Productive Monday.

 Today was a day to think camping.  Piles of necessities are appearing around the house.  But first there was breakfast at the table.  I wish you could join me. I grew up with relatives living in Amish Country in Holmes County, Ohio.  That was my father's birthplace.  This little Amish matelin is a favorite Nancy Noel print. My mothers rolling pin hangs on the wall.  A huge cabbage slaw maker is to the left of Nancy reminding me that my dad filled a large barrel with cabbage slaw for sour kraut that we ate as part of our school lunch program.  It was one of the first hot lunch programs in our area of Ohio.  Country kids with German heritage had no trouble eating sour kraut and government surplus cheese 75 years ago at the end of the BIG WAR!  Times have changed. 

                         The living room stack holds my sleeping necessities.  Cot, Bag, Pillow etc.  

                    In the kitchen, the CAMP KITCHEN is stuffed with, yes, the eating necessities.                                       The microwave will be a last-minute item to be packed along withe electric skillet.  

The dining room has all the food for two weeks stored in drawers.  They are filled with the hope that we will not need the grocery store in Copper Harbor unless there is ice cream to buy. 

What to wear and medicine is still to come but that is easy.  I always take too many clothes.

Soon there will be a stash of things in the garage.  Tent, Dining fly, camp chairs and 2 tables and Doug's stuff means just about anything. That's his assignment. The list for what's left to get ready remains in the brain to be checked off before we leave on Saturday.  The Michigan Russells leave tonight around 2:30 am.  They are crazy arriving before noon at the campsite.  Eager beavers you might call them.  They LOVE all that can happen at Copper Harbor as much as we do.  We just take two days to get there.

            The first orange zinnia opened overnight.  A wonderful surprise and certainly not expected.                                                                     It's maker did a perfect job.

This morning on my daily garden walk through the garden I decided that if I took the tops off the Basil today, while we were away, they would have time to become big bushy plants.  So I did and then made almost a pint of Pesto.  The freezer will get some and I  will take some with us.  I skipped the pine nuts.  Too much money out of my pocket for something that can be skipped.   

The end-of-the-day walks uncovered a huge deer party that had occurred during the previous night.  Yum, yum Daylilies.  My goodness. they sure left a trail of half-eaten flowers. Crazy deer.  I'm so happy they don't like Zinnias.  

So the day was full of preparation for memory-making 2022 style.  My favorite thing to do.  How fortunate we are to experience good health and able to vacation with family.  Life is good.  Blessings abound.  Tomorrow chocolate chip cookie making.  That's sure to pay for a kayak experience.