Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Not bad seats for $4/adults, $2/kids

Last Friday we went to see the Lookouts play. We only stayed until the 7th inning, since we had to drive back to Alabama afterwards. They were up 0-9 when we walked out, but we heard another homerun before we left the stadium. It was a great way to spend an evening with the family.

The setting sun was relecting on the aquarium. Cool.

This is a plug for two shows featuring the new Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga. You have to watch two different episodes to see everything. In the first episode you see all the robots that put the cars together. It is in the first 15 minutes of the show. In the second episode you see what the plant is doing to be "green". It is in the middle 10 minutes of that show.

We were watching the part that talks about the cars going through a monsoon bath and Mr. C chimed in that they stay in it for 6 minutes. We were all like, "How did you know that?" He went in his room and got out a booklet that Hubby had brought home and turned to the page that showed the monsoon bath. "I've read this three times," Mr. C told us.

More Owls

A common Barred Owl in our "tornado tree"--M has convinced Mr. C that the owls have come to deliver his Hogwarts invite

We have counted four owls in our trees at one time. They come every night at dusk. It is impossible for me to get a good picture in that lighting. I have tried to get movies as well, but they just look like black and gray blobs.

Currently I have my windows open and I can hear them screeching. At first there was a mockingbird joining in, but he couldn't hit the high notes, so he gave up and flew away. They are fun to watch fly. They are so fat that it is amazing they can get off the ground, much less float gracefully from tree to tree to housetop to telephone pole.

I watched two of them, who have been excitedly screeching at each other for about a half and hour, flap around on the same branch on top of each other. They are either making love or war. I'm not sure which, or if it makes a difference.

Marvelous Mission

Marvelous, Smarty, and Mr. Creativity on the SC coast--circa 2006

M left with the youth group to go on a week long mission trip. They have headed off to the mission fields of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Seriously.

They do painting, construction, and clean-up for elderly or others who can't do for themselves. And then they get to have free-time at the beach. Last year they went to Florida. It is sort of like a glorified vacation, with a little work thrown in.

We do have a group from our church that goes down to Mexico twice a year. Last year a couple of the college-aged kids went with them. But considering the amount of violence in that area, I won't sign off on any of my kids going there.

Last week the youth all got together and went to help with the continuing clean up efforts around here. So they have been helping those around home as well. Good kids.

My Current Nemesis

For Christmas Hubby bought me this serger. How romantic, you might say. Actually last fall I had the grand idea that I could sew little girl dresses and sell them at Christmas boutiques around town. That was before I found out how expensive it is to put up a table at one of those holiday boutiques, plus you have to donate a door prize. I could have ended up losing money. Well, even more money than I did in materials.

I just now got around to taking the serger out of the box and trying to figure it out. I got Smarty to help as well. Together we could not figure out how to thread the thing. We followed the "convenient threading guide" on the machine and watched the DVD that came with it. We got out a flashlight and turned it this way and that to see where the thread goes. It is maddening!

Here are some of the dresses I made, sans serger. I couldn't find any patterns that matched exactly what I wanted to make, so I spliced some together. I think they turned out nicely.

So festive, with a velveteen top

Blue taffeta

I made these little rosettes. The jewels in the middle don't show up very well, but they are very elegant.

Burgandy and black tafetta with a black tulle sash. It could use a little embellishment at the front. Maybe a small jewelled brooch.

A view of the inside of a dress. They are all fully lined and all the seams are hidden. I even fully enclosed the zipper. Not only does it make it look better, but it keeps all the rough edges from irritating sensitive skin.

There is a sense of pride I get in making something well. I know that probably sounds corny in today's times. Plus, you can buy a dressy dress for a little girl at Walmart for less than $20. I've got more than that in the material costs for most of these. So this is probably just a waste of time as far as money makers go. But I do enjoy the sewing and thinking about how nice it would be to make little flower girl dresses and special occassion dresses.

The Finished Project

Mr. Creativity put all his brain power to work and figured out how to complete the robot!

Only 9 weeks of summer left. What will we do next?

Not So Mechanically Inclined

Some people have a special gift of being able to take a bunch of metal parts and wires and connect them together and make something out of them. I don't have this gift. But since Hubby has an extra dose of talent in this area, it usually doesn't matter that I'm so clueless. Today Mr. C received the robot kit we ordered in the mail and he couldn't wait to get started. I told him to read all the directions thoroughly and then I went to take a nap.

When I rejoined him, he was at a loss and I was not much help. He is not used to having such a helpless parent. He thinks if he just talks louder I will understand what the problem is. He finally gave up on me and went outside.

Without all the shouting in my ear, I was able to disassemble some of what he had done. He had completed steps 1, 4, 5, and 7. Besides doing the steps out of order, he had done step 4 incorrectly with wires going through the wrong holes.

I might let him try again tomorrow. Or it might just be his "Weekend Project With Daddy".

Auburn Roadtrip

I took Smarty down to Auburn today to sign a lease and pay for her apartment. We spent some time walking around campus because I had never been there before. I was impressed. It is a nice campus and I'm excited for her to begin this next phase of her life. I think she is going to have a great college experience.

This is where she will be living next year. It used to be a monastery. You have to enter through a courtyard, so it is somewhat secure.

This is the church that the apartment is attached to. It is only two blocks from campus, so she won't have to drive to class.

Toomer's Corner where a crazed Alabama fan poisoned the live oaks last fall. They are doing everything possible to save the trees, but not sure if they will survive.

*Change of subject: I don't ever use real names on here, but I want to put out a prayer request. Please pray for the family of Ben Clough over the next week. Our community has been deeply affected by his passing last night. I can't begin to imagine what his mother is going through. Marvelous has been particulary upset by this and Thursday will probably be a hard day for her.

VW Grand Opening Family Celebration

Yesterday was the Grand Opening of the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga. As with all auto manufacturing plants, no pictures are allowed inside the plant. We did go on a self-guided tour, but they weren't running on the weekend. It is a much more impressive plant than Honda was. There is even a gift shop at the front entrance. I'm not kidding.

This is the bridge you have to walk through to get from the entrance to the plant.

These are the stairs/escalator that go from the bridge to the plant main level. Hubby used a pedometer to measure the distance from where he parks to his office and it was 0.9 miles. Now figure that he walks to and from his desk at least 4 times a day. He has lost a lot of weight! He now weighs about what he did six years ago.

This is hard to see, but the speed limit on the test track is 80 miles an hour along the stretch under the bridge.

There were tons of games, free food, and street performers. Marvelous stole the show from one of the jugglers.

And if you were wondering how we convinced teenagers (ours and her best friend) to come to an automotive plant grand opening, there was a concert with one of their favorite bands. If you listen to Christian music (we are all into that here) then you've heard of Switchfoot. If not, then here is a very short clip of one of their songs. Enjoy!

Night-time Visitor

We had this guy visiting our trees last night. He was easily as big as Mr. Socks. He would fly down and grab something off the ground and take it back up into the branches. Whatever it was would take him two bites to eat. He flew down a few times to get whatever it was out of the yard. The way the other  birds were yelling at him I wondered if he was eating baby birds that had fallen out of the nest.

Our neighbor boy came out and tried pelting him with a bb gun, until I let him know that we rather enjoyed having an owl on the premises. Then he tucked his gun under his arm and went back in his fence. Of course I don't want an owl around if he's going to eat other birds. But if he would go after the squirrels, he could stay forever. I guess I don't know what makes up the diet of an average owl.

This is a Great Place

We went to First Friday tonight. This is a store that is amazing. I can't believe there is a place like this that still exists. I also can't believe that we have never taken out-of-town visitors here. I'm sure they would all be able to find something to buy.

Let's see what there is inside.

Predecessor of Walmart

My Granny used these, but I didn't know they still sold them.

Your plants will be happier in a smiling frog planter.

Toys!

It's a dollie! No, a lamp. No, a dollie.  A dollie lamp! How ingenious!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

I really wanted these, but they were $3.50 each. A little steep.

Don't you think it would be great if housecoats came back into fashion?

                                                                                                                                                                                                              

This is the aisle where my mom would get lost, metaphorically speaking.



Notice the hardwood floors. I hope you enjoyed this  shopping trip!