Our Little Amish Experience

                  My grandchildren and I enjoyed our morning at a friend's newly opened Buggy and Carriage Shoppe.  Kim and her husband Nathan graciously treated us to the Amish experience that they fell in love with while on a pipeline job in Ohio.  Seems Nathan spent so much of his timeoff in the Amish community up there, that folks started calling him "Brother Nathaniel"!

We enjoyed seeing all the various buggies that the Amish use and learning a little about their lifestyle.  Of course the kids all had to have a horse from the gift shoppe to take home with them!

Kim gave us a nice ride in their new "Bailey Express".

"Brother Nathaniel" and my grandchildren were enjoying the surry ride.

If any of you are ever in this area, stop by for a visit.  While they presently host birthday parties and school trips, they have many other plans in store.

Like Grandma..Like Granddaughters

My oldest granddaughter called me last week from her talented art class!  Her art teacher wanted to tell me that she thought my artistic genes had surely been passed down to my granddaughter.  (She had received one of my hand painted cypress knee Santas as a Christmas gift.)   She was excited to inform me that my granddaughter had received 1st place on one of her artworks sumitted to the school district's end of the year ArtQuest!

ArtQuest featured more than 2,400 projects from students in Kindergarten through 12th grade throughout the school district.  The 1st place blue ribbon exhibits were showcased in the lobby of the convention center and the artists were recognized by the school superintendent who presented them with a gift bag containing art supplies. 

As we admired the fifth grader's award winning watercolor/ink composition, her younger sister announced to us that she, too, had a drawing on display.  News to all of us!!!!  She promptly located her school's section among the 2,000 plus exhibits and low and behold...though she had not received a blue ribbon...there it was!!!  Her "Bug" had made the trip from her 2nd grade classroom all the way up onto that exhibit hall wall!

Way to go girls!!!  Your "B' is so very proud of you.  So glad I could pass those artistic genes on to you, but sorry to say, you'll have to look to your other grandmother for those cooking genes!