Bishop Hill, Illinois

Today we visited the  Clay and Fiber Fest at Bishop Hill, a small village in Illinois.

Numerous vendors displayed their wares in tents on the lawn

as well as in more permanent displays indoors.

The official Bishop Hill website discribes the history of the colony as follows:
          "In 1846, a group of Swedish immigrants seeking religious freedom left their native land under the guidance of their charismatic spiritual leader, Erik Jansson. The site for their new utopia, later called Bishop Hill, was described to them as a “land of plenty, brimming with milk and honey,” and they struggled to make it so. These Janssonists built a successful communal society based on economic and religious principles. Many of the structures erected during this building campaign still exist. The colony grew and flourished for fifteen years before disbanding in 1861.
          "Today Bishop Hill is a quiet country village where the charm and character of the original colony has survived the test of time. Bishop Hill is a National Landmark Village, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and it is an Illinois State Historic Site." http://www.bishophill.com/

The Colony Administration Building was build in 1856.

It now houses an art gallery in the basement and guest rooms upstairs.

The Colony Steeple Building erected in 1854

is now the location of a museum.

The Colony Church was built in 1848.

Visitors can still see the worship room as well as numerous

displays about the life of the utopian community.

Of course, the day would not have been complete without a tasty lunch at the bakery

which was built in 1864 as Mrs. Smith's Boarding House.

Birthday candles and watermelon

We continued to help celebrate the 13th birthday of our niece today.

She placed candles on her piece of watermelon

and we all sang "Happy Birthday"

What fun!!!

Galesburg, Illinois

Yesterday we had an early celebration of our niece's 13th birthday with a visit to Galesburg, Illinois.  Our day included lunch at Landmark Cafe and Creperie, Galesburg Antiques Mall, and Blick Art Materials Galesburg Outlet where our niece had the opportunity to choose art supplies which we purchased for her as her birthday gift.

Ouabache State Park, Bluffton, Indiana



It is spelled "Ouabache" but pronounced "Wabash" and is the name of a beautiful State Park near Bluffton, Indiana.   The park is named for the Wabash River which runs through it and "Ouabache" is the French spelling for the name of that river. 

Wabash River



One of our favorite features of the Ouabache State Park is the asphalt surfaced bike path

which travels from the campground through the woods and along the river.

The 2.5 mile bike trail inside the state park connects directly with

the 2.5 mile Bluffton Rivergreenway which follows the

Wabash River from the state park into the city of Bluffton.

The Rivergreenway is popular for walkers, joggers, baby strollers, as well as bicycles.

One of the most photographed locations along the Bluffton

Rivergreenway is the covered bridge.

The distances along the Bluffton Rivergreenway are marked in 1/2 mile

increments -- each identified with a beautifully carved image.

WHAT'S BUGGIN' US?

Bites

Especially in hidden places

Darned itchy and irritating

But of unseen cause

Utterly mysterious

Gone in a few days

Something in our bed?

?

9 August 2011 - mshr

TEMPERAMENTAL TRUCK

Our truck has become temperamental. Our usually reliable Ford 350 with duals has begun acting up! It is so out of character for our trusty diesel steed but several times during the past two months, it has stubbornly refused to start.

It is usually so obedient to our wishes, starting at the first turn of the key and doing our bidding without complaint. True, there have been times when it has gobbled up a lot of our money as it recuperated from some vehicular virus. But this starting/not-starting game is different. It’s mysterious and unpredictable.

During one non-starting episode, we had it towed into a near-by Ford garage only to have it start without hesitation in their repair bay! Last week, during another non-start event, we pushed it by hand a short distance to a more level spot in the parking lot. There, it sputtered a bit but started. We wondered if the truck was having mood swings, going thru a mid-life crisis, or becoming temperamental. Then we realized that every time it has refused to start, it has been parked with its back wheels higher than its front wheels! Does it get dizzy or suffer an anxiety attack? Become unbalanced or unglued? Stubborn? Playing a practical joke on us? We don’t know.

Forty years ago, two psychologists named Myers and Briggs, developed a psychological assessment tool of human personality and temperament. It is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and is currently the "most widely used personality assessment" tool. A long list of questions gathers data about the person being assessed. On the basis of that data, the personality and temperament type of the person is described by letters:
           (attitude) E = extrovert; I = introvert;
           (function) S = sensory; N = intuitive;
           (decision-making) T = thinking; F = feeling;
           (lifestyle) J = judgment; P = perception.
Thus, one's personality type may be described as INFJ or ESTP or other possible combinations of traits.

I doubt that there’s a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for trucks. But, if there were, I think that, at the present time, ours would be classified as an IMAPain! We’ve not told our temperamental truck yet but it’s scheduled for a "temperament transformation" at the local Ford service center tomorrow! Ssshhh! Don’t tell!


3 Aug 2011 - mshr

TRANSPLANT

My muscles ache. My joints are stiff.

My pace is getting slow.

                                                 My hands are weak; my knuckles gnarled.
                                                            They’re aging, that I know.

When I awake, I no longer can just

                                                                   Jump up, rarin’ to go.
                                                     First, I must check if my parts still work,
                                                             And then sit up, quite slow.

My belly is fat; my backside well padded.

                                                            My hour-glass figure is gone
                                                  For all of my sand just runs to the bottom
                                                            As time goes marching on.

My toes are crooked. My liver’s not well.

                                                        My blood sugar’s quite unstable.
                                                      I’m beginning to see vericose veins.
                                                       But, I think my mind’s still able

To cope with life; to laugh a lot,

                                                            And even make some jokes;
                                                         To thank God every day for life,
                                                             For friends and other folks.

So, ‘t would be nice if I could get

                                                         – but I’m certain that I can’t! –
                                                        A young and healthy donor for
                                                             A total body transplant!

3 Aug 2011 - mshr