After much searching, I think I like the Harley-Davidson Softails with saddlebags best. Either brown or black. I just have to wait twenty years to purchase one.

Happy Birthday Karen!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Karen!
Happy Birthday to you!

You know, growing up, my mom and cousin had birthday celebrations together and my brother and grandfather had birthday celebrations together. Although my aunt and I have birthdays next to each other, I never really got to celebrate with her. She lives in North Carolina and apparently never was up visiting during January.

Ellie gets to celebrate with her cousin since they share a birthday. And another cousin's is a few weeks before. Gary could join in since his is only a week before, but really, he'd rather just let the girls have their day. He isn't into pink, princess or girl stuff anyway.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Mom!
Happy Birthday to you!

What makes doing housework fun?

Listening to my favorite songs on my iPod. Want to listen too?

"While I'm Waiting" by John Waller from the movie Fireproof




"Unknown Legend" by Neil Young

Heading to the World Series - again!

Last night the Phillies won the National League Conference Title and another shot at winning the World Series.

I've got a ticket to ride

After four classes, a bit of hurrying, and an extra ten dollars, I have my motorcycle license. We arrived late for our first class. They say they are very strict about not letting late comers in, but they took our information and let us in anyway. I put my permit in my pocket since they said we would need it later. That was a Thursday. Friday I did laundry. Yes, I forgot to remove the paper permit and washed my jeans. What was left of my permit when the washer stopped would have fit in a thimble, with room to spare. I tried getting a new one, but the driver's license center was closed during the hours of operation.

So I went to our first riding class without a permit. They didn't ask for it, I didn't bring it up. I did go to the driving center again the next week and paid for a new one. The riding class was excellent at teaching beginners about motorcycles. First you just stand next to it and look at the bike. Then you sit on it. Move the levers and buttons. Next you turn it on. You practice rocking back and forth, recognizing the friction zone - the place where the engine starts to engage and move the bike. Then you move across the range in first gear, both feet still on the ground walking with the bike. Then you move a little faster, picking your feet up. And so on practicing basic techniques. It was fun. I had a blast.

At our next classroom class, I was nervous about the written test. Gary knew I'd do fine. We both passed.

At our final riding class (at which God answered my prayer to stop the rain,) we would be doing finer skills, like u-turns and such. We practiced, received some advice, then came the test. Gary was in front of me. On the second skill of the first part of the test, Gary dumped the bike. I wanted to shut off my bike and run over to him, but you can't go running across the range. He didn't even realize what he did wrong, until later when an instructor talked to him. He had braked while swerving, which is a big no-no for a motorcycle. His was the fourth mishap that day, but since his was during the test, he didn't pass. I wasn't sure how I'd do after having watched my husband land on the ground. Although I was armed with the advice on how to do slow u-turns, I hadn't gotten to use it yet. I did fine. The rest of the test went well, also, and I passed.

If there is room, Gary can be a walk-in at another class this weekend and try again.

Now, I just need to find a motorcycle to practice on and a way to get it to the school parking lot.

Fireproof

Gary and I watched the movie Fireproof soon after it came out. A local church was showing it. It is good. I recently rented it from our local library. I watched it many times. It is great story about what happens when two people don't love unconditionally in a marriage. And then one of them is dared to try things differently - God's way. At first Caleb isn't really trying, just going through the motions, but he soon realizes that he can't give what he doesn't have. To love unconditionally, one needs God's love. God gives us the love we give to others. Caleb then starts loving his wife with God's love, doing it God's way. His wife starts to notice and eventually wants what happened to him to happen to her.

A companion to the movie is the book The Love Dare, a complete version of the dare that Caleb follows in the movie. It's a forty day dare to love your spouse unconditionally. I dare you to try it.

The tale of our weekend

The Chatter Box, where we had dinner Friday night.














Cruising the boardwalk in a surrey Saturday morning.
























Our favorite pizza place - Mack and Manco's.















A couple getting married on the beach.












Going for a helicopter ride.














Going down the slide.
















Stuffing as much cotton candy as allowed into mouth. Ellie saved her money to buy it.












Having fun at the new playground.














Exploring the sand.













Posing on the beach (before Ellie and Josh were soaked.)












Ellie and Josh enjoying the ocean (very soaked.)

Ocean City, NJ

Today after lunch we will be heading to Ocean City, NJ. It will be the first trip we will be taking with Gary's mom. We are all excited. Gary, because the shore is his favorite place to go (he is a bit saddened that we didn't make it to the shore when it was actually swimming weather.) The kids, just because. Josh and Ellie get excited to go anywhere. Gary's mom, because it will be her first real break from regular life since Dan got sick 9 years ago, and me, because I will be away from the business of home.

I plan to take all my MomSense magazines that I have neglected to read over the past year. I also have my bag of God books, though I need to get a bigger bag now. Myrtle asked her pastor to send me a hard back copy of The Book of Concord. I have wanted one but didn't feel right asking for one and didn't take the money to buy one. Since I found out he was sending me one, I hoped it would arrive before we left for the shore. It came today! Now I have the treasure of a book and it is a precious gift.

But before I have the chance to read it at the shore, I have to get ourselves packed.

Phillies Win!

Phillies are 2009 NL East Champions! (Three years in a row!)

My gear

I went to the local Harley-Davidson store today. I found my helmet. It's a Scorpion EXO-700 Black Dahlia. It is also expensive. There is even matching clothing. Also expensive.

I saw some gloves and boots I liked. Again expensive.

And I saw that Kohl's is hiring.


We received an email concerning what is required in clothing for the course. Over-the-ankle boots, full-fingered gloves, long pants and long sleeve shirt or jacket, eye protection, and a helmet. Of these things, I have the pants and jacket. Maybe my gloves will be acceptable. I may still have skiing goggles. They do provide helmets. And motorcycles.

Gary is not too pleased to have to buy stuff for this class. I don't mind.

He Passed!

Gary passed his test and has his learner's permit for a motorcycle. We are now signed up for the safety course.

Gary's mom thinks we're crazy. Who's going to take care of the kids when we die in a crash, she asks. My parents don't have much to say about it. Gary's dad and Judy are rooting us on. It scares me a little thinking about riding, but it scares me even more to try to learn without this class. I want to ride. But I also want to be a safe rider. So take this class, I shall.

Our second week

Our second week went as well as the first when you take out the Mom buying factor. Gary's mom made some purchases our first week, and our sales the second week were down by the amount she bought. There were also less people the second week, but we sold almost as much. We were in a different location, but I forgot the camera to document.

We will not be there this weekend, since we will be at the shore relaxing and eating some Mack and Manco's pizza.

We placed another order and will hopefully have more to offer next time.

Farmer's Market

It went much better than we thought. We went through most of the coffee and over half the cider. We sold out of the pumpkin spice and sold more vanilla than we thought. Apparently no one is seasoning any poultry yet or doing any pickling. But people are flavoring soups and such with bay leaves and basil.

We had many people comment it was nice to see a spice place again, since the local spice store closed. Some said they'd be back next week. We had three people requests, but no actual orders. We are going to be placing another order and will probably include them since they aren't obscure items and others probably would buy them.

We plan to continue up until Thanksgiving, when the market closed until next year. Than what? We don't know.

We had some good advice from several people, too. And some repeat business on the coffee. Gary made his pumpkin spice coffee and mulled the cider using the spices we were selling.

Myrtle admonished me to take the camera so I could document our big day. Gary's mom was a big help in packaging spices last night, and she packed us a treasure trove lunch. He had forgotten about eating lunch, so she surprised us with food. My parents took the kids for the night and watched them until the market was closed.




Here is the background for our labels. I took some cinnamon sticks and some white paper and took a photo. It looks nice as a watermark background with our name Kulp's Spices in brown lettering. I am hoping to get a sign with it as background for our stand, as you could see in the photo we haven't any identification of who we are in big letters.

Help please

Well the novelty has worn off. Monday and today were awful for Ellie getting on the bus. Monday, she and Gary walked nicely to the bus. Once the bus came and her friend wasn't there, Gary had to put her on the bus crying and protesting greatly. Tuesday she was better. Her friend was there, and even though she still didn't want to go, she got on the bus with minimal protests and tears. Today, her protests started before leaving the house, though she went without force. Unfortunately again no friend, and Gary than had to physically move her to the bus, weeping and wailing and great protests. There seems to be no problems with the afternoon bus ride.

Do we continue to make her ride the bus in the morning, or do I drive her to school? If I drive her, we feel like we're giving in to her, if we make her take the bus, we feel like we're being mean. Either way, we feel like everyone loses. Is she just not ready for that morning bus ride?

Please give us some advice.

I passed!

I got to the licensing center a little later than planned. I waited in line, several times, took my test, and passed. I had four wrong answerd, the highest amount allowed to still pass. One more and done for. I waited in line again and walked away with the little paper that says I may drive a motorcycle in practice for my license. I am quite pleased and a little scared. Motorcycles are powerful little machines and a bit intimidating to drive by myself.

Corn, corn and more corn

I have in my freezer over two hundred ears of corn. My parents bought a hundred ears on Thursday, and my mom and I husked, blanched, decobbed and froze it on Friday. And Gary and I bought a hundred ears on Saturday, and my mom and I processed it today. If you're talking corn, we are set for the winter.

Unfortunately and quite sadly for me, I do not have in my hot little hand a learner's permit for riding a motorcycle. We failed to notice that cash is not accepted for payment at the testing center. And of course when we left the house yesterday, we had not taken the check book with us. So we had to leave after realizing that cash or credit was not an option. I never made it back. It was lunch than nap time. Gary went back, because he has less time during the week to go. But he didn't pass. So we both have to go back anyway. I plan to be there first thing Tuesday morning.

The Bus - part 2

Ellie's school day is 8:30 to 11:30 am. Today she arrived home at 12:55 pm. She should arrive home around 11:50 am. Even though her principal called the bus company once and her mother called the bus company not once, not twice, but thrice, she was somehow still not on the schedule for the afternoon bus run. She sat around at her school for an hour waiting. She apparently has not changed her opinion of buses, though. When First Student finally brought her home, she was happily sitting in her seat, enjoying the ride and having the "bus" to herself. [It was a student van that brought her home.]

I, on the other hand, was a bit annoyed. I was not, however, concerned about her whereabouts, because I actually didn't expected them to pick her up. I somehow knew they would not have her on the schedule, but also thought that maybe since they picked her up, they'd bring her home.

Her school did called to say that she wasn't picked up, and that they called First Student. And that someone was one their way to pick her up and bring her home.

I will be giving First Student another call.

The Bus - part 1

Ellie has been excited to take the bus. Her parents don't share her enthusiasm. But we put her on this morning, none the less. It was a bit hectic getting ready, and our procedure needs some work, but she was at her stop on time. Or at least a stop. Gary and she headed out but were soon back when Gary saw bus #20 drive right on by. So we got in the car to try to catch it at another stop. As we drove I could see people still standing at the stop after Ellie's. So I drove to that stop, we recognized the pastor from Grace Mennonite and his kids. Gary got out to talk to them. It turns out that they take the same bus, and Ellie didn't miss it. Gary had failed to realize that the bus he saw was a North Penn School District bus and Ellie's bus is First Student.

So, now Gary will walk to the stop where our friends are every morning and then walk to his bus stop. I am very glad Ellie knows other children on her bus.

Ellie was quite content sitting in her bus seat, waving as the bus rolled away.

Motorcycle safety course

Yep, you read correctly. Gary and I are signing up to learn how to drive a motorcycles. First we need to take a test and get our permits. I am very excited. After we complete the class we will have our motorcycle license. Then we can drive Gary's dad's motorcycles, because we won't have funds of our own to purchase any motorized two wheeled vehicle for a long while.