Last week Dale and I killed a tree.

Our reasons were good and just. It was a very big maple tree and it was very close to our house. It had become a target for winter moths every spring and a superhighway to our roof for the many squirrels in our yard.

Hannah was rather emotional about the whole thing. I’m pretty sure it was tied in with her new go-vegetarian-green-earth-college-student mentality.

I will say, the process was fascinating. Dale and Brant and I sat and watched the whole thing. I considered making some popcorn but thought that might be disrespectful to the tree.

This guy in the bucket never stopped. He was one-handing the chain saw and pushing the limbs to the ground with his free hand. Another guy was on the ground sending the small stuff into a chipper and setting aside the big stuff. The entire process took about 3 hours, which amazes me.

It took 5 strong men and a lot of cutting before the big stump finally toppled over. That’s a big pile of wood there and Dale will be cutting and splitting it for us to use in our wood stove. That’s definitely a bonus to the whole situation.

So there you have it. Our side yard without the big maple tree. Dale loves it and is happy about this side of the house being open to air and light. The gutters will stay cleaner, the winter moths won’t leave their sludge all over our bulkhead, the squirrels won’t have such easy access to our roof, the lawn will be easier to mow and there will be far fewer leaves to rake. Not to mention that if we get hit with a big hurricane we won’t have to worry about this tree landing on our house. All positive outcomes, if you think about it.

And yet I still have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I’ve never killed a tree before.

A mojito goes nicely with this week’s topic . . .

The topic for this week’s Ten on Tuesday came from my dear friend The Knitigator. It’s quite appropriate as our summer reading program starts at the library this week, too. Here we go with 10 Books on Your Summer Reading List.

1. The Girl Who Play With Fire by Stieg Larsson. Having just finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I’m anxious to read the 2nd novel in the series.
2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson. I’m sure I’ll want to read this as soon as I finish with #1.
3. The Things That Matter: What 7 Classic Novels Have to Say About the Stages of Life by Edward Mendelson. I read about this on my book lover’s Page-a-Day calendar and I’m intrigued.
4. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. There’s nothing quite like reading a Stephanie Plum book while on vacation.
5. A Touch of Dead: Sookie Stackhouse, the Complete Stories by Charlaine Harris. I just can’t get enough of Sookie.
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. Dale read the Abraham Lincoln one and said it was pretty good and I think it’s high time I read this version of my favorite novel.
7. Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth. This one is on my nigh stand right now. I’ll admit I’m a bit afraid to read it.
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Because it’s been 50 years since it was published and it’s a book that can be read over and over again.
9. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I read about this one when I was skimming some book reviews and I think the idea behind it – the main character can literally taste the emotions of whoever prepares her food – is really interesting.
10. Innocent by Scott Turow. Summer is a great time for a legal thriller.

I am looking forward to reading everyone else’s lists – I’m always looking for something good to read! Don’t forget to add your link below.

We had such a great visit with our kids last week! We managed to do plenty of visiting and relaxing but also did some fun vacation stuff like going to the beach and going to a Rox game. We ended the week with a cook out to celebrate Dale’s birthday and it was an awesome party, if I do say so myself.

We even fit in a family photo shoot.

I got shots of Dale with his kids.

Dale with his grandkids.

And even Dale and I with the kids and grandkids.

Like any vacation, it was over all too fast. Good thing we have long memories to go with those photos.

A peony photo from back in May. I saved it for this week because it’s Dale’s favorite flower and tomorrow is his birthday. Won’t you join me and wish him a happy birthday?

In the meantime, I wish you a happy weekend!

I know I’m neglecting the blog this week but I hope you will understand when I tell you we are busy!

We’re busy going to the beach.

And hanging out playing games.

We’re busy petting the dog.

And drinking fruity drinks in fancy cups.

Finally, we are really busy eating lobsters!

So, I know you’ll understand if I just don’t have much time to blog these days.

Last Tuesday night was the annual Dale and the Duds concert on our town’s common. It was a beautiful summery evening with temps in the 70s and no humidity.

The crowd was huge!

It seemed like most of the town was there, in fact.

I had a great time listening to the music, chatting with family and friends, and just hanging out. Of all the concerts Dale’s band plays throughout the year, this one is one of my favorites.

There’s just something awesome about being in your hometown, listening to your husband sing, and watching your friends enjoy the music.

Our kids are visiting from Florida this week and Ambrynn (if you can believe it) is now 5 years old. Hence the inspiration for this week’s theme: 10 Ways to Entertain a Child.

1. Read a story together. I wouldn’t be much of a librarian if this wasn’t first on my list.
2. Cook something. This is not that easy for me as I prefer to be alone in the kitchen but it can be fun to cook or bake together.
3. Play a game. You could play a board game or make up a game – either way this is sure to be entertaining.
4. Go to the beach. Lots of stuff to do while at the beach!
5. Go to the zoo. We did this last year when the kids visited and we all had a great time.
6. Do something crafty together. A little knitting, crocheting or sewing – if they learn to do it on their own you might even get some quiet time.
7. Go for a bike ride.
8. Sit in the back yard and watch for birds. This is a favorite for our family.
9. Take a walk. A little exercise, a little scenery, a little entertaining.
10. Just hang out and talk. You’ll be amazed at the things they will say!

I had lots of people sign up for the new email notification thing. If you missed it last week and want to join us, go here. And don’t forget to add the link to your post by clicking the Add Your Link button below.

Saturday was my 4th time seeing Jimmy Buffett and it was just as good as ever. The concert may have even been the best one yet. But we all know that a Buffett show isn’t just about the concert – it’s about the tailgating.

The parking lot was crowded with canopies and tables and all kinds of Parrothead set ups.

We have expanded our little set up each year and now have a box of Buffett Decorations set aside.

Even with the shark and the flamingos and the grill it still is pretty tame compared to some of the set ups we see.

We made friends with our parking lot neighbors – jello shots are great for that. We played some games, shared some food and bonded over our love for Jimmy Buffett.

And then I walked into the grill and burned my leg. Whoops. A bit of ice and some more tequila put me right back into the groove, though.

It was over all too soon and time to head home. Just like Santa Claus, though, Jimmy will be back next year.

Hooray.

I told you yesterday that my week has been hectic and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down now that the weekend is here. We’ve got a graduation party to go to tonight, Jimmy Buffett tomorrow (woot!!) and our kids are arriving from Florida for a week long visit. It’s busy but it’s busy because we are blessed with friends and family and I wouldn’t’ have it any other way.

Have a fantastic weekend!

I apologize that the posts haven’t been full of content this week. Things are really hectic over here at Casa Carole Knits. Monday night was Town Meeting. Tuesday night was the annual Dale and the Duds concert on our town common. And yesterday Hannah and I were up and out the door at 5:00am to go to freshman orientation at her college. While Hannah spent her time taking placement tests and learning about campus activities, I went to workshops on paying the bills, campus security and learning to let go. It was a loooooong day but there was a lot of knitting time. In fact, I just about finished an entire sock.

Well how about that – I managed to talk about knitting after all.