Wednesday's Hodgpodge

1. July is National Ice Cream Month...your favorite flavor? Soft serve, hand dipped or frozen yogurt-which do you prefer? And technically yogurt is not ice cream but its hot outside so I'll let that slide for today.

We live so close to Italy that many of the small villages in our area have the "REAL" Italian gelato.  There's nothing to compare.  Strawberry is my favorite.

2. When you travel do you tend to pack too much or too little?

I have lost count of the number of flights I have taken over the last 12 years since I've been married to my husband.  A 100 or more would be my guess.  One year alone,  while he was working a globally, we flew over 30 times.   Packing doesn't get any easier the more you travel either.  It's often too much or too little.  Rarely do I come back home saying, "I took just the right amount!"  One thing I have learned to do over the years, however,  is take a nearly empty suitcase to leave room for purchases.  Now a days, you have to go to some very remote places on the planet not to find what you need in a pinch, so I rarely sweat it if I've forgotten a toothbrush or a sweater.

3. What's your favorite cleaning product?

Vinegar and water with newspaper does a killer job on the windows!

4. What's the greater tragedy-an innocent person imprisoned or a guilty person set free? Explain.

First, let me tell you that there are no guilty people in prison.  Trust me.  I worked as a teacher for about three years at a State Penitentiary and I never met one guilty man, seriously.  Everyone's innocent.   Just ask them!  I would see theft in prison with my own eyes and still..... they were innocent.  However, a TRULY innocent person is the greater tragedy, methinks.

5. What's the longest trip you've taken by car?

From Ohio to Mexico via Oklahoma to work one summer as a missionary building an orphanage.  Total miles?  2934.72 for a total of 44.18  hours according to Map quest.  Ridiculously Insane.

6. tennis-golf-canoeing-biking...pick one.

Golf, hands down.

7. What sound drives you crazy?

The sound of teeth running across styrofoam cups.  My teeth in particular.  Horrid!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I have been in the U.S. since May 15th!  This is the longest stay yet.  My husband, after a trip to Machu Picchu on May 20th ,came to the states to stay with me for one week and then left on May 27th.  It has been crazy being away from him this long.  We Skype each day, telephone, and email but it isn't the same.  His emails are getting more and more desperate. I only have six more days until I return to Munich and we can be together again.  I have seen everyone I need to see.  I have taken care of all of the household repairs and updates.  I have even finished an afghan for my son and his wife that I started over a year ago!  Time to return home to my sweet, sweet husband.  Absence surely does make the heart grow fonder!

CABELLA'S IN DUNDEE

The two grizzly cubs on the left are my grandchildren sharing their photo with the little ones on the right who just happened to want to be photographed as well.  The large sculpture is in Dundee, Michigan off I-75 in front of Cabella's Outdoor Store.  Since hubby and son #3 will soon be heading off to Peru to climb Machu Picchu, trekking poles were on our shopping list.

No, these are not my other grandchildren, but part of Cabella's amazing display of wildlife.  Aren't these two handsome?

Papa pointed out the varied animals who had been stuffed and mounted in the store display to our littlest granddaughter who was a bit awestruck with the life-size critters.

Parts of this nature exhibit are a bit violent and show the predatory nature of bobcats, wolves, and mountain lions.  Every little girl's fantasy, not.

Her older brother (by 11 months) however, was in his element. This child soaks up information about animals in any way he can.  His passion for the outdoors and his love of all of the world's animals is hard to imagine in someone so young.  I am so pleased that he is learning about his environment, how to protect species that are endangered, and how to take care of our planet.

It was a great Sunday afternoon with the kiddies as they got more acquainted with  the animals that inhabit their part of the country.  Although I doubt either child will grow up to be a hunter or fisherman, they surely enjoyed their visit to Cabella's and Papa got his trekking poles!