It's Uncanny How Much Shana Can Do

Just when we thought she had maxed out on her talents (I mean, how could can any one person be good at so many things?), Shana pulled out the canning card. During the boys' trip away from home a little peach canning party took place. Apparently this happened last year, but seeing it in action and hearing about it are two entirely different things!

Shana's helpful accomplices

Individual Members

Abby the Agile (responsible for cutting and boiling)

Bekah the Bold (responsible for peeling the peaches in ice cold water)

Shana the Shrewd (responsible for everything else, especially taste testing)

The finished product

Lush Peaches

and Blueberry Peach Preserves

A Walk in the Park

Valley Forge Park is so beautiful this time of year. It's a great place to meander around, play Frisbee, and bask in the setting sun while chatting.

Latest on Broadway

Curtains open to Mom in the kitchen preparing a delicacy for Sunday dinner that the family has not enjoyed in some time: Kielbasa. There is greater silence than in previous scenes, no piano in the background, no loud chatter, no radio blasting. Lizzy enters from stage left, holding freshly picked tomatoes to her nose.

Lizzy: Whose Nutty Bars are those?

Mom: Ours.

Lizzy: (dubious, the jaw drops just a little) Seriously?

Mom: Yup.

Lizzy: (jaw drops a few more inches) Why?

Mom: We're on vacation! We're going to eat ice cream and granola bars and all sort of good stuff. I picked some things up from the store yesterday for this week.

Lizzy: (stands in stunned silence for a moment, laughs, and then starts on a salad for the meal)

The characters Abby and Bekah, who have been strategically placed in the audience, stand up and cheer loudly. As the curtains close exuberant applause is to erupt.

Have fun doing the Boot and Paddle boys! On our vacation back home, we're having an all girls week (if you don't count Jake, who's at work almost all day, everyday). Hey, even all of the pets are girls these day.

Real World Experience

We have officially lived and become true members of the Bridgeport community. One of the local Catholic parishes had its fundraising festival this weekend, and it's apparently a big deal in these parts. Several churches have summer feasts, but this was the famed Italian festival with rides, games, food, gambling, and drinks for everyone (over 21 of course). The Muldowney family marched down the road to enjoy this slice of local life and it was...an experience! Everyone enjoyed food, the fire department's band, the dollar land, and the crowds to varying degrees but overall I thought it was a rather enlightening venture.

Who knows whether or not we'll return next year now that we've been initiated.

Fourth of July

A highlight of this Fourth was watching the grand kids enjoy Boompa's preparations for their amusement. Under Dad's orders and hard work, the yard and house were tidied from stem to stern, the pool was dragged out, and the sandbox was opened: all ingredients for a lot fun. The coolest part of the pool for the little boys was probably stepping on the edge and letting the water flood the yard. Is there better entertainment than watching two toddlers having the time of their lives?

Aside from the superb dinner show, the food was plentiful and delicious. It was quite a feast, with everything from fancy soda in glass bottles to authentic Bratwurst to a great variety of frozen delights. Everyone was stuffed to the brim as we watched the classic Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. What a movie...

The evening closed with sparklers, some distant fireworks, and a greater appreciation for friends, family, and the freedom which is ours.

Refilling the pool after it had been emptied a bit

Lord of the Sand Box

Master of the Water

Enjoying the victual

Brain freeze

Reading books