Pleasure Island

Does that blog title have you curious?   Does it bring up a vision of a tropical island involving relaxation, sun, and just downright fun?

Well, I'd say that you'd be pretty much on track, except that Pleasure Island is the name of the beach house we are renting, and if you just omit the word "tropical", the description pretty much describes it all.

Just where else are you going to find this much fun?

And, I'd consider this an historic event,  as it is the very first beach trip where we have all of our grandchildren together to enjoy.

It brings morning baking to a whole new level as everyone obviously needs their own turn helping Gramma G. 

And, believe me, the end result was thoroughly enjoyed!

Just look at those happy smiles!

Beachtime was definitely sunny & warm

AND entertaining, with these two enjoying recreating their own version of Niagara Falls,

And learning how to brace themselves against the waves.

These three then set about planning their fortress

And waited for the waves to come rolling in.

All while babies snoozed in the beach tent.

This was also the first introduction to these cuties, and, believe me, these two were eager to hold their new cousins. 

Gotcha on that last photo, didn't I? 

Just look at that great smile!

Of course, the aunts needed their turn!

And, Pap Pap G has already begun teaching his famous version of Patty Cake.

You never can start too soon!

For some reason, the day ended up with a photo shoot involving two matching babies and a pineapple.

So, it looks like you CAN add the word "tropical" to the description!

Pleasure Island, indeed!

The Rambunctious Rabbit

If you recall, it was just about this time last year when Marty decided that it was time for a garden make-over, so he went about designing and building a rather attractive fenced in area, complete with solar lights to keep the deer from invading at night for a tasty treat.

The enclosure was made out of a rather sturdy plastic mesh which actually seemed to work quite well at keeping creatures out for several weeks, until one day, a rather resourceful rabbit decided to just chew through it, and ended up being trapped inside the garden!

That resulted in a roll of chicken wire being wrapped around the perimeter so that we could actually reap the rewards of our efforts!

Well, this year, Marty decided to forego the chicken wire, and he came up with the clever idea of cutting a plastic lattice sheet to go around the exterior instead.  Within a few short hour today, he had added the finishing touches.

So far, only onions have made it into the ground, and the door has been wide open and nary a creature has bothered venturing inside.  But today, after the lattice was in place, I happened to look out the window and was surprised to see a rabbit curiously eyeing it.

I watched him as he pushed the lattice with his nose.  It moved, but that didn't seem to phase the rabbit in the least.

As if that wasn't funny enough, I stood in awe as this rabbit carefully hopped around the perimeter of the garden, apparently looking for some sort of opening to get inside. 

Considering that nothing tasty is actually growing on the other side of the fence, I found this all to be quite humorous, in light of the fact that up until today, that rabbit could have had free roam of the garden!

At this point, I figured that he would probably be frustrated, but realize that he had no chance of getting in, and hop off on his merry way.

No such luck!  

Don't fool yourself into thinking that Mr. Rambunctious Rabbit is merely peering over that lattice.

No......he is busily chewing the top  of it,  which is fairly thick, by the way.

Marty went out and shooed him away.......twice.  (Obviously, Mr. Rabbit is not one to give up easily.)

And the real worry is, if that rabbit is so determined to get inside now, what can we possibly expect when the garden is full of tasty greens just waiting to be nibbled?

In the meantime, I can kind of relate to Elmer Fudd:  "That Pesky Wabbit!" 

Unfortunately, as I recall, the Rabbit always wins! 

Celebrating Spring

After last week's frigid temperatures and unexpected snowfall,  it sure was a welcome treat to experience sunny skies and seasonable temperatures today!

And, even more exciting was getting the opportunity to spend the day with two of my grandchildren who came with Mommy and Daddy for a weekend adventure!  

The day began with some early morning fishing at the local trout rodeo, where worms were the bait of choice for this fashionable fishinanasta.  (Ok, so I made up my own word there, but it certainly does apply, don't you think?)

Grandpa was eager to help out.

And Daddy enjoyed lending a hand.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much luck for this little one, but her brother managed to snag one, 

How's that for excitement!

Later in the day, Gramma and PapPap G headed into Lititz with this entertaining pair for some gallivanting fun.

First stop:  Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory:

We all got a demonstration on how to make our own pretzels.

and these little ones volunteered to show the group just how the pretzels would have been loaded into the brick ovens. 

The museum no longer functions as an actual bakery, so the ovens are simply on display.

Before we left, these two were presented with official Pretzel Twisting Certificates.  They're experts now, should you be interested.

We then took to the streets, admiring the beautiful surroundings.

We stopped by the toy store.

and made our way to the chocolate factory

where we watched some ladies making confectionary delights!  Yummy!

Of course, we had to sample some Wilbur buds while we were there!

Then, we checked out the caboose

And spent a little time in the playground, which involved some swinging, among other things.

By then, little feet were tuckered out (and Gramma G's were hoping for a break as well), so we headed to the Boar's Head Inn for some evening fare. 

After an enjoyable meal, we hopped in the car and headed back to our house.

That was certainly a LOT of fun and adventure for one day!    And, I must say, we all enjoyed every minute!  

Happy Easter!

Easter has always been a festive holiday for my family.  The venue may be different, and the camaraderie may change faces, but the day is always guaranteed to be delightful as we recreate our Slovak traditions and enjoy the company at hand.

This is the first year where I found myself sitting alone in the church pew during Mass, (Marty plays guitar for the folk group and sits in a different spot when they sing), and I'll admit that I was a bit sad that the day would not follow suit to those of the past, but I soon realized that it was time to enjoy the moment at hand and not fret about what I might be missing.

I had made all of the traditional Easter foods that celebrate my Slovak Heritage, packing up the delectable delights in a basket for the annual food blessing at our church yesterday.  Our plan this year, was to drive to Stacey and Jeff's house, and prepare the meal so that when they arrived home from the hospital, we could enjoy our meal together.  

The day was certainly not disappointing.  We weren't in the door long when it was obvious that we were in for some real entertainment.

That's one curious piggy, for sure.  Luckily, I had already removed the contents. 

And Marty couldn't resist trying out his selfie stick

although I'm not sure that Wellie was so entertained by it!

But Wellie was excited to see that the Easter Bunny remembered him!

And that picture proves that the selfie stick might serve more than one purpose.

Particularly if you want to get down to the pig level for a prime shot!

Preparations were made

Food was set out

And a delicious meal was enjoyed by all of us.

It was truly a fabulous day and, as you can see, a tiring event for one little piggy.

But I would be remiss if I did not share some photos featuring our beautiful grand daughters with Mommy and Daddy earlier in the day.

Certainly the best Easter blessing that anyone could ask for.  

And we all hope that it won't be too much longer before they can finally come home and meet Wellie.

I suppose, though,  that we'll have to just wait and see how Wellie feels about that!