John Deere World Headquarters - July 2012

We drove to Moline, Illinois (the Quad Cities) to visit the John Deere Pavillion, John Deere Store and the World Headquarters.  Wayne loved it.  I enjoyed watching Wayne.  They had models of everything they build at the World Headquarters.  We were allowed to climb up and see (if we could get them from the kids).  Wayne is standing next to a tire.  The tractor is enormous.  They had combines and tree harvesters and everything in between.

Pageant

This is a picture Wayne took last year of the pageant cast.  There are hundreds of people.  We are watching rehearsals and stage preparation and chairs being put out.  The pageant opens next week and you can feel the excitement.

Fireworks

We traveled to Canton, Missouri to see Dave's Fireworks Warehouse, the largest fireworks distributer in the world.  We believed it!!  We did not buy any fireworks because they are illegal in California, but we did stroll up and down the aisles, marveling at the variety of things available.  People were filling shopping carts with fireworks for their 4th of July celebrations.  This last picture is of a box of stuff that cost $200.  It would probably take you a week to set it all off. 

Talent Show

We had a dinner and talent show two weeks ago.  There were skits, singing, comedy and a lot of fun.  The highlight of the evening was this skit.  The tarp represented a swimming poot.  The guys did synchronized swimming with their arms, pretending to dive to the side.  I was laughing so hard, I only got this one picture.

Our tour bus took us out into the countryside.  The driver was Mennonite (could drive)  He showed us Amish homes and farms and explained the difference between the Amish and the Mennonites.  Their religious beliefs are about the same and they are both trying to keep from getting caught up in worldly things, but the Mennonites are not as strict about electricity, telephones and vehicles.  The Amish do not have telephones in their homes, but found a need for them.  The phone company set up little phone booths at certain road junctions.  They look like little out houses.  The bus stopped at a bakery where I couldn't resist buying two loaves of bread, one white and the othere cinnamon raisen.  Wayne had to have a bumbleberry pie.  We didn't know what bumbleberries were and had to invite three other couples over to help eat it.  It was delicious.  The berries looked like cherries but had the texture of raspberries.  While at the bakery, there was a buggy in the yard.  Wayne and Kyle had to have a look.  It has a lot of modern equipment, like a car battery carefully hidden underneath.  The Amish use batteries.  We stopped at a store way out in the country several weeks ago.  I purchased an apron and the lady rang it up on a cash register.  I asked her how she did it and she smiled and said it was battery run.  She didn't take credit cards, though - that would involve the internet -
          The second stop on the tour was a woodworking shop.  We were able to browse the showroom and then were taken to the back to see the shop.  These artists were not Amish.  Their stuff was beautiful and the workers were all family members. 
          The third stop was an Amish general store.  I saw a vegetable slicer that I used to have when I was first married.  It was nostalgic, but I prefer my salad shooter.  Does the same thing easier. 
          When we got back to Kalona, we formed a caravan and were led out into the country to an Amish home where we were fed a delicious dinner.  The cook was Sylvia Ropp, a Mennonite woman.  The food was fantastic.  We had roast beef, mashed potatoes, noodles, rolls, vegetables, tapioca salad, coleslaw and pie for dessert.  I bought a cook book from her.
          It was a really fun day.  We got to see and do things that we would not have been able to see and do on our own.  We enjoyed the company of the friends we were with.

The men are standing in front of the bakery.  At ten, they went to the hardware store and the furniture building place.  We went to the quilt shop.  The quilt shop was amazing.  Much fabric, patterns, kits, also finished pieces.  I drooled, but did not buy anything.  I'm thinking about having to bring everything home!!!

Kalona, Iowa - June 2012

Our Friday P-day group went to Kalona, Iowa for a day's activity.  Kalona advertises itself as the Quilt Capital of Iowa.  When they redid the downtown streets and sidewalks, they put quilt patterns every so often.  It was fun to see them.  Above is half of our group.  There were 10 couples.  We were able to take a formal tour on a tour bus. We had to split in half because the bus wouldn't hold all of us.  We went in the second tour.  We arrived at 9 am and stores opened at 10, so we found a bakery and bought cinnamon rolls.  Then we found the general store, which was open.  It looked sort of like Dollar City.  It was fun to browse.