Vacation Day 3: International Peace Museum

Day 3 of vacation saw us leaving Cincinnati and heading to Dayton.  I had so hoped to visit the Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati, but when we got near there, it was pouring rain and there was obviously something going on at one of the sports arenas.  So we decided just to head on out and eat at Butter Cafe in Dayton.  

I would like to tell you that this was a great vegan meal.  I really wish I could.  But it wasn't.  This was the best part.  

We decided on two entrees and split them, as we often do.  This was a vegan Reuben with potatoes on the side.  It was just....OK.  Not horrible and not great.  

Here is the tofu scramble with sausage, potatoes, and toast.  The sausage tasted like it was right out of the tube of Gimme Lean.  The tofu scramble is listed on the menu as "chef's daily inspiration."  Well, I can tell you on this day that the chef most definitely was NOT inspired, because the scramble appeared to consist of tofu, turmeric, and lots of salt.  I expected something better---vegetables mixed in would have been nice.  The seasoned breakfast potatoes were mostly seasoned with oil.  When we left this meal, we felt weighed down.  Yes, we chose the items, but I just expected some veggies, some greens.....something redeeming with this meal I guess.  

I do want to make it clear that the service was GREAT.  Our waiter was accurate and friendly, and we do not have one single complaint about him.  He wasn't responsible for the quality of the food, so don't worry....we gave him a nice tip.  

After that we moved on to the International Peace Museum in Dayton.  This is a free museum, and there is a place to donate if you so choose.  (We chose--it was very well done and brought my attention to issues that frankly I didn't even know existed.)  

That night we settled in a small town in Ohio.  Sick-with-a-nasty-cold Mr. GV needed a nap, so after I rested a bit, I headed out to buy a few things at Kroger and check out the local Goodwill.  

I had a fun time at Goodwill, and came home with just a few treasures:  a few books for the newly-minted reader in my life and some Megablocks/Legos for J and I to sort through.  We'll keep the pieces he likes (there are several figures inside) and hopefully donate the rest to the Lego club at the library, if he can let them go.  

I have been on a quest to find some comfortable sleep pants used.  I bought a pair a few weeks back and they are OK but not very stretchy.  This day I lucked out though, and found two pairs.  One Old Navy brand pair for myself, and another pair for my middle sister.  My pair is soooo soft and comfy.  I will be on the lookout for the same brand in the future at thrift stores.  

Vacation Day 2: Steamboat Museum

We started out Day 2 of our vacation with a late breakfast/early lunch at Earth Friends Cafe.  

Look at this gigantic rosemary bush growing outside their door!

Poor Mr. GV was in the midst of a nasty cold and was feeling pretty rotten by this point.  

Mr. GV decided on the General Tso tempeh wrap, seasonal fruit, and soup.  

I had the apple tempeh melt which was DELICIOUS!!  I never would have thought of putting apple on a hot sandwich, but it went so well together with the tempeh and melty vegan cheese.  For my side I had their bean salad which was also great.  

We have trouble passing up vegan desserts.  Maybe because I rarely make them here at home?  This oatmeal cream pie was good but just like one of those boxed oatmeal cream pies from your childhood, so overly sweet that I didn't finish the whole thing.  

Mr. GV's choice was a banana muffin.

And a soy latte, which made him a very happy boy.  

After eating, we headed to the Steamboat Museum in Jeffersonville, IN.  There were no tour guides available at the time due to the fact that two school groups were touring.  We were given the choice to tag along with a school group, so that's what we did.  As Mr. GV said later, it really is a good thing to do anyway, because the children think of all sorts of good questions to ask!  

The house where the museum is located.

Mr. GV enjoys eating at Loving Hut, so we headed to the location in Cincinnati that evening.  

We shared a summer roll while we waited for our food to be prepared.

Mr. GV had the buffalo wrap and one of their soups of the day, 

while I had the vegan A1 sandwich with corn chips.

There was dessert too---yummy chocolate cake for me and cheesecake for Mr. GV.

Just a little sign in the restroom.....

That night we stayed in Cincinnati, and went to a local bookstore.  We of course did not leave empty-handed! 

Vacation Day 1: The Lincoln Museum

Mr. GV and I took a small driving vacation a few weeks ago.  We are always in a hurry to get somewhere when we are on vacation, and pass signs on the highways for local museums but don't have the time to stop!  So this time we put in our ultimate destination, then did a Googlemaps search for museums within a certain distance.  And that's how we planned our vacation!

Our first stop was the Lincoln Museum in Hodgenville, KY.  This is a fairly small, two story museum.  There are several scenes from President Lincoln's life, plus lots of other interesting items to see.  

On the second floor there were also many items such as clothes and tools from the era in which Lincoln lived.  I thought this yarn winder was kind of interesting.  

Mr. GV taking in the exhibits.

Outside the museum are a couple of statues.  One is of Lincoln as a young boy, and the other is the one you see below.  

We ended our day in Louisville, KY and headed to an Indian restaurant we've been to before.  They serve animal products, but they have several items that are clearly marked 'vegan' on their menu.  We started off with the samosas.  

And a big pitcher of water.  

Mr. GV had mulligatawny soup (and said theirs was good, but mine was better, which was a nice compliment!)  

I am crazy about dosa, so we ordered the masala dosai.  It was HUGE as you can see in the picture.  Much bigger than we expected.  

Mr. GV had his usual aloo gobi, 

while I had my typical chana masala.  It was a bit too spicy for me, but that was my own fault, as I forgot to order it mild.  

Building a Bird Feeder

J and I made some bird feeders.  I found the idea on Pinterest and thought it looked simple and was a good way to use up orange or grapefruit rinds.  

I mistakenly thought I had some wild bird seed, but only had thistle, so that's what we used to fill these up the first time.  

While I hung the feeders, J enjoyed adding a few things to his "treasure chest."  He's allowed to put anything in there he wants....as long as it's not a living creature. 

Spring Planting

We had some glorious weather a couple of weeks ago, and I knew it was time to put out the plants we had bought.  But first off, some time spent in the backyard:

J was collecting things and explaining that it was for the birds to make their nests. 

Macy and Milo were having the best time chasing each other.  Milo likes to 'hide' behind this tree from Macy.  

J and I looked at the basket of edibles he made at his garden club the week before, and he tried most of them (lettuce, spinach, and dill.)  The strawberries have bloomed but of course aren't ready yet.  

Then he decided he would plant the items he had previously planned to leave for the birds.....

Eventually it was on to the front yard, and time to put the plants out!  J got right into the middle and started digging. 

We dug up a friend or two....

earthworms!  We talked about how we need to be kind to them and how they are a great thing to have in our garden beds, and after some inspection, we put them back in the soil.

The two of us, planing spinach.

J showing off his work!

He had never paid any attention to the water barrels in the front flower beds, and was excited to learn about them and to discover he could manage the faucet himself.

Tasting some kale, which he claims he liked.  

The bumblebees were enjoying the kale flowers, along with a solitary honeybee.