Finally, time for a book!

Yesterday I did something unheard of during the busy month of May.  I actually sat down on the screen  porch and read a book from start to finish!  But I get ahead of myself...

It was a crazy, busy time since I last wrote!

Enjoying a feast with Gary and Peggy at El Sol

My brother Gary and his wife Peggy came for a weekend visit.  We enjoyed our favorite Mexican restaurant, the Broad Ripple Art Fair and just hanging out on the porch.  We even put them to work setting up the new porch furniture when it was delivered.

Peggy painting the Blue Moon mural at the Art Fair

Something I never thought I'd see-Gary painting!  The things we do for a free t-shirt!

Mike and Gary assembling the new porch table

The next day Mike and I enjoyed Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Rose-Hulman alumni.  For the first time ever I got to see the garage area.  It was very cool!  You could really see the cars up close and personal.

At Gasoline Alley

Cyclops car

Filling up with ethanol at the track gas station! Imagine how much that costs!

Mike and then headed to Des Moines for several days for some follow-up doctor visits.  I am happy to report that I am now 3 years cancer free!  The mammogram, blood tests and oncologist visits all went fine, and I'm now on the annual checkup plan instead of every 6 months.  It is very stressful leading up to these appointments. Funny how your mind starts to think about all the stuff that could be wrong.  I'm so glad to put this behind me for another year.

Maggie learning to text at a young age...

We enjoyed visiting with friends in Des Moines.  We had a great pizza dinner with Emily and Maggie.  And Maggie is growing up so quickly.  We last saw her in November, and I somehow she went from baby to toddler overnight.

















I hooked up with my friend Ruth for lunch and a visit to the community gardens.   I loved the creativity and got some great ideas for my own gardens including wine bottles lining a bed, using slices of a tree stump for a path, an old picture frame for a label...

Ruth is a master gardener, and she helped create this themed community garden, "reduce, reuse, recycle"

And we had a great evening with Betsy, Roby and Gary later that day.  We caught up on work and families and vacations.  It was so good to re-connect with friends that I worked with for many years!

We returned home to Indy late Thursday night, and on Friday we officially began the Indy 500 weekend.  Friends Kathy and Kevin stopped by for a visit around the same time friends Gretchen and Craig and 2 cats arrived for the weekend.  Enter the margaritas and the screen porch, and the weekend was underway!

Mike, Gretchen and Craig in Broad Ripple

We enjoyed a great day on Saturday with Gretchen and Craig at Broad Ripple.  Lunch outside at Monon Food Company, some shopping and drinks at Sabbatical were a great way to spend the day.  And later we hooked up with friends Travis, Whitney and their family at their new restaurant, Punch Burger.

With Gretchen and Craig at the track

Sunday of course was the Indy 500 race.  We arrived early because of some changes in the parking situation and increased security at the track.  We enjoyed an amazing race where records were set for the highest average speed and the most number of lead car changes.   We were thrilled that our favorite driver Tony Kanaan won.

Mike standing next to the Tony Kanaan poster on Bump Day

On Monday our friends Mary and Stan stopped by for a visit.  We enjoyed a great time catching up and laughing and telling stories.  All in all, a great Memorial Day weekend!

Oh, and I got this terrible cold starting Friday, and so I felt kind of punk the whole weekend!  So on Tuesday, I decided to rest.  I went to the library, checked out a few books and proceeded to enjoy a great book on the screen porch with a glass of iced tea.  I started the book around 1pm and finished it before I went to bed.  Now, THIS is how I pictured retirement!  Not so good that it took a head cold and exhaustion to get me to sit down and read and relax.  Obviously, I need to change this equation!

Well, enough of my ramblings.  I think I've caught you up on activities of the past couple of weeks.  Whew, crazy busy time!  But a wonderful time with friends and family.  And I'm thankful for all of it including a great health report!

Take care and have a great week!
Diane