Summer Happenings

I've taken a little summer vacation from blogging.  Our gardens are going gangbusters now so I've been busy canning and freezing some of the extra produce.  Cucumbers and zucchini are currently the vegetables of the week.  I froze green beans last week.  My daughter suggested them and I still have so many canned beans from last summer I thought I'd give something new a try.  

J and I travelled to northern Wisconsin for a week at the end of July.  Apparently, we had some of the hottest weather of the summer at home but it was nice and cool on our trip!  We stayed at a small resort, Four Seasons Island Resort, near Pembine, Wisconsin.  It has a lovely nine-hole golf course, pool and 2 nice restaurants.  It was beautiful, peaceful and relaxing!  

This little resort is located on Miscauno Island in the Menominee River on the Wisconsin and Michigan border.  You access it driving on one of these small bridges.

The setting is so pretty and peaceful!

There are canoes to rent or, with a license, you can fish.

This bridge is on the other side of the small island and taken from the golf course.

J teeing off on one of the nine holes.

I probably spend as much time enjoying the scenery as playing golf!

We ate a couple of nights at the hotel grill.  J enjoyed trying out the local beers but I enjoyed a Blue Lagoon.  It's one of my favorite summer drinks.

We spent a couple of days driving down dirt roads and finding surprises 

like this little waterfall, near our hotel

We also enjoyed visiting the Menominee Range HIstorical Museum.  It shared some of the local history around Iron Mountain, MI such as the Cornish Pump, which pumped water out of iron mines in the late 1800s-early 1900s.  This was the largest 

steam-powered pump in the world.  

The display included lots of items used in iron mining.  

Next door to this display was the Glider and Military Museum.  There was a variety of vintage vehicles, military items and a restored glider used in WW II.  

According to the museum's website, "During World War II, the Ford Motor Company's plant in Kingsford built more Model CG-4A Gliders for the United States Army than any other company in the nation at less cost than other manufacturers. The glider featured in this museum is one of only seven fully restored CG-4A World War II gliders in the world."

It was certainly impressive!

J and I like finding these interesting, local displays.  Many communities have interesting histories and are proud to share with any who take the time.

We also spend a little time in Door County, Wisconsin.  We found a few wineries and this new brewery in Sisters Bay called Peach Barn Farmhouse and Brewery.  It just opened this summer and is owned by a young couple.  They served their offerings out of a barn on the back of their property.  Visitors relaxed in their backyard in a laid back, comfortable setting.  There were a lot of families enjoying the cool weather and playing outdoor games.  We just happened upon this place and really had a fun time.  The beer was good, too!

One of our favorite wineries on this trip was von Stiehl Winery in Algoma.  We sat outside with others and enjoyed visiting with locals and listening to live music.  

This was taken at the Northleaf Winery in Milton, Wisconsin on our way home.  You can tell J is a red wine kind of guy.  Surprisingly, one of our favorites from this winery was one of their peach wines!

Since we've been home we've had fun with this little fellow!  

Jack's Lego combine

I guess you can tell he loves fresh corn on the cob!

I just love this picture of Jack and his GG (Great Grandmother - J's mom)

And one more EXCITING event happened recently!  Our future daughter-in-love said YES to the DRESS!  

Michelle and I got to go along with her mom and sister  It was so much fun watching her try on all kinds of different styles.  The one that she picked is so elegant and beautiful, just like she is!

We've had a very happy and blessed summer so far!  I'd love to hear what you've been up to.  Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

                Zenda

Midsummer Views

It's the middle of July and usually we are experiences hot, dry weather.  This year has been a bit different.  We have had a ton of rain (I think maybe 15 inches?!?!?)  It's so much, I've lost track.  The crops are not doing very well in our area as the ground is just so saturated!  The flowers are loving it, though.  Here are some pictures from the bed in front of the house.  

Russian Sage and Limelight Hydrangeas

Oakleaf Hydrangea and Coneflowers

Limelights and Rudbeckia

More Coneflowers

Oakleaf Hydrangeas

and a late blooming clematis!

Our DAR chapter entered a float in the local youth fair and we won!  The prize money will help pay for a memorial to Revolutionary Soldiers who lived in our county.  We had a lot of fun putting the float together and then riding in the parade.  As a bonus, it didn't rain until AFTER the parade was over!

One of our members created these scrolls with all of our chapter patriots' names!  Doesn't she have lovely handwriting?

I got to take Jack to one of his swimming lessons this week.  He practiced floating on his back, kicking and putting his head under the water.  

His favorite thing was jumping in, though!

Of course, he had a little help!  

I hope you've had a great week!  Let me know what you've been up to.

Zenda

Red White and Blue Quilt

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

To My Email Subscribers:  Beginning July 1, 2021 the Blogger subscription service will be turned off.  Therefore, you will no longer receive emails when a new post is published Here at "She's Lady of the Manor."  I am suggesting an alternative - Bloglovin'.  If you subscribe to She's Lady of the Manor there, you will receive emails when a new post is published.  You can sign up by clicking on the word Bloglovin' in blue above then click 'Find Blogs' and type "She's Lady of the Manor" in the search bar.  Click on my blog and then click "Follow."  It's that simple!  I hope you will use this alternative and continue to visit me! 

Hello and Happy Independence Day!  Here in the USA we celebrate our the 4th of July with parades, fireworks, barbecues and flag-flying!  If you remember, one of my pandemic projects was to make a red, white and blue quilt for the foot of our bed.  I hoped to have it finished in time for summer and by golly, I made that goal! 

I had to have it machine quilted as my fingers do not allow me to do that much hand work anymore.  I thought about doing the machine quilting myself but decided to ask a lady who finishes our DAR group's Quilts of Valor. She graciously does them for free so I wanted to give her a little business.  She does nice work but doesn't use pantographs!  (I learned those are a quick and easy tool to make create different quilting designs.)  She just makes up her own designs as she moves the quilting arm.

Since there was so much white on the front, I chose a medium blue for the backing.  I made the binding out of a diagonal stripe and am pleased with the result!  

This quilt is about as large a twin size and works well at the bottom of our summer bedspread.

Adding a blue lumbar pillow finishes the bed.  Simple with a pop of color!

This morning, we went with Jack and his parents to the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.  What a fun way to spend the day!  There are cars, planes, boats and TRAINS!  Mr. Jack is all about trains these days and this place has quite a collection.  In fact that's all we visited today, he's not quite 3 yet so we just stayed for the morning. Big Boy was one of his favorites.  It's huge and one that kids can climb aboard and try out!

We are enjoying much nicer weather this weekend so that made our visit even nicer!  Earlier this week, we had a lot of storms and rain.  Our July 4th holidays are usually hot and humid so we felt very blessed to enjoy a mild, rain-free day to visit the museum.  

Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a beautiful and safe weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

                                                                 Zenda

I'm taking a walk around the gardens this evening.  Won't you join me?

The lettuces have been so delicious!  The leaf lettuce is about done but the bib and romaine are still doing fine.  

The lilies are starting to bloom now!

This balloon flower has started to bloom, too!

Some of the clematis are still sharing their happy faces.

The oak leaf hydrangea and the coneflowers complement each other nicely.

Even the cattails at the pond are pretty this time of year.

The full moon is rising over the raised beds.  

Thank you for joining me on our stroll this evening!                            

Wishing you a lovely evening,

                                                    

                                                Zenda