Patriotic Puppet Show & Reading Fun

Today Lyd and I "traveled" on down to the public library.  We enjoyed the patriotic puppet show by Puppet Playhouse, "Say Something Good About America."  Lyd also created a patriotic windsock with a red SOLO cup, streamers, stickers and tape!  Kudos to the Lexington County Public Library Ladies for planning exciting activities!  They have close to 3,000 readers signed up at the main branch for this year's summer reading program. 

I finished up my second Dorothea Benton Frank book today!  Starting Janet Evanovich's new one, Wicked Business.  I LOVE TO READ!  And it's doubly fun during summer because I'm not necessarily supposed to be doing something else .  .  .  I enjoyed our PHES Summer Book Club Choice, One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.  I've also dabbled with The First 20 Minutes by Gretchen Reynolds and Sink Reflections by Maria Cilley.  I have Kisses from Katie by Katie J. Davis and Beth Clark in my stack of reads too .  .  . I hope I have enough summer  .  .  . :-)

Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park is the only National Park in SC.  We saw a cypress that was 800 years old!  I liked the ranger's explanation of the root system.  The "knees" of a cypress help it "balance."  During a hurricane, cypress trees are less likely to fall over because of their great foundation!  It was a cool, sunny day and a great day to be out in the big, wide world.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Today the traveling was closer to home (thank goodness)!  On the way home from Lutheridge yesterday afternoon, Lyddie made a "bucket list" of what to do this week.  Today it was trip for a "mini-mani!"  We invited a cousin to join in the fun. 

From the Sea to the Mountains

Today we picked up our Hannah Banana from church camp in NC!  It was neat to drive the opposite end of I-26 this weekend (we were back and forth to the beach four times this past month), and we'll do it all again tomorrow to take the boys to camp?!  (We couldn't schedule the fun on the SAME week this year .  .  . ) 

Walnut Grove was hosting an "historic event," and we stopped to check it out and stretch our legs.  This upcountry plantation was founded in 1765.  The couple had ten children, all who lived to adulthood!  One of the children was a doctor, and we were able to see his practice and some tools of the trade.  We also checked out a blacksmith in action.  It was a neat opportunity and a great excursion.  You can tour the family home if you have a little more time and money!

Where are the pink tennies today?

Shaking off the sand of Edisto Beach!