Moose Lake Christian Craft Village Laotto Indiana

With last night's weather forecast of a very nice day, we decided to drive to a café in Laotto, Indiana, about 45-50 minutes northeast of us for breakfast. Moose Lake Christian Craft Village is a strange amalgam of themes and activities. Grace Village residents had made fieldtrips here, which is how I learned of it. I am sure during the festivals and special events and on Saturdays when more is going on, the information on the webpage more accurately reflects what one encounters. Not much going on today. I guess there are also educational days for children that focus on life in the 1800s.

The café is in Mackey's General Store. We were the only customers. Country gospel recordings accompanied breakfast.

The food was pretty good, but the portions too big. The Classic Breakfast had 3 eggs, a pork sausage patty, and a biscuit. While we were waiting for our order, the waitress appeared with 3 small paper plates, 2 holding a doughnut each and 1 holding 4 fried buttered biscuit halves she said which sort of reminded me of hush puppies. These were gratis "appetizers". 

The "store" had 3 different dining areas spread out among the gift store displays. Cliché products related to lodge, moose, Christian, and Amish motifs were represented. Himalayan salt crystals and Christmas decorations thrown into the mix as well.

For a place that has "craft" in its name, there were few handmade goods. Some beaded jewelry, a few birdhouses, "knot pillows". The webpage mentioned lathe turned wooden objects, but I saw none.

The prayer "knots" were discussed in a rhyme tucked into the "pocket". Thou shalt not worry, for example. 

 There was a deli that sold Amish cheese, some baked goods (the fried pies were not evident but maybe too early in the day). Jars of Amish preserves, salsas, relishes, molasses plentiful. Some candies and coated pretzels. Ice cream cones.

Outside was a lake that is stocked for fishing. You must rent their poles and reels. Paddleboats, canoes, etc. for rent. Apparently, one must purchase a day pass to use the lake and beach.

 The playground appeared to be free on normal days.

The "train" was not running, but I think there was a fee for that.

A farm theme permeated the outside.

The little goat was so excited when I approached, it squeezed its head thru the railings. Then I noticed the machines next to the fence where you could buy pellets for feeding the animals. Signs stated only these pellets could be used as food. Also feed the animals at your own risk signs were abundant.

I came away with the impression that the whole place was set up to  grub every dollar it could out of the folks visiting. Given the extra food at breakfast, maybe that isn't fair, but it is how I felt. Outside-purchased or packed drinks and food prohibited in the picnic areas, only what you purchased from them. I know they have to make a profit.

We walked a trail that maybe was supposed to be done with a guide. The kitschy "statues" added interest though not class.

It was near the waterwheel that I gained some free "souvenirs": two mosquito bites on my fingers that itched all the way home.

There were some pretty/interesting natural features. 
The swamp had boxes for wood ducks though we didn't see any.

To tie in with the Amish theme there were buggies where you could pose for photos. One building had decorations reminiscent of quilts.

According to the web site there are two cabins for rent. I only noticed one. We didn't go inside the chapel; it is rented out for events including church ladies day-out.

It was a real hodge podge of themes and outside decorating.

The focus was on providing a wholesome place for families, especially those with young children, to relax and enjoy the day.

It felt a bit anachronistic, but I am sure it is a nice change from other recreational spots.

Where the Crawdads Sing--Possible Spoilers

I usually don't buy brand new books, especially of authors I don't know. I am reluctant to shell out lots of money on something that I might regret buying. I do regret investing in Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. If I had obtained the book from the library or second-hand, I would probably shrug off the rather mediocre storyline and the disappointing ending. I really wanted to donate the book to my retirement village library since it rarely acquires best-sellers, but I am sure some of the readers would be offended by the sexual scenes. It is a coming-of-age book with several sexual encounters. 

I never quite understood what the phrase "where the crawdads sing" meant. I had never heard it before, and even after reading the book I doubt it was widely used by people in North Carolina, if ever. It has a sort of mythological fantasy aura, and in that sense it fits well with the book which is largely improbable and unbelievable. 

I can see how those who loved the book romanticized the successful overcoming of poverty and abandonment of the main character Kya. There are poignant passages about her loneliness and sense of isolation, of not fitting in but desiring to. Her intimate knowledge of the marsh creatures and flora become her ticket to acceptance in adulthood. Those readers rooting for Kya to succeed are given a spark of joy in what has been a dismal tale. I did enjoy the descriptions of the natural world. They were lyrically done. 

I knew the story revolved around the survival of a young girl whose family abandons her. She does get some help from a black couple, and later in the chapters in the courtroom we find out about others who tried to help surreptitiously. Still it is hard to believe that none of her relatives tried to help her, or that the community left a ten-year-old to fend for herself.

I found the inclusion of "dialect" awkward but OK until I learned more about the background of the parents who grew up in middle-class or well-to-do families. They would not have taken up this dialect as adults and passed it on to their children. The use of dialect is inconsistent throughout the book and seems a contrivance to paint the characters as backward and rural unsophisticates.

The first chapter opens up with the discovery of a body in the sand in 1969. Subsequent chapters alternate between 1969 and 1952 on, flipping back and forth. We learn who Kya Clark is, some background on her relationship with the deceased, and sparse character development of the deceased and other town people of Barkley Cove. 

There are inconsistencies in the narrative. At one point, Kya is oblivious that it is Christmas because she has no calendar, yet she knows exactly when it is July 4 as she waits for Tate. Tate, her friend who becomes a boyfriend, seems kind and sensitive, yet abandons her even though promising to return. He does this even knowing her family history. We all have flaws, but this callous act doesn't fit with how Tate has been presented to us. He would have at least communicated with her.

The sheriff and his deputy are stereotyped as incompetent southern law enforcement, even though the surprise ending vindicates their theories. 

I found the poetry interspersed throughout the book to reflect Kya's feelings poorly written and not a helpful device. There is also deception as to the author of the poems which belies the depths of isolation we have been told Kya endured.

I have visited North Carolina several times. It doesn't make sense for several of the characters to visit Asheville to transact business. It is too far away. Also, when Kya becomes more affluent she has electricity installed in her shack. How did power lines come close to her isolated location? Author voodoo magic. 

The "surprise" at the end of the book negates all of the character development revealed through all of the narrative. It is incongruous and unbelievable. Perhaps the description of the behavior of the fireflies, that things are not as they appear,  is meant to prepare us for this jolt. It does not.

I don't understand the raves for the book. I read that a movie is in the works. I won't be seeing it.

Irises Outside, Succulents Inside

I have lots of iris blooms this spring. I am so pleased how they are flowering as the quince has lost its coral blooms. Perfect timing.

The problem with irises is they are top-heavy. I tried staking most of them up so the lawn mower won't run over them, but a few of them in the rocks I just let droop. The many rainstorms coming thru beats them down some, too.

I know there are other colors, but the purple are my favorite. I am blessed that they came already planted in front of my condo. The landscaper did move them out of the shade into a sunny corner. They are thriving now.

At the Hobby Lobby in Mesquite Texas I purchased a framed print of irises. It hangs in the front bedroom in our condo.

I did manage to kill most of the succulents I received for Christmas. Every time I watered the two connected containers the water would go straight thru the planting medium. I am not sure it was a good type of "soil". But on the other hand, I do not have a green thumb so maybe it is my fault they died. When I bought my front porch pots of flowers at Menards, it had some pots of succulents for sale. I bought one and so far they look healthy. Much easier to gauge the moisture level of the soil in this pot.

Sheltered

When the weather radio alert went off around 5 a.m. I turned it off and went back to sleep. I had heard the thunder and seen the lightning. I worried a bit about the new hanging basket I bought yesterday and the other two pots on the porch, but really what could I do about them. If I knew a big storm was coming through, I would have put them in the corner of the porch to protect them from wind; but though I knew rain was predicted, I had no idea the storm would be so severe.

When I got up around 7:15, I immediately went to the front door and peeked out. My plants were just as I had left them. I noticed my across-the-street neighbor's two pots had blown over. Otherwise everything seemed peaceful.

It turns out Grace Village is an exception in the town of Winona Lake. I went to Martin's to pick up a few grocery specials, driving on Highway 30. I guess I didn't notice the roof damage to the Economy Inn. Coming home from Owens was a different story. As I drove King's Highway in Winona, I noticed the side streets were blocked off with cones. The streets were full of limbs. Grace College also had a crew out gathering up branches and fallen limbs.

 I see on the internet news that the downtown of Warsaw has no power and the library and city offices are closed. The Warsaw school district also cancelled classes today because of power outages. The area across from the lake of Winona where there is a green space and park also has lots of limbs down and some trees snapped in two. God was gracious to our home and retirement community in light of what happened to others.

Beds of Two Types

My twin mattress set arrived this afternoon. I am going to try this new bed without a headboard. The bedding I purchased over the past two years on sale is ready to use. I think tonight I will need the blue electric blanket, but by week's end probably won't turn it on. I may even need to switch to the light-weight white blanket by the weekend.

I bought this comforter and bed skirt on ebay. I am storing two plastic boxes under this bed the same as I did under the queen bed. The rolls of wrapping paper and gift bags I moved to the "extra" closet in my husband's room where I already had some paper and gift bows. Not enough room under this bed for those. 

Recently several people in my church have been asking to connect on Facebook. Some of them are in positions of leadership so I suspect they decided to make a concerted effort to become FB friends with members of the congregation. Only about a week after accepting a friend request, I saw one man was looking for a queen mattress set. I told him I would have one sometime in May if he could wait. Tonight he and his father-in-law took the queen mattress away. 

I have a solid blue top and bottom sheet I bought on Etsy. The pillow case on the left was one I used with my queen bedding. It should go well with the blue sheets. The pink floral set is fairly new. The sheets with the bright green leaves and sweet peas are over 40 years old. I used them on my bed in Whittier, but not much since getting married. The two bottom sheets are flat queen sheets which I kept if I need a temporary "curtain" or something to drape over furniture. The blue flowered one belonged to a set I bought at JC Penney when I won a drawing for $500 at the new Dallas store's grand opening. Sort of sentimentally attached to it.

I took my well-worn bedding to the animal shelter. The other stuff is going to Good Will. I kept the green blanket and the daisy comforter even though they are queen-sized. We do have an air mattress with which these might be used. The white waffle-weave blanket is for my twin bed. We usually had a flannel sheet to use in the transition times, but I didn't find any I liked in twin. I may look again next year when the supply is new. I waited until March to search this year; too many had winter motifs.

My other "beds" are starting to have color. The purple iris will probably open by the end of the week, and the cheddar pinks are already blooming. The pear tree blossoms have fallen off, and there is a very noisy robin residing there. I can't see a nest, but I think there must be one. We ate lunch sitting on the porch one day last week and there were constant cheeping calls. 

Bouquets and beds

The bouquet the literary club hostess gave me a week ago Wednesday is still pretty. Maybe even prettier because the hot pink buds opened fully. What do you think looking at the two photos? I am enjoying them so much. I can't believe how long they have lasted.

My quince bush is full of blooms, too. The fothergilla bush has bottle-bush type of "blooms" which are turning from green to white.

I saw while driving last week a bush of lilacs and red bud trees flowering . The apple trees also have blooms about ready to burst into full color.

It has been rainy today. It poured when I drove to my Silver Sneakers class this morning. My umbrella wasn't much help because of the wind-blown slanty rain.

My Silver Sneakers instructor had surgery on her rotator cuff two weeks ago. Various people have been substituting, but we are doing hardly anything similar to what we did previously. After next week, I will have Mondays and Wednesdays free; I think I will attend the Enhance Fit class instead of the Tuesday/Thursday Silver Sneakers for a few months until the original teacher has recuperated and is back. She made the class interesting and fun. 

Last Saturday I bought a twin bed to replace my queen bed. It should arrive next week sometime. For the past 2 years I have been buying twin-sized bedding on sale in anticipation of this change. I took some discolored and worn queen sheets to the animal shelter. I have a few better sets I will take to Good Will, maybe tomorrow.

It has been a time of changes. My husband is having a tool sale Saturday. He is downsizing a bit. He already sold the drill press even before the sale. A few years ago he sold some kind of measuring tool my father had given him on our neighborhood garage sale. It was more for metal workers. (My father was a sheet metal machinist.) The man who bought it lives at the end of our block; he gave it to his grandson in Michigan. Now he has bought the drill press which also came from my father. My husband used it some, but again it is more for metal than wood workers. If the big saw also sells, we should have more room in the garage. My husband is keeping many hand tools though.

Yesterday I went to the Mother's Day Tea in the dining room at Grace Village. When I arrived home, my husband asked me what kind of tea they served. They didn't serve any! We had punch or water to drink. Little finger sandwiches and bon bons and fruit cup and lots of deviled eggs. People took 2 or 3 eggs, but even so when my table went through the buffet line (we were next to last), there were still beaucoup eggs on the trays. The program was a mother/daughter duo sharing about their fun of finding plants to make 15 gardens on their acreage. So, I guess you could call it a garden party rather than a tea party.

Peabody Tulips 2019

Yesterday was cloudy and cooler than today's perfect weather, but we went to Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester to see the blooming tulips. Most of the tulips are planted around the bell tower.

One of the residents told us they dig up the old bulbs and plant new ones each fall. I believe it because it does seem like different colors and combinations each spring when we visit.

This is my favorite bed this year. I love the pink tones.

Across the street from the tower, closer to the entrance drive is a bench which is surrounded by flowers.

This year it was ruffly yellow tulips with light pink ones which weren't yet fully open.

Next to the parking lot are wooden benches.

There are small bunches in other areas of the grounds as well.

It is always a joy to see (and smell) the beautiful tulips.