Category Archives: Family

Preparations begin

Family, food, Memories, Weather

The coming weekend is our annual Camp Manzke on Sunnybook Farm. All our children and grandchildren will be here at one time or another.

Last year we had cool wet weather. This year we hope for better days and nights.

Camp Manzke 2018

We hope to have a good turnout again in 2019, but will be missing one or two relatives from Illinois. Hoping to see them later this summer.

Now food and needed stuff are being parceled out so we don’t have tons of one thing and not enough of another–a friend went to a potluck picnic once where everyone brought baked beans.

I can’t wait for everyone to arrive. It will be a wild and crazy weekend. I will let you know how it all turns out, eventually.

Fun and fright

Family, Odds and ends, work

Last night a wicked thunderstorm came through our area. There was a tornado somewhere west of us, but the worst part was the straight-line winds. That knocked out our power for us for about three hours.

Still, we decided to take a planned outing and head up to Door County today. The branch pick-up would wait until tomorrow.

Rebecca and Andy took us for a ride to Egg Harbor where Russ and his family were having a weekend away.

First stop was Wood Orchard Market. I loaded up on Cherry Butter. When we run out of that good stuff we go through withdrawal.

Harrison’s ready to take your order.

Second stop was at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market.

Never too early for wine tasting

We visited by the pool at the Landmark Resort where Russ and family were staying. Planned to eat alfresco but storms sent us inside. Not as much fun eating inside, but our day was a great outing.

When we arrived home we found that the second wave of storms knocked down a lot more branches. Kind of happy we weren’t home to see this bad storm hit. Tomorrow is cleanup time.

Lucky for us, none of the large limbs were on the house.

Will go outside now to start on the small pieces but will have to think more about the big stuff. Can’t just pop those big branches in the cart.

Rock hunting

art, crafts, creativity, Family, fun, nature

Today Rebecca and Andy came for a visit. Andy grilled hot dogs for our lunch and I went rock hunting with Rebecca.

Our daughter creates beautiful copper trees. She sells them in shops and under our canopy at the Seymour Farmer’s Market.

A photo of her trees on their patio

Her trees are all mounted on rocks, most of which she found on her dad’s rock pile on the farm.

As I sat on our cart, Rebecca went rock hunting. She looks them all over and only takes the best rocks for her trees.


One by one Rebecca takes the cream of the rock pile.

Andy says Rebecca has enough rocks at home, but there will never be enough rocks for our daughter and her copper trees.

Copyright © 2019 Susan Manzke, All rights reserved.

Father and son and son

Family, fun

We had three generations this weekend here when Russell and Harrison visited this weekend.

Harrison, Russell, and Bob

I was there, too.

A tripod and timer worked so we could take this photo together.
Russell and Harrison discover a treasure trove in grandma’s attic.

To Russell’s amazement, he found a stash of his old toy Transformers that had been packed away for years. He and Harrison had fun transforming the toys from Daddy’s childhood.

Harrison and Russell’s visit included cart rides, paper airplanes, and SNAPS.

Times go fast when we all were having fun.

Splashing around

Family, fun, review

Today, Russell and Harrison came for an overnight visit.

It’s hot so a trip to Seymour’s new splash pad at Recknagel Park was in order. Of course, Grandpa Bob and I tagged along.

Harrison started with a drink of cool water.

Grandpa and Grandma sat on a bench in the shade as Daddy and son went on the playground equipment. Next was the splash pad.

A lot of cool water to splash in.

I did walk onto the splash pad, too. The water was refreshing, meaning cold for me.

Daddy Russ watches as Harrison checks out a water spider.

I recommend this park for children of all ages. It is especially great for younger kids.

All I could think about while I watched Harrison and other children playing in the water is this would have been great when our children were little. Now that it’s here it will be used by our visiting grandchildren.

It’s worth the trip to Seymour.