Monday, August 24, 2015

summer weekend, autumn monday

 I spent Saturday with my aunt, enjoying the beautiful summer day in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. If you're not familiar with this town, it's 75 miles northwest of Chicago and has been a resort town since the late 1860's when wealthy, famous Chicago families such as Wrigley, Schwinn, Maytag and Sears began building summer estates around the lake.

Little did we know it was Venetian Weekend and the place was mobbed. We drove around for an hour, trying to find a parking spot. We finally got lucky with someone leaving in a school parking lot about 1/2 mile away from the main part of town.


 We walked around to pretty shops...


 fell in love with a pretty bench...


 had lunch at Sprechers, and posed with a hotdog.

 Side note: I'm sporting a new, short haircut. My regular hairdresser is out of commission for awhile with a broken arm and I went to someone new. I did not want my hair this short and at first was quite upset, but I reminded myself that I have two friends battling cancer right now and they don't have any hair, so I need to quit bitching about something that's truly insignificant. I have to admit - it is a lot easier to take care of. And it will grow out.


A simple pleasure that was pure enjoyment and made me smile...we found a quiet park away from the hustle and bustle of the town. There was a shallow, winding creek in the park with the clearest water and a stone bottom. I just had to take off my shoes and go for a walk. I hadn't done that since I was a teenager living in Kentucky. It's very calming and meditative and I felt like a kid again. I highly recommend it if you have a clean creek or stream nearby.


 So now Monday rolls around and we had a high of 69 degrees and strong winds. It truly felt like a September day. I actually made a pot of red lentil soup for lunch. (*Later update: I thought I'd better include the link for the soup recipe. It is so delicious, healthy and easy to make, that I'm making it again tonight! Hubby even requested it again. It's from the web site, The Kitchn - one of my favorite recipe web sites. Anyway, click HERE  for the recipe.) That might not sound surprising to you, but you see, I normally only eat soup in the fall and winter. (Likewise, I can only eat ice cream in the summer.) And then I actually turned on the oven...


and made banana bread! It's a healthy version - no white sugar, no oil, no dairy, and made with whole wheat flour. You can find the recipe here.
 

The good news: it's going to warm up again by this weekend. :-) After all, it is still August and summer is still on for almost another month. I'm in no hurry at all to rush in autumn.


19 comments:

  1. Lake Geneva is on my list of places I'd like to visit in the Midwest, so I'm glad you posted about it, Melanie. It looks like you had a gorgeous day to visit! Summer seems like a distant memory with the weather we've been having. It's supposed to warm up in the next few days and I plan to be outdoors as much as possible! Enjoy the sunshine and warm days while they last!

    I made a pot of soup yesterday, too. Hits the spot on a cold rainy day!

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  2. Looks like a lovely outing. Hot as heck and humid here. I wouldn't mind a bit of a cool down so I can get back to walking. I can eat soup any day of the year, no matter the weather. :) Have a good week.

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  3. P.S. Your hair looks fine. I keep going back and forth on whether I should go shorter. A friend said I should keep it long while I can because at some point, when I'm 80, I may want to just whack it all off. ha! :)

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  4. Oh, Mel, what a great way to spend the day. I love Lake Geneva, I've been going a long time---my first prom 'picnic' was there!! Love everything...Hogs And Kisses is a great place for a burger and a beer! The picture of you enjoying your bare feet in the grass and water---go for it, girl!!!

    I love your new 'do'. I went shorter, too, and I'm tired of being afraid of change. Like you said, it's hair and it grows. I think you look fab. Love and prayers to your friends.

    Yes, today was quite cool---actually colder in my house than outside. I'd love your recipe for the soup. :)

    Jane x

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  5. I love walking barefoot in creeks, but then again I am a Kentucky girl. Sounds like you had a wonderful time and I love your new short hair. xo Laura

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  6. Love your new hair, it's always nice to have a change. Our temps have cooled just a bit, too. A walk in the creek sounds like a good idea! I can eat ice cream any day of the year:/

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  7. I love your new haircut! Looks great on you too! We were in Kenosha on Saturday. On our way home my husband asked if I wanted to stop in Lake Geneva to walk around. Glad we didn't, don't think I could have coped with the crowds. Have a great week, Melanie, with this strange Illinois weather we are having!

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  8. I really like your hairdo! What a wonderful Saturday. Sounds like heaven to me in hot, humid TX. Thanks

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  9. It looks like such a pretty place to visit. I love going to these places where rich people had mansions. Where I grew up, near the Hudson River in NY, we had mansions all along the river built by everyone you can think of who was filthy rich in the 19th century, LOL. Vanderbilt, Astor, Roosevelt, etc. The house tours were really expensive but you could drive or walk on the grounds for free, usually, and we did that a lot. I think your hair looks very nice! I recently had mine cut and asked for a little too much taken off, I think, but then I'd had it very long for a few years and just got used to it. I think your attitude about it is a good one. Hope you';re having a good week.

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  10. What a lovely place to visit. Your outlook about your hair is a great one and it does look good on you in the meantime, but I understand about not liking it shorter than you wanted! xx

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  11. Funny that you only like soup in the cool weather, I could eat it every day! But then again, I'm the woman who drinks iced tea year round. I take it you didn't bring home the pretty blue bench? I'm already picturing you finding an old bench and painting it a soft blue like that, then sanding down the edges.

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  12. Love the haircut but that first lake shot stole the show for me...:) Fun post! :)

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  13. Melanie,
    I am excited about your recipes and they are so healthy! You have really recharged your lifestyle and your energy is contagious!
    Have a great weekend,
    Jemma

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  14. Lake Geneva is such a beautiful spot. What a lovely day you had there...great photos! I was thinking how cute your hair looks, Melanie.
    Mary Alice

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  15. What a beautiful lake, totally gorgeous shot! I like your hair. I know it's a bummer, but you look great!

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  16. Oh that lake...looks like a piece of heaven day :)

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  17. That first picture is beautiful... great shot. The banana bread looks delicious, too. I get that same feeling when I'm walking around without shoes, too... :)

    I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I really like your new profile picture.

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  18. Your hair looks really cute, but I know what you mean about it being too short.

    Hotdog man... Now that's SCARY lol

    It's gorgeous there :)

    xo

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