Brag time

When not reading, I have been working on this cross stitch pattern. Turned out okay. DeeAnn decided to frame it and it is now hanging in our bedroom.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. More important, 2 1/2 days of school left!!!

In observance of the holiday, we traveled up to Layton where we had lunch with my brother and his family followed by a short visit to the Kaysville cemetery where we placed flowers for my father, mother, and youngest brother. We also visited my childhood best friends grave and that of my Uncle Curtis.

Of course, once we got home, someone wanted their tummies rubbed!

This morning we enjoyed a plate of crepes (recipe) with our home-grown strawberries after working out in the yard a little bit. Here of some of the other plants and vegetables we have in the yard this year.

Abby enjoying our snapdragons while watching out for birds. We bought a very attractive bird feeder this year and have seen a number of small, song birds out munching away at it.

The geranium DeeAnn planted that was given to me from a bookmobile patron.

Our cat-fertilized tomato patch.

Some of DeeAnn's sweet peas.

My potatoes are finally starting to grow!

Lobelia, Pansies, Marigolds and Roses in our yard.

Review - Al Capone Does My Shirts

I finally finished Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. It was a fun book. It was especially interesting since I have been on the island several times, as a visitor.

The premise of the book is a story of Moose and his family. His father takes a job as a guard at Alcatraz and as a result they move out to the island. Moose meets other children, including the spoiled warden's daughter, other children living on tghe island, and children that attend his school in the city (San Francisco). His older sister has severe autism and he has to learn to deal with that and how to explain it to others.

The warden's daughter contrives a plot to have their classmates laundry done by prisoners, for a fee of course. She tells them Al Capone works in the laundry and will be doing their laundry. She pulls Moose and some of the other island children into her plot which is quickly discovered by her father.

It was an interesting book but probably appropriate more for older children. There is not anything offensive in it. 225 pages which includes interesting notes about children and their families that lived on the island during the operation of the famous prison.