Family Photo Time!

This has been an interesting weekend to say the least. Lita came to stay with us for a bit. So we took a little family photo down by the canal. In addition we did some thrifting and I scored some groovy Pyrex and a 1974 The Miss America Pageant board game (it's only missing one piece too and in great condition) - FANTASTIC. I cruised to some Bone Thugs and Blackstreet - CHECK
Another fun photo from this weekend.

And just for you aunt thea - the recipe from Thursday's soup -

Mexican Style Sausage & Rice Soup

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb chrizo sausage (you can really use any kind even stew meat if you prefer)

1 onion chopped

1 green pepper - seeded and chopped

1 red chili seeded and chopped (we actually used a California chili)

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 carrot chopped

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp chilli pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 can chopped tomatoes

5 cups beef stock

1/4 cup long grain rice

(you are also supposed to add 15 g of semisweet chocolate and 3 tbsp raisins - we skipped it)

chopped cilantro to garnish

1. Brown the meat in 1/2 the olive oil.

2. Heat remaining oil and onion on medium heat until softened in a soup pot/dutch oven. add pepper, chili, garlic and carrot cook for 3 minutes.

3. Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaf, chili powder and chili pepper flakes. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and meat - bringing the liquid to almost boil. Reduce heat and to low and simmer for about twenty minutes.

4. Stir in rice, (raisins and chocolate if you use it), and cook until the rice is tender about 30 minutes.

5. Serve with cilantro.

I meant to post this yesterday...

But life got away from me and I didn't ever blog.
Photo by Taylor.

Good News Folks!

Jodie was able to recover the photos from her memory card and the camera is coming along too. :o)
So here are some images from her camera. Here's me doing the rope swing - you jump off a platform - I was not really a fan of this. If you notice in the last photo I'm putting my foot down in the wrong spot. I did not however break my foot like Isiah.

Love this series - Jonathan takes logan out. And just in case you are wondering what Jono has on his feet those are Puma's verison of watershoes/crocs he thinks they are snazzy I think they are ugly.

The Other Wall & Summer End List

There has been some discussion here lately as to what we should put up on the wall next to our photo wall in the living room. I thought perhaps we needed some kind of words up there in like a nice handwriting; Jonathan seems to think we need a big picture, and Joe has this odd ball suggestion of random foam shapes. I’m not really sold on any of these ideas. I suppose could continue the photo wall around the corner and onto this wall – if anyone wants to send in photos to put up on it feel free to send them over. Anyone have any suggestions?

Oh and here’s my list random things I want to do before summer really does completely step aside and make way for fall…

• Ride my bike on the trail by the river
• Hit Mrs. Curl for some Hot Dogs
• Visit the outdoor flea market in Brookville
• Cruise around to some Bone Thugs & Blackstreet
• Paint the trim on the garage
• Go to the Farmers Market at the City Market
• Play some Skee Ball (throw back to our days at Forest Fair)
• Drink more Margaritas

So I'm going to see how many of these I can tackle in the next two weeks.

Tuesday 10 - Summer is Ending

Did we even have a summer? Usually in July or August Indiana has several weeks of sweltering humid never ending hot sun days. This year we had none at least none that I was in town for. I'm not going to complain though because the super hot days are the days I can't stand living here - where you don't want to go outside unless it's to a pool. With just a handful of real summer days left I'm trying to come up with a list of things I still want to do before winter hits like a ton of bricks. Anyhow that's for another day. Here's today's Tuesday 10 - Ten things I love this week...

1. Super Awesome Friends Like the Minniears.
2. 4 day work weeks!
3. Cute little motels like this. I saw a handful of these on our drive to Eville and I was thinking it would be a super fun trip to drive someplace next summer and only stay in funky Motels I think my friend Janelle's family even owns one, perhaps I'll put that on my list of goals for next year.

4. Park(ing) Day is coming. How cool is that? If I wasn't working I think I would have to participate.
5. Adoreable plates like this. I wish they made bowls as I love me some bowls.



6. Check out this article in NYT - One Man's Trash.



7. Deals on DVDs at Blockbuster (did you know you can buy 3 dvd's for $3 more than you can rent them at Blockbuster?) Regardless to say we came home with some that we don't have worry about returning and it was still cheaper than going to the movies.
8. New Pillows
9. That this is the week of festivals!
10. I played some video games with Isiah this weekend and it made me wish he had some Burger Time. Joneses surely you remember this ? With walking ketchup and pickles! Oh why can't video games be this simple anymore I cannot figure out the 42 buttons.

Back to work for me.

Everyone needs friends like this!

I just love Jodie and Dennis. I'm sure I have said it before but - better friends you could not ask for. They are all-around fantastic people, and friends. And their boys are great too (logan being my favorite). They invited the boys and I down to Evansville for some boating and water fun on the ohio river, way back in May or something and we finally found a time this weeked. Joe bailed on us at the last minute - but we went anyway despite forecasts for rain and storming. Saturday we took the boat out for about an hour when it began to rain, but we did get in some tubing and some rope swinging before it started to storm - Jodie I'm sure took some super awesome pictures of my shear terror on the rope swing, and jonathan catching some air sailing out of the tube - with her super fancy camera. The camera however got a little wet in the rainstorm so we are all hoping that it will dry out as she's a freelance photographer. But it did become a running joke this weekend that we would just toss the camera into the tube or dive in with it around your neck. Let's hope it dries out.
Sunday the forecast looked like it was going to just rain all day long - but around 11 the skies opened up and we decided to make a break for it. So we loaded up and headed out. And you know what - we boated all day and it didn't rain a single drop until we made it back to the house. It was a fantastic we could not have asked for a more perfect day as the forecast kept boaters from over crowding the river and the sun even came out. Jonathan did take water in his bad ear - he's off to the VAH now to see what the damage is and hopefully so they dry it up so he can hear again. Anyhow I took my cheap camera out too - knowing it could dry out (I got it really wet canoeing). So here's some of the pics...
Logan, Jonathan, and Carlos trying to so us their tricks. (Carlos is the the minniear boys friend).
Jonathan as he's biting the dust.

I love Jono's face on this one.

Evan didn't really feel like boating and spent his time as the dj and texting.

Poor little Isiah - broke his foot last weekend and wasn't allowed to partake in most of the activities.

Dennis joined th eboad on the tube for a bit.

No Jones and Co adventure would be complete without a foot picture had I have thought about it I would have had Evan and Isiah kick their's up their too.

Logan and Jono setting up for more of their "tricks"

Oh and look their's me - my hair flying straight out.

Logan really really wanted to flip me out so he kept jumping out.

Catching some air.

Dennis taught me to drive the boat - it's not that hard really. However I didn't really want to be responsible for flipping the boys out of the tube and then running over them with the boat trying to pick them up - that would be not so good.

Here's Jono trying to decide if he should go for another round. This is all of the tubing Isiah got to do.

No swimming for him either.

Thanks Minniears we cannot wait until next year! Oh and I'll see you soon for some football.

Weather Report

Going boating this weekend with Miss Jodie & her fam. Jodie informed me today looks like rain. So I did a little weather reporting. See look it only says "Isolated" - so this means it will be "isolated" to whatever places we do not take the boat! And even if it does rain we will already be wet from skiing and tubing it will not matter. :o) Perhaps we should also bust out the slip and slide. I cannot wait should be a grand time.

Tuesday 10

It's Tuesday already! How did that happen? Well at least I'm 2/5ths of the way to long weekend. Ten things I'm loving.
1. New recipes - my favorite step is #1 - "Open a bottle of champagne, or a California sparkling wine. Shramsberg from Napa is recommended, as it works well with the Humboldt Fog cheese. Pour yourself and anyone in the near vicinity a glass. Repeat as needed." - Ahh Jono add this to the list of things to cook.
2. Typerwriters when I finish this blog I'm going to type up some letters!
3. My mom. I had a lovely conversation with a friend of mine today who has child "drama" and it makes me love my mom hearing these stories all the more because for the better part of my life she was it and we were it. - Who doesn't love that! And mom you should be proud you have 4 "normal" well adjusted happy fun adult children and one teenager who's going to turn out pretty cool. Thanks mom you Rock! I couldn't find many photos of the two of us in my quick search but here's a few of mom.

4. 1950's Fridges. I saw this 1950's fridge going down the street in the back of a pick-up the other day and it made me want one. Did you know there's this company making them now - Big Chill? too cool

5. Jason Powell's Photo Project. Awesome.

Isn't this cool?

6. The Weather - who doesn't love the 70's and blue skies and sunshine.

7. Jerry Springer neighbors - They make working from home so much more interesting.

8. A love letter for You. Anyone wanna ride the commute rail with me in Philly?

9. Nearing the completion of our photo wall. If you don't see yourself on the wall it could be A) Because we don't have any super awesome photos of you B) We opted to leave you off for some "things" C) You just aren't cool enough - just kidding.
10. Labor Day Weekend Is Coming!

Keeping Up with the Jones

At last the third and final installment of our Iowa Roadtrip. So when I last saw most of the jones my family was three cousins (not that I even remember them). But I have a handful of photos - here's some from a series of us getting ready to leave Omaha for the east when my parent's split up. Ted (baby in red coat), Charolette (glasses) and Jenny (Red sweater), that's mom in the middle holding me eating something probably a doll or something that should not be eaten and JJ in an awesome green coat.

Another one of the same cousins + grandma Jones & aunt penny. Don't you love mom's shoes - they are so awesome (mom you are too cool love you!)

now I have more cousins than I even can remember their names... whoops. So anyhow dad and ginny tossed together a little Jones & Co Family BBQ and invited the Joneses who still are in Omaha. It was a good time unforunately I don't know the Joneses well enough yet to order them around for a group photo yet (next time). There were some deep discussions which including uncle joe's "you got any mexican's there?" - no joke. how cute is that. There was some 4-wheel riding (unforunately no we couldn't fire up the dirt bikes because there wasn't any gas, but we sure tried), and were the horses, and good eating, and even a bonfire although dad refrained from throwing in the barn door, despite.

Anyhow here's some more pics one of gigi (my cousin's daughter), Kim and her husband who may or may not be called "steve" or "sam" (I'm horrible I know).

Jones on the blue 4-wheeler this one goes slow.

Dad and my stepmom Ginny.

Me and dad (it was so cold) even in the smoke of the bonfire.

Uncle Joe

My cousin Dustin (he's Joe's second youngest).

My aunt peggy and shelby my youngest cousin on dad's side. They have the same profile.

Grandpa Jones - looks just the same as I remember. He doesn't talk much which is sad, because I'm sure he's got a million interesting stories he could tell me.

Ted the baby in the top photo's baby - Mckayla. She's trying desperately to get the horses to eat carrots however only stinky likes them the rest would rather go to town on salt licks.

Aunt Peggy, Shelby, and Kim trying to get those horses to eat carrots. It seems unless you feed them to them all the time they don't really have any desire to eat them.

My cousin Kelly's husband Aaron riding a 4wheeler.

And last we leave you with Jono and Kyle and the same bonfire.
I didn't get a photo of everyone I guess - I'll have to do better next time of course and hopefull it's not another 25+ years before I see the other Joneses Family. Iowa was good times