Heading for the hills

First off, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful birthday wishes. WOW! So many good wishes on Facebook, and it definitely made me smile.

Some of you may know that I turned 50 today. Although it feels weird to say “I’m 50,” I’m feeling really good about things. Health, a positive change for Ken in his job, plenty of great books to read and movies to watch, living here at Nutwood and enjoying its beauty...it’s all good. [Automatic superstitious action that I really don’t think works: knock on wood.]

So how did I celebrate today? After my usual workout, I headed downtown for a mammogram and a bone density test. Who knows how to party?! THIS GAL! I had it scheduled for last Friday, but for whatever reason, they had to reschedule, and today was the day they gave me. I was in and out of there in about an hour, so I was still able to enjoy the beautiful day and get some things done around here.

Part of that included packing a few things for a long weekend in the hills of eastern Kentucky with my family. They always have a big Labor Day celebration in this town and the historical society honors a different family each year. This year, it’s one of the families in our ancestry, the Marshalls. Pretty much my entire immediate family is going, and my Mom is super excited to have us all along. My Aunt June is visiting from Florida, so she is going, too. We’ll have fun, although I think it would be wise to keep my political leanings to myself while I’m down there. Cousin Greg (Aunt June’s son) and I were laughing about what I could wear. He suggested that I dress like a hippie and carry an “Occupy Salyersville” sign. I said that maybe I’ll wear my Obama t-shirt. Greg said I might want to consider wearing a French beret, as well. That cracked me up!

Anyway, although I’ll be connected, I won’t be online a whole lot. We’ll be out and about during the day and I’ll try and get caught up as much as possible at night. 

Thanks again for all the kind words on my birthday. It meant a lot to me.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Actually, only one big change. Congrats to my hubby Ken on his new job! He still has a few days left at his previous job, but will soon be at his new digs. I couldn’t be happier for him. He was definitely ready for a change, and I know he’s really looking forward to doing his best for his new company. It’s a smaller company, and they seem really excited to have him on board. We had a nice surprise on Friday, when his new boss emailed him and asked us to their family pick-a-nick at The Cove Saturday evening. I thought that was very thoughtful, and I enjoyed meeting some of his new coworkers and bosses. Yes, Super Introvert Beth was excited and happy to meet these new folks, believe it or not!

I continue to be scarce on here because I can feel summer winding down, so I’m trying to have as much fun as I can before the cold weather sets in. I’m spending some time sitting on the deck in the shade in the afternoon, just reading and enjoying the pleasant late summer weather. On the days where it’s not typical August-hot, I catch some rays, hoping to stave off my usual winter pallor as long as possible.

I had a fairly busy time this past week, and one of the highlights was lunch with Shane and Matt at a place Shane had read about online: Moser’s Austrian Cafe in New Carlisle, Indiana, about 20 miles east of Nutwood. Shane took us over there via the back roads, and it was fun driving through ‘60s-era subdivisions and looking at cool doors, interesting mid-century modern features, and the occasional glass-block window. The restaurant was a gem, with delicious schnitzel (their specialty) and tasty Austrian beer (Stiegl). Shane had the traditional Wienerschnitzel, Matt had Alt Wienerschnitzel (spinach and Swiss cheese...excuse me...Schweizkäse!), and I had Jägerschnitzel (bacon, onions, mushrooms, and red wine). To all you haters who said that my schnitzel looked like it had an octopus on it, you have NO IDEA how good it was! It was so good, with a nice vinegary tang to it. I went there with the intention of getting something with sauerkraut, so I could get my fix of that, but the schnitzel was fantastic, and the German potato salad and red cabbage was delicious. Moser’s was voted one of the ten best German restaurants in the country, and I can tell you that the food and the service was just fantastic. As Shane told our server (apparently also the owner), “Ausgezeichnet!” (Excellent!) Nice job, Shane, on finding a great place not too far from us! It’s always so much fun to try something new, and get away from chains and franchises. Ken and I had so much fun finding places like that on our big road trip.

This week, we’ve got the Republican convention to watch, then later in the week, we’ll be heading out on another road trip to eastern Kentucky with my family. Mom’s minivan is full, so we’ll be driving down in the Mustang. (Ken’s, not mine.) Mom’s family is from that area, so she’s really excited to take us all back to where her folks came from.

I promise more substantive posts soon. I have plenty to say about “legitimate” things, believe me! Heh.