Festival Weekend

I have been chairing, along with my good friend, a craft-homemade items ... room at our church's yearly festival for about 11 years now...It has been a whole lotta work and a whole lotta fun...this was our last year chairing the room. In the past, we, my partner or I, come up with an idea. We draw it out and give the pattern to the Very Skilled and Masterful Norm-like Mister "M", and he gets to work. He cuts it out, sands it, and prepares it (them) for us to paint...You can go back to earlier posts to see the progression of some of this year's things. Here are some pics of this years offerings...

Yes, I bake most of the snacks...as always my partner in this venture makes some wonderful peanut brittle...and generous members of our parish community always bring in some more goodies to sell...

It takes about a week to set it all up and a couple of excruciating hours to take it all down and pack it away for next year...I'd take the set-up to the tear down any day...by the end of the weekend, we are exhausted!

Here is Claire helping to set up the room...

Teddy is just as helpful...

Claire is beckoned by the sound of loudly quacking - hungry ducks who do not care that we are all out-of-our-minds busy with festival...here they are at the back door... come to call on Claire to get a move on...

Thankfully, I have recuperated from the weekend...I'm ready to enjoy the rest of the summer!

Until next time...Blessings to you an yours...

Mary

Worn Out From Vacation

This was the big get-a-way for the summer...we set up camp about an hour away from home so the "dedicated to his job-especially in this economy Mister "M"" could come out every night yet go to work every morning. I spent the week with 4 teenagers (3 of which were girls and 1 was a Gabe) and 3 dogs (who aren't used to being treated like dogs) and lots of dirt. I had hoped to get more reading done...never enough time for that you know. Still all in all we had a good time. Above the "very useful Mister "M" put up the girl's tent.

This is a view of the reading chair.

And this is a shot of the camp boss...the vacationing, older brother to the younger Mister "M", much more talkative-yet very informative and amusing "West Coast Mister "M"--Yes, I know it is confusing, but when you are around them long enough you learn to tell them apart...When the west coast Mister M visits, he is always accompanied by my chum and sister-in-law, the fun and much thinner (I might add) Mrs "D". We loved having them here as always. They reported having had an especially relaxing trip this time and were rearing to get back home to jump back into their lives...

Teddy boo is in revolt! He hated the chain and was very sassy by the end of the week-picking up all the other campground dogs' bad behavior...here he is sporting the wild look...

"If I am to be treated like a dog, I might as well look like a mean one!"

Gabe the cave explorer...

Gabe the rock collector...

Claire on the beach-where she and her friends spent much of their time-I don't blame them...it was a beautiful week and the lake was glorious and refreshing.

Gabe the beach bum...

Proof that I was actually on the beach this summer...

Here is Claire taking taking down her tent.

I had hoped to miss fish fly season this year but this little guy waited for me to come home to remind me that I would not be that Lucky...oh well they never bothered me that much.

This week is a busy one...It is Festival Time...more on that next week-until then...blessings and kind thoughts

Mary

Cotton Wood Nightmare

The change of seasons from Spring into Summer reveals the reason I affectionately named our place and my blog Cotton Wood Creek...

have a blessed week! Mary

A Little Work-A little Play

Not so much work this weekend. Mister "M"'s big brother, Mister "T", was in town. The last time we saw him was 14 years ago...Claire was only 2 and Gabe was in the oven...

The work part...The bird loving Mister "M" finished his bird houses and nailed them in place.


The Play Part

First we had our niece's graduation party. Getting the entire family together is so fun. I take advantage of the photo opportunities especially with the little ones fishing. They fish in the "stocked" pond. Here is an example or the "stock"...

Keeping them out of the pond is quite the chore especially if the fish are not biting...



Sunday, we went skeet-shooting...Gabe is quite the good shot-takes after his Mum...

Claire gave it a try, but sadly, felt that observing was more to her liking.

To end the night, we BBQ'd and played in the yard until the sun set and the Mosquitoes (the size of small house wrens) ventured out of the woods to join us...

Hope you all had as relaxing a weekend...

till next week...Blessings...

Mary

Day to Day on Cotton Wood Creek

It has been almost two weeks since I last posted, sorry. I had hoped and set a goal for myself to post every week. What can I say...life sometimes gets in the way...

Again, nothing too out of the ordinary these last two weeks...

Last weekend, the energetic Mister"M" started checking off things on the 'must do" list (of the honey-do is a part)...He had to get the log splitter in working order to split the wood from the fallen Ash trees (see last falls posting). It had been sitting out in back by the log pile for about 8 years, so a miracle was called for. Naturally, the worker of all (most) miracles here on Cotton Wood Creek got down to business.

Better than new-when he originally made it.

At night, after diner, we kicked back to relax a bit while the always practicing fire safety and ever so fashionable "Mister"M" burnt his growing collection of twigs, fallen branches, and rotting wood until the wee hours of the morning...a great way to wrap up a busy weekend!

This week, Gabe had his first golf lesson...

...and he strong-armed the industrious Mister"M" into breaking out the golf cart after the long winter hibernation...of course it needed a tune-up and a new battery...

Yes, Gabe has short hair...we had to wrestle him to the ground, but I got the job done...

Here, Claire is taking a ride (at much risk) with Gabe...while the duckies explore the pond with their new found freedom and the deadly Mister"M" terrorizes the hordes of ant threatening the homestead.

What am I doing? What miracles am I performing? I spent the last week transferring files, pictures, scrapbook elements to my NEW computer and into my now able to be used, Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 program...I have been busy too!! I have also been working on "festival" craft items with the help of the woodshop master, Mister"M". Gee, for someone who wanted to remain anonymous on my blog...that mysterious Mister"M" sure gets a lot of the spotlight...

here is my little toad-we just love our toads here on CWC.

Take care and God Bless you all this week...

Mary