all as it has been much too long a time between visits.

Keith and his wife, Vada, came over from next door to visit as well. I didn't get a picture of Vada, but I left her with an "Indiana Hug!" Here is a picture of Clude with all of his kids except Eldon.

I took this parting shot of "Old Red", the final truck that Vernon owned when he retired. He sold it to Keith many years ago. Marlin, Emilie, and I hauled it out to Colorado when Emilie was just a little girl.

A Visit With Myrna

After eating at DeeDee's restaurant in Flagler, Colorado, we drove by to see if Myrna was home from the hospital. Kathy was there and we had quite a nice visit catching up. After we left, Marlin commented that Kathy hasn't aged a day since the last time we saw her. What's your secret, Kathy? For the younger ones in the Schrockle Clan, Myrna was married to Ervin, Grandpa Vernon's brother, and Kathy is married to their son, Norm. Myrna lives in the house that Vernon's dad, Pete, built in Akron, Colorado.

Goodbye Idaho

We said goodbye early Saturday morning to Lynn and Mike. We opted to take the scenic route south for a last look at the mountains.











This is a shot of Fossil Butte Mountain.


Marlin said he loves this valley just as much as the ones in Montana.








We stopped at Laramie for the night where I shot this antelope just down the street from our hotel. We were lucky to get a hotel as we discovered after we got there that the Rodeo was in town. We would have liked to have gone but we were both too tired. I guess the altitude is finally getting to us...either that or we're just getting old!

Paparazzi

Paparazzi is the term used to describe photographers who take candid photos of celebrities, usually by relentlessly shadowing their public and Private life. This celebrity was always trying to elude the scope of my camera, but I was successful in capturing a few shots worth sharing. The only problem is that I can't remember his name. Anyone out there know who this celeb is and where he's at now?

Lynn's Recipes

Spice Rubbed Salmon

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Olive Oil

Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Brush salmon with olive oil. Rub dry mixture into salmon both front and back. Grill salmon 4-6 minutes for each half inch of thickness or until it flakes. Turn once half way through grilling.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Mix together equal parts of mayonaise and yogurt. Add olive oil and rice vinegar mixing until it becomes the right consistency for dressing. Add poppy seeds and chill.

Grillin' and Rustler's Rapsody

Our final night in Idaho was spent Grilling. Joyce and Jerry came over for a fun night of food and fellowship. Even Sophie joined in obediently sitting in her stroller while we ate. After dinner, we watched a spoof on the old westerns called "Rustler's Rapsody" from NetFlix so if you haven't seen it, you might want to check it out. It is one of Mike's favorite movies. As you can see by the pics below, the guys certainly were enjoying it!

No Surgery Today

This morning we made our way to St. Luke's Hospital for Lynn's scheduled back surgery. Little did we know how this day was about to unfold. I took this picture of Lynn and Mike outside the entrance to the hospital. Lynn said that she felt like she was dressed up for a graduation. We told her it was a graduation from all the pain she has been experiencing these past few months.


Mike did a wonderful job of comforting Lynn every step of the way as he tenderly helped her to check in to the hospital. You might even say that he has the healing touch. He definitely met her needs of touch and calmed her as she faced this new challenge.
When we arrived, we noticed first thing that there was this screen, kind of like those arrival and departure screens at the airport. They are for keeping track of your loved one so you know what step of the process they are in. However, it never moved past the checkin time of 9:53 a.m. for Lynn. I took a picture of it and the nurse came over and asked me not to take any more pictures of the screen (but she never asked me to delete what I had taken either). Whoops!



Mike came out around noon and told us that the surgery had been canceled due to a minor problem with the EKG. Lynn will have to have a treadmill test next week to rule out any problems and then they will reschedule her surgery. It was a very disappointing day for Lynn, but we will get her through this! I'm sorry, Lynn, that I won't be here to take that picture of your incision that you wanted me to take. Maybe Jerry will do that for you in my absence!!

We took Lynn out to lunch in a very beautiful relaxing setting to try and get her mind off of what had just happened. As you can see by this picture, it was the highlight of the day thus far.

A Night On the Town of Boise

We went downtown Boise tonight to see Mike's office. It's a very famous building that is known for being "green". The next stop was at a restaurant where we got to see some of Linda's artwork displayed. Here is a picture of Linda with my favorite piece.

We went to another restaurant to eat and saw this poster advertisement in the bathroom stall. Now, I ask you...why is there an advertisement about laser hair removal for males in the girls bathroom? Women, are we supposed to drag our guys down there or are we supposed to fuggedaboutit? Our last stop was at a French Cafe where we enjoyed french pastries outside on the porch.

Lunch with Lynn & Mike

Lynn made a delightful lunch for us. We had chicken sandwiches with avocado, fresh fruit and Judy's Massaged Kale and Currant Salad. The recipe is as follows:

Judy's Massaged Kale and Currant Salad

1 bunch kale, cut into bite sized pieces

1 t. salt

1/4 c. diced red onion

1/3 c. currants or raisens

1 c. diced apple (approx. 1 apple)

1/3 c. sunflower seeds, toasted (Lynn toasted them in a frying pan instead of the oven)

1/3 c. gorgonzola cheese

Massage salt into the kale for about 2 minutes. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Adjust salt and vinegar until the flavor is just right. Add the cheese just before serving. Lynn says this salad keeps well so if there are any leftovers, make sure you keep it.

July 10, 2008 Breakfast at Rembrandts

Marlin treated me to breakfast at the Rembrandts Coffee House in Eagle. It is a quaint coffee house and cafe housed in an old church.

It is very artsy inside with a bookstore and artwork. We sat on the patio and enjoyed the morning sunshine while it is still bearable down here in the valley. The temp is supposed to be in the 100's today.

July 10, 2008 Drive Down from McCall

We got up about 5, packed up and made our way down to Boise on Route 55 which runs along the Payette River. The morning sunlight began its ascent by casting shadows on the majestic mountain tops.