Sisters of Sarah

Saturday I joined the Sisters of Sarah group from church on a field trip to southern Indiana. Since Sandra had a minivan we went in her vehicle. Sandra drives during the week for her job and wanted to catch up with everyone so I volunteered to drive. We first drove to the Levinworth exit on US64 to a restaurant that Kay aptly called The-Restaurant-That-Overlooks-the-River. When we got there the actual name was the Overlook. We had chit-chatted in the vehicle about diets, carbs, Weight Watchers, etc. So once we were at the restaurant most of us got the fried chicken salad instead of the actual fried chicken (the fiber helps to off-set the carbs?). I actually got the grilled tuna sandwich but did eat my restaurant made chips. We then had two orders of oatmeal pie that we split between the six of us. Each of us took a bite and then passed it to the next person. Yes, the pie had carbs but then again it had oatmeal that helps with cholesterol. Leave it to us to rationalize anything!

We next drove to Munchkins Gardens in the area of Milltown. Gene the owner/gardener led us on an educational tour with lots of jokes, laughter, and all around good fun. I learned that I have an abundance of spider wort in my backyard and that some of the plants I wasn't sure about are actually flowers and not weeds. See, I knew it wasn't just laziness that kept me from pulling them for the past three summers. After the tour we went to the area of the gardens where Gene and his wife sell plants. I had been taken in by some of the large varieties of monkshood (plus thought it would be cool to have a plant that I've read about in murder mysteries) but was sad to learn that Gene was out of the larger varieties until fall. I also learned that the best time to plant peonies was in September, so my purchase ideas were dwindling.

Checkout their virtual tour at http://www.munchkinnursery.com/.

On the way to our varying destinations I had mentioned that I had been looking for a birdbath. While at Munchkins Gardens I saw an old fashioned birdbath, not made of fancy stone, no fancy seahorse shapes, just an old fashioned pedestal and basin. I asked Gene's wife where she had purchased the birdbath. Explaining that the previous weekend I had gone to three different places with no luck and even this week going to a fancy garden store only finding birdbaths in the $200 range (way out of my range). She explained that she actually had bought it a little while ago from a woman up the way who was selling two planter pots and the birdbath as a set. She had bought the set because she wanted the planters. We did some quick talking and I managed to purchase the birdbath with some unusual plants thrown in for less than most people spent on their plants. I got a jellybean plant related to the hens and chickens I already have in the backyard and a climbing clematis and climbing hydrangea.

After leaving Munchkins Gardens we were on to what we thought was the Starlight, Indiana Strawberry Festival. Well once we got to Joe Huber's in Starlight we were dismayed to find out that the Strawberry Festival was last week. So we had to console ourselves with strawberry milkshakes and purchase fresh strawberries to take home. Of course I won't mention the phone calls to Perry for him to look at a map to try and tell me where to go to get from Milltown to Starlight. I knew how to get to Starlight from Louisville which would be from the east, but not from the west. But we managed to find our way there and home safely. All in all it was a good outing even if I ended up with a headache (allergies, dehydration, and too much sun) which led to an early evening for me.

Some of you may have gotten a gift basket back at Christmas time from Joe Huber's.

Check out their website at http://www.joehubers.com/.

-- Stephanie