Perfect Iowa nice weekend

My new self has learned to enjoy the little things. That's what this weekend was about.

We started with sticker shock on Friday afternoon - we met with a remodeling company who presented us with our dream master bath remodel. The price was nearly as much as our first house! Gulp. I think we'll need to take a piecemeal approach. To the contractor's credit, he did give us everything we'd mentioned and built in a bunch of extra $ for top of the line. We told him we'd talk it over...and we needed a drink.

Good thing I'd made plans for us to meet with my longtime pal Jane and her friends Barb and Julie right down the street from our remodeler at Irena's, a Russian joint. We caught up with Jane who is moving - how exciting, and a bit scary. She's lived in her present home for many years, raising her 4 great kids there. Paul and I can understand her mixed emotions about leaving the place behind.

We felt the same way both times we moved from homes we lived in when raising kids. Our first Creston house will always be dear in my heart. We bought it when we moved to town and Amy was only one. Then Jud and Patrick were born while we lived there.

Our second home was my dream house - a perfect location and neighborhood with great neighbors who we are still friends with today. It was hard to move away - not only from the house, but from the 'hood! When Jane leaves her house, it will actually go a step further. The building will be demolished to make way for more progress in the Waukee area. Man how that town has grown in the past ten years.

I'm happy for Jane! Though I miss my former homes, I love my new home and way of life. I think she will too.

From near the Iowa State Capitol Building #gladididnthavetocarrythepies

Saturday was a day the where the weather gods smiled on Iowa. I wanted to get some steps in for Live Healthy Iowa - so we parked a little farther away from downtown for the Farmer's Market. Later, Paul headed south to put up tree stands. Guess what time of year it is? I headed to the Urbandale Library - where I discovered this hidden gem of a park.

It was so beautiful - a fountain, sculptures and a creek

Later that afternoon, we took off for a farm north of Panora, owned by Kevin one of Paul's friends from work. He'd invited us to a cookout. I was glad we had those yummy Amish pies to share because there was a lot of other delish food to go with the gorgeous autumn rural Iowa scenery.

There was a live band later that night - the son of a guy Paul worked with in Creston many years ago. We watched as the nearly full moon rose over the wetland. It was a great night.

the trail was wooded

Sunday was biker chick day. Instead of north, we went south - to the Great Western Trail. We parked in Orilla, Iowa. Where, you ask. That's because Orilla is but a dot on the road with two bike bars! He biked down to Cumming and back, arriving in time to get a nice Pork Tenderloin at the Rusty Spoke.

On Sunday night Paul and I kept running out on the deck to check out the moon - first the eclipse and then the reddish color. What a wonderful end to a perfect Iowa weekend.