A Night Out

Well, it's been over two years now that Ando has been working weekends - Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday all day. It has not been very easy or fun to say the least. He finally quit his weekend job and we now get to spend more time together. Yeah! For the occasion of his first Friday night not working, we went out to dinner at Ando, a local Japanese restaurant. Fitting, no?

Little Lia's Turning Two!

What a big girl already!

Very excited to eat her birthday cupcake.

Very cute flower cupcakes Jeanne made for the party topped with marzipan and fondant bumble bees with almond wings.

Enjoying watermelon at every chance

Playing with new toys

A bit of fun playing the midwest's favorite outdoor game - cornhole!

John's 50th!

Homemade German Chocolate Cake for the occasion

Happy Birthday John!

Garden Kraut

My second batch of Kraut was a little more experimental. I used cabbage, beets, radishes, swiss chard, onions, hot pepper, thyme, tarragon - all from our garden. I also added celery seed and salt. It sure is pretty to look at. I hope it tastes alright. I love the idea of these mixed vegetable krauts - it's great way to use up what ever you have on hand or what ever is growing in the garden.

Lightning Bugs

A favorite part of summertime. Fireflies have been great to watch this year. But they are so darn hard to photograph! Andy suggested next time we try video over still photography. But below is a great long exposure photograph from Wickipedia that conveys a little more action.

I find this amazing (from Wikipedia) I never knew that Renaissance painters used a powder of dried fireflies to create a photosensitive mixture for some of their pigments. Is this true? I also love that according to dear Wiki, these fine organisms are thought to have evolved over time from simply using their bioluminesence to just ward of predators and became quite specialized in using their light instead for sexual selection with unique flash patterning. Aren't they just remarkable?

The Yellow Spring

First Araucana Egg

While Frank and Jeanne were away we watched their chickens and found this! The first egg laid by their Araucana chickens. Isn't it cute? It is such a pretty color and so small compared to the brown eggs we're used to. They will be glad to come home to find their chicks are laying!

In the Blueberry Patch

Our friend 'Huck' Finn

First Batch of Kraut

A simple recipe with shredded cabbage from our garden layered with salt and juniper berries

Mashed down, the cabbage releases it's own liquid which mixed with salt makes a nice brine

Ready to ferment

Farm Wedding

Kaede and Nathan!!!

The setting: the Hadlock family farm in Troy, Ohio

With little brother and best man Tyler

There's the view of the farm off in the distance.

Nathan and his best buds - Don't you think Gap should hire Andy to be their new fashion photographer after getting these shots?

Kaede and her girls

Tyler's girls

The Hadlock family portrait wouldn't be complete without a chicken! Tyler had to sneak one in.

Lia and Colleen

Farm Wedding Part 2

The farm at sunset - the flatness of Ohio is wonderful for sky and stargazing

A hand painted sign hanging in the barn I made during a wedding work weekend and below are party lights that Kaede and Nathan made and hoisted up to the rafters above the dance floor.

Lovely sky lanterns! Have you ever seen these? Hello Perfect wedding!

These were so beautiful floating off into the sky!! Just breathtaking!

Fireworks!

An impressively large bonfire

Ando!

Independence Day!

Oh yeah! Our neighborhood parade!

Watching from the sidelines with Yuko!