Thursday Three:

 

1. We have entered the rainy season here at our house... it's rained almost daily all week long. And I'm not mad about it.

2. We set aside time this week to finalize plans for some upcoming fun - some just for us, some with family, and some with camping buddies.

3. And I inadvertently knocked most of my artsy stuff off my desk ... so I took the time to do a re-set of everything... something I think is good to do every so often anyway.

#HardwickAdventures

Here's the deal -

 

I LIKE horses... I even had a childhood dream of keeping one in our basement until my daddy insisted that WASN'T going to happen... 

But I don't LOVE horses. I've never owned one, never developed a bond with one.

And I suspect those who have would REALLY ENJOY this book. 

 It just took me a bit to get into it. 

[And YES - I appreciate the gorgeous beauty of these horses that were saved!!]

But I loved the story of Adia's many relationships much more 

than the story of saving the horses.

Author Nicole M. Miller did a wonderful job creating characters that seemed REAL in the harshness of war. Adia, the American who came to Poland to work with the horses she loved so much... Brett who is loyal to a fault to both his country and the people he loves... Werner, who although one of the 'bad guys' 

was a caring human after all... 

And little Ewin who grew into [some] self-control, loyalty, and love for those who cared for him through the hardest of times.
Good, historical book of WWII from a different perspective -

 

If you enjoy reading historical romance and the excitement of spies, saving others - and horses - from the evil of war, then you'll love this book. 

Go pick up your copy today!

NOTE: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher.

All opinions are my own.

Thursday Three:

 

1. We traveled over 1500 miles this past week - mostly fun stuff that I've plastered all over the socials - lol...

2. I'm still enjoying studying a different psalm each week with Illustrated Faith...

3. And loving having cherry tomatoes right outside the backdoor so I can pop one into my mouth whenever I want...

[Zinnias are some of my favorite summer flowers!]

Aishling the Airstream Update No. 018

Washington County Fairgrounds

Fayetteville, Arkansas

We were in Fayetteville for our Airstream Region 6 Rally!

We couldn't work it out to attend in the past so we were happy to be a part! 

Region 6  covers Arkansas - Tennessee - Mississippi - Alabama - Louisiana - and Florida's central time zone. Whew. That's a lot - 

 

I'm Region 6 VAC Rep, [Vintage Airstream Club] so it was wonderful to put names with faces of so many I've had contact with these past few years!

I think it's cool that each club has a representative with their own flag -

The mountains in Arkansas are beautiful! 

And we had an easy drive up the I-49 to Fayetteville.

 

This was our first time camping in a fairground parking lot...

And we were a little concerned that the AC in our 

#AishlingtheAirstream couldn't keep up...

 

But alas, we woke up to 64* one morning!

LOL

 

This was a busy rally - with lots of sight-seeing time, region six business stuff, entertainment, and just good ole visiting times...

At the end of each day, Craig I enjoyed taking a moment 

to sit under our awning and enjoy the sunset... 

[There's beauty all around us if we take the time to look for it - even in a dusty fairground parking lot close enough to hear the cars on the interstate - just sayin']

I'll just go quickly through some photos - 

Loved the simple, FUN, flamingo decor on each table!

VAC sponsored breakfast one morning for the whole crew

and Craig did an outstanding job cooking for everyone!

Fayetteville has a real Farmer's Market on the square each Saturday - it was a treat! This is really a wonderful town to visit!

We enjoyed Farm-to-Table meals and 

retro shopping at several different places!

LOVED going to Crystal Bridges up in Bentonville... 

so many wonderful art pieces, both inside and out!

It was a treat, for sure!

Seeing a Frank Lloyd Wright House and Chihuly Glass

was a wonderful surprise!

 

And since we were in town we stopped by the 21C Hotel 

and enjoyed a bit of their art too!

Bentonville is a cute ARTSY town with outdoor art in lots of areas around town and the neatest cubest / modern houses scattered around as people are refurbishing...

 

And OF COURSE we had to go the Sam Walton museum - 

It sure brought back some memories of one of Craig's earliest favorite outlet shops!

 

But the main take-a-way for us from the rally - was time to get to know friends who enjoy camping in their airstreams as much as we do!

We had a great time!

 

And it's mostly thanks to these Region 6 Leaders and the Arkansas Razorback Club. I've said more than once through the years that this club knows how to have a good time and it was wonderful to be a part of it all during our time together!

 

Most evenings we walked back to our camper in the moonlight and settled in for a good night's rest so we could be up and at 'em the next day!

But you know what?

 

We're loving retirement!

[Without the dog, of course - lol] 

Note: I may have grabbed a few photos off the group site - just sayin'

[Thanks for sharing]

But almost all photos in this post are mine -

Thursday Three:

 

1. Good news! I do, in fact, still have my dental insurance -- also good news: the antibiotics took care of my dental issues... for now.

2. Keep our kiddos in your prayers this week as they're doing some exciting extra-ordinary things ...and giving my mama-heart a bit of anxiety ...

3. Enjoyed a surprise meet-up while getting my toes done... Fun!

Aishling the Airstream Update No. 017

 Maumelle Recreation Area & Campground

Maumelle, Arkansas

[near Little Rock]

Sites are on the Arkansas River -

From their website: "This is a popular outdoor recreation destination with activities including camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and biking. The campground accommodates both tent and RV camping and sites are equipped with picnic tables, fire pits, and access to restroom and shower facilities.

Surrounded by scenic trails, Maumelle Recreation Area & Campground is a favorite spot for hiking and biking, especially along the paved River Trail that runs through Little Rock and offers spectacular views of the Arkansas River. Other amenities at the campground include a playground, boat ramp, swimming beach, and a pavilion that can be reserved for group gatherings."

 

We were there for a quick overnight just to see what it's like since we'll be back in a few months. The sites are large and well-maintained, with a good distance between campers [there's a camper behind us that you cannot see in this photo...]

We didn't un-hook and stayed close to camp that evening...

Enjoyed having several people stop by to visit...seems the Argosy isn't the only thing that draws attention... #Aishling the Airstream 

We had a couple of projects to complete - Craig had worked on the emblem before we left [I think it looks wonderful!] And we changed out the covers on our zip-dee chairs while we were there. - Surprisingly easy... and I'm really happy they match our grey awning now [and LOVE that fit in a pocket right inside our door!]

On the way out of town we found a Shipley's donuts.

An all-time [hard-to-find] favorite of ours! 

We got a couple of kolaches and donuts to enjoy on the road. 

So nice to have a place to sit and enjoy them while we're taking a break. 

Roadside dining? Yes, please.

Thursday Three

 

1. We've been home most of the week [except for a couple of trips to The Shoals], and it's been nice.

2. I've 'helped' Craig put a fantastic fan in our #LordAlfredtheAirstream - and it's going to be great!

3. My attempt @ making a Morovian Star [free class at the library] was just that --> an attempt - I may or may not try one with larger paper strips...

 

2024-06-30

 June 

I'm so happy I planned our calendar soI could be a helper in our VBS this year! LOVED sharing Christ's love [through crafty things] with over 500 kiddos each day!

Wow - planting seeds for Him -

We headed up to one of our favorite campgrounds and hosted our Music City friends in a very laid-back camping rally. We loved having time to visit a bit with so many. 

Then we met friends up at Cheekwod [Nashville Botanical Gardens] 

to see Thomas Dambo's Trolls / Giants.

I may or may not be becoming obsessed with them.

Just  sayin'

We love our adventure friends 

that we've known for over 35 years now...

Had a wonderful time at our Longest Day Scrapbooking event -

and we raised over $4,000 for Alzheimer's Research!

And I saw a little bonus fireworks 

from a secret location on the way home!

 

We made it to one concert in the park this month -

And it was HOT [we brought battery op fans - bc we're old - ha. 

Enjoyed camping in Arkansas this month -

And there will be a separate blog post on that soon. 

I'll admit, I kinda love my safari hat /pith helmet] from Animal Kingdom that Craig picked up at unclaimed... It's cool AND shady.

And I think it was adorable for our decorated hat contest -

I thought it was perfect for our contest at the outdoor art museum.

I'm checking off my Summer Bucket List - and rooftop sunset - CHECK.

We had dinner in the restaurant downstairs [with AC]

 

And while a Regency inspired dinner wasn't on the bucket list - 

It's one and done.

But it WAS fun.

Also - never thought we'd attend a FIFTIES class reunion -

But we enjoyed meeting many of Mother's friends 

and helping out where we could - 

It was a nice evening -

... on to July....