Friday's Fave Five- June 19, 2009

I'm back! What a busy busy week my staycation was! I'm ready to get back to my routines, which includes participating in Friday's Fave Five.

1. This first favorite is actually from last week, but I didn't get the pictures loaded to the computer till this week. That makes it count for this week, right?

During our staycation, we traveled to Arcola, Illinois, to the heart of Amish country. We visited a museum, ate at an Amish restaurant, went to an Amish store (I went crazy buying spices, flour, etc.), and went on tours to see a woodworking business and an Amish home. (I also got lost in the heart of their farmlands -- all those narrow roads look alike!)

The Amish do not want their faces to be photographed, so this picture of an Amish man in a buggy with his three daughters is not clear. The horse's tail kept their faces from being shown.

You can't see them, but there were three adorable little girls wearing black bonnets in the buggy. They were probably ages 1, 3, and 5.

As I drove along in Arcola (and Arthur, IL) I passed many horses and buggies alongside the road. I always slowed down; I was afraid the traffic would spook the horses. I also saw many Amish ride bicycles. Some of the bicycles were curious looking - I wish I could have gotten a picture - the pedals for the legs were up near where handlebars normally are.

2. This next picture is taken of my daughter in an Amish Whole Foods Store. I loved this place! If you like organic foods, this is the place to come. There were all kinds of pasta products, different flours and grains, spices, and candies! Oh, my. I wanted it all! The cool thing is I found out that you can order from them and they will ship to you. I will be ordering soon!

Also, at the store, was a selection of stuffed animals. Malia had to have this cow:

because she said it was smiling. How many smiling stuffed cows does a person normally see? Yes, the cow came home with us!

3. Sadly, the staycation had to end... (how do you end staying at home? :) I mean, my mom and sister headed back to Florida, and I went back to work. Time to get back into my routine, which of course, included riding my bike.

Here is a picture of a creek that I always stop at to catch my breath while riding bikes. (I know ... it's sad how out-of-shape I am!)

You know that I love to take pictures of water. I hope you can see the ripples of water over the creek bed - it's not very deep this time of year.

4. Here is a picture of the road I take every day to go to work. Actually, my favorite is the view from the other side -- heading back home! -- but I thought I would share this with you.

5. My favorite thing this week is that I am now all caught up at work from my vacation! I love the feeling of relief when you don't have anything hanging over your head. I plan to relax this weekend.

How did your week go? Link up with us over at Susanne's Living to Tell the Story.