Summer is Sweet

The Lollipop Shop

http://thelollipopshop.net/beaufort.htm

Isn't this place fun??? I'm not sure what is more fun, The Chocolate Tree or The Lollipop Shop. But they are BOTH right in our new town!! Take a look at the website if you have a chance, there's some fun information about our new hometown----hoping people may want to actually come visit us once we get more settled. There's a lot to do here (besides candy shops:)---we can go hang out at the beach and collect seashells, or laze around our own pool, go boating, kayaking, or take a carriage ride through old Beaufort and enjoy the rich southern history, visit military museums (not my cup of tea either, but this IS a major military area), visit very old churches (ok, not like Europe old, but, old for the U.S.), have breakfast, lunch, or just a piece of pie at the Magnolia Bakery, go to Hilton Head, Charleston, Savannah--HECK, we're only about 4-5 hours from Disney World---all within an hour or less of us:D:D Now we need to sell our house, so we can buy a larger home where we will be able to comfortably host visitors!!!!

A Field Trip and My Trip Down Memory Lane

We had a fun day today. We went to Kenosha where I grew up to visit the Dinosaur Museum--it's free--it's small, it's perfect. The life-size exhibits were fun, but honestly didn't grab the girls' attention all that much. They did however really enjoy the interactive area in the basement--there were some arts and crafts, books, and the most fun--the large hanging magnetic puzzles--they were really neat. I'd love to put something like that up for us--where we paint the background--so it becomes art and fun!!! After, we drove over to the music store of Kenosha where I grew up to see what was going on. Emil, the owner of the shop since I first started playing 30 years ago, recently sold the shop. So I spoke with the new owner (a trumpet player I've known from playing in Kenosha community bands)--I've always been very close to Emil, so I was sad to find out he's not doing very well.

Following, per Kevin's recommendation, we had lunch at a place downtown called Keiser's---no, it's not authentic Kenosha Italian (which they are very well known for)--but they had a decent pizza there. Per some recommendations of FB friends we then headed over to a new-to-me icecream shop called Scoops---it was so darn cute in there! They also had candy and some cute easter baskets, etc. I snuck a purchase of a couple of wicker purses which the girls will receive from the Bunny this year--and received a free large bag of mini jelly beans too---bonus. So, what could be the one thing that makes an ice-cream/candy shop that much better???? When it's attached to a classic toy store!! I loved it in there---and the girls sat and played with a Thomas train display for about an hour while I chatted with the store associate.

I then drove past some memorable locations--such as the band shell, which was built my second year with the Kenosha Pops. It's set right on Lake Michigan and is beautiful! I spent 15 years with the band and have a lot of terrific memories! The band also provides a lot of wonderful free summer-time entertainment for the community of Kenosha (they easily draw 300 or more people a concert!).

It was nice being in my old neck of the woods. We all had a lot of fun. We had a great day!!

Need Color!!!!!

First colors to pop up in my yard!! (will be blanketed in snow tomorrow:(

There's something so fun about a bowl full of jelly bellies--I know, they're colorful!!!

Mum's the word!!

Apples of Eden---Sweet Moments

It was 55 degrees out today--not bad for the northwoods--but it's muddy and flooding and we still have quite a bit of snow, and the skies have been very grey; and of course there are no leaves on the trees--so as far as I'm concerned, it's still fairly dreary-looking out. So--that means we have to seek out color---and what better place to find color than a confectionary shoppe!!!!!!!

Jelly Belly Tour

Check out some of these "flavors" (YUCK). They handed out samples of these, but I just couldn't go there!

We headed to K-town yesterday and had a fun little tour of the Jelly Belly Center. The most popular selling flavor is very cherry, and a close second is buttered popcorn (I've always thrown the popcorn ones away, YUCK). The Jelly Bellies were invented in 1976, and it takes between 7 and 21 days to make a single bean. In a one year time-frame, enough Jelly Bellies are consumed to circle the earth five times! (once by me alone:)

It was a fun, free, sweet, and colorful tour via train--I highly recommend!