Chalk Walk

This past weekend while reading the newspaper to “my” residents, I saw an article about a “Chalk Walk” in Mt Vernon (about 30mn from our house). They had some “Artists” who came and drew on the street (A portion of Main Street was closed). So since it was a little too late to actually get the resident over there, after all we do need to plan that kind of outing in advance, I told them that I would go and take pictures and show them those pics!!

And… well you know me, I have to share with the rest of the world as well!! So here they are!!

OH!! And I FORCED Morgane to come with me (she was actually NOT wanted to come, but was happy to have seen the Art once there) I am SUCH a BAD mother after all that I have to FORCE my daughter to see ART, her who HATES it!!! Yeah yeah that’s it!! ;-)

Enjoy!! OH and if you want to see the "entire" albums here is a link!! http://picasaweb.google.com/annejambor/ChalkWalk?feat=directlink

Cutie Kitty

Today we got a call from our good friend Esther who invited us to come for a late lunch at her farm, she was wanted us to meet some of her friend that we never able to before. Leslie & Michael and Raquel & Gab. So since we didn’t have any plan and it was cold and breezy off we went to Mechanicsville. The trip there was great, I was able to speed up a little in those back roads of Iowa who remind me so much of France (mind you normally I am not very reckless) but for whatever reason I felt the urge of speeding!
I arrive before everyone else (and I was late). ;-) Anyway Matt followed with Rafael he was driving the bike for I think the last time of the year, and was saying that it was so windy that he was glad to have a side car cause he would have certainly be on the ground in the ditch somewhere! ;-)
Anyway, after a lovely lunch we talked and of course I went around taking some pics. Anyway, some are from the cute little kitten that they have, 2 of them but so cute and soft. Ignacio (Raquel’s dad) was there from Mexico City on a visit and he played with the kitty for some time. I wish I could speak Spanish because I would have loved to meet him properly, he seem such like a nice man! I put 2 pictures that Ma

tt took of me; enjoy them because you would probably never see a lot of pictures of me, since after all I am the photographer! ;-b
Also we learn that the wind blew away some of the rabbit cages and Matt and Michael went on a bunny hunt, here it show how many it take to catch a single bunny! ;-) Anyway we stayed for a long time talking and enjoying the company of nice people. Esther's has very good taste cause I really like her friend, I hope we'll stay friend with them and see them more often now that we were "introduced" properly! I had the best time with you all, thanks for this nice afternoon!

Kalona Field Trip

Today Morgane my daughter had a field trip to the village of Kalona south of Iowa City. It is an Amish/Mennonite community, with buggies and cool history.
So for the first time, I volunteer for a field trip... OH BOY!! Now my hat goes off to those teachers that endure all the noise that those lovely kids do, I would have a headache in NO time! To tell you the truth, went I got home, I slept for 2 hours I was so exhausted! Amazing!

Anyway, back to the visit.

We first visited a Cheese Factory, where we learn that cheese is actually white when it comes out of the factory; they only add the food coloring at the big company like Kraft. That made me wonder WHY on earth someone decided that cheese should be orange. In France our cheese are normally white or creamee color, the crust might have a different color, probably due to the spice or bacteria that they let them sit in! (Don’t ask me, I don’t have a clue). But why Orange?? Anyone has an idea?

After that little cheese stop,

we stopped at the local bakery. The kids were very very interested to get some donuts and other goodies. The bakery also makes fresh Pasta, so we went to see how they were making it. 2 questions from the kids, were regarding the fact if they could use the machine to make cookie pasta! Answer: I don’t think so! They can use in a week up to 500 dozen egg for Pasta making and Angel food cake in the Easter season!!

Then after a quick lunch, we went to the Historical Village Museum, very interesting. Some of the pics are from the Buggies repair house, or the “Grandpa’s house” or the little school etc.. you will see that the kids loved being able to ring the school bell. I was the only adult except for the guide, and I had to remind all those kids to keep their hand in their pocket and not to touch anything. I was amazed of how many times one can remind a 10/11 year old kid to not touch anything… Morgane probably now is considered unlucky to have a cop as a mother! ;-) Oh well, such is life!

Exhausted Volunteer

Damien has had an assignment on Global study to go volunteer on a farm, so we went to our good friend Esther who has a Farm near Mechanicsville, IA she raise chickens and turkeys and rabbits and goats, not counting the all vegetables thing that is going on over there. That chick isn’t lazy, She is working it hard and on top of it she home-school her son. My hat is coming down to her feet just for the entire thing she does… OH and did I mention she is also a GREAT friend?
So When I mention to her about Damien and his need of volunteering, she told me to bring him on.

Here are a few pictures of him and his sister helping around. He did a little more than Morgane cause he did put fresh hay and drag the nastiness out of the chickens coop. Needless to tell that their face was priceless when they were told they had to get the Sh.. out of the chicken coop.

After that was done Damien went to get one of the Goat sheared.

His job

was to hold the goat so that she didn’t jerk out for Esther’s to shear the wool.

After a few minutes he got tired of having the goat by the horn

standing over, so we had to lay her flat on the side for him to just hold it. It did took 1h30mn just to cut a few inches around for the wool not to drag down in the dirt, but they kept some on because the winter month are coming so fast!

When it was done he told Esther that he was EXHAUSTED!! I guess I should send him there for the summer… then he will know what Exhausted is right?

Closer or not

Matt got all the paperwork done for the Heidelberg Headquarter.

So now he say “we just need to wait until the orders are written!!” and we will know 100% for sure if we move or not! I hate that with the military it seem like he always get his orders 2 weeks after he is suppose to already be there, and then they call and say, well why aren’t you there?
So hopefully for him he will get his order ahead of time so that we can plan that move. We decided that if we do get to move the kids and I will follow him at the end of the school year for them. No need to get them all transferred and stress over moving to another school and in another country/continent. Might as well wait until summer time and this way they might be able to get to meet some of the kids that we will be neighbors to. So Matt will move before us, he is already planning his trip. Won’t take any car until we move everything, so he will take the bus or the train since it is so good over there. And then when we get there, we’ll ship the Prius and some of our furniture (most of it)
I found a friend of mine where we can store some boxes at her parent’s farm so that will be nice, obviously I am not planning to take everything that we have specially if we are to come back after 2 years, it seem silly. We will try to rent our place so that at least we don’t have the whole mortgage to pay and that the house is in use.
Anyway this is the news regarding Germany and touring over there.
On a better note: Fall is FINNALLY here… I love it. Pretty colors, the trees and texture, driving in the fallen leaf that cracks under the wheels. The colors of the sun and the different shades of yellow and gold and orange and red. I love everything about it… except ALLERGIES!! Gosh I hate allergy season and off course I rarely get more than a sniffle in Spring and then I get major headache and sinus pressure in Fall… Talk about luck!!! But nothing can take my happiness with the sight of the leaf falling down, cruising with the wind from yard to yard. I just LOVE IT!! Beside I can always have access to my super medicine cabinet and my allergy pills! Nothing will take my smile away from me!!!
Some of those were taken this week in town, just to show how cool it look!!

North Liberty, IA

Articles

Most of you know about it, but we did make the first page of the "community" pages of the Gazette on Sunday, I was wanted to share that with those of you who weren't able to read the article. Here is a picture that I scanned of the page. Enjoy. I will try to ask the reporter if she has a link with the online article.