KALE!

I think my favorite vegetable this summer and fall is KALE.  I grew Red Russian and Lacinato this year, they are both equally delicious.  Here is a HUGE amount that I picked, and it really was too much to harvest all at once.  But I got it done.  Yum!  Lia loves it also!

Oktoberfest!

We went down to Oktoberfest and HONESTLY on our way IN we ran into Nana & Popi on their way OUT.  Thankfully they decided to come and play with us.  Here is Lia hugging Popi tight (she's a good hugger!).

Here she is riding in the firetruck...she had 2 times on this ride and

opted for the firetruck on both rides.

Wool Gathering in Yellow Springs

 Lia HAD to get on this calf!

 This wool gathering was awesome...they had this area with music that encouraged children to play instraments.

 We watched a guy sheer a sheep...here is the wool that was left.  Their wool isn't what keeps them warm, so it's ok to shear when the weather is getting colder. They are kept warm from eating and without a lot of wool their babies can nestle in close and stay warm from mommy's body heat. Pretty interesting stuff.

Lia wanting to pet a baby lamb. 

Here's a lama!

Lia and Maya got to ride the "train". 

This is Lia's way of telline me (on the way back) that her seat belt is no longer bukled (yikes!).

We got to touch an alpaca.  They were soooo soft!  But didn't really want to be petted. 

Back at the music tent. 

Afterwards, we went to visit our friends John & Angie, and their 2 boys.  They have a tire hanging from the tree and Lia LOVED swinging on it. 

 On the way home we found a farm selling acorn squash (above) and pumpkins, etc.  I love the photo above because I recently served my Dad an acorn squash.  He used to be a produce Manager at Kroger years ago.  We talked about the colors he remembers ever seeing and it was certainly not 4 different colors like above.

 Lia and I picked out pumpkins for Daddy, Mommy & Lia!

WEBN Fireworks?!

 This year I talked Frank into going to Eden Park to see the WEBN Fireworks. 

We were having a lovely time, Lia fed the ducks, played on the playground and then we enjoyed a delicious picnic dinner overlooking the Ohio River.  It was all great until about 1/2 an hour before the Fireworks were set to begin.  At that point, it started raining.  We braved it in our camping chairs with umbrellas....until we were completely SOAKED.  Even before that Lia told us "I want to go home".  We laughed because that was just at the beginning of the rain.  We had NO idea how hard it was going to rain.  Had we just waiting it out in the car, we would have been fine.  By the time we got home, the rain had stopped and shortly the Fireworks had begun.  Oh well!  We tried!!!  :) 

Limoncello and more!

Well this time I decided to expirament with not only my typical lemons, but I tried the same recipe for Limoncello with lime & grapefruit.  I also let them marinate for 6 months.  I think the grapefruit one is very good.  The lime is a little bit tart. 

Next I'll be trying it with oranges!

The order of the above:  Limoncello * Limeoncello * Grapefrucello