Updating.

In my younger days I used all my vacation time to volunteer with youth organizations. Here I am posing with the Ohio State Fair Cardinal (as is my youngest daughter who was already a teacher) as we served as judges for 4H food and nutrition projects. I think judging used to be 3 days and 2 nights and our pay was a shared hotel room (one night was five women in with two double beds and a pull out couch and ONE bathroom), breakfast at the hotel at 6 am and a meal voucher. Since morning judging always stretched from morning into afternoon judging, we would use our voucher for supper. 

I wore this outfit on Monday. I have no sense of style.  It is my new summer adult outfit. New is eleven years old. 

On Monday my daughter and I packed up the kids to meet my oldest daughter and my oldest granddaughter who is participating in an art competition where artists (even real ones) have registered to paint in their town. They sign up for locations on street corners, parks, schools and residents can even sign up their address and state a purchase price for their favorite painting.  

We ran into detours that added an extra 45 minutes to our hour and 30 minutes journey and went to my granddaughter's location for the day 

The background is a different detour. They have gutted the main drag for a project to rebuild the road and infrastructure as well as add two traffic circles.  

It was over 90 degrees outside with a heat index in the 100's.  Our original plan was to hold down a table inside in the air conditioning and take turns eating and sitting outside to supervise our artist who is old enough not to need babysitters, thank you very much. 

We were thwarted. The restaurant was closed on Mondays. As well as every other restaurant in town (some due to the construction I am sure). We had some bottled water and managed to stay alive melting in the shade for two hours. 

We picked up another grandson and drove across town to eat lunch at 4:00. 

Don't judge me. 

First eggplant. I believe we are now out of zucchini. It could not keep up with the heat. This is sad because my daughter gave me a great and easy recipe. Slice the zucchini and cut the slices into strips or cubes. Mix in a bowl with oil, grated parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, seasonings of choice (I used Italian seasoning and garlic powder) and cook on high in the air fryer at 450 for 10-15 minutes.  Delicious. 

I finally got enough tomatoes to make another batch of freezer salsa. This smelled amazing, but we were out of tortilla chips. I did buy some chips but it just looks so nice stacked in the freezer. 

The cucumber crop exploded.  I made my last batch of pickles. Again.  And I gave away all the cucumbers I could.  Then I posted this photo on our community facebook and finally got someone to take them. It was a full brown shopping bag. 

And we had half that many again the next day (Monday) and I took them up to my daughter. 

Yesterday was Mr Merry's birthday and we had visitors all day.  We had two families arrive at once, both with cakes.  I guess next year I should coordinate a celebration whether he wants one or not.  

My youngest grandson assured me that his retired railroad worker grampa wanted more wooden railroad pieces and I complied with a boxed set. 

A sweet story. On our long car ride home, this grandson said he wants to make applesauce with me and wants me to write down the recipe so that when I am up in heaven, he can make Mimi's applesauce with his children.