Project 365 - August 21, 2009

This is the Day

So the day finally came that we were moving Rachel into the dorm. This was the day that she would be sleeping there too. This was it. It was really here. And, I was okay with it.














Here we are helping Rachel move the bed up as high as the window ledge and then put on all of the new bedding that we bought at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Notice all of the other boxes all of "stuff" all over the floor! It really didn't take too long to organize with all four of use working. It also helped that her roommate wasn't there quite yet.














Nice view out the window!! That is the courthouse that was built in 1890 or so. This faces west so she will also see sunsets!




















We were hungry so we went over to the Clabber Girl Museum and Restaurant on Wabash Avenue. Clabber Girl is baking powder that is manufactured in Terre Haute. Look at the cans at the supermarket, it should say Terre Haute on the label. The girls were being very silly at the museum and I had to encourage them to pose for this shot. They were not entirely pleased with me, but what the heck, I like the photo.




















Later in the evening we went to a fund raising event for ISU with our friends. The event was held at the football field to show off their newly renovated locker rooms and football field. It really was done very nicely. This is a photo of Adina way, way up at the top of the bleachers.



And this is the end result of our hard work on Rachel's dorm. It looks cozy to me!

Project 365 - August 20, 2009

Indiana State Fair

I had NEVER been to a state fair. Sure, I have been to hundreds of festivals and fairs, but nothing like a REAL state fair. Complete with livestock, fried EVERYTHING, rides, arts and crafts and music.



















This was one VERY noisy rooster. I tried to record the sound inside the poultry building, but they had very noisy fans to keep the air moving and that interfered with my recording, but I did manage to snap this photo of this very pretty bird!














This made us all laugh pretty hard. Some guy took the time to create this artwork of sorts that looks like a cockroach rodeo to promote the "Roach Races" -- truly, I am not making this stuff up.














I loved this photo of the piglet trying to climb onto his mommy's snout. You can see the other piglets in the background, but this little guy wouldn't stop climbing.




















After the fair (we left the house at 9:30 a.m. and it was a little over an hour drive and we spent about five hours there) we relaxed at the lake. The girls dipped in the water (again, not me!! I am not a brave soul when it comes to deep water). Then they dried off on the dock.














The end of the day gave us a spectacular sunset. I took this from the car window. Shear luck!

Project 365 - August 19, 2009

Day Three

We spent the morning moving slowly (I was up at 6:30 a.m. everyday to drink my coffee on the porch and watch the sun rise over the lake. It was a beautiful sight and offered many photo ops!).

Then once we finally got dressed and moving (it was equally as hot and humid there as here in Florida) we went up to the Indiana State University campus to do what we needed to do (pay our first installment on tuition, open a bank account for Rachel, visit some staff and faculty and I even popped in on my friend's sister who works in the Records Office).




















This is the sculpture outside of the brand new recreation center. It is an unbelievable gym with a pool that not only has lanes for swimming laps, but also has a recreational area with islands and palm trees and another area with a Jacuzzi that seats 23!


















This is a public art sculpture. I really liked this one. Talk about "plop" art . . . what is wrong with sculpture? I can't really understand the mentality of some people that think "plop" are is a bad thing. Think about Washington, DC . . . the most famous piece of sculpture . . . the Washington Monument took a very long time to build, was over budget and is now revered and loved and it is sculpture and meant to be the burial place of our nation's first president . . . but . . . I digress.













All around campus there were signs of them getting ready for the new school year. School didn't welcome the students back until Saturday and this was only Wednesday.



















Adina wanted to pick corn. Every time we would pass a cornfield we would yell out, "Hey Adina, look, CORN!" So John took us over to a friend's cornfield (otherwise you can get shot!!) and she went into the field and picked it and he showed her how to husk it. She was supposed to let it dry and then take it home, but we forgot it!!














Kim would take us out on the lake in the pontoon boat every day! The dogs couldn't wait to ride on the boat and Adina was really enjoying it too!!

Project 365 - August 18, 2009

Midwest Beauty

No matter where I looked in Indiana I saw a photo opportunity. I probably drove my family crazy, but I couldn't help it. The camera never left my side and I snapped at whatever caught my eye. These are some of my favories.

Project 365 - August 17, 2009

Back Home Again . . .













Here we are driving on Harlan Road on the way to our friend's house in Riley, Indiana. You see a lot of these open fields filled with either corn or soybean. It is a very pretty and very green sight! Very, very peaceful in this part of our country.

Project 365 - August 16, 2009

The Very Last Day


















The last day at home came. It was a quiet Sunday. We cleaned the house. We packed our bags and I had promised to take Adina to Tate's Comic store because they were doing a Japanese snack food tasting festival. We had to wait about an hour and a half, but it was fun. We toured the store and when we were tired, we sat on the floor and talked and read comic books. I snapped photos of these dolls, they are called "Ugly Doll" and for a good reason!














This was the plate of snack food that they gave us. It certainly tasted interesting. You didnt quite know what you were tasting but when you were done you had to answer a short survey on how well you liked each item (if you could remember what the heck you just ate!!).




















That night my dad wanted to take us all out for dinner and Rachel picked the Rustic Inn. They are right near the airport and are famous for their crabs. I loved this photo of Joel and Rachel with their arms around each other.














Rachel and Poppa Lester are all ready to dig into their crab dinners!!



And of course we had to take the "family" photo in front of the restaurant!

Project 365 - August 15, 2009

40th Anniversary of Woodstock













Cinema Paradiso, our art film house in Fort Lauderdale, threw a street festival, jam fest and showed many documentaries about Woodstock, including the film Woodstock. I took Rachel and Adina and Adina's friend, Greg.














Everyone dressed in their best hippie outfit!














Rachel and Marc jammed under the tent with about ten other "hippies" which was a lot of fun to listen to and take photos of. This photo was also taken by a New Times reporter who was standing next to me and their photo ended up in the newspaper the following week!



















We made ourselves at home on the floor of the theater and my friend, who is the manager of the theater, brought us pillows and blankets (it was pouring outside and it was freezing in the air conditioning!).














This is Rachel's friend, Andrew. They have known each other since fourth grade and he came over to hang with us until we had to leave at about midnight.