End Of Summer

Aug 27, 2024 | Life, Travel

Happy Wednesday everyone!  This End Of Summer post is just that…some of the fun things Mr. TAL (If you are new to the blog, Mr. TAL is my husband Thomas – Mr. Two Adorable Labs), myself, Jake and Maggie got to do over the summer.  Per my last email, I’ll be posting once a month for now while I finish my 4th cookbook, along with some other projects which I will tell you about later, and will resume posting once a week starting in January.  If you have anything you would like me to talk about or research, please don’t hesitate to ask!  Comment below or send me an email at twoadorablelabs@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you.  
 
This post contains links that if purchases are made, Two Adorable Labs will make a commission at no extra cost to you.
 
Before I get started, I want to mention that Monday, August 26th, was National Dog Day.  Observance of National Dog Day began in 2004 thanks to animal behaviorist Colleen Paige, who wanted to bring attention to animal abuse and assist animal charities.  To honor and celebrate, we made a donation to the Hancock County Animal Shelter and took the dogs for a ride in the country.  Did you know that Pet Supplies Plus has a drop off box for donated items to shelters sitting in the front of the store? Just ask the cashier.
 
When I was younger, my parents bought me and my sister two horses who we named Sparky and Shamrock.  We got a job working a 500 acre farm to help pay for the horses.  We bailed hay, cleaned out the spring houses and barns, fixed fences and in return, the farmer gave us hay (instead of money) to feed Sparky and Shamrock.
 
Mr. TAL and I took a ride past that farm this weekend.  It had been almost 40 years since I had seen it and being there brought back so many good memories.  We drove by, rolled down the windows and let the dogs breathe in the country air.  I was hoping we could stop at the creek my sister and I used to play in but unfortunately the farm has changed a bit and although still beautiful, it was so overgrown that walking to the creek would have been difficult.
 
Ok on to our summer!
 
I planted my first tomato plants (and lettuce) !!!!!
 
Over the years, I’ve grown to love gardening and designing our yard to bring in butterflies, hummingbirds, and bumble bees.  I have also tried growing herbs and this year started a small herb and vegetable container garden.  I planted Better Boy tomatoes, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, basil, parsley, and oregano.  I bought the plants online from Lowes, used containers I already had, mixed in three different types of potting soil from Lowes, used old pieces of wood for steaks, used these name tags from Amazon, and black mesh from Busy Beaver to keep the deer and rabbits from eating everything.
 
Did you know that when you plant your tomatoes in a container, they need a gallon of water a day to survive!  Also, to keep a moisture from escaping during the day, adding a thin layer of mulch will help retain the water on the tomato plants.
 
If you want to see more of my gardening and outdoor projects, check out this link HERE
 
We traveled a good bit this summer!
 
 
We met friends in Cincinnati for dinner at Jeff Ruby’s in April.  Mr. TAL was teaching a class on 2023 Code Changes and I went along on the trip with him.  If you are ever in Cincinnati and want a good steak, make reservations at Jeff Ruby’s.
 
The place is spectacular, the food is delicious, and the service is wonderful.  We got the ribeye, filet mignon, potatoes Anna, baked Mac n cheese, and the chocolate chip cookie with ice cream for dessert.
I wore navy blue dress pants and light blue blouse from Macy’s and Kohl’s, crystal sandals from DSW, and crystal earrings from Dillards.

Trying to take a photo of me and Mr. TAL...

We were in Nashville on Broadway.  I stopped and said “let’s take a picture!!!” and this is the result.  LOL. Sun in our eyes but having fun!  

 
July 25th is our anniversary but we went to Mackinac Island in May to celebrate for a weekend.  If you aren’t familiar with the island, you drive into Mackinaw City, park your car and take the ferry over to the island.  The only form of transportation on the island is by foot, bike, or horse drawn carriage.  We stayed at the historic Grand Hotel.  We had dinner and drinks at Sea Biscuit in town but for the rest of the stay we used our meal tickets in the grand ball room.  If you decide on taking a trip, I would highly recommend staying here and purchasing the meal plan.  You get breakfast and 5 course dinner.
 
I will have to say one thing…Our plans to rent bikes and ride around the island were cancelled due to very bad weather.  One bike it’s approximately 90 minutes but you can stop at any time to sight see.  It was so cold and rainy that if it had snowed, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  We spent time in town which is very quaint but unfortunately did not get to see all of the island.  This was a very different trip by taking a ferry to our destination and feeling almost like we stepped back in time but I felt very sorry for the horses.  I asked to see the stables or the area the stables are located but was not allowed.  I tried not to let my feelings and judgement get in the way but seeing the scars from the straps and heavy harnesses on these horses and the wear and tear on them broke my heart.  Their life is carrying thousands of pounds of cart, luggage, and people to their hotels day in and day out for hours in all kinds of weather with only a 24 hour period to rest is not what I call a life.  They are the taxi’s on the island and walk and stand on pavement for hours on end.  The hotel was beautiful and the food was delicious.  The town was very sweet.  But I have to say that I would never go back because I truly feel that these horses are not being treated well.  In the winter, they are shipped via boat to another location and then shipped back.  When I inquired about this, I was told they enjoy it and then ignored.  We took one carriage ride to our hotel from the ferry because we didn’t know where it was.  Walking with luggage would have been difficult but doable.  Let me just say that Mr. TAL and I did a lot of walking after that :-).
June 8th Jake and Maggie’s 7th Birthday and a mushroom tortellini pasta recipe
 
We had a birthday party and celebrated with a homemade doggie birthday cake and dental chews from Chewy by Get Naked.  I had made this doggie cake a few years ago and it was a hit so I tried it again.  Everyone brought presents and food and we made homemade pizzas on our Blackstone Pizza Oven with everyone’s favorite toppings (for the humans LOL).  I made a mushroom pasta with mushroom tortellini from Home Goods.  I sautéed 1 pack of portobello mushrooms, 1 shallot (sliced), pinch of fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1 stick of butter together, boiled the tortellini and mixed it all together.  I topped the dish with fresh parmesan cheese.  My dad loved it!  The dogs ran back and forth getting pets from their favorite people and loved opening up their presents 🙂
Play date with Aurora
 
We invited our friends and their sweet Siberian Husky, Aurora, over for a play date with the dogs.  We made chicken skewers and steak on the grill, scalloped potatoes, pasta salad, and drinks while the dogs ran around jumping in and out of the shrubs.  We carried the party from the back patio to the side porch and enjoyed some good company and conversation while the dogs relaxed and cooled down.  Thank you to our sweet friends who brought tons of food and a special sweet drink that I need to get the recipe!
 
 
 
Mr. TAL and I celebrated our 15th anniversary by going to diner at Del Frisco’s Steakhouse in Pittsburgh (Mr. TAL surprised me).  It was my first time there and I loved the food.  We got the filet, lobster Mac n cheese, and twice baked potato.  They brought us over cheesecake for dessert and we ordered the ooey gooey cake.  If you are looking for a romantic atmosphere and delicious food, make a reservation here.  I wore a bright green jacket, black jumpsuit, black sandals, black Saint Laurent crossbody, and silver chainlink statement jewelry from Macy’s.
 
My birthday…August 18th
Mr. TAL took me to Nashville for the weekend for my 53rd birthday and if you know me, you know I LOVE Tennessee!  We have been to Franklin, Murphy’s Borough, and Nashville several times and each time is perfect.  It was so fun to celebrate my birthday in Nashville.  A big THANK YOU goes to my sister for watching Jake and Maggie for us!  We have taken the dogs in the past but this mini vacation was for us.
We got non-stop flights on Southwest from Pittsburgh and were there and back in a little over an hour each way.  If you are interested in more of our travel to Tennessee and other trips, check out the link HERE!  Most of them are dog friendly but Sugarcreek is NOT a dog friendly town.
We stayed, dined and toured:
House of Cards – Such a fun place.  We had the Panzanella salad, filet, baked potato, and cheesecake.  I wore a black dress from Tuckernuck, jewelry from Dillards, crystal purse from Shein, and heels from Amazon.
We had The Luke’s Kettle chips for our appetizer and the hot honey chicken sandwich.  Later we went back to the rooftop bar, watched a great country band, and drank peach schnapps and hops beer.  They make the best peach schnapps I’ve ever had!!!
Another Broken Egg Cafe
We had the cinnamon roll French toast with scrambled eggs and bacon!
I hope you enjoyed this post.  I tried to make it as informative as I could.  It’s a bit longer than usual so I’m sorry about that.  This summer has flown by with mini vacations, activities on the weekends, time spent with Jake and Maggie hanging out in the yard, going for walks, to-do lists, house projects and we have one more exciting things planned.  We have tickets to see Hamilton at the Benedym Pittsburgh September 21st with our friends from Cincinnati.  I already have my outfit from Tuckernuck, my jewelry from Dillards, kitten heels from Amazon (#ad), and purse from Shein.  I’ve included several links in this post and mushroom tortellini recipe if you want to try!  Let me know if you do.  I’ve included links to my clothing but some items are sold out so I did not include a link.
 
Fall is around the corner.  Stay tuned for my newsletter which gives three posts instead of one.  I’ll be giving a new fall tablescape, new recipe, and pet post for you to read next month!  Enjoy!
 
 
I’m Bobbi Jo, a lab-lover who took my passion for animals and dogs and turned it into something bigger.  When I adopted Jake and Maggie, my love for them became the driving force behind Two Adorable Labs, and my blog was born.  My hope is to not only share them with the world, but to help educate others on the importance of animal health and well-being.

Two Adorable Labs has become a collection of all that I love.  I’ll send one post each week on things that bring me joy on animal health, home decor, and food recipes for humans and our furry friends.  I hope you enjoy these posts and much as I do creating them!

I love hearing from all of you and do my best to respond to each and every one of you.  I always enjoy your comments, feedback, and suggestions so keep them coming!  If I’ve posted a recipe (for our human and our furry friends) and you try it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @twoadorablelabs and use #twoadorablelabs​.

If you do try and love my recipes, I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating.  I read every single one and respond to them.  It also lets Google know that the website contains quality content.  The more comments and 5-star ratings, the more Google will show my blog in search results!  Thank you so much!

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Love, Jake and Maggie

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