Here's a couple of before photos. The wooden balusters have been removed and stacked on the wavy, blotchy deck flooring.
After two days of un-accustomed physical labor, we had the floor replaced. On the second day, he actually trusted me with the screw gun and allowed me to do more than remove nails and be "gofer". 
We've still got lots of work to do but we did accomplish a lot today! The new posts are in place but I've got to find more of the cute little lights before we can finish up the railing. You can barely make out the light on the second post from the left. I forgot to take a final photo of the day until right before I sat down to blog! It's pretty dark out there right now. We'll also enclose underneath the deck and replace the stairs. 
D might be a little stiff and sore tomorrow after using some muscles he'd forgotten about. But he's not forgotten his construction heritage or skills. He probably wouldn't admit it, but I think he actually enjoyed this stage of the project. There's still a lot to do though, and hopefully it won't take us all summer. After all, there's still the kitchen!
The Kentucky Derby is next weekend. Even though we've never been to the Derby or the Oaks, living this close to all the festivities, there's always something "Derby-ish" of interest. Everyone knows that if you go to the Derby, you need a hat! My favorite craft store, Dee's, has devoted a large portion of their floor space to customized Derby hats. The displays are beautiful and some of these are quite creative. This is just a small section of what they had on hand when I stopped by there earlier this week. Aren't they pretty? 
Beamer thanks you for all the well wishes for his vet visit yesterday! He actually traveled a little better than usual. After a couple of shots and one large needle with his micro chip, he was very happy to come home! But at 19 1/2 lbs, he's been put on a diet. Our vet says that wet food is actually less fattening for cats than the dry kibble. That should make Beamer happy because he seems to enjoy that more anyway. Here he is checking out my new kitchen rug, but maybe he's really just sending a message! 
This is the new Prairie Paisley line by Moda. I've been admiring this online ever since I first saw it. They have a quilt kit for sale that is similar to the one that Cheryl at PolkDotsandRickRack is working on. I was tempted to buy the kit, but have enough projects right now. I did bring home a few fat quarters to drool over and add to the "stash" :) I spent several minutes admiring the HQ16 that they have on display there. I wish my quilting skills were good enough to warrant the investment. Maybe someday in the distant future! Practice, practice, practice! I'm jealous of everyone that was talking about going to Paducah this weekend. D had said he would take me, but our plans are to work on the house instead this weekend (I'm sure a motorcycle ride will evolve sometime). I'm sure going to the AQS Quilt Show would only cause un-necessary purchases and tempt me with projects I don't have time to complete! 
Beamer has a visit to the vet this afternoon. He hates, hates, hates to ride in the car. I'll have to find his cat carrier and turn the radio up really loud to tune out his yowls. Hopefully, we'll both arrive safe and sound! Last night, he decided to take a horizontal bath on my bed. Blissfully unaware of the trauma that awaits later today! Wish us luck!
Next stop, West Baden Springs. With the opening of Indiana's newest casino at French Lick, a nearby historic hotel has been totally re-furbished into a five star resort. The West Baden Springs Hotel is a gorgeous place in the middle of nowhere! Originally built in 1901 in the style of grand European spas, it was first a world class hotel, then after the stock market crash in 1929, a seminary. It was called the eighth wonder of the world with the world's largest free-span dome (until modern day sports stadiums). D & I were here about seven years ago when it sat empty except for a few guided tours by the Historic Landmark Foundation. We were fascinated by the fact that such a gorgeous building existed for so long, and no one had taken on the task of remodeling. 
Heading down the tree lined brick driveway. (Kind of rough on a motorcycle, though!)
A view from one of the rooms with an interior facing balcony. 
M & D discussing the remarkable feats of the original 1901 engineers. Note the millions of tiny tiles that make up these gorgeous floors.
Some of the pretty blooming trees on the grounds surrounding the hotel.Well, this is it for today's trip! Maybe this is not the highlight of the week. We can officially say we felt the great Midwest Earthquake of April 18, 2008! D forgot to change the alarm clock so we were awake when the house began to groan and squeak as if the wind had come up, but with no wind sound! He thought there might have been an explosion somewhere and living near a rock quarry, we hear (and feel) those occasionally. I told him I thought it might have been an earthquake! I was right! But thankfully, no damages here. Not even a crooked picture or a jostled pantry item! How many of you felt it?
Have a good week! See you later.......;-)
2. Never try to "tweak" Grandma Mary's Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Like a lot of you all, I like to watch the Food Network and try new recipes. I haven't done that much lately because, frankly, I'm kind of out the cooking mood. But yesterday, Bobby Flay's Throw Down featured macaroni and cheese. I didn't follow any of the recipes they featured but instead thought I'd just work with the tried and true and see if I could incorporate some new ideas. Bad idea. Grandma Mary's mac and cheese is so simple, it doesn't need tweaking. It does take a little practice to get it just right though and after 33 years I'm getting close! For you non-family members. The basic recipe is this. Boil some macaroni. Drain. Put in baking pan to fit. Stir in cheese (colby works the best, but cheddar or colby-jack will do) as much as you like. Dot with plenty of butter (the real stuff !) Then pour milk (preferably whole milk - but I never have that any more) over the whole thing just until you see the milk coming up through the macaroni. Sprinkle with a little more cheese and salt and pepper. Bake until bubbly and a little crispy on top. Nothing complicated about that. It probably wouldn't win any food network prizes, but its what my family likes. Especially DH. Then I went and made the mistake of messing with his macaroni! Luckily I was able to salvage the leftovers by adding a few more of the key ingredients (that would be butter, milk and cheese!) to accompany our pork chops tonight.
We enjoyed the air show and fireworks in HD in the comfort of our family room. But someday we'll have to go back.. If you are ever in the area, it's quite an experience.
Other than the short trip on Saturday, we stayed home this weekend. Don't be too shocked Uncle L!! He actually worked on the kitchen cabinets. I can't wait to load up these super drawer slides! The lower cabinets will all have pull out shelves so this old body doesn't have to get down on her hands and knees to reach to the back for an elusive pan or lid! 
Okay all you food photo fans - here's the snack of the week! Rice Krispie Treats! I had a box of cereal and a bag of smushed marshmallows in the back of the pantry. They won't last long. This is a diet food, right?
Have a Happy Week! Tax Day is Tuesday - D is finishing ours up while I'm here blogging. Procrastination runs in the family!
And this photo is for J. She's been waiting for some new food pics so here it is ! Though I didn't think to snap this with my iphone until a few licks in, I thought you might like to see this yummy chocolate cherry chip cone from Graeters. We stopped there last Friday evening with some friends after we went to see the movie 21 (which we enjoyed and would recommend). Our evening out was extended when our friends discovered they had locked themselves out of their house. I won't go into details about how the guys first tried to break in with an old credit card (didn't work) then tried to break the storm door glass (safety glass!) then finally called a locksmith who let them in with a simple trick (which I won't reveal here!) Made for an entertaining, though expensive, end of our night out! 
We wound our way through central Kentucky, across some pretty country (attention weathermen: it would have been prettier with the sun shining !). Parts were exactly what you would imagine Kentucky should look like with horse farms, pretty white fences and big houses. I am surprised that some of these photos actually turned out. I would slip off my heavy gloves and try to snap a picture with my numb fingers. Thank goodness I had the strap around my wrist, or my little Kodak might resemble roadkill!
By the time we arrived in Bowling Green, it had only warmed up a few degrees. The GPS on the Harley will easily find the local HD dealerships (smart marketing !) so we stopped there to warm up with a cup of coffee. Evidently we had just missed a big Teddy Bear Ride with about eight hundred bikes participating. Bowling Green Harley-Davidson seems like a nice operation with a nice selection of clothing and lots of motorcycles on the showroom floor. As with other locations, I got the required photo for the scrapbook! 
The lady at the front desk of our motel recommended Mariah's for dinner. Located in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Bowling Green (with additions) it was pretty good. (If I was doing restaurant reviews though, I'd probably only give it 3 stars out of 5.) Sorry J, no food photos this time! 
Today we definitely took the scenic route home. Promises of blue skies and warm temperatures finally came true! It was a beautiful day for a ride in the country. We took a break by stopping at the Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site and stretching our legs. If you are ever in the Hodgenville, KY area this is an interesting place. Abe Lincoln was born here at the Sinking Spring Farm. 
You can walk right down to the "sinking spring". It was running a good stream today, especially with all the rain that they've had over the past few months. This year is the bicentennial of President Lincoln's birth but unfortunately the ceremony the community had planned this winter was postponed (or canceled?) due to a snow and ice storm.
For most of the day, we had the roads pretty much to ourselves. We saw a lot of folks working out in their yards, mowing etc. One time we did have to slow a bit as we waited to pass this farmer but right when I took the picture, this big bus came around the corner. Luckily, narrow roads don't really bother D on the Harley! Can you see the old brick farmhouse on the left side of the road? We passed some nice old homes that probably had been built back in Civil War days. 
All total, we rode over 475 miles this weekend! We proved to ourselves that we could spend a weekend with only two wheels and minimal luggage. D is ready for a longer trip and I think it might be okay if we could be assured of weather like today. I might need the lambswool cushion and a larger luggage pack for anything over two or three days. But we are both tired tonight! We might need to work up to longer trips by adding a day at a time!
I don't know if Beamer missed us or not. He's been left on his own several times this past month so maybe he's getting used to it though he was happy to go outside, spend some time on his patio chair and watch the birds.
Thanks for joining me on this travelogue! Have a nice week.
The baby train has left the station! And it is BLUE!!! I thought the expecting parents (and maybe the rest of you) might get a smile from these photos I found buried in a box in the basement this evening.
Here's one proud Dad with his only son. Don't you just love all that hair (on baby J too!) Both pretty cute aren't they?
Here's baby JMD with Grandpa JMD. Will there be another JMD? This Grandpa was blessed with only daughters and four granddaughters so was very happy to have a grandson. Though he wasn't able to pass the last name along, at least the initials stayed the same!
That's my news for the day!
