Summer Time in Indiana

Darryl and I have been thoroughly enjoying summer in Indiana. We are living in the Mishawaka and Granger area and it's so lovely and green here in the Hoosier farm country. 

Our weekdays are busy working of course, but on Saturdays Darryl likes to go to Garage and Estate Sales, and we will go for bike rides to the parks or around town. 

The flowers and river bridge in South Bend's Central Park.

About 30 miles to the east in the community of Middlebury is the Farm where Darryl's Grandmother, Beulah Pauline Stahley Yoder was born and raised and where his mother Peggy spent many, many summers.

Darryl remembers coming up to visit the farm in the mid 1960s a few times and he has great memories of summer days spent there.

It took some research at the county courthouse and Historical Society, and also talking to the locals, but he finally found the farm. The huge barns, outbuildings and summer kitchen are gone, but the house is still there.

About a  mile down the road just east from the house is a little cemetery where Darryl's Grandma and Grandpa Yoder and their son Billy are buried. Billy died of appendicitis when he was 14.

Also buried in this cemetery is Minerva Stahly. Grandma Yoder's mother died in 1916 and her father remarried Minerva a year later.

This is the grave of Darryl's Great-Grandparents.

And his Great-Great-Grandparents.

More family graves.

One Saturday afternoon we went to Linton's Enchanted Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana. What a pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

We loved all of the small houses and buildings.

This is Darryl's birthday picture. On August 4th he turned 65 years young.

Oh how I love this man! How blessed I am.

On another bright note -Our granddaughter Adrianna went to her first Comic-Con. She designed her costume and her mother made it out of leather and other fabrics and she won an award for her portrayal of a Steam Punk Captain Marval.

On Friday August 9,2019, while I was working at the South Bend site I had company come by.

The Goodyear Blimp flew directly over my head. It was quite close and circled around me several times.

I believe this is the closest I have ever been to a dirigible. 

One of the parks Darryl and I like to bicycle to is the Shiojiri Japanese Garden in Mishawaka. What a peaceful place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

This beautiful little garden is about 6.5 miles from our house, so it makes for a good ride.

August 11, 2019

I've been working on my yoga just about every day, along with walking every morning. Actually, I walk with Gideon. 

Yes, I know Gideon is in Phoenix, but I call him up at 5:15 in the morning and we put on our shoes and go out for a walk while we talk on the phone. I really love my morning walks with my boy.

I've been averaging around 12 - 15 miles a week and Darryl has started running again, so we signed up for our first 5k of the year. The St. Patrick's County Park Running Wild 5k Tail Run / Walk. It was our first ever trail race.

And believe it or not, we both placed in our age groups. 

 Since I am not supposed to run anymore I walked the race in 49:05, averaging a 15:49 mile pace. Darryl ran the race in 34:25, an 11:05 pace. Pretty good considering he's only run about 5 times this entire year.

I did love our awards though, painted pine cones and small Indiana Pure Maple Syrups. 

The next few weeks are going to bring loads of fun as we get ready for the Eppert Family Reunion over Labor Day weekend. So until then - Have a great week!