Lifestyle of Learning 2015 Edition: Volume Eighteen

July 1 - August 9

OK, so this is going to be quite a long post.  Sorry, but I do have five weeks of adventures to update you on.

The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall came to town.  Bishop and I , along with some dear friends, went to pay our respects.  My uncle, Rollin Randolph Austin, died in Vietnam in 1968.  We wanted to recognize his sacrifice and the sacrifices of so many.  It is such a powerful experience!

There was a Vietnam museum exhibition.  It was so thorough, hitting every angle of the war, and people who had been in Vietnam were so willing to share their experiences with the younger generation.  Again, powerful!

Bishop and I continued having culinary adventures.  We went to a local restaurant that recreates its menu routinely based on what is fresh and locally grown.

We took note of how they cleverly utilized file folders for their menus allowing them to switch out menus easily.

We began with brussel sprouts and maple bacon cornbread.  Both were absolutely amazing!

All of the food was so delicious and so fresh, right down to the whipped cream on the dessert.

Bishop continued with pottery.  He is now learning to make plates.  It is quite a different process then making bowls and he is enjoying the challenge.

It is an amazing process and I am so looking forward to having enough new dishes to set the Thanksgiving table!

Bishop and I tried a new Asian restaurant.

The plating of the crab rangoons was spectacular...

and the food was quite good.

Both of the boys have had some wildly new experiences this summer.  Bishop went on a whitewater rafting trip on the Ocoee River with the older scouts in his troop.  Apparently it was an amazing trip.  I wish that I could include photos of it but, alas, I have none.  The rafting outfitter did take photos while they were on the river.  I will be purchasing a photo CD, then I should be able to show you some photos of this rather grand adventure.

Maceo spent a weekend with some friends at their lake house.  He went tubing which he had never done before.

And as I write this, Bishop is at one of his friends houses by the lake and got to have some tubing fun for the first time.

How cool!

Bishop and I went to Creasian a couple of times still hoping to eat our way through their menu.

We're making progress!

Be assured that Maceo has been busy living his adventurous life this summer!

Maceo auditioned for our theatre's season opening show, Grease,

the evening of his first day of Summer Institute.

 This years Summer Institute was Annie Jr. and...

 Maceo was cast as Daddy Warbucks!!!!

This cast put on an amazing show.  I will try to secure photos of the show.  Maceo looked dashing in his tuxedo and I learned that his voice makes women, young and old, cry.

And what about the Grease audition?  Well, he was cast as Johnny Casino!
This cast should be quite entertaining!

OK, back to Bishop for a moment...
His service group met to assemble blessing bags to have available to share with those in need.

Bishop also spent a significant amount of time preparing for the fair.  Overall, he fared well, even earning Champion for his Blueberry Sage Jam.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Blueberries and Cream Bread 

Pumpkin Bread 

Blueberry Sage Jam, Canned Blueberries, Dried Thyme

Perfect Sugar Cookies

 Bishop and I spent a considerable amount of time just sitting at this table at the fair drinking tea and a little brown jug of root beer while eating Not'cho Ordinary Tacos.  While we sat here we had a rather deep conversation regarding genetics, which all begin with the question "can twins born of mixed race parents have different skin colors, one appearing black while the other appears white?"  (The answer is "yes, although extremely rare as up to seven different genes are involved in determining skin color").

 It was a fascinating hour-long conversation that was only briefly interrupted by the appearance of the Budweiser clydesdales.

During the second week of Summer Institute Maceo also auditioned for the youth performance troupe.  (It was a very busy couple of weeks, let me tell you).  Well, he did, in fact, make troupe so just after Annie Jr. was done Maceo had to attend four full days of troupe camp.  Many in this group were also cast in Grease so several times they would finish with troupe camp, have dinner together downtown, then head to Grease rehearsal together.  I know he had a full but fun week.

They ended the week by performing at First Friday Art Walk.

While Maceo was so busy Bishop and I went to a little sushi restaurant downtown.  We had spicy ramen and some sushi rolls.  Oh my goodness, it was amazing!

And today, while Bishop is with friends at the lake, Maceo begins this week by performing yet again.  The youth performance troupe performed and...

Opening up the Journey medley 

...the cast of Grease performed.

And just to end this post on a humorous note, here are photos of a car that was parked just outside the museum where Maceo had been performing.

On this adventure called life you just never know what you'll find!!!