Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

Mary has a post about summer songs and "Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole is an old summer song that came to mind for me. Nat King Cole, the Mills Brothers and the Harmonicats were huge favorites of my Mom and Dad and having those songs run through my mind bring back such wonderful memories. I think that's why I REALLY enjoy Larry's Songbird Lyrics Game at The Brownstone Birder. If you like music at all stop over there and have a go at the game.

There hasn't been anything lazy about my summer so far. We have been BUSY! Here's one project that Art and I got done. My new new two tiered ponds! I had a single preformed pond in this raised bed for several years but it sprung a leak and I couldn't repair it any more. I found this two pond kit complete with fountain and pump for $98. It's not huge (135 gallons) but fits our yard. Birds love it and the water sound helps drown out traffic sound from the nearby highway. Two weeks ago we went to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to see my brother-in-law race his hot rodded '67 Chevelle. He built the engine himself and it is fast! Here he is pictured above flying down the quarter mile track. There were also junior dragsters (all driven by girls) and snowmobiles outfitted with wheels that raced. It was hot and loud but we all had a good time.

I think I mentioned before that we have a visitor from Germany staying with us. Aranka lived with us 9 years ago as an exchange student and attended Cooper High School as a senior. It was an amazing year for us all, full of fun, challenge and growth. John was in pre-school and Molly was in kindergarten. Aranka was here for Molly's first day of kindergarten and happily was here for her graduation from eighth grade. Here are my two girls- Molly and her German sister Aranka.

My kids have attended a small Catholic K-8 school connected to the church we attend. We've been very happy with the environment and education they've received there. Molly is off to public high school in the fall and is very ready for the change. John has one more year at parochial school. The graduation ceremony was in the church. When I saw the picture of John and Molly above I nearly wept. How can time speed past so quickly? When they were babies (they are only 14 months apart) life seemed so intensely busy and I remember thinking that when they got just a bit older I'd be able to catch up. Well, I've never really gotten caught up and wish I hadn't wasted time and energy worrying about it. Why do we do that? Why is so hard to live in the moment and fully appreciate now? I do think that mindset is slowing down the older I get. My kids can't wait to move foreward as fast as they can, I try to see each day as an event and my 89 year old Mom thinks always of her past. I guess that's how we're made.
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Molly plays in a girl's softball league and they had their mid-season tournament last weekend. Here she is with her Oma and Opa (Art's parents). Saturday was their 50th wedding anniversary. They married in Germany. Opa was in the Army when he met Oma. They married and left Germany to come back here to the family farm. A year later they moved out on their own, Opa completed a teaching degree and they went on to raise five children. They are both enjoying retirement and we were happy to have them join us for an afternoon of softball. Saturday was also Art's birthday (49!) and our 17th wedding anniversary!

After three games spaced throughout the day Art and I went out to a dinner of steak, shrimp and crab legs. YUM!! They were my first crab legs- tasty, but alot of mess, but the coconut shrimp- pure heaven.
BTW- Molly's team placed third out of 26 teams.
Way to go Molly!!