Here's To Life!

Labor Day marks the end of summer.  Since school started last week - the end of summer for me came last weekend.  However, this Saturday we did take a summer day trip - to spend some time by the water.  We drove to Winthrop Harbor and Illinois Beach State Park.  Walked along Lake Michigan - took some pictures and watched the people headed for the beach.  It wasn't as crowded as I thought it might be.  It was definitely cooler feeling by the lake.  Next we headed to Lake Geneva where we ate lunch at Popeye's where we could look at the water as we were eating.  Walked along the lakefront there, checked out some other restaurants and then wandered back to the car. Sunday I went to church - where I ended up playing the piano for worship (one hand, one note).  Kristin came in the afternoon to do laundry.  Paul and I started our pursuit of re-furnishing our living room.  We stopped at the carpet store and looked at colors and types...

Last Friday, August 28th, Paul and I took a little spur of the moment trip to a) see his mother and b) to enjoy being away from home.  Paul left work early on Friday and we hit the road to Rock Island, stopping for supper along the way.  Got to Paul's mom's house about 8:00 and spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up on things.  Saturday we took a drive to see a replica of a pier from the first railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River in 1856. We then had lunch with Marilyn at TGIFriday's in Moline where there is a great view of the Mississippi River.  Afterwards we took a few pictures on the river walk. Stopping at Whitey's on the way out of town for a shake for me, we headed a different way home on Route 80 where we stopped and spent the night in Ottawa.  Ottawa is the site of the first Lincoln Douglass debate in 1858.  They have life-size statues of Lincoln and Douglass commemorating the spot in the town square. Sunday...